CHAPTER 40: NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT

Egypt’s brows furrowed the moment she heard that irritating voice again—James, the new boy in their class who had transferred to their school just a few weeks ago.

"Hahaha! Of course they don’t have a dad! I even heard from my mom that they’re adopted. Just look at them—they look nothing like their mom!"

Another classmate chimed in—someone who never used to bully them before. But ever since James showed up, more and more of their classmates had started picking on them too.

"What did you just say?!" Egypt snapped, clenching her fists.

She was about to charge at the classmate who made the remark when Paris immediately stepped in.

Paris placed a hand on her twin’s arm and gave a calm shake of her head, silently telling her to stop.

Their teacher, Ms. Amie, still hadn’t arrived—giving their classmates the confidence to be as loud and do what they wanted without holding back.

Their mom’s number one rule had always been, ’Never get into fights at school.’ Paris tried to follow that rule as much as she could, even when it wasn’t easy.

"Don’t waste your energy on them, Egypt," Paris said coolly. "Mom told me once—cowards usually act tough and mean to hide the fact that they’re just crybabies inside."

James turned sharply toward Paris.

"What did you say?!" he barked, taking a step forward like he was ready to start a fight. But his friend, Ben, quickly held him back.

"Don’t, James. Just look at Paris—doesn’t she look scary when she talks like that? She’s like a witch. If you mess with her, she might curse you and turn you into a frog! Haha!" Ben said with a laugh.

"Scary! Hahaha!" another classmate chimed in. "She looks like one of those emotionless dolls! Creepy and stiff!"

"Or maybe she just acts like that because she knows they’re adopted. I mean, they probably got picked up from a dumpster when they were babies!"

Paris’s brows knit together at that. Her usually calm expression cracked.

Some of the classmates who were now laughing had once been kind to them. But James’s presence had slowly influenced them.

What used to be a peaceful classroom had turned into a nest of troublemakers, and she and Egypt had become their easy targets.

Still, Paris stood her ground.

She didn’t want to fight. Not because she was scared—but because she knew better. To her, getting into a fight with kids like them wasn’t worth it. They weren’t worth her energy...

"At least I look like a doll," Paris said flatly, staring directly at James without even blinking. "You, on the other hand, look like a bunch of crybabies... who resemble Chucky dolls."

"W-what did you just say?!" James snapped, his voice shaking. "Do you want me to tell my dad about you? You’re just poor twins with no father!" he added, his eyes starting to water.

Egypt rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him.

"Oh no, he’s gonna tell his daddy," she mocked. "Waaah! We’re so scared! Crybaby wants to run to his dad!" she added, mimicking his trembling voice and fake sobbing before sticking her tongue out again.

"You! Do you even know who my dad is? He’s the principal of this school! Anytime now, we could have you kicked out!" James shouted, now on the verge of tears.

But the twins didn’t flinch. They just glanced at each other, smirking in unison before turning their teasing gazes back at him.

"Then why don’t you go ahead and tell him now?" Egypt challenged. "Do you really think we’re scared of you? Go ahead—tell him!"

"Y-you... You two are the worst! I hate you!" James cried, then turned around and stormed off, wiping his tears.

Egypt and Paris exchanged another look, then simply shrugged at each other as if to say, one down.

Just then, James’s friend Ben stepped forward, glaring at the twins.

"You two really messed up. Why’d you make James cry? Don’t you get how scary his dad is? One word from him and he could kick you out of this school!" he said with a smug grin.

Ben had always been one of the kids who teased them, even before James transferred.

But because he could never beat the twins in any way, he usually backed off quickly. It was only when James arrived and started throwing his weight around that Ben got bolder—teaming up with him to make life harder for the twins.

It was also because of the two of them that even some of their other classmates had started joining in, making the twins easy targets whenever the opportunity struck.

"But he’s the one who started everything!" Egypt snapped, glaring at Ben.

"Even so! You still shouldn’t have made him cry!" another classmate shot back.

"Tsk. What a bunch of immature crybabies," Paris muttered, rolling her eyes as she turned to the classmates who had been ganging up on them.

"What did you just say?!" one of the boys challenged.

"I said you’re a bunch of crybabies. Now move—we’re trying to get inside," Paris replied coldly, stepping forward toward their classroom door.

But a group of their classmates blocked the entrance, standing shoulder to shoulder to keep the twins out.

"Who do you think you are, calling us crybabies?" Ben sneered from the center. "Just because Teacher Amie favors you doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want!"

Paris crossed her arms, her expression unbothered.

"Who said Teacher Amie favors us? Maybe she just likes us because we’re actually well-behaved—unlike you all, who only know how to gang up on others."

Ben’s face darkened in annoyance. Without thinking, he shoved Paris hard, causing her to stumble and fall to the floor.

"Paris!" Egypt cried, immediately rushing to her sister’s side.

She turned to Ben and the group of classmates who had the nerve to laugh at what just happened.

"You! I’m telling Teacher Amie what you just did to Paris!" she shouted, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Pfft! Then go ahead, tattletale!" one of the boys jeered.

"Oh look at her! The tattletale is crying! Huhu! What a crybaby!" Ben mocked, and laughter erupted from the others.

Egypt bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill—but they came anyway.

"I heard from my mom that their mother works in a bar," another classmate chimed in, giggling. "That’s why she told me not to be friends with them."

"So aside from being fatherless twins," Ben added with a wicked grin, "you’ve got a mom who’s a prostitute too, huh? What a perfect little duo!"

"Hahaha! What a pair!"

At that moment, Egypt couldn’t hold back her anger anymore. She lunged straight at Ben.

"What did you just say? Huh?!" she screamed.

Their classmates gasped in shock at Egypt’s sudden outburst. Even Paris, who had just gotten back on her feet after being shoved to the ground, now had a cold, furious look in her eyes. Her usually calm and composed expression had vanished.

Paris didn’t even hesitate before she joined her twin, rushing at Ben as well. Together, the two of them pinned him down—Egypt yanked at his hair while Paris grabbed both of Ben’s wrists, preventing him from fighting back.

Ben, caught completely off guard by the twins’ sudden attack, could do nothing but struggle helplessly as the twins worked together.

None of the other classmates dared to step in. They simply stood frozen in place, too stunned—and too afraid—to move. Paris’s glare alone was enough to keep them rooted where they were, as if one wrong move would turn her fury on them next.

And that was the exact moment their teacher, Ms. Amie, walked into the scene. She was accompanied by none other than Alpheus and Alfonso, who were both stunned into silence by the chaos they had just witnessed.

"Kids! What are you doing?!" Ms. Amie cried, rushing over to separate the twins from Ben, who was now in tears.

She quickly pulled them apart, placing herself between them. "Paris, Egypt—why were you hurting Ben? What’s going on here?!"

Egypt looked up, startled and overwhelmed by the sudden scolding. Her lips quivered, and her voice broke as she burst into tears.

"T-Teacher... Ben said we don’t h-have a father... and he insulted our mom..."