02. Chapter Two
FEMALE RAGE

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Male fantasies, male fantasies, is everything run by male fantasies? A girl's narrative unfolds as a delicate interplay between her own dreams and the projections of male fantasies upon the canvas of her existence. Even pretending you're not entertaining male fantasies is a male fantasy. Being a girl, and learning the world is not for you ─ it's like a kind of death. Girlhood is a prolonged dying starting the day you flower. We rot as soon as we ripen. In early adolescence girls learn how important appearance is in defining social acceptability. Attractiveness is both a necessary and a sufficient condition for girls' success. This is an old, old problem.

  And old problems caused female rage. It was stronger than anything. Vivienne felt it too, how couldn't she?

The first time she let rage engulf her was in middle school. She remembers it distincly. It was thirteen. Year of first kisses, crushes, enterance of the womanhood & first periods. Too bad her period decided to start right when she was secretly hanging out with her crush from boys' school ─ Eliott Moreau. She probably shouldn't have ignored the stomach pain she had noticed before leaving the house. Yet, she did. What she didn't notice was the big red stain on her skirt. The boy was the first one to see it and then told the entire school. The rumors were a nasty thing that spread easier than anything. For the first time she felt so angry, this rage, this ugly rage was within her. And Eliott was the rage's first victim. She punched him the next time she saw him ─ it felt so good, too good even. Especially seeing him cry to his mommy like he was a child. Thirteen was the year Vivienne Satre learned women's first blood doesn't come from her legs but from biting her tongue.

  Next time she felt it again was her first day of Voltaire High.

The cafeteria buzzed with the aftermath of Descamps' humiliation. Vivienne savored the moment, relishing in the laughter that echoed through the room. She exchanged a triumphant glance with Simone, a silent acknowledgment of their small victory.

    As lunch came to an end, the group of girls gathered their belongings and headed towards their next class. The incident lingered in the air, a topic of hushed conversations among students. Vivienne couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction, knowing that Descamps had received a taste of his own medicine. She was walking with Annick, the rest of the girls were somewhere far behind them.

Two girls were walking down the school hall when Jean Pierre and his friend Hilbert approached them. Jean Pierre sauntered up to Vivienne and Annick with a sly grin. His dirty blonde friend following shortly behind. Jean Pierre is the first one to speak. "Hey, there Vivienne," he looked at Annick next. "Annick, right?"

   He just recieved a polite nod from Annick who clearly looked uninterested. Vivienne was quite surprised he hasn't forgotten her name. Magnan had that nonchalance about him that Vivienne just didn't like. They used to hang out sometimes during the summer because they had same friends.

"Hilbert here thinks he's got a way with words." He chuckled, tapping his friend's shoulder as a way of trying to get him to talk to Vivienne. "And I thought, who better to judge it than Vivienne herself."

   It was clear Jean Pierre was trying to set them up. Hilbert wasn't bad to the eye, quite opposite, Vivienne thought he was one of the more handsome guys in the school. So far, at least. Him being a senior definitely helped too.

Brunette girl shared a look with Annick and faintly smiled at the two boys. "You keep saying he has a way with words, yet you're the one doing all the talking," she looked at Hilbert next. "Are you going to talk or not?"

 
  Annick gave her a quick nod, which suggested she'll meet her in class. Jean Pierre was quick to follow, leaving the two alone. Vivienne only had few minutes before her English class ─ and she didn't want to be late. So this better be good.

"Don't mind Jean Pierre," the dirty blonde spoke. "He's always like that." He looked at her, but not in a way she'd expect a teenage boy to look at a girl ─ like she was a piece of meat. This made her feel better. "So, what's your take on this place? Beyond the textbooks and class schedules, I mean."

 
   "I mean, it's a bit confusing," she chuckled. "This whole place is like a freaking maze. It's different than my school before. But it's only the first day, anyway."

He smiled at her. "You know being good with words is not the only thing I'm good at." She raised her eyebrow at him and Hilbert paused once he realised what it sounded like. "No, no, I meant I'm a good tour guide. So if you ever need help getting around this place, I'll be glad to help."

  The school bell chimed, signaling the imminent return to reality. Vivienne nodded, smiling. "I'd like that. See you around, Hilbert."

She's not the only one that's hurrying to class ─ in the corners of her eyes Vivienne can see Michele and Simone. The girl decided to wait for them so they can enter together. They approached her and Simone looked weirdly at Vivienne. "Am I dreaming, or are you not in class even though the bell rang?" Algerian girl joked.

  "Okay, okay, we got it I'm a nerd," Vivienne smiled. "It's a long story, anyway. We have to hurry, I really don't want to be late."

 
  They decided to walk a bit faster. On their way to class, she saw Jean Pierre staring at Michele. She knew they were siblings, but Simone didn't. Just by that look, you could tell Jean Pierre didn't want his sister to go to the same school. In moments like these, Vivienne was happy they weren't hanging out anymore. Jean Pierre wasn't a bad person but he had his moments, just like any guy his age. He was different around other people.

Michele was the first one to step into the classroom. And that, ultimately was her biggest mistake. Well, that and wearing a white dress. She made one step and it was enough for chaos to brew. A bucket of water spilled all over her. Gasps echoed through the room as her blouse turned transparent, revealing her bra and underwear. All heads turned to her ─ some of the boys laughed, some had their jaws swung open as if they never saw a woman. Descamps, Dupin and the rest of their group were lauging the hardest as they reveled in their malicious prank.

A big drawing of boobs was drawn on the board. Vivienne felt so disgusted, she couldn't fanthom how Michele was doing. Michele wasn't her favourite person, but she didn't deserve this. It was the worst thing for a young girl ─ to be humiliated like that.

Miss Couret entered the class, visibly shaken. She wasn't expecting to see the scene in front of her. English teacher took of her coat and put it around the Magnan girl. "Keep an eye on them." She spoke to Simone and left to the Nurse's office with Michele.

  Vivienne felt so bad for Michele, but a selfish part of her was happy she wasn't in her place. Truth to be told, she didn't know if she could take it. Would she be strong to come to school after that?

  Descamps was still laughing. That was the second time she felt rage. She was angry ─ it didn't happen to her but it happened to another girl. And they needed to stick together.

Vivienne clenched her fists, seething with anger. She shot Descamps a glare that could freeze lava, but he met it with a cocky smirk. "Got something to say, Satre? Or are you just going to stare at me?"

 
  She wasn't going to be silent. Not this time. "Real mature, Descamps. But hey, keep entertaining everyone, especially your little fanclub, with your pranks. It's the only way anyone notices you."

He smirked. "Hey, hey, don't act like it's all my fault. You were supposed to enter before her. Too bad you were busy talking with the seniors," he was now pointing with his hands to his chest. "It's you who we wanted to see wet."

Her face dropped a little, but she easily recovered. He was not going to humiliate her. "Didn't know you were that desperate to see boobs," she scoffed. "What, your Daddy didn't let you borrow his little magazines?"

  Now he was the one being laughed at. Bunch of ooohs and laughs could be heard across the entire room. Descamps doesn't have a chance to answer her. Next thing she knows, Jean Pierre is storming into the classroom. He started punching everyone involved in the prank. Dupin was the first one to recieve a punch.

 
  But he got the longer part of the stick. Descamps got the shorter one. It seems as if she only closed her eyes for a second before she saw Descamps' face covered in blood. His glasses on the floor, completely shattered. He was holding his left eye with both hands. Everyone was in shock.

"Someone get a teacher or someone, quick," Vivienne was first to react. At that Applebaum and Felbec started rushing outside, trying to get someone's attention.

  Vivienne came over to Descamps. Even though she didn't want to help him, a part of her felt as if she needed to. She knew the basics of first aid. Not much, but it was something.

She swiftly pulled out a clean piece of cloth from her bag, her hands trembling as she cut it into a makeshift bandage. Approaching Descamps, she instructed him firmly, "Hold this against your eye. Apply pressure to control the bleeding until help arrives."

  Descamps, wincing in pain, followed her instructions. "My eye, I can't see. Vivienne, I can't see. Help me." He spoke almost like a child would after hurting himself.

She almost felt bad for him. Almost. Just seeing him say her name like that, begging her to help him... Brunette looked at him. "I know, I know, they went to get help. Just keep the bandage on your eye. Don't move it around, we don't want the glass moving." Vivienne looked at Jean Pierre but he was staring into one spot. As if he didn't even realise what had just happened.

  Mr. Bellanger came running in the room. He signaled with his hands for everyone to give him space. So she did too. "Let me see," he spoke to Descamps who winced as an answer. "Pichon go get the nurse, now," then he looked at the hurt boy. "We'll take you to hospital. Everyone else back to your seats."

After seeing his friend hurt, Dupin's anger was directed towards Jean Pierre himself. "I'll kill you!"

  Mr. Bellanger spoke sternly. "Dupin, take your seat. I'll take care of him," he looked his nephew up and down almost not believing he did it. "Jean Pierre, my office now."

   He nodded at Vivienne almost saying 'Good job'. He instructed Laubrac to go to the nurse considering he was bleeding. "Everyone else take your seats. Quickly. I'll leave you to it, Miss Couret."

  In the aftermath of the violent confrontation, a palpable tension hung in the air as the classroom witnessed the unexpected eruption of aggression. As the minutes passed, the classroom remained a tableau frozen in time, the repercussions of that fateful moment reverberating through the lives of those involved. The thin fabric of civility had torn, revealing the raw vulnerabilities beneath, leaving the students to confront the aftermath of a prank gone horribly wrong.

And Vivienne would spend the rest of the day thinking about the boy she hates.

✶ Author's note....

here it is !! i know you guys waited a bit longer for this chapter but i wanted to take more time to write it in a more realistic way + it was holiday season so i was busy.  ik some of y'all probably expected vivienne to get soaked with water but when i write i HATE taking other character's scenes. i want her to have her own storyline, and i want her and joseph to have a different dynamic.

my writing style is kinda different, so idk how you guys like it. let me know your thoughts on this chapter bc your every comment means so much !!

how r u guys liking the dynamic between joseph and vivienne so far??

and what should be their ship name???

  ily all

xoxo, angie.