"Wake up!!!!" screams out my mom, who, might be trying to wake me up since half hour maybe. I mean, at least that's what she tells me every morning. And just like any other morning, I sulk out and mumble, "Mom, please. Just few minutes more."
"Do you want to be late for your first day of high school?"
"Ahaa... yes, if that what it takes to let me have some more sleep." I replied carelessly.
"Are you waking up or not in a minute?" mom's voice was clearly frustrated and I would dare not to put my sleep first and have a bad day after hearing mom's scolding.
I whined a little to show my disagreement but yet being submissive to her order after I got up from my bed.
I then got ready for the first day of school, had my breakfast and rushed to the school.
I reached to the school gate and the moment I was about to enter, I felt a hand on my shoulder and it didn't take much to figure out that it was Stephy, my good friend.
"Heyyo! Wassup!" I said with a fresh face and excitement of new class visible on my face.
"Just as good as you seem to be", she says while winking.
"That was a good one!" I complimented and we giggled while on our way to our new class.
We had the system of shuffling of section in every grade. I and Stephy have never been in same class even after being in same grade. And when we checked our this year list, again, we got different sections. No. Different branch. We were put into different branch according to the subject we had. We sighed a little and then we cheered up right after realising that again this year, we will have gossips of two whole branches.
We had our orientation session next.
From the next day, I and Stephy were going to be in different branches of school. And both were two miles away from each other.
As I entered my new class with the class door plate saying 'Grade 10 Section C' I realised that this time, shuffling have been really different. I felt that I knew no one. And that was true. None of my friends took PCM (Physics Chemistry and Maths) I was cursing whole managing department for such a poor shuffling. I was continuously cursing under my breathe while searching for a seat.
After searching a lot and judging literally every person from each seat, I found one. I went and sat there.
"Hey!" came a voice from beside me.
"Hi" I said with a smile.
"I'm Betty Parks. And what's your name?" she asks. A look of excitement was visible on her face and she gave a really friendly vibe. I tried giving off same vibe by smiling and introducing myself, "I'm Amelia. Amelia Carlson."
"That's such a good name." she complimented.
I smiled as a gesture to convey I liked her compliment.
After the introduction, we talked a little more about different stuffs. We even discovered that we had many common friends as we both are old students, studying here since primary school but just different branches. But the fact our all common friends were from my branch, not hers, 'cause I never interacted with other branches of our school.
After a while, the teacher arrived. Everyone stood up and wished the teacher and she greeted us too. She was sweet, friendly and seemed quite understanding. She was sharing her previous students' experiences and the problem they faced while this whole shuffling thing and the studies in overall and how should we cope up with that. Suddenly a voice comes from the class door, "Miss may I come in."
I tried looking but wasn't able to see. Miss Lucy nodded and he entered. A young tall handsome guy with a cricket kit being carried on his back. He waved his veiny hands to one his friends and went to his seat and sat there.
I shook my head reminding myself, my own firm decision of not simping on guys. I moved face towards Betty who was glaring at him as if I'll give her knife, she's ready kill him right there. I looked at her with confused expression. She understood my unsaid question and said, "Don't go near him ever. He is not someone you can reach out to. And he's not a normal student here. He's from a lash rich family and his family have audacity to buy this school in one go. He's a guy filled with ego. I bet that you might had not seen the number of girls in your life more than the number of girls he made cry. "
"Is he a playboy?" I asked out of curiousity to which she replied, "No. In fact, as much as I know, he never dated." I frowned and continued with one more question, "Then how he made so many girls cry?" She then sighed and said, "Because ninety percent of girls present here have confessed him one time or the other. And his rejection to them is so rude and so mean that they can't help but cry."
I gulped hearing her saying this all in one go. And that made me nervous enough because, that's not something I was expecting that would happen in school. Though, I think I can manage things well. I'm someone who would do all mischief in the school and still manage to be a nerd in front of teacher. I mean, who would like to be just an innocent kid and not do a single mischief. Also, who would like to ruin reputation in front of teacher. But I didn't know, there exist people who hate this until I saw people here who were sort of boring and thought it was childish. I thought, it was cool.
Anyways, I hope nothing goes bad between us because of this thing at least.
A week passed, things went well. And Betty seems to not dislike any thing of mine specially that nerdy thing in front of teachers. In fact, even she started thinking it's cool. Since, there were some school internal issues, we just had two days class last week. From the next we would be having the proper classes.
THE MONDAY MORNING, unlike every other student, felt cool to me. Because I personally loved going to school. Hence, I got ready and went to school. But reaching there, I found something weird. All the students were gossiping about the confession building. Yes, I've heard about that confession building thousands of time. And honestly, it can't be called as a building. It was literally just a short tower sort of thing built near school playground.
Hearing the gossips and unclear of what's happening, I went there as well. And to my surprise, it was our classmate Elle standing there and speaking out her proposal.
"Steven, I like you so much! Please let me be your girlfriend!" she screamed which almost made me stumble. If I could rely on my memory, then Steven Claire is that rude guy Betty warned me about. I exclaimed inwardly, 'What!'
Even though I agree to the fact that he's so handsome but that still didn't make sense that she likes him! Because he never talks to girl. And when he does, it's the cry day for that girl according to whatever the things I've heard about him in past two days we had our classes.
While I was arguing with my thoughts, I heard a vroom sound that was surely of a car. And the guy came out of that car was Steven. Everyone looked at him and made a way for him to come forward.
The way he was walking, the way people stepped aside for him, the way everyone looked at him was telling that he was a famous student. And now I was doubting if I seriously ever existed in any of branch of this school?
He came forward, and Elle smiled with excitement and said, "I knew you would come! I knew it Steven!"
She stepped forward and stretched her hands to hug him but he stepped back and spilled the water from the bottle he was holding on her face.
THAT'S IT. That was an enough step to wake up that typical feminist inside me and make me act violent when I just held his arm with all the force I had and made him turn around and slapped him hard. I never intended to do it. But he asked for it. I then said to him in a threatening voice, "You dare to do such cheap thing once again and I'll chop of your balls. And you know it quite well which one I'm talking about."
He started glaring at me. And I was doing no less in this glaring job. But seems, instead of glaring at him, I've got some other business to do. I turned to Elle and asked if she's okay. She nodded.
Everyone was looking at me surprisingly as if I've committed a crime.
I glared at him one more time and went away taking Elle with me.
I then took her to the washroom side where no one else was there and said, "How could you even like such a douchebag like him?"
I was already fumed and she could see that. Hence, she didn't dare to say a word in favour of him though it was visible from her face that she was still not angry with him and was still ready to put aside her dignity to be with him.
And these sort of people literally make me feel that love is a total hopeless thing and surely a nice waste of time. Like how can they just give away their dignity for such stupid feeling. Must've lost their brains.
I felt so done. Though, I knew that explaining a lovesick person is always in vain. I sighed and went to class with her.
As I was entering the class, my eyes straight met his eyes which were surely finding a way to kill me off. But, who cares. We've got different rows and columns in class. Poor guy. I rolled my eyes and went straight to my seat.
After a moment, Ms. Lucy arrived. She was looking unhappy. And that was the moment I was rewinding my past actions just to be sure that if she's unhappy by the case that just happened a few moments ago, then I'm not at fault anywhere.
She sighed and said, "Class, last year, I was continuously getting several complains of my class from the other teachers. And it's not one or two day thing. But every day that used to happen. That's why today, Principal called me in his office and asked me to give y'all a sitting arrangement so that it doesn't happen again. I'm sorry students,I never wanted to do it, but we're left with no option."
We all dropped out our hearts. No way! We are high school kids! And we need to sit according to teacher's arrangement? That doesn't make sense! But the firmness she had in her voice, seem to be like she's gonna do it for real.
And she started off! She asked us all to leave the seats and then started rearranging us in a very weird pattern.
First she arranged the couples. She seriously seperated each couple of our class. She surely have gotten filled her ears against us.
Then she arranged single people like us.
I was not that upset with the seating arrangement until the teacher said, "Amelia and Steven, you both go in middle row third bench."
"WHAT?" both of us exclaimed. My heart skipped a beat. Not because of any kind of love, but because of an absolute feeling of destruction of my happy life from that moment.
No way! It can't be. Him? My benchmate? Why Satan is so hard on me. I was crying with my soul inwardly.
Both of us tried explaining the teache that we cannot be bench mates but I guess when Miss Lucy is formed about something, then nothing else matter.
I tried my best but she didn't listen. Then he tried and she said just one sentence and he shushed. She said, "I think Steven. You're well aware of your reputation. And how it matters to your father's reputation in this city and in front of principal too. So to keep your father's words, you must hear me."
Just that? And he stopped arguing? I felt that emotional blackmail so lame. Was he even a man to get blackmailed by such thing? But more than that, his silence was suspicious. But anyways, at the end, we just ended up being benchmate and of course I felt so done and over.
I went and took a deep breathe before looking forward for my upcoming not so good school days.
I sighed and then noticed him looking at me. I jerked my head signalling 'What?' to which he said, "I haven't forgotten what you did to me."
I made a mean expression while replying, "You deserved it!" And then rolled my eyes.
I swear, at this point I was feeling why did even shuffling existed? Just for jerk like this one?
Anyways, I knew I was already in trouble. Trouble with this situation. I never wanted at least him as a bench mate. The situation was getting awkward somehow. Because the two people who fought like they would never like to see each other again, are now bench mate.
Whatever, the thing I knew is I'm never gonna entertain him anyhow. We were having our Chemistry class. Huh, thankfully, a subject I love the most. Next one was a physics class, which, I surely hated. I mean, I think, if there was an option to remove one particular subject from PCM, it would be Physics for sure. So, in physics class with 0 interest, I was just thinking about something else. Our shuffling thing of course. Our school have 7 branches in this city. The school follows shuffling rule. Till the middle school we are shuffled among the classes. But in high school, whole damn 7 branches are shuffled among each other. And the fact, it actually is shuffled according to the subjects chosen. And the matter of fact that I've noticed that students usually select the subject that is in their branch. And I was the one who comes in those not so usual students and opted for PCM and ended up in this branch. And maximum here were the students of this branch itself, and me being a anti social human, didn't know any of them even after all branches have frequent meets. Maybe that's why I didn't know this guy Steven. Anyways, this was feeling no less fucked up than academia and just like any academia student, I chose to survive in Branch 3 of St. Lawrence.
The day anyhow got over. It was tiring. Too much tiring. I wasn't planning to do anything but rest. And suddenly realise, I need to look for the internship.
I held myself together and then searched upon the internship for high school students. I scrolled and scrolled and didn't find something really worth it. I needed internship for two reasons. Firstly, to feed myself. Secondly, to have the experience for the field I want to go in, that is, coding.
I sighed because of this boring thing I was doing since an hour. I rested me left cheek on my palm of left hand which was rested on the elbow. My right hand was busy scrolling. My eyes were half closed already. But then my eyes suddenly rose up with an enthusiasm as I found student internship in the Claire company.
"Damn!" I exclaimed.
This was the exact thing I was looking for. Claire company is known as one of the best and fastest growing company of IT industry.
I prayed to every god existing and then applied for the internship. After the ten minutes of application procedure, I was finally done with application submission and then got a message on my phone that my recruitment status will be informed three days later. I decided to wait patiently for three days.
Today's day was tiring. Well, I'm well aware that mom will scold me for sleeping so off time. But, I couldn't care less so, I just dozed off anyways.
As expected, my eyes opened at 7 in evening with mom shouting in the background that would be surely about me. I rubbed my eyes.
"Oh madam. Why did you even wake up? Just have some more sleep." Here you go.
My mom was a perfect picture of an Asian parent. And now, it was obvious that arguing with her would be surely in vain. After all, in the list of things I wanna keep myself away from, emotional blackmail comes first. So, I just woke up and then started doing some school work, had my dinner and then went out for some fresh air.
While walking, I was wondering about my first day of school, which wasn't that great. Found some stupid confessions, no, useless confessions. Then, got the worst benchmate I would ever get. Why the hell is it even happening? I sighed thinking this all and then continued walking to distract my mind wishing that I don't fall in any problem.
After walking for a while, I again went inside and did my work, checked my e-mail if there's any from Claire Company. Since, there was none, I casually started scrolling through my social media and then read the book and then watched some series and then dozed off to sleep. And this is sort of my usual night routine.
NEXT MORNING, I woke up with again a new enthusiasm. Well, that's an another thing that thinking about who my benchmate is, my enthusiasm decreased by ninety percent. I ruffled my hair wildly while kicking in the empty air out of frustration.
Mom called me out for breakfast and I somehow managed to pull myself up for the upcoming day and wasn't getting a good feel from today tho.
I reached to the school and the first person I saw was, Ms. Lucy. I wanted to go to her and plead her for change of seat, but no matter how sweet she is, she wouldn't go back from her decisions. I just wished her a morning to which she gave a warm smile. I smiled back and then moved to the class.
I went to my seat which was empty till then and I was somehow inwardly hoping that he'd be absent today. But, boom! He was the next person who entered after me. No ways! I cursed under my breath.
"Didn't know you would be the first person I would be looking at in the class." I said, rolling my eyes.
He gave no reply, totally ignored me and just sat next to me as if I don't exist. I made a face that clearly showed that I'm disappointed by his ignorance. But, that was in my favour anyways. I mean, he wouldn't be irritating me anymore.
That was it. Ms. Lucy entered the class and it already was visible from her face that she's here to make an announcement.
"Attention students! Today, we will be having meet
and greet of all branches of St. Lawrence. So, we'll be having just half day of classes, the other half will be consumed for the meet and greet in branch 6 Auditorium. We'll be going there by bus."
I got so excited hearing this! I'll be meeting my old friends! What can be better than this! Seems my intuition of today's gonna be a bad day was wrong. And I couldn't be much happier than this!
The first half of day somehow went well. And right after the lunch break, we jumped in the campus bus and after the wait of half an hour, we reached the branch 6th.
Right after getting down from the bus, I rushed to find my old mates whom I was missing already. My eyes scanned through whole campus as I was roaming around the campus. We then reached the auditorium, which was large enough to fit our batch. I started searching for Stephy and shouted her name out loud when I found her. We ran towards each other and hugged her so tight that only if Stephy was a guy, it would have been a proper k-drama moment as the others also looked at me, including that poker face Steven who was making weird faces and rolled my eyed showing 'as if I care' expressions.
We settled down in the auditorium and our headmistress came, gave us a good 15 minutes lecture and then we were left alone for our own meet and greet. I talked to all my friends with whole enthusiasm. A smile was plastered on my face throughout our talks until I heard a voice from behind, "Hey Ami!"
I knew who was he, my ex-boyfriend Peter. So, I turned around. I couldn't even put on a fake smile in front of him. And somehow whole environment became a lil quite and tensed.
He continued, "Ami, how are you doing?"
"Does this have anything to do with you?" I said avoiding the eye contact as I didn't even want to look at him.
"Ami i--"
"Amelia." I corrected and continued, "My name is Amelia. So, I would request you to call you by my name, not such sort of nickname."
"Ami at least---"
"Amelia." I corrected him again averting my eyes to show that I've got no interest in talking to him.
He sighed while giving up on insisting to call me by my nickname, and then continued, "Alright.... Amelia, do you wanna avoid me this bad? That you don't wanna see me, the guy you've loved with all of your heart."
I finally looked at him in the eyes and said, "Peter, don't you think you've overestimated yourself? And what this love shit is? Please Peter, if not for me then for the sake of your own self respect, stop following me. We're over. And you must know this. And it was you who broke up. So, just stop playing this victim card in front of people."
Speaking all of it with a calm voice, I started going away from there, but suddenly felt a grip on my hand, which was not soft, but a forced one. I knew, it was of Peter. I looked back and stared him with rebel in my eyes against his action.
"Peter what's this? Leave my hand."
"Amelia, do you think you're the last girl left on the earth? Huh? What do you think you are? I don't believe you've moved on. Huhh!! A girl, who didn't even kissed her boyfriend even once in whole relationship, is talking about ending a relationship."
That was it. It was coming on pride and ego. My temperament was crossed. Everyone was watching this.
I frowned in anger, and said, "You know what, kissing a stranger would be better than kissing you."
I jerked my hand off and took it out from his grip.
I then glared at him as a warning to not to approach me again or else consequences can range from just an ignorance to slapping him or insulting him in
front of whole public.
I then went away from there with my friends group. "Damn guys! How did it go? I was cool right." I said to break that awkward silence they all were having since, I guess it was the first time they ever saw me in that way. Since, I haven't really talked to someone like that. One thing, I must agree on, is, that this break up changed me in quite a positive way. It taught me way too much than I would have ever expected.
I never expected to become a heartless person for any human on earth. But I did and I realised, that feels sort of good!
Thinking all of this, I was still looking for their answer for my question of how did it go. I then tilted my head a little and then swayed it right and left a little and arms and fingers stretched gesturing to them that I'm still looking for an answer to which Stephy realised and said, "Oh yes! It was pretty cool! Man! I can't believe that you're the same girl who used to cry on this guy day and night is now the girl who can diss him in front of whole a lot crowd and wouldn't even feel bad about it! "Well, I was figuring out, if she was praising me or mocking me of my past condition. I made a 'sarcastic lol' face and then turned to another friend, " You tell me Krissy! How was it!"
She made an amusing face expression while giving her opinion, "I think, it was pretty cool! As Stephy, it doesn't feel like usual you but it still did feel cool!"
Stephy commented further, "I still can't forget 'oh, I don't know what will I even do without him and I can't imagine my life without him' and saying this she'll wet all my school shirt with her snot. And now she'll make him kneel down and still wouldn't give a f*ck to him no matter how much he wants her back! I loved it! Yayy! Now I can sing like Doja 'That's ma best friend!' Well done girl!"
And that was enough for me to make me reach to the ninth cloud. I was totally confident in confronting anyone after that.
I winked to my pals and then held my drink higher for a little cheer. All of them smiled at me and we started having fun, all telling about our first days of high school and after hearing their stories, I was no more considering telling a thing about whatever happened in the series from my first day till today. That was sounding a bit too much fucked up hearing it in my own head. Of course, if such a douchebag would be included in my story, it's gonna be a mess.
We were still discussing about our old and new days when we heard a clink of glass which was loud that we could recognize it coming from the speaker. Hence, we all turned our face to the stage looking for what is the further fun coming. The host announced, "All the students! I hope y'all are enjoying this meet and greet session. To make it more fun, we will now be having some random dance play! Make some noise!"
To this, all the students hooted. The host continued, "Alright, so, just select a dance partner for yourself. And then we will starting a random music and y'all need to dance on it. The pair with the best performance on spontaneous songs will be rewarded."
I started looking for a good dance partner. Then I suddenly found that Peter is gonna dance with the most beautiful girl there. So, I also decide the most handsome guy to let him know that just having a beautiful appearance doesn't mean she can replace me.
While I was thinking all of it, my eyes averted to find someone and my eyes stopped at the person I knew I wouldn't approach. None other than Steven. No ways! I would rather find a random one then. I moved more and more here and there and as I moved more and more, I found that every girl had a partner. Then I realised I'm quite late. I then turned to no one but Steven. I sighed seeing him still battling if I should ask him or not. I just took a step when I stopped and looked at a girl who was approaching him. She asked him dance and there he goes with his rude rejection. Damn! No ways! I can't be rejected by someone I don't even like. I tried making up my mind that I won't go but, at that moment, my reputation in front of Peter was more important. Even though, I had no emotions for him. Honestly, I was not even jealous of him dancing with such a beautiful girl. But what was triggering me is that he was trying to show me that thing. And I've got some ego problems in front of 'few' people. And he's one among those 'few'.
I slowly took my step towards him. Heart beating fast because I had no idea what scenario was going to be there right in next few moments. Maybe, I knew. As of how I know him, he'd give a good harsh rejection specially to me. If I were him, I would have slapped back the person who would have slapped me without even knowing me. But no, the typical feminist inside me woke up and said, he can't slap a girl. And just like that, my brain was having a stupid fight among itself. By the time, I was in front of him, heart beating even more fastly as if it'll come out. But okay, I need to ask him. Without thinking twice, I blurted out in a fast pace but low voice, "Hey, listen. Can you please dance with me?"
"No." He said without even wasting a minute. And I somehow knew it, but still, he could have been a little human right? I tried once again.
"Alright Steven. Look, just dance with me. I wouldn't have actually even asked you to be honest. But right now, it's about my self respect and pride. Please."
He looked at me and then in air making some dramatic memory expression and said, "Oh, I just remember someone disrespecting me in front of whole crowd."
I sighed giving up on arguing and straight went for a submissive sentence, "Alright, if you'll dance with me, I'll do whatever you ask me to."
Just a second before, it seemed he had an answer ready but after I said it, his expression changed. He cocked his one eyebrow and smiled in evil way and said, "Okay"
LIKE THAT? Did he just say okay? Oh yes. He did. Okay, that was the moment I was thanking him with all my might.
The music started in a while. I saw Peter looking at me. He was jealous, but, who cares. The dance was continuing and I must say, he's a good dancer. He was dancing so well. WE were dancing so well. And Peter was somehow self controlling himself.
But after five minutes, I almost forgot about Peter and started enjoying but then, I suddenly felt a jerk. It was Peter. And he just jerked my shoulder. And I was quite strict about how someone behaves with me. It didn't took me a minute and i said in a loud and warning voice, "Peter! Behave!"
"What? Did you say behave? Oh please, I don't know how to behave with a whore."
What did he say? Whore? That was overboard. I answered without thinking twice, "Whore? Oh, then that suits you more. Just pleading some beautiful girl to make me feel jealous which I didn't even feel. And at least, I don't have to act in front of you because I've got a real boyfriend."
His eyes widen hearing this. But I guess, mine widen more after realising what I said. I was wishing solely one thing that Steven don't spoil it. But Steven's next action shocked me more than my lie.
He wrapped his arm around my waist and said, "Yes. Any problem?" My heart started making it's way to come out from that rib cage according to how fast it was beating. But I acted normal like a good actress I'm for sure.
Peter heard it and even after that he wanted to be superior so he went off with his next line, "Oh mister new boyfriend. So, let me give you little piece of advice. She would never be able to satisfy you. It's gonna be a big thing if she kisses you. Lol, I didn't get one even."
That was my personal choice but still was triggering me. And it triggered me so much that i turned to Steven and prayed to God for his next reaction to be good one and then joint my fingers in neck and made me lean towards me and kissed him.
I.. KISSED HIM.
I..... KISSED HIM?
YES, SHIT I DID.