It’s not my fault I ripped Britney Schumer’s hair off her scalp. She’s the worst best friend anyone could ever have. How could someone give you so much while taking everything away from you at the same time?

A better question I should be asking is: how could I let her?

No time for contemplation as she has me pinned to the cafeteria floor, ready to scratch my eyes out as if she doesn’t care about how long it took to paint her nails this morning. I know this because it used to be part of our morning ritual to really take our time before the first bell rang.

All the while, strands of her soft and shiny blond hair are still clasped in my fist. The same hair I used to help brush and style. The same hair I wish I had.

Instead of feeling my eyeballs pop out of their sockets, Britney’s weight is lifted from my hips as Mr. Flounder yanks her off of me.

Ms. Gale rushes to my side to help me up and my head is swimming from the pounding sensation left from when Britney tackled me to the floor. It doesn’t help that everyone who has 3rd period lunch is cheering so loudly that it makes my head throb even more.

Everybody is staring and I am no longer invisible like I used to be. It’s hard to be invisible when you just had a screaming match and clumsy cat fight with your supposed best friend in front of the whole cafeteria, all in the style of my mother’s Filipino dramas.

As we’re dragged to the principal’s office, Britney sends a death glare my way, and despite of the whopping new bald spot on her head, I have no choice but to take her seriously. She may be notorious around the school for how ruthless she can be, but I’m the only one who knows what she’s truly capable of.

Before I go live my life in hiding on some remote island that offers 24/7 anime on TV and libraries chock-full with manga, I should probably tell you how it all got to this point, first.