4

Another day of torture, it was but then again it was their last exam.

Playing with her pen, waiting for the teacher, Leah looked back at Mia who was busy talking with her desk mate, meanwhile here she sat all mute which was not her thing at all. 

She slightly glanced at Igneel who just sat beside her in silence. She wanted to talk to him but about what? "You...do you have friends?" Leah asked while getting closer to him. It was a very dumb question but the least dumb one she had in her mind.

Except for answering her, he just nodded.

"You don't like talking?" She asked and he quickly shook his head. "Then talk to me." She said with a soft smile on her face. He slowly turned his head towards her. "Your......name?" He asked and her smile widened. She thought he knew her name because every other person does. "I'm Leah...Leah Williams." She said and he nodded.

"Your name?" She asked although she knew his name. She wanted to continue the conversation before it died. "I'm...Igneel." He said. His voice was never loud. He spoke so slowly that it was hard to understand what he was saying unless she got close.

"Igneel? That's a pretty unique name." She said with a constant smile on her face, trying to make him feel comfortable. "So... what's the meaning of Igneel?" She asked but before he could answer the teacher walked into the class. 

She passed a slight glare to the teacher before sitting straight on her chair. "Good luck, ... Igneel." She said with a smile and he nodded before turning his head back in front.

************

"Ahhhh...We are free. I'm gonna go home and read the manga." Leah said excitedly while walking downstairs with Mia who had the same feeling as Leah. She was desperate to play her video games.

"What's that crowd?" Mia said as soon as they got out of the school's building. There was a huge crowd of girls in the football playground. "Oh, must be Tobias fan girls. Gosh, what's so good about that bully?" Leah asked while rolling her eyes. 

"Exactly. He makes me sick." Mia said and they both decided to ignore the fuss going on, on the other side.

***********

Two days later*

Everyone was back from the weekend. Some gloomy, some happy, and some like Leah who doesn't even care. If it wasn't for her three friends she would be skipping school now and then.

"I'm worried about my Math exam. I might fail." Leah said while trying to solve a problem, she focused fully on the book in front of her. "Then be ready to get whooped by your mom," Mia said. "I'm more than ready," Leah said. "You are failing," Mia said while looking at Leah who was too confident that she would fail her exam.

"Heck this," Leah said and threw the pen away as she couldn't solve the problem. "Let me help," Mia said and grabbed the pen. "Oh...I woov yo----."

"Huhhhh? You couldn't get the orange flavor? Are you kidding me?" 

Both Mia and Leah snapped their heads to the left side to see what was happening. Leah sat up straight once she came to know that it has to do something with Igneel. Sitting on his chair, he kept his head low.

"Huh? I can't hear you. Speak louder, loser." The fatty friend of Igneel yelled at him and raised his hand, slapping Igneel right across his cheek. Leah's eyes widened and she stood up from her chair ready to go there and rescue him without any second thought until Mia grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you going? Just sit down and mind your own business." Mia said and Leah looked back at Igneel. Her jaw clenched in anger when she saw the fatty slapping him again. Wasn't he Igneel's friend? Why is everyone just looking and no one helping? To her, all of them look like a coward and she doesn't want to be one of them.

She snatched her wrist from Mia's grip and rushed towards their desk, before the fatty could slap him again, Leah grabbed his wrist stopping him. "Huh? What?" Fatty asked Leah. Leah let go of his wrist and stood in front of Igneel's desk. 

"Why are you hitting him?" Leah asked the fatty with a stern expression which was not like her at all. "I wanted orange flavor but he got me an apple one," Fatty explained. "So...you will hit him?" Leah asked and fatty raised his brows at her. 

"What's your deal? He is our friend." Fatty said and Leah passed him a sarcastic smile. "Do you treat your friends like this?" Leah asked and fatty passed her a disgusting smirk of his. "He is treating us with his money. He shall bring us our favorite stuff. If not then what's the point of treating your friends?" Fatty said and Leah paused.

"His money?" Leah asked.

"Yeah...that loser is filthy rich but still a loser. If I was in his place I wouldn't be like him." Fatty said, shocking Leah even more. Igneel filthy rich? Aren't filthy rich people like Tobias? Spoiled? He is different. 

"You are not his friend," Leah said and fatty hovered over her. Trying to pressurize her but she knew he didn't have the guts to. He is all talk. "So..now you will tell me who is my friend and who is not? I made him my friend because I felt sorry for him." Fatty continued on with his talk with no logic.

"No...you made him your friend for his money. Since he can't fight back. You guys take advantage of it." She said and he passed her a glare. Towering on her even more. "You talk a lot." Fatty snickered.

She stepped back and turned towards Igneel. She grabbed his stuff from the table with his bag before grabbing onto his wrist. She pulled him up and walked away with him to her desk. "Jack, will you please give this seat to Igneel?" Leah asked Jack who sits behind her. 

"If you give me your notes?" Jack asked and she nodded. "I will." She said and Jack stood up with his stuff, moving to Igneel's desk. Leah put Igneel's stuff on the desk and turned towards him while still holding onto his wrist.

Since that fatty and his servants weren't in this class, they left while cursing. 

"This is your new desk and those guys are not your true friends," Leah said and let go of his wrist. 

She extended her right hand for him to shake.

"Let me show you what true friendship means." She said with a comforting smile on her face. 

It was true that she felt sorry for him but that wasn't it. He was different and unique...she can't help but want to know him more. He just has this vibe that allures her or maybe it's her nature.