Chapter 13: DISGRACED

Immediately everyone in the hall heard that it was Tina"s turn to buy a ticket, and they began to walk gradually to their seats.

Richmond stared as Victoria placed her card into the cash withdrawal machine.

David shivered hard where he stood and he felt like running out of the hall as a stream of sweat began to run down his face.

"I can't stand this disgrace," he shivered absently.

"INSUFFICIENT BALANCE," the machine blotted out a red alert.

The beeping noise of the machine was so prominent that everyone in the hall turned around almost immediately.

"What's going on?" Michael whispered into John's ears at the other end of the hall.

"What sort of question is that? I am as surprised as you are," John replied.

"I can't wait to see till the end of this," Michael said and returned his gaze to the stage.

Everyone shot a what-the-hell-is-happening look at Victoria making a large lump to go down her throat.

Victoria could not believe what was happening, they had to be a mistake from somewhere.

She shivered absently and her heartbeat raced faster.

"Calm down guys, I think there is a problem somewhere," she drew a deep breath.

"You just have to work out fine, I certainly can not be disgraced before this crowd," Victoria said in her head.

"Hey Miss, step aside for other candidates. As you can see, you are broke," Wesson muttered.

"I can't step aside when I am not done buying the ticket," Victoria replied quickly trying to hide her fear and shivering feet from the public through her confidence.

"What does she think she is doing," Richmond smiled evilly to himself.

"Nobody stopped you from buying a ticket, your account is as red as the pride in your heart," Wesson replied.

"There must be a mistake somewhere," she snapped. "I will have to try again."

"Try as much as you want but make sure it works out or you will be thrown out of this place," Wesson returned a glare.

Victoria shifted her stare to David and she noticed the fear in his eyes, something was wrong somewhere.

She returned her gaze back to the machine. "Gulp," she a large lump went down her throat like solid ice.

Everyone in the hall held their breaths as Victoria placed her card into the card slot again but the red alert still popped up.

"LAST TRY, INSUFFICIENT BALANCE," The machine blotted out again.

Immediately the whole hall was flooded with laughter. Victoria would already feel her anger rising gradually.

She shifted her gaze to David who didn't even notice her because his head was bowed.

And then to Richmond who was smiling evilly at her. "I can't take this," she said to herself.

"I will have to try that special machine, I don't think my card works with this," she announced.

Richmond lets out a sudden laugh immediately. "Seriously," he said in his head.

"Limping fool, do you think I live on life savings or charity like you?" She shot a snare at him.

"Your card isn't fit for this machine, it would only damage it," Wesson replied bringing her gaze back to the machine.

"I still want to try it," Victoria replied with faked confidence.

"You can if you want to but I must warn you that your card would be broken if you don't have a dime in your account," Wesson explained.

"Spare me the explanation Mr. I certainly have something in my account, do you think am that broke?" She returned.

Victoria's cat walked like a model to the other machine.

She swallowed a large lump and her heart pounded against her chest as she gently placed her card into his card slot.

David looked around the crowd already looking for a way to escape this disgrace but he was surrounded by a stream of students.

"INSUFFICIENT BALANCE," The machine read again.

The hall flooded with laughter. "Hahaha," the sounds of their mocking laughter filled her ears.

She clutches her hands tightly to control her rising anger.

"Don't do anything funny, girl," she cautioned herself.

"You will get your card now and leave this damn hall," she said.

She waited for the machine to produce her card but it didn't. "Where did it go?" She thought.

"M..my c..card," she inquired with a stuttery voice.

"Don't worry, you will get it soon," Mr. Wesson replied.

A few minutes later, the card came out but it was no longer in one piece, it was broken into two halves.

"What is this," she exclaimed making the crowd rock harder with laughter.

"You can't say I didn't warn you would you?" Wesson shot a snare at her.

Tina stamped her foot angrily and turned to leave but then, something more disgraceful happened.

The heels of her shoes pulled out and the crowd of students rocked harder with laughter.

David stared at the shoes and swallowed hard. He had gotten her a counterfeit of the brand she had requested to save money, now he was in more trouble.

"Well, guess who is not alone broke but also bought fake clothes for her disgraceful show-off," Richmond laughed.

Tina shot a snare at him and pulled up the damaged shoe from her legs. "I will come back for you dummy," she thundered...

"Hope you have fixed your shoes by then," Richmond yelled after her.

Victoria turned around to leave almost immediately, her raging feet creating a pattern with her racing heart. But then the crowd of students stopped her from accessing the door.

She felt like going over to David and crushing him with her bare hands. She hated him now with all the passion anyone in the world could muster.

"Hahaha," a boy with braided hair laughed. "How does the test of your own medicine feels," he inquired.

"Out of my way," Victoria thundered angrily.

"Who do you think you are, queen dreams," the boy mocked.

He said this so low but the hall echoed his voice and everyone in the hall burst into laughter.

Victoria felt hot tears forming in her eyes but she pushed them down immediately.

She was a strong lady and won't allow any damn boy who wasn't even worthy to clean the dust off her shoes to make fun of her.

"Get out of my way or I will....." Victoria tries to say but the boy cuts him a shot.

"Do what," he fired and pushed Victoria down to the floor while everyone laughed hard.

Victoria felt her anger rising so bad that she had to clip her tongue to the roof of her mouth to control it.

"I will kill you, David," she yelled in her head.

She got up quickly from the floor and began to advance out of the hall with her damaged shoes in her hands.

"You can still win the contest. But definitely in your dreams," the strange boy yelled after her.

She got out of the hall and could no longer restrain her tears, they poured slowly out of her eyes...

"How could you David? How could you disgrace me this bad," she sobbed and fell to the ground.

She thought it was going to be a remarkable day but it turned out to be a remarkable day in a very horrible way.

I was she going to rise her head again in the midst of other students. "And this is the best college in the city for God's sake, I can't switch schools again," she yelled and fears tears poured from her eyes.

Then, she saw the fool that had led to everything coming out of the hall.

She shivered hard with anger and her neck stiffened.

"You..." She growled at him.