The two sides were now locked in a fierce debate online.


    "Juniper..." her friends murmured, all looking at her with concern. This had to be about Ferdinand.


    "Alright." Juniper finished her milkshake, tossed the empty cup into a bin, and handed her cap to Hattie. "Hold this for me, please."


    "Juniper..." J started to follow her, but Juniper stopped her.


    "You guys go on to the cafeteria and get dinner. I''ll be right there," she said, then added, "By the way, I burned a lot of energy today. I''m thinking two servings of braised pork and two chicken legs."


    The instructor standing nearby was speechless. Between the shooting, the fighting, and the verbal takedowns, she certainly had been busy. Still, shouldn''t she be more worried about the assault usation?


    "Okay," J said, nodding obediently as she watched Juniper walk away.


    Hattie and the others were terrified. "What''s going to happen? Will they call her parents? Do you think she''ll be disciplined?"


    Queenie, however, let out a smallugh. "Calling her parents would be even better," she said knowingly.


    "Huh?" Hattie, Cynthia, and L stared at her,pletely lost.


    J, however, understood immediately. That''s right. Go ahead and call her parents. Once Mr. Schwartz showed up, everyone would quiet down real quick.


    In a school office, Ferdinand had wasted no time in calling home after his humiliation. When his father heard that his precious son had been bullied by a mere girl, he flew into a rage and rushed over from hispany, demanding justice.


    "Juniper, you should probably call your parents as well," said the student counselor, who hade as soon as she heard about the incident. She had a general idea of what happened and knew Juniper. wasn''t really at fault. However, Ferdinand''s father seemed


    determined to blow things out of proportion, and she worried Juniper would be at a disadvantage facing him alone.


    "Call my parents?" Juniper tilted her head, her voice icy. "Isn''t that what kindergarteners do?"


    "You" Ferdinand clenched his fists, ring at her.


    "BANG!"


    Ferdinand''s father, Cassidy Malone, shot up and mmed his hand on the table. "You''re the one in the wrong, and you''ve still got this attitude?"


    "BANG!"


    Juniper mmed her own hand down on the table, not backing down an inch. She was already in a foul mood, and now they were keeping her from her meal. Of course she was angry.


    "So what?" Juniper''s cold eyes locked onto Cassidy, her calm demeanoradiating a terrifying intensity. "Your son is ipetent. He cheated during apetition by damaging equipment, and then he had the nerve to threaten me Let me tell you the only reason I just. pulled his hair is because I was hungry and didn''t have the strength. If I''d had any energy, I would have twisted his head clean off."


    That m on the table, followed by her chilling speech, left the counselor momentarily stunned. Wow As expected of the top scorers a true all-around talent. This gi had personality. It had been years since she''d seen a student with so much fire. She absolutely loved it!


    "What did you say?" Cassidy, provoked beyond reason, jumped to his feet and pointed a finger at Juniper. "Say that to me one more time!"


    Juniper stared him down. As his finger got dangerously close to her face, she grabbed it and squeezed.


    "Agh!" Cassidy cried out in pain, trying to pull his hand back, but her grip was like iron.


    "Juniper, let go!" the counselor said, her head starting to ache as she tried to de- escte the situation.


    "Self-defense," Juniper said, releasing his hand and dusting hers off with disgust. "Point that finger at me again, and I won''t be so gentle... old man."