Katie tries to keep up with the fast-walking Risa. "Risa, can you please slow down?" She pleads.
"Oh, sorry," Risa slows her pace.
Katie catches up and takes a deep breath. She is not sure if this is the way Risa really walks or if her friend is feeling uncomfortable with the way some students look at her. Well it could be because they admire her beauty or might be because they recognize her as that girl in the news.
When they're nearing the door of the gym, someone bumps into Katie's behind and she almost lost her balance.
"Ow, I'm so sorry!" Lynn says regretfully.
"It's okay," Katie responds with a smile.
"Please forgive me! Actually I'm looking for my friend, gotta go!" Lynn moves on and continue her search.
Katie recognizes her as the jolly girl from the bus ride awhile ago. When she turns around, she is again way behind Risa. "Risa, wait!"
••••
When they reach the floor where their classroom is located, Lynn, Katie, Risa and Alexa find themselves outside room 2-A and realize instantly that all four of them are transferees. Lynn as usual, introduces herself happily to the two, which makes Alexa gets annoyed at her roommate more.
The class adviser of 2-A, a kind woman of thirties, Miss Ana, call each one of them to go inside and introduce themselves in front of the class. Lynn volunteers herself to be first.
She dances on her way and with beaming smile, speaks confidently. "Hi everyone! My name is Bellinda Margaux Jewel Nordine. Just call me Lynn! Like L-y-n-n Nordine." She pauses for a smile. "My father is a businessman, and you know my mother is the Margareth Nordine, a fashion icon in today's world." The class murmurs a 'wow' and 'she is bloody rich' and another is 'so fortunate'. The three girls outside overhears her and is greatly astounded, too.
Lynn continues. "My favorite color is purple and anything that sparkles. I love shopping and extreme rides and - "
"Okay, Lynn, I think that's enough." Miss Ana interrupts her and the class burst into laughter.
Lynn salutes at her teacher and says, "Copy, Ma'am!" The class couldn't help but smile at the energetic girl. She finds a seat next to the window and settles there.
Alexa is called next.
She enters the room, facing the floor before looking up at her classmates. "I'm Alexandria or Alexa Wayne. Nice to meet you all."
A boy in the front row suddenly raises his hand and asks Alexa. "Are you somewhat related to the School Principal?"
The class waits for her response as it takes longer for her to do so.
"Yeah. He is my father," Alexa replies and her classmates goes 'ohhh...'
She takes the vacant seat on the front row beside the nerdy boy who asked.
Risa peeps at the door before entering the room slowly. Some students instantly starts small talks, recognizing her. 'Oh, my God, she is here...' She bites her lip then speaks.
"Hi.. I'm Risa. Marisa Gaille Kenrick. A pleasure to meet you all." She forces a smile. The whispers grow even louder for her to hear. Risa listens as her classmates mutter the words 'what a badass', 'rebellious', 'the girl in the newspaper' and 'the tigress'.
She was absolutely wrong for choosing this school. Risa had hoped the news won't spread as far as this inclusive school. But it did.
"Okay, Risa, take your seat." Miss Ana says, obviously wary of the whispers across the room.
She finds a vacant seat at the last row. Risa takes a glance of the curious Lynn, also wondering what the whispers are all about.
Miss Ana calls the last person to enter, Katie.
The petite girl enters the room with a smile.
"Hello, my name is Marie Katelyn Anne Johnson. You can call me, Katie. I'm glad to meet you all." She bows in front of the class.
At the corner of her eye, she notices a girl giving her a sharp look. Katie recognizes the girl, a former classmate in junior high.
And beside the girl is a handsome guy with bright eyes and neatly placed hair. He is smiling happily at Katie and she wonders why.
"Katie, did you here me?" Miss Ana tells her. "Have a seat, please."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss Ana."
Katie gathers herself and search for a vacant seat immediately.
"Sit here behind me." The handsome guy points at the vacant seat behind him.
Katie takes it and says, "Thank you." She suddenly feels the eyes of the other girls showing displeasure at her, especially the girl from before. Katie forgot her name.
The morning class goes by, with the transferees mostly introducing themselves to the teachers. The bell rings for lunch.
Soon as the teacher leaves the room, the sour-faced girl turns to Katie and tells her in a daring voice, "What made you transfer here, Katie?"
"W-what?" Katie is surprised. "I don't get it - "
"A top student now an actress. Don't tell me you forgot all about me, Katie."
"Huh?" Then it occurs to her. This girl with sharp curls above her shoulders and face full of makeup is no other than Dorothy, the second top student in their junior high years. "Oh, my, is it really you, Dorothy? I haven't seen you in a wh - "
"I'm so done with you always playing innocent. I left you in that rubbish school, studied somewhere else where there is no 'you' stealing my place and made it here in this school. Because I wanted to make a name as the top one student here. I never made it before, why? Because of YOU, remember?" Their classmates who overhears their conversation encircles them. Katie feels her face getting hot in embarassment. "If this is your plan to take it from me, no. Not this time, Katie. This time I will make sure I - "
"Hey, you!" Risa chimes in and join their conversation. "You want me to break your neck or what?!" Their classmates gasp in horror at her words. "It's lunch time, Miss Bully. We don't have time for you."
"Risa..."
Dorothy comes to her just beside Katie. "And who are you to tell me that? Such words will send you to the Disciplinary Committee, do you know that? You want me to tell them now?"
"Tell what? I haven't done anything." She smiles. "But... I might, if you continue doing that to my friend."
Alexa and Lynn watches the scene from the door.
Dorothy isn't backing down. "Oh really? You know - " A friend of her rushes to her side and whisper something at Dorothy. Dorothy's expression gradually changes and she falls silent, just stare at Risa, mouth wide open.
Risa instantly knew what the other girl told her.
Risa takes Katie's hands and makes her way out. But before completely disappearing from Dorothy's view, she says, "Go and tell the committee what I did if you want, you're good at that, bully. Tell them also that I am not afraid of them."
Again, their classmates are beyond surprise.
"Bitch." Dorothy feels so defeated at the moment. But she is clearly not done with Katie. She will have her revenge without that girl Risa around.
••••
"Risa, you don't have to do that, honestly." Katie releases herself from Risa's grip, while they're walking in the hallway. "Dorothy is...just like that. Ever since."
Risa turns to face her. "You can't let anyone do that to you forever. No one deserves to be treated like that. And besides, it's not like your fault to be always on top anyway. She is just just....whatever."
"But.." Katie sighs, she understands Risa's reaction. "Okay, thanks, Risa."
But deep inside, she cares about Dorothy's feelings, too. Katie had always tried to be as kind as possible to her before but when it all comes to academics, Dorothy won't treat her fairly. She would give her all, she was always competitive. But it's always Katie who came up on top. And now that the two top students meet again, recalling Dorothy's words earlier, Katie had this feeling, her former classmate will do everything again to secure herself to the top, harder than before.
Meanwhile, Risa's thoughts are in whirlwind. 'What happened to my plans?' She clearly didn't like how the morning went for her. She would rather not be recognized. She would rather not get involve in any fights. She had 'better' plans. She wanted a normal school life of a normal girl. But it turns out, it won't. And she have no choice but to accept it. She will live like this until she graduates.
'Okay.' Risa shakes her head and with a deep exhale, she gives in.
••••
"You know what's hot?" Skinny Head, a hairless guy with big eyes just set foot on the tree house and found his team doing their usual stuffs. "The Tigress is here!" He announces with open arms.
Mac, the little guy throws him an animal stuff toy.
"What the - "
"We already know that, Skinny Head. No need to announce."
Skinny Head face falls. "Ow. I see." He looks at Rey, swinging in his hammock. "Boss, what do you want me to do?"
Rey, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, looks at him with lazy eyes and tell him, "Drop dead."
The whole team laugh at their Boss' remarks.
Rey sniffs at the fact that the one who yawned while he was giving his speech was that girl, also known as The Tigress, according to Mac's videocam.
This year is gonna be more interesting, he tells himself.