" Okay, class! Today, we have a transfer student joining us today. Come on in! Don't be shy!" The professor called out to the student outside.
The student entered the classroom and faced the whole class.
" Introduce yourself to the classroom. Go ahead! Go on!" The professor said to the student.
" Hello, everyone! My name is Angel Mukaido. I'm glad to be here. Nice to meet all of you!" The transfer student introduced himself to the classroom.
" Look at him! He's good-looking. He's so cute. His voice and the way he speaks are so elegant. He's amazing!" The girls whispered among themselves regarding the transfer student.
So boring! He's not even cute. Those girls are so stupid. What do they even see in that guy anyway? Nothing is interesting to do in this school. I'm so bored! Angelique thought subconsciously.
" Everyone! Everyone! Calm, please! Let's see where you can sit in this big classroom". The professor wondered.
The professor glanced around the classroom to find a seat for the transfer student.
" Oh! There you go! There's an open seat over there". The professor pointed in the direction of the open seat.
" Poor guy! I sympathize. He got to sit behind the ugliest girl of the entire school". Oscar said with sarcasm.
Angelique who was trying up until now to hold out her anger reached her limit. She was enraged and for the first time, the students got to see a new aspect of herself. An aspect they would have never guessed coming from her.
" Ugly yourself! Look at you! You're so pathetic and stupid that the only thing you can do to make yourself amused is making fun of me. The only thing you can do to get my attention is by mocking me". Angelique said with extreme coldness.
" What did you say to me?" Oscar was furious.
A silence followed thereafter. Angelique said no more. She stood there in confusion.
What happened a minute ago? It was like I was a different person entirely. No, it can't be! I was probably dreaming. Yeah! Yeah! It was a dream. It has to be! Angelique couldn't believe what just happened.
" I'm so sorry! Have I said something that offended you? If I did, please, forgive me!" The students were surprised by her change of reaction.
" Ah, I just noticed there were two open seats. You can go to the seat which you prefer. The choice is yours!" Said the professor.
The transfer student spotted a seat that he liked.
" Well then! I'll go and sit behind the girl that spoke up a minute ago". The transfer student went and sat behind Angelique Tsukishima.
Angelique was displeased by his presence.
Not him! This doesn't look good to me. No, it doesn't look good to me at all. What's going to happen to me now? He's just behind my seat. It's over. This world is going to an end. It's over! It's all over! Angelique was overreacting.
" Angelique! Angelique! Angelique!" The transfer student called out his deskmate's name repeatedly.
This is what I was trying to avoid. The annoyance that comes with having a deskmate, I despise it the most. I have been used to being alone but suddenly having a deskmate is something unexpected. Because of the rumors that were going on about me, rumors caused by Oscar Venus himself, no one had ever wanted to be my deskmate. They always sit far away from me. This also explains why I have no friends.
What? What now? Why is he calling my name? What does he want? What does he want? Angelique ignored him.
" Angelique! Angelique! Angelique!" He didn't give up and continued calling out to her.
He won't give up until I pay attention to him. What does he want with me anyway? I wondered.
" What? What do you want? Why are you calling my name? Why? Why? Why are you referring to me by my first name? Please, no matter the reason behind all this, please, leave me alone! Please! I'm begging you! Please! Please! Don't talk to me!" Angelique broke her silence.
" Angelique, listen! The reason I'm calling you by your first name is that we're classmates. It's because I like your name. You have a beautiful name. I want to have the opportunity to get to know you. I want to know all about you. I wish for us to become friends. I'm sorry but, I can't leave you! I just can't leave you all alone in your world. I can't! I can't do that! I just can't!" Angel Mukaido said assertively.
Angelique stared at him, searching for answers.
Why did he say that to me? Why does he care about me? We're not at all familiar with each other, so why is he showing such kindness? I'm used to being alone. Why does he want to change that? Angelique was at a loss.
" You have to. I'm cold! I'm as cold as the ice. You can't break that ice! I won't let you. Do you hear me?" She said coldly.
Angel Mukaido simply stared at her and said nothing more.
Such coldness and sadness in her voice! What have you gone through, Angelique? Angel Mukaido was pained seeing his classmate like that.
" Now, class! Turn your books on page 20, please!" Each student opened their books on that page.
The professor called out to a student to read.
" Julie Momonari! Read that passage, please!" Said the professor.
" My name is Tom. I'm 15 yrs old. I don't go to school because I don't have any money. My parents can't afford to let me go to school. They don't have enough to eat themselves". She read the said passage.
" Great! Well done, Julie! Now, after reading this passage, who can think of a title? What can be the title of this text? Who can think of one?" She asked the students.
" Me! Me! Me!" Anna Annazono raised her hand.
" Anna! Go ahead!" She was picked by the professor.
" We can give to this passage the title of Poverty". She answered.
" Why exactly?" Asked the professor.
"Poverty is when someone is poor and can't afford a meal per day. Poverty is just when you don't have any money". She answered.
" Well done, Anna! You can sit down!" Said the professor.
She sat down. The professor continued the lecture.
" So, when someone's poor, it's impossible to go to school, to eat, etc------- Things become difficult to accomplish. We will end up here today". The bell rang one minute later.
The students left the classroom to go to lunch.
At the school cafeteria-------
" Eh! Alicia! Come sit beside me". A girl named Alexia Kobayashi called out.
" I'm coming!" Alicia Muto sat down at Alexia's table.
" Say, Alicia!" Alexia called out to her friend.
" Hum! What is it, Alexia?" She asked.
" I was just thinking if we should invite Tsukishima to join us. She's always by herself. She never talks to anyone except herself. She doesn't seem to realize what's around her''. She said as a response.
" You're right! You're absolutely right. Do you remember the first time she spoke?" Alicia asked Alexia.
" How could I forget? It was the second day of school. Oscar was making fun of her in front of the new transfer student. And then suddenly, she stood up and gave Oscar a piece of her mind. It was the first time I saw her like that. It was like she was a totally different person. But a minute later, she had a change of reaction".
" I wonder what happened at that time". The girls were discussing when Angel Mukaido bumped into their table.
" I see! So, it was the first time she spoke that way, huh! Interesting!" The girls were startled by his presence.
" Angel Mukaido! Were you there the whole time?" The girls questioned him.
" Yep! I'm sorry girls but I have to go now. See you later!" He left their table leaving the girls to wonder what he wanted.
Angelique was eating by herself as usual. She was at the school's terrace, isolating herself from everyone.
She stared at the blue sky and the birds flying. The spectacle was magnificent to watch. She thought that moment would last forever but her wish didn't come true.
" There you are! I've finally found you". Angel appeared before Angelique.
Not him again! What does he want this time? Angelique was displeased by his presence.
" Were you here all this time?" He questioned me.
" What do you want?" I asked him coldly.
" I was looking for you". He gave me a forwarded answer.
" Looking for me!" She was at a loss.
" That's right! I was looking all over for you. I have a question for you: Why did that guy, Oscar Venus say those things about you? Can you tell me why he said that? I want to know. Answer me!" He came closer to me until he was a few steps away from me.
His look was piercing. It was searching for answers but Angelique had no intention of answering any of the questions he asked her.
" That's enough! Shut up! Shut up! Who do you think you are to come here and ask me to give you an explanation?"
…
" You're not my father, nor my mother. You're nothing to me. Nothing at all, so stop pretending to be one, because you're not". Her words were harsh.
I see now. Now, I see! She's totally different from the way she was before. That's because I pushed her through her limits. I've gone too far. I have to apologize to her.
" Angelique!" He spoke up. " I'm sorry! I'm truly sorry! I shouldn't have said that. Forgive me, but what you said earlier hurts me. I'm your classmate and if you want to, I can also be your friend". He spoke up in an apologetic tone.
Why does he keep saying the same thing? Why does he want to get close to me so much?
" No, thank you! Just leave me alone!" She left from the terrace.
I won't give up on you that easily. You can count on it! Angel Mukaido stood there by himself.
Lunch came to an end five minutes later and everyone headed back towards their respective classrooms.
" Hello, my beautiful students! I will be your P.E. Teacher this year. My name is Augustin Le Blanc. Nice to meet you. I hope you will work with me as I will work with you. Now, let's start our first lesson by running around the stadium". The professor gave his first instruction.
Each student was on their mark and was waiting for the professor to give the signal.
" On your mark, get set, and go". He gave the signal.
The students started running.
On the other side, Angelique was having a hard time keeping the momentum.
What's going on? What's wrong with me? I can't breathe! Her pace started to slow down.
" Angelique! Are you alright? You look pale!" He asked me out of concern.
" I'm fine!" Her breathing was getting heavier and heavier, then she collapsed on the ground.