"Lady and gentlemen, we considered this circumstance carefully. Through the statement that the student wrote, this is not a bullying case. I asserted. Our administration council unified decision-making. I invited all of you to come here to pronounce, not ask your opinions. All statements that your kids wrote, I will send private for everyone. Any question? Just free asking me," said Miss Amanda.

"If you don’t allow us to express our opinion. What the hell to say more?" the woman in the red dress was impatient as getting out of the room.

“You could check the student statement on your phone before dropping out of calmness. One of them lied to me on her statement leading to all testimony not matching. The girl who lied decided to tell me the truth when we met privately. This circumstance exactly is a fight, combat, not a bully. Every individual in this room had their own fault. I had my fault when letting them over some wrong that did not stop soon. The girls combated in the wrong restroom, absolutely. Their parents had their responsibility, to take care of and educate them alongside school having fault when could not admonish them.” Miss Amanda said nonstop in the silent space.

Nobody responded!

I yawned at once and realized someone who starting at me.

That was Austin.

Why did he here?

Three angry girls changed their behavior to gentle and sweet and made me vomit. No wonder they showed victim faces during the meeting today because Austin was here.

The meeting ended after Miss Amanda ensured nobody had their opinion anymore.

My dad took me outside to the schoolyard where quiet and private. “Good job, my daughter. You make me proud.” He put me in crazy eyes. “Not only had not high score but also fight with others.”

“I’m so sorry, dad. Anyway, they beat me first.” My eyes were nippy when flamboyant perfumed dropped on my head.

“SHUT UP!” dad growled before getting the scuff off my neck and shaking it lightly. “How do you behave? Your act makes them beat you. That's all your fault.”

“This conclusion is clearly absurd.” My tears fell nonstop.

Slap!

My cheek turned hot as dad burned it with the cruelest fire.

Dad slapped me?!

This was the first time he acted like this.

Touching my cheek as my eyes were full of water. “I’m really sorry, please forgive me.” 

“Can’t forgive you easily. I never teach you to become villainous. So, you fight back against people instead of running away or presenting to administer. Unacceptable!” 

“I go wrong, dad. Don’t be upset.” I said while Dad recoiled his eyes to show his sadness.

“Alright. If you know that you’re wrong, let’s write an Undertaking to prove you’ll never relapse. In addition, you have to get a high score in all of the subjects. Do you agree? If not, get out of my house. You will be free to do anything you want after that.” Dad took my backpack on my shoulder to grab a paper and a pen.

Sewing up, I could not find the words to respond. 

The eyes of someone were glaring at me for a long time. I felt that with goosebumps everywhere.

Austin?

He stood behind the column.

OMG, was he seeing all of the shit that happened?

“Why do you keep silent?” Dad touched his chin.

“Okay. I agree with your condition.” Take up the paper in his hand, I said.

I had no choice.

If getting out of his house, I have nowhere to go.

Mom abandoned me. Only dad raised me until now. He did not remarry because I said I could not live with my stepmother together.

Whether I could finish this task? I did not know.

Just tried and did my best.

“The Undertaking.

My name is Abony. Today is the 18th of September 20XX. I promise my dad two things below:

1. I never let anybody have a chance to beat me again. I would run away or pronounce to Miss Amanda. In an urgent situation, I just defend myself.
2. I will get high scores on all of the subjects. The score will show the dad in the last semester.”

Giving dad my Undertaking. He read it at once and nodded to express his satisfaction. “I’ll keep it.” Fold the paper in four, he turned back to me and went.

Had dad not loved me anymore?

I would be kicked outside like trash while he could build his new family with his new wife and kids.

He would have so many good kids who loved him more than me. So, he did not need me anymore.

It was hurt.

Sitting thump down on the ground, the edge of my nose arid bitter when thinking about my fate if dad hated me.

“Are you okay? Abony.” A man touched me with his huge hand.

“Don’t touch me!”

It was Austin.

He gave me a handkerchief. “Wipe your tears,” he said after sitting down beside me.

“You should go. I don’t want to fight with anybody again.’ 

“I’ll protect you.”

“Yea, cool. Blind to me is the best way of protecting.”

“...” He wiped my tears parking on my face with his hanky before stepping away in silence.

His hanky stayed and I took and threw it into the garbage.

*** 

Austin’s POV

The voice of the teacher in the tutoring class made me jump. Hurried to set aside my worries about Abony, I grabbed my notebook and focused on the lecture.

Sometimes, I glanced at her black deck. 

Damn it! Haunting what happened with her yesterday, I could not focus on studying.

“Austin, what is the simplest form of the expression (2x2 + 16x + 14)/ (x2 –1)?” said the math teacher, “Austin? Austin?” She came to me beating on the table.

“Yes? I’m sorry, teacher. Could you repeat your question?”

“Alright.” She showed her angel face. “Get out of my class.” Immediately turn to the witch regime.

All of the students in my class kept silent, and only Violet burst out laughing.

“Now, we continue to the question...” The teacher stared at me and said.

When standing out of the hall, the sun touched my skin. Abony usually stood there with her beautiful posture, especially; she had the eyes never scared in front of anything, even the teacher.

Clip clop! Clip clop!

The rattling of the hoof was coming closer. My head teacher appeared in a white shirt with a black knee pencil skirt and glared at the classroom.

“Austin? Why do you stand here?” Striking me, she looked at me through her white glass.

“I make some mistake,” I chuckled.

“Abony absented. Did you know? Absolutely yes. But why do you write in the roll-call document that she presented?”

“...”

“Don’t you tell me you make a mistake again?” Frown her eyebrows, she said.

“Sorry, Miss Maya. I really make a mistake again.”

“Sure? If you don't have to study right now, follow me.” said miss Maya moving her feet.

Nodded, I followed her step to her office room.

“Tell me the truth, Austin. How long has Abony been absent?”