We Part In Autumn

My blood boiled with rage.

I pulled out my phone to call the police. But just as I pressed the call button, a hand knocked it out of my hand. It crashed heavily to the ground.

Luke stood in front of me. He wore an innocent yet hurt expression.

“Zephyr, I know you look down on me and think that ordinary classmates like us aren’t worthy of entering your home.

“But how could you call the police to arrest us just because we came over to Eula’s house to hang out?

“What did we do wrong?”

His words instantly ignited everyone’s anger.

“We’re just here to have some fun. Do you really need to call the cops?

“Do you really think you’re some big shot? How could you be so cruel!”

Eula raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face twice.

“Zephyr, have I spoiled you too much?”

My cheeks burned with pain. A metallic taste filled my mouth.

Luke covered his mouth. He put up a fake, heartbroken expression.

“It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, none of you would have upset Zephyr.

“It’s only natural that a rich guy like Zephyr looks down on ordinary people like us.”

He was bringing up that same old class conflict rhetoric. It had never once failed before.

Sure enough, his words made all the classmates’ expressions change.

“For crying out loud, I can’t stand people who think they’re special just because they’ve got a few stinking bucks!”

“Why waste our breath on him? Let’s show him who’s boss!”

Two male classmates immediately stepped forward, grabbed my arms, and roughly shoved me to the ground.

Eula pulled out a bottle of red wine and walked up to me. Her eyes were brimming with malice and glee.

“Zephyr, I can tell you’re not thinking straight today. Come on, I’ll help you clear your head.”

The dark red liquid poured down over my head and soaked my clothes. I looked pitiful.

The sticky liquid smeared across my eyes, while their unrestrained laughter and jeers rang through my ears.

“Come on, let’s see if he’s still so cocky now!”

They laughed and joked while taking photos and videos to preserve this moment as a source of eternal embarrassment.

I was both furious and exasperated, wishing my parents had not happened to be on a trip abroad. This group would never have dared to act so brazenly otherwise.

“Hey, what are you guys doing?”

“Let go of Zephyr!”

Luke shouted insincerely, but made no move to intervene.

He walked over to Eula, slipped his arm around hers, and spoke gently.

“Eula, don’t be like this. Zephyr surely knows he was wrong.

“Let’s just let it go, okay?”

He turned to look at me. His eyes gleamed with the smugness of a victor.

“Zephyr, just apologize to Eula, and we’ll put this behind us.

“We’re all classmates. It wouldn’t look good if we made a scene.”

I stared intently at the pendant around his neck.

“Luke, take that thing off your neck right now!”

“My grandmother left that to me. How dare you wear it?!”

She had given it to me on her deathbed, calling it a family heirloom and told me to take good care of it.

Every night before bed, I would take it out and look at it. It felt like my grandmother was still right there with me.

Luke blinked innocently. He ran a hand over the necklace around his neck, and spoke in a hurtful tone.

“But Eula… she gave me this necklace.

“She said it looked good on me.”

Eula’s gaze shifted away for a moment before returning to normal.

She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and snapped impatiently.

“It’s just a lousy necklace. Did you need to go this far?

“Zephyr, can’t you stop being so unreasonable!”

Her words cut like a knife, piercing my heart.

I could no longer control my emotions. I violently broke free from the two boys’ grip and staggered to my feet.