Surprisingly, the event was fun.

Isabella actually met some nice kids and they played around and won a few games. Nicolai was a sore loser. Isabella laughed about that which made him more bitter.

In the end, it was time to say goodbye and Isabella left the room with a satisfied heart.

She looks at Nicolai. "Wasn't that fun?"

Nicolai shrugged, sighing. Isabella raised a brow. "Are you still angry at me for winning the sack race?"

"Look, you cheated——"

"You face planted on the floor!" Isabella reasoned, laughing. "You should be thankful that I even helped you!"

He grumbled. "You won even after helping me."

"Look, I'm just good at it. Plus, you fell again so it's not my fault." Isabella bragged, making him gag dramatically. She snorted. "Just admit it."

"As if I'll admit something that isn't true." Nicolai crossed his arms, glaring at her.

"Oh, you sore loser." Isabella pinched his cheek and he swatted her hand away.

"I'm not a sore loser!"

"You so are! Look at you!"

"I hate you." Nicolai hissed, marching away from her. Isabella snickered and jogged towards him and playfully nudged his shoulder.

"Oh, you love me. You even confessed." She then cleared her throat. She gave him a serious look. "I love you." Her voice was ridiculously lowered as she tried imitating him.

He shoved her shoulder while he was blushing red in embarrassment. "Stop being so bad to me."

Before Isabella could tease him more, Mike and George called out from behind them, making Isabella stop in her tracks and making Nicolai clench his fist in anger.

"I knew it." Nicolai mumbled, glaring at the floor in utter anger. "Damn it." He ran his hand through his hair and gripped it tightly. Isabella was afraid that his hair would fall off if he continues on with his action.

It was partly her fault. She wanted to explore Nicolai's huge school. It's surprising how nobody stopped them. She's worried about this school's security more than them getting into trouble. Nicolai's been so nice to agree without arguing too much and nobody stopped them even after they explored the things that should have security.

"Just ignore them." Isabella whispered, scared of what could happen.

"Hey, lame-ass!" The kid, Mike, Isabella noted, said, causing George to cackle at his friend's words.

Isabella closed her eyes tightly, not wanting a fight. Nicolai turned around. "What did you just say?"

"Nicolai." Isabella warned, giving him a pointed look.

"No, he's clearly saying something. Let him speak." Nicolai prompted, taking a step forward. "I want you to repeat that again."

"What? That your 'best friend' is a lame-ass kid who's just an attention seeker and a bitch?"

Kids shouldn't say bad things. Kids shouldn't say those things but seeing them say it, seeing them looking at Isabella with contempt; it made Isabella's stomach lurch into something unpleasant. 

"Tell me, is being stupid a profession or are you two just gifted?" Nicolai asks, making two boys' faces turn dark and angry that matches Nicolai's expression.

Isabella places a hand on Nicolai's arm to pull him back away, hoping for him to calm down and chill, but he roughly shakes her away. "Not now, Izzy. Not when they're being douchebags." 

"This isn't worth it." Isabella pleaded, wishing that he would listen.

"But you're worth it." Nicolai snarled at her. "You're worth the trouble."

"What are you two lovebirds talking about, huh?" George mocked, sneering at them. "Disgusting. Gives me shivers at the thought of big ol' lonely Nicolai being all mushy when he deserves nothin'. Hey, Mikey, remember when Paul left him? Best day of my life, seeing some brat kid looking like that."

"Yeah, turns out big ol' Nicolai's a selfish prat. Gets all he wants, when he wants it."  Mike continued, giving Nicolai a predatory grin. "Now, I know why he left good-for-nothing Nico."

Isabella looks at her friend in worry and she could see the pain in those angry eyes, she could see him faltering.

She could see him.

How could kids say such things? How could kids hurt Nicolai like this? How could they hurt her friend when he's been a nice friend all along?

Nicolai moving forward like raging bull wasn't a surprise. She knows that he's more than mad.

What surprised her was that she spoke up to stop him. "You promised me, Nico."

That stopped him. That made him turn to look at her. "Isabella." That was the first time that he said her full name. It brought shivers down her spine.

Mike laughed, he grabbed Nicolai's collar and sneered at him. "He can't even throw a punch because some girl ordered him!"

"Girls shouldn't order a man's life, you know?" George said to Nicolai, stomping on Nicolai's favourite shoe. "Girls should just stay quiet because that's what they're only good for. My dad told me that."

Isabella was the one who punched the boy in the face.

Isabella managed to make him stumble on the ground, making him fall on his ass. Isabella massaged her wrist, hissing. "Ah, so worth it." She mumbled. "Really worth it.'

She turned to look at Mike's surprised look. "I'm gonna hurt you if you open that mouth of yours."

Mike flinched, fear coursing through his eyes.

Isabella then grabbed George's hair and pulled him up. "You feel good about what you're saying, huh? I've let you two run your," she aggressively pushed him back, causing him to hit the ground painfully. "good-for-nothing mouths. You're nothing but a loser. That's all you'll ever be. Is it fun to be a bully loser?"

They cowered back in surprise.

Nicolai was astonished by his best friend's sudden outburst and he couldn't help but think that Isabella's a good puncher.

Isabella looks at the two boys and laughed softly at the sight of them. "Don't mess with me."

"Fuck off." Mike spat after finding his courage to say it."

Isabella looks at him and she lets go of George's hair to look at him. "You're a coward."

"W-What...?"

"You're nothing but a coward. You're a bully and that's all your worth." Isabella said, grabbing him by the collar. Mike struggled in her grip but, man, Isabella had her grip tight on him. Mike pushed her away, trying to get away.

"L-Let go! Let go!"

Isabella huffed. "You can't even throw a punch." She exclaimed before pushing him back. He stumbled back in surprise.

"If you ever say anything about this, remember that there's cameras all around this school and one look at this and you're dead because you're the one who started this and we just defended ourselves. If I hear that you talked a word about this then maybe I'll just end you the next time I see you. I'm gonna hurt you more than I've done today, okay? A nose bleed won't be the only thing you'll get from me."

She's bluffing. Any person with a braincell  would see that. If they were to see the cameras in school, it would look like Isabella started the fight by throwing a punch first. Second, she won't probably get to punch them anymore because her brothers would definitely be imprisoning her.

But who cares? She doesn't even go to this school.

Isabella grabbed Nicolai's hand and made a run for it. The boy was shocked to the point where they were speechless.

But, when they finally reached the exit, he pulled Isabella back and stopped her from running. She looks at him in confusion.

"You said not to fight." Nicolai slowly said, as if Isabella was a ticking bomb.

She rolled her eyes. "I said that you can't fight. I didn't say anything about me not allowed to fight."

He allowed a proud grin to make its way on his face. "You, Isabella Torrres, are a scary person."

Isabella laughed at that. "They deserve it, you know? They said things that I didn't like and they deserve some punch or two."

Nicolai smiled but then he hissed when he saw her knuckles. There's some blood in it, probably because she punched George in the nose, but the thought of her fragile hands getting hurt makes his heart bleed.

"Oh, Izzy, your hands." He winced.

Isabella rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. It's worth it." She grumbled. "You're worth the trouble." She repeated his words with a smile on her face.

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "Only you would say that."

Isabella grinned and nudged his shoulder playfully. Her dark expression was all gone and Nicolai had never felt as relieved as he was now. "You said it first, Nico."

"That's because it's true."

Isabella hummed softly. "I wish that I could have caused more trouble. That'll be my first and last punch."

"Izzy! What would Anthony say to that?"

**

"You're grounded, Bella." Anthony said as soon as he assessed her. He currently has a sour look on his face.

"Worth it." Isabella said but she looks a little regretful. "Tooootally worth it."

It wasn't worth it.

Nicolai gave her a pitiful look. "Oh, Iz. I'm so sorry."

Isabella hates being imprisoned in the house. She hates it so much. She hates being grounded and being grounded by Anthony.

Isabella gave him a tight smile. "Worth it, okay? Don't make me regret it more than I'm regretting it right now. Shush. Shut up. No more. None of that. Mm-mm. No more apologizing."

"Jeez, president..." Elois winced as he wipes the blood (that's barely even noticable) on her hand.

"I'm fine."

"She's fine." Dmitri chirped, grinning proudly at her.

"Augh, I told her that we'll protect her and she protected herself." Rafael mumbled, giving Isabella a glance of despair.

Anthony shakes his head. "I knew that this would happen. I knew that you're going to find a way to get yourself into trouble."

"Did you at least get a good hit?" Lucius asks Isabella with a smirk. Isabella beamed at her brother.

"I did!" Isabella said proudly. "I punched him in the nose and he bled! It was so cool!"

"I know, right?" Lucius and Isabella shared the same proud and happy look on their faces.

Rafael groaned. "That's not something to be proud of, Bells. What if they talked to their parents about this?

"Oh, they won't." Isabella said, shrugging.

Nicolai hummed in agreement. "She threatened them."

All heads turned to look at Isabella, various of expressions were written in their faces, causing the little girl to cower in fear.

"What?" Isabella managed to squeak out. "They were being meanies. I had to..."

"You didn't tell me that, Miss Gem." Dmitri was in awe while Rafael was the opposite of that.

"Oh, yeah! She was so cool!" Nicolai said in admiration.

"Of course she is. I'm her brother." Lucius said smugly, causing everyone to give him a disgusted look.

Anthony groaned. "Well..." He muttered, "it's for the best, I guess. But, we'll just erase the footage just in case." 

"This calls for a celebration! Our president is growing up!" Elois cheered, raising his hand up for Isabella to high-five it, which she did.

"I knew that you had it in you." Lucius said, ruffling her hair, sounding oddly proud.

"This doesn't mean that she's out of trouble. She still harmed them even when they didn't throw the first punch." Anthony chastised, making the room gloomy.

Rafael nodded in agreement. "But, I'm still proud at Nicolai for keeping his promise." Rafael said, in hopes that the atmosphere will lighten.

It didn't.

"You ruined it." Elois said, giving Anthony a meaningful stare. "She defended her friend, Tony."

"Yeah, you don't get to see that everyday." Lucius added, sounding defensive.

"It's all part of growing up." Dmitri said happily.

Rafael raised a questioning brow at him. "To fight? And possibly break someone's nose?"

"To be brave and to know what's right. To know when to stand up for what's right." Dmitri rolled his eyes. "Don't you get it, everyone? Nicolai kept his promise like he was supposed to. He learned self-control from that. Isabella learned to stand up for what's right and to fight for the people she loves no matter what the consequences!"

He's milking it, Anthony and Isabella knows this, but that actually made people look at Isabella in awe.

Anthony looks at Dmitri.. "Dmitri..."

"Yeah! What he said!" Elois chirped, clapping his hands for the doctor.

Rafael looked like he'd seen some new light in the situation. "I guess... I guess it wouldn't hurt to celebrate that."

Before Anthony could answer that, everyone cheered and began chatting about what kind of celebration they will be doing.

Anthony sighed.

_____

Sorry for my tardiness!

I've already got this chapter prepared but I had to erase things and change things and then the cycle continues  and now I think you're looking at the third or fourth time that I've erased and changed this little shit. Lol

I do hope you liked it.

Kids can be mean sometimes. When I was little, I know some kids who were like them. They don't speak as mean as them but they're mean enough to be seen through their actions.

I really hate bullies ( ･ั﹏･ั)