I stood there for a second longer than necessary as people streamed past me; my collar still wrinkled where she had grabbed me and bow looking even more pathetic than it already was at the start of the day. People continued filing into their classes, not even glancing at me.

  Great.

  If no one saw it then it never happened. Maybe if no one remembered this happening—which they probably wouldn't, since one; no one seemed to even notice me as people practically walked through me as if I was a ghost and two; other people have better things to be doing instead of worrying about some random newbie—I could probably make some friends and live out my school days in blissful peace.

  Get a grip.

  I smoothed out my uniform as best I could and checked my schedule again.

  Late to math class. How fantastic.

  I prayed silently that they'd cut me some slack since I was new and no one had bothered giving me a tour, so I could probably use the excuse of not knowing where the corridor is. I jogged down the hall, my heart hammering at the thought of the words loaded with venom she spat at my face, how her eyes crinkled at the corners as she looked down at me, her soft blonde hair glinting in the light streaming in from the windows... Actually it might just be because I've never ran this fast before in my life and my lungs are actively on fire.

  I made another mental note; Avoid that girl. At all costs. I'm sure practically no one saw me walk straight into her chest and they'd probably forget my strikingly average face in the sea of thousands of other similarly built girls at this massive school; but what if she remembers? She definitely looked like the type to hold a massive grudge. She also looked like the type to be VERY popular, her face would definitely make you turn back around for a second look. Maybe not though; since usually popular people walk in packs, prowling around the school looking for the next dork to turn into minced meat.

  Halting mid-way up the stairs to catch my breath, I tried to think. If I stayed out of her way, she'd ultimately forget a lowly worm like me. Or maybe not. If she was as rich and as popular as she looked, my face and name would probably be plastered around the whole school by tomorrow at the latest and I would again become a punching bag and my life would again become a living nightmare. She definitely wouldn't spare me and she definitely seemed like the type of person who would devote their entire school career to making someone else's miserable, and this would be just another repeat of what happened during middle school. But it was better to just play it safe right now. Lay low until I was sure she forgot. I silently promised myself that I wouldn't make an absolute fool out of myself and bump into her again.

  Which of course meant that when I finally got to my next class, handing the teacher a small apology, and slipped into the empty seat left, out of breath and barely alive; it was next to hers.

  The teacher's lecture started to get extremely boring 15 minutes in, and I fought back the massive urge to whip out my phone, but I'd probably get it confiscated or slapped out of my hands. Sucks to be in the front row. I looked around the class, scanning the walls adorned with cheesy motivational posters and tried my best not to look over to my right. But she probably had protagonist syndrome or something since my eyes gravitated towards her every time I took them off the board.

  Succumbing to my curiosity, I looked over. She had her notebook out and what I saw made my jaw drop. It was the most perfect handwriting I had ever seen in my life—her notes practically looked like a sheet out of a textbook. My handwriting wasn't bad by any means. It was quite normal, just slightly messy sometimes when I wrote too fast, but compared to hers mine looked like something a baby would write out on the wall with their apple sauce or something—

  I was cut off by a loud cough. I had probably zoned out or something and the teacher had most likely asked me something. Seeing as I had paused for too long, he walked over. He had brown hair and a bit of stubble lining his face. He widened his eyes, brows pushing up his forehead, creating slight wrinkles.

  "Can you answer the question on the board please, Miss..." Scrambling to look behind him at what he was writing on the big whiteboard. I almost cried in joy. I thought private high school was supposed to be hard or something? It was just some simple quadratics using the formula provided.

  "Mai, and x is equal to uhhh... one plus-minus two root two, over three."

  Silently thanking my private tutors back home for teaching me this in advance and drilling it into my head, I zone out again as the teacher started again with his boring lesson on quadratics and algebra. I flicked my eyes over to her again. She sat there, legs crossed, chin resting on her hand, staring straight ahead stoically, sometimes looking down to switch out a different coloured highlighter, not even sparing me a glance.

  Maybe she doesn't care as much as I thought she did. Or maybe she is and she's just plotting the slowest and most painful way to kill me. Nevertheless, looking over the schedule she had half-slipped under her notebook, I realized she had all the same classes as me. So much for avoiding her I guess. Well, if we're going to be in the same classes, it wouldn't hurt to try and win over her favour, right? Maybe I could salvage her clumsy impression of myself and I could keep my soul for now.

  I stared for a bit too long and her eyes flicked toward me, probably feeling my gaze boring into her. Before I could whip my head back in embarrassment though, for just a split second, something unreadable crossed her face. Was it curiosity? Annoyance? Hate? I really didn't know, but I hoped it wasn't rage. Then she turned back around, her face returning to her signature stone-cold look. Eyebrows pinched together, mouth set in a perfectly straight line, her sharp eyes stared so intensely at the board I thought for a second she was trying to shoot lasers out of them.

  Swallowing, I decided to play it safe for the rest of the double period and actually listened to the teacher drone on about quadratics and graphing parabolas.

  Flipping to the next page of my newly given textbook I was graciously allowed to borrow for the lesson; I made a silent vow to try my best and make her my friend, since my life depended on it. Well, it didn't really, but it kinda did if she was still angry at me. She seemed like the kind of person that could start flying, fueled only by rage.

  Almost forgetting it was time to leave, I was shook out of my thoughts by the sound of my teacher walking up to me again. Probably to chastise me for not paying attention during class or something. Trying my best to remember what his name was again, I gave up scraping my mind and pulled out my now-wrinkled schedule, squinting at the small printing.

  "Uh Mr. McCoy, is something wrong..?"

  "Oh, of course not. I was here to tell you about the test coming up tomorrow," He cleared his throat and I could faintly smell the strong scent of cheap coffee lingering on his clothes. "If you want to, I can exempt you from it as you might've not covered everything we've done in the curriculum at your old school, and we don't really cover the core stuff as much as the other classes here. I can tell that you're a smart girl, so the choice is yours."

  "Nah, it's okay, I can do it." With a small nod he walked over to his desk, opened one of its metal drawers and took out a small packet, putting it onto my desk.

  "The test will contain units 1-3 and these questions will help you review, although this is from last year so I recommend that you should take out a textbook from the library to look over,"

  With a small smile, he sauntered back to his desk and I quickly shoved the papers into my bag, exiting the classroom. Now it was… I glanced at one of the conveniently placed clocks in the hall next to some of the bulletin boards lining the halls. Now it was recess. I sighed, slowly making my way down the stairs to find somewhere to sit and brood all alone.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  So much for trying to make friends.

  Recess was nothing but uneventful.

  Which frankly, was a blessing. I sat on one of the benches lining the vast courtyard in the middle of the school; half-hidden behind a bush with small white flowers bunched together in clusters and muted-green leaves. They were most likely a type of Oakleaf Hydrangea. I didn't even know they grew here but it would make sense since they thrived in hot climate.

  I remember that when I was younger, I used to read anything I could get my hands on. Since we lived in a modern mansion when I moved in with my step-dad, we didn't really have any bookshelves; as they wouldn't really fit in with the white minimalistic aesthetic they had going on. Thus, most if not the only books I could find were mostly manuals or magazines, which were mostly on fashion and decor, though they did have a lot of gardening books. If I could remember correctly, my eldest step-sister really enjoyed growing flowers in the big backyard we had, but I was never allowed to go out in person, only ever gazing at the small flowers swaying in the wind from my window. Because of the paparazzi or so they told me.

  The courtyard itself looked like something ripped straight from a painting—perfectly manicured grass, evenly spaced trees, stone paths that were suspiciously spotless and free of any fallen leaves. It was kind of surreal how picture perfect everything was. No gum stuck to the bottom of benches, no mysterious stains of bird poop outside, no peeling paint, everything seemed so pristine and untouched. The more I thought about it, the more I got even more confused.

  Unrealistic. Completely and utterly unrealistic.

  Clumps of other students gathered in groups, seemingly separated into cliques based on build and interests. The sporty guys were playing either football or volleyball on the turf. The artsy looking kids sat on the steps by the big glass doors leading to the main building, art supplies sprawled out around a big sheet of paper. The rich looking ones—well, richer looking ones—hovered around the bleachers, looking like the extras from a teen-drama series canceled off Netflix.

  I pulled out my phone and checked the rate of my uma-musume TP. Still not full… Tragic. Thus, since I couldn't do a career, I checked the banners. After realizing I was dirt poor and out of carats, I contemplated doing a single pull anyway, just a single one, as a treat—but resisted. Pulling ten-pulls would get me better luck, thus I tucked my phone away, realizing that I'd get in trouble again if anyone saw me.

  I sat there, staring off into space, glancing around at the people outside.

  No one approached me. No one even glanced at me.

  I guess this was good. If I stayed this invisible maybe I'd manage to survive the year. But again, I'd be nice to have a friend…

  A breeze passed through the yard, rustling leaves and shaking branches. For a second, I almost relaxed.

  I glanced up, lazily raking my eyes over my surroundings for the nth time.

  Big mistake.

  She was there. Across the courtyard, walking along briskly with two other students. Her posture was casual, and confident. The others with her were chattering loudly—one girl, one boy. Occasionally they tried to make small talk with her, but she just kept walking, undeterred they kept pestering her all the way until they reached the main building and I could no longer see them anymore.

  Huh… Maybe she's chill? She seemed to have no problem being nagged, and her friends seemed nice. Maybe I'd be spared this time…

  I was snapped out of my stupor by the loud chatter of people also making their way to the main building. Then I realized that recess was probably over and scrambled over to join the crowd, rummaging around for my schedule to figure out where I had to go next.

  Ah great, science.

  Periods three to six passed like a blur and it was now lunch. Science went along just fine and I was relieved at the fact that I managed to get there early and got a seat far away from that girl—I should really learn her name, calling her 'that girl' all the time is getting kind of weird… After that was social studies, which also went by just fine, although I did accidentally sleep through half of it.

  Now it was lunch.

  Since I had no extra money to pay for school food, I went up to the library, silently apologizing to my stomach and promising it that I'd get something later.

  Out of breath and panting slightly, I walked past rows and rows of neatly packed selves. The books looked surprisingly new and untouched, like a bookstore… Coming up to the front desk, I nervously called for the librarian.

  She was tall. Like, surprisingly tall. Maybe that was because I stood at a measly 5'2 but I was sure she was 6'5 or something… She had square glasses with a tortoiseshell frame and wore a light-grey blouse and long, flared black pants, paired with glossy black heels.

  "Can I borrow some textbooks for class?"

  "Sure, what year are you? Which ones will you need?"

  "Uh, year 10 and I need textbooks for each subject..."

  She silently led me to a room and unlocked the door, telling me to wait outside. I peered in and looked around, the books here looked more worn and used than the ones outside. She came back with a large stack of thick textbooks and handed them over to me.

  Thanking her, I precariously walked down the stairs over to my locker two floors down on the third level. All the lockers were lined up in front of a big window, an occasional pillar breaking the continuous rows of metal doors.

  Walking over to number 3954, I took out the small key from my skirt pocket. Dumping all the books in except my math textbook, I shut it with a bang and decided that I'd go down and people watch, since I didn't want to use my phone and risk getting in trouble.

  Arriving down at the cafeteria, I looked around at my surroundings. Rows upon rows of big metal tables filled with students who all seemed to know exactly where they were going, and who they were sitting with. The smell of food hit me all at once like a freight train—warm rice, greasy fried food, the sweet smell of freshly baked pastries. And my stomach let out a noise so loud I nearly passed away on the spot.

  Since every table for as far as the eye could see was packed full, I did the only reasonable thing; I sat alone in the courtyard again.

  That’s when someone came up to me, holding a tray of deliciously smelling food. I froze and looked up.

  Not her.

  I let out a massive sigh, it was just another girl. She had short brown hair that curled inwards and neatly cut bangs, with soft honey-brown eyes. She smiled at me kindly, a small snaggle-tooth glinting in the sunlight, moving closer.

  "This seat isn't taken, right?"

  “Yes,” I said quickly, “I mean—no, it’s not taken.”

  She sat down and set her tray on her lap. Glancing over at me, her wide eyes peering curiously, she prodded me with her elbow.

  "Aren't you going to eat something?"

  "Ah, not really… I'm not hungry," It was then at that moment my stomach betrayed me and let out a massive growl, proclaiming that I was, in fact, very hungry.

  "You sure?" She giggled, her head tilted slightly. "If you want we can share!"

  "I couldn't possibly," I replied hastily. "I uh, don't really like, um, tomatoes…"

  This wasn't a complete lie though, I really didn't like tomatoes but I could tolerate them if I tried hard enough.

  "Oh, well, do you want me to buy you something then?" I shook my head vigorously at this idea, owing someone money was disastrous since I couldn't really pay them back… "Alright… Well, are you new? I haven't seen you around,"

  Nodding slightly, I replied, "Yeah, I joined mid-term… Today is actually my first day,"

  "Oh really???" She clasped her hands together, school lunch forgotten, "You should sit with me and my friends some time! They have club meetings all week—well I do too but the art council did work during recess already, the first week is always so busy… Let's meet here next week and I can bring you over so we can all sit together!"

  I nodded. It'd be nice to maybe make some friends and maybe make my bleak life a little less miserable.

  When lunch ended, she packed up and cheerfully said goodbye—but not before making me exchange contacts.

  I watched her go, something warm and unfamiliar settling in my chest.

  Maybe this place really is different…

  Just like before lunch, my remaining classes passed without incident.

  By the time the final period was over, I felt drained. But not as draining as it used to be.

  That’s new.

  I packed my bag, staying behind to re-organize the mess inside it, and slipped out with the crowd; careful not to bump into anyone again. The afternoon sun hung low and casted everything in warm gold. Students gathered at the gates, waiting to be picked up.

  I trudged over to the bus stop, bag feeling like it was stuffed with bricks and whipped out my transit card. Hopping onto the crowded bus, I stood near the rear exit, holding onto the metal railing for dear life as the bus rattled through the traffic.

  Finally stepping off, I was ready to get home and pass away on my bed. Then, with perfect timing, my traitorous stomach let out a growl and I remembered something very important; I have no food.

  With a long sigh, I checked my phone and searched for the nearest grocery store or something adjacent. Luckily, there was a convenience store a few blocks away. Perfect.

  I headed off, dragging my bag, which now felt even heavier than before as exhaustion seeped through my bones.

  The convenience store was small, cramped with shelves of food, stationary, nick-nacks, and other miscellaneous items. I grabbed a basket and wandered the aisles, tossing in items that seemed cheap enough; a loaf of bread, a religious amount of instant noodles, a carton of milk, and a few apples because I should at least pretend to care about my health.

  Stopping at the freezer aisle, I stood there for a while, debating my choices.

  In the end, as a reward for surviving my first day; I grabbed a small melon Melona bar—I would've preferred strawberry, but I couldn't find it and my hands were starting to turn numb from digging through the freezer.

  Done with my shopping I walked over to the self-checkout and paid for all my stuff. Turning over to the exit, I stopped dead in my tracks.

  Because standing there, was a very familiar figure, lingering at the exit, looking over a receipt.

  Dark blonde hair, sharp eyes, furrowed brows in that same annoyed expression...

  I was fucked. Like, super duper fucked.

  She glanced over, and our eyes met.

  "Are you stalking me?"

  Chapter 2:

  I wanted to have a bubbly character.

  Won't give you her name yet because spoilers; the girl who invited her is named Vicky and forgets things a lot, which includes telling people her name (most basic conversation starter out the window and replaced with lets go out)