Elizabeth

"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her," I seethed out loud, pacing back and forth in my dorm room. Stephanie and Joanne had followed me when I had returned to the library, and one look at my teary, blotchy face, they decided to usher me out of the library immediately, our elbows linked together in solidarity.

Their eyes bounced back and forth like they were watching a fascinating tennis skirmish, perched diligently on the edge of my bed, watching me with wide, probing eyes. I repeated myself until it became a mantra, trying to fight back my tears. It was nearly impossible and I hated to look weak before my friends, but they had already seen how furious I was, and it was a relatively new emotion that they never had the opportunity to witness before.

"Hate is a strong word," Stephanie remarked softly, as Joanne nodded in agreement, concern etched in her face.

I whirled dramatically, scowling at them viciously. "But it is true," I insisted harshly. "I really, really, really despise her!"

"What happened exactly? How do you guys even know each other?" Joanne asked, tilting her head in confusion.

I explained to both of them the situation of how it all started and how it escalated in the bathroom, watching their eyes get bigger and bigger, transfixed by my dramatic recounting.

"This is why I don't take the bus," Stephanie declared, her nose tilting up in the air with a regal sniff. "There are bat-shit mental cases out there, so at least Daddy is here to pick me up and drop me off."

"Everywhere you go, there are crazy people," Joanne added. "I take the local bus since I don't live too far, but Stephanie, Liz lives like five towns away. She either needs to drive or to take the bus, there is no way about it."

"I'm not getting my license yet," I muttered under my breath. "Father already spoils me too much. The moment he learns that I have a license, he's going to ship over some car from his company and I'd rather not have him continue, especially not when he has been MIA with Ah-ma."

"Oh, they still haven't patched it between them?" Stephanie chimed, looking surprised. "Even when Daddy is fighting with my stepmom, it doesn't last long. Especially not if he started to buy her stuff."

I shot her a droll look. "Your stepmom is materialistic, Steph, and we all know it. It doesn't take much to please her."

Stephanie grumbled, but didn't bother to refute the point I just made.

"Anyways, so what are you going to do? Are you really going to chase her down?" Joanne questioned, still looking horrified by the plan I was cooking up.

"Wouldn't it be easier to report her to the faculty? That she is harassing and bullying you? I mean, she damaged your property, she also tried to beat you up..." Stephanie suggested brightly, trailing off when I started to shake my head.

"I was doing all the hitting," I admitted, much to their unanimous disbelief.

"She didn't touch me or make a move to hit me. I was just so pissed," I explained as they began to demand for a thorough explanation.

"Liz, I think you know better than that," Joanne started, turning pale. "I mean...if she didn't attack you first, we can't really say that you hit her in self-defense, right?"

"Are you sure she didn't hit you?" Stephanie pressed, leaning forward in my bed, staring at me as if she no longer knew who I was. Joanne had the same expression, but it was better concealed.

I flushed in embarrassment. I recalled the moment I had started hitting her face, the way I was trying to wallop her into submission and then bawling pathetically at the same time. It was not one of my finest moments, admittedly. And what the hell possessed me to do that? If she hadn't gotten me so riled up, I would have had better control over my impulses. I hate her.

"She was defending herself more," I muttered, slowly sitting down at my desk as I realized belatedly that I was the one at fault. I could have just walked away, instead of rising to her bait, but there was something in me, something that desperately needed to wipe that smug little smirk on her face. "The only thing she did was...uh, pull my hair. And lick my tears."

"Lick your tears?" Stephanie repeated emphatically, her brow rising up her forehead.

I nodded, avoiding their incredulous stares. I could not begin to explain how I was feeling when her face was so close to mine, her ocher eyes drilling into mine so deeply that it was hard for me to look away. It disconcerted me, made me feel hot and shivery inside and I did not have any desire to relive it again. It was pure torture.

"She was wiping my tears away, and licking it off her hand. Then, she asked me to cry for her. I don't know," I muttered, rubbing my forehead.

Stephanie stood up suddenly and I glanced over at her and Joanne. They exchanged a meaningful look, one that I could not interpret. Stephanie walked over to me, putting her hand over my slumped shoulder.

"Liz, I think that girl likes you," she stated solemnly, Joanne nodding agreeably to the unforeseen diagnosis.

I stared at her, flabbergasted. "So all of that happened, and the conclusion that you come up with is that she has a crush on me?" My voice went embarrassingly shrill and I shrugged her hand off me.

"I mean...The way you describe, it's a pretty classic manipulative behavior. You know how the little boy would pull on the girl's hair in the playground and make fun of her? I think she is doing the same thing, but in a twisted way. Maybe, that's her way of trying to catch your attention," Joanne piped in, with a wise look on her face.

I had the same psychology class as her this semester and I glowered at her pointedly. "You don't think I also considered that option as well, Jo?"

I was lying. I had not considered that option one bit. It just seemed so far-fetched. How could someone like Leo take a liking to me? There was definitely something wrong with her.

"You ignoring the said option isn't really helping either," Stephanie retorted, stepping away as I rose from my chair.

"I'm not...ignoring it," I snapped, gritting my teeth. "It just seems ridiculous...and what about her wanting me to continue to curse her out in Cantonese? She was liking it way too much. She also wanted me to keep hitting her, and she was acting so..."

"Freaky?" Stephanie said helpfully, looking faintly amused.

"That's not funny," I barked, trying to contain my temper.

She raised her hands up in surrender, trying to hide her little smile as I scowled at her.

"So, what should I do?" I finally said as my two very unhelpful friends struggled to hide their unnecessary glee.

They knew I had no interest in dating–whether it was a man or woman. They had tried to pair me up with someone they knew, especially Steph, who had countless guy friends always asking if I was available. Joanne, on the other hand, was much more subtle, but I could tell she was worried about my stoic attitude against dating and having any sort of romantic relationships. It was simply not part of my goal for the future I had painstakingly planned ahead. They knew it–and despite that, both of them perked up the moment they heard about me and my interaction with that wretched human being.

"I say, ignore her. Forget about the glasses. The less attention you give to her, the less interest she will have in you," Joanne murmured, tapping her round chin with a finger.

Stephanie shook her head, her eyes glittering excitedly. "That's too safe. What if it backfires? How about you teach her a lesson? Make sure that she knows not to mess with you?"

"I already told her she will pay for it," I grumbled, finding my way to my bed and squeezing myself between Stephanie and Joanne. They bumped shoulders with me in response.

"Pay for it, how?" Joanne questioned, her head tilting slightly, her slanted eyes widening slightly.

I shrugged helplessly. "I'm still thinking about it. I think I just wanted to intimidate her."

"Well? Was she intimidated?" Stephanie chirped, her brows raising slightly.

"Not exactly. She said she was looking forward to it," I admitted resignedly.

"Liz, I'm sorry to say this but that girl has you, hook, line and sinker," Joanne said quietly, averting her eyes when I glowered at her.

I groaned, rubbing the creases of my forehead. If Ah-ma saw me right now, she would have been scolding meYeah and you don't really even have to talk to people like except for your coworkers for having such an unlady-like expression on. I smoothed out the wrinkles, trying to think of a resolution.

"I have no idea what to do next. She just got me so mad, I almost want to punch her again," I growled, remembering that smug look on her face. My punches had deflected off her face like it was nothing, but I was sure she would be sporting some bruises the next day. My lips curled up in grim satisfaction. If only I could see the results–maybe it would make me feel better.

"Okay, Liz, we need a revenge plan," Steph announced, fishing out her phone from her purse.

I watched interestedly as she started typing down ideas on her notes app.

Liz's Revenge Plan

Beat that bitch up

Teach that bitch a lesson

Make that bitch sorry 

"Steph," Joanne protested, trying to cover her laugh with her hand. "Some revenge plan that is. We need to elaborate more."

"I agree," I added, shaking my head at Steph's simplistic plan. "I can barely land a hit on her, so cross number one out. Number two and three is fine but how can I do that? I can't report her because I hit her first. I don't even know what classes she has. In fact, I don't even know anything about her."

Steph frowned, quickly revising her notes before showing it to me and Joanne, a sneaky prideful look on her face.

Liz's Revenge Plan

Beat that bitch up (Liz cannot fight her)

Teach that bitch a lesson (Steal something from her)

Make that bitch sorry (Threaten her, report her to the police, something like that)

In order to accomplish all of that, we must become detectives. Find out what and where her classes are, her daily schedule, where she lives, her history, etc

"Get to know her," Joanne murmured, after reading the proposed revenge plan. "The more you know a person, the easier it is to find their vulnerable spots."

"No, don't just get to know her. Actually, get close to her. Find out what makes her tick. Find out what would piss her off like the way she pissed you off," Steph corrected, with a devious smile.

"And then, make her wish she never crossed paths with me," I finished, hopping off the bed suddenly.

Steph cocked her head at me, blinking as my smile began to emerge. I began to strut around confidently, thinking out loud.

"I know she is a heavy smoker. I can take away her cigarettes. I know she is broke, so probably stealing her money won't do much. That's all for now but if I can find out her schedule, where she works, what classes she takes, that would make it much easier for me."

They watched me pace back and forth, a faint look of alarm on their faces as I paced back and forth the small dorm with manic energy.

"Liz, how far are you willing to take this?" Joanne asked nervously, her dark eyes following my quick movements.

I paused midway, turning slightly to glance at them. For the first time in forever, I had more energy than I knew what to do with. I was weirdly excited, nervous and vengeful at the same time, and the concoction of simmering emotions within me had an intoxicating effect on me.

"I'll go as far as it takes."

It was a promise that I made sure I would keep.

Wait and see, Leo. Just you wait. I'm coming after you.