-Ding Dong-
[Recess Time]
"Yawn~ Finally, recess. History class feels like an eternity. I have never had such a good sleep since forever." I stretched my back and walked out of the classroom.
Looking at the crowds in the canteen from afar, I quivered in fear. The thought of squeezing between people like workers using trains to rush back home after work made me nauseous. I backed a few steps, hoping Iz was in her classroom instead of squeezing into the buzzing crowd. I felt my blood drained away from my body when suddenly I felt a familiar gaze from behind. I turned and jumped with joy when I saw my best friend, Iz, standing right before me.
I placed my arms around Iz and said, "Heeyah, Iz. I could feel your gaze of love from miles away. Did you miss me so much? Muah. Muah"
Iz made a disgusted face and hit my back as hard as she could.
"Eww, Lil. Here, I thought you've matured."
I scratched my head and laughed.
"Unlike me, you've matured so much in a year. The past me wouldn't have thought the infamous 'Ice Queen' would finally have her heart melted. BY ME."
Iz rolled her eyes.
"I couldn't believe how little you have matured in a year. It's unbelievable."
"True. I don't feel like I've matured at all. I'm still as youthful as always. "
"Scratch that. You haven't matured at all."
Under the ridiculously hot sun, Iz and I walked sluggishly towards the canteen. The blazing sun shone mercilessly on us. The sun was piercing through our skin. It was truly unbearable for both of us. We could see the sweat rolling down from the top of our heads to the bottom of our chins like a waterfall. For a person like me who has low heat resistance. It was pure torture. I couldn't understand why some people love to sunbathe. It's not like they can eat themselves after becoming dried sardine.
I looked at Iz and said, "It's been a while. Walking together side by side under this bloody hot sun."
Iz stared at me in disbelief.
"We just did that a few days before school reopened. Your memories have gotten worse. You have a memory of a goldfish."
"Oh? Really?"
"We went to your favourite restaurant that was near your house. You flipped when you saw the price raised again, even though it was raised just last month."
"Oh~ I remember now. That felt like ages, but it's only been a week?"
"You better be careful of neuroscientists. They might want to pry open your brain and check how it operates."
"Aww~ Thanks for worrying, but I won't be seeing any neuroscientist or whatever, like forever."
"You won't. They will be the ones chasing after you."
"I didn't know I'm capable of attracting men of such high distinction."
"Except for the fact that they only want your brain."
"Hah, men, so picky. They only want one thing and not the whole package."
Iz rolled her eyes and sighed.
When we reached the canteen, it was flooded with students squeezing each other off the chairs. There were screams from left and right. The prefects were trying to keep everything in order.
"Iz, it's a mess around here. Nothing changed. The noise, the mess, the stench."
Iz looked at the gazebo and said, "Let's go to the gazebo."
I followed Iz to the gazebo.
The gazebo was bustling with students. There, I saw the prefects telling students to sit down and eat instead of standing. I pitied the prefects because no one was listening to them. Their voices entered the students' left ear and exited on the right. Then I looked around but couldn't find any seat so we ate our food while standing up. Suddenly, a prefect walked towards us.
"Don't eat while standing. Go find a seat."
I turned around and looked at him. He had an annoying look that said he was the boss and I should follow every word he said.
I smiled and said, "There are no seats, can't you see? Unless you want to stack us up like plates in a restaurant, but that would be inappropriate, wouldn't it?"
The prefect's frustration was palpable as he tried to enforce the rules. "I don't care. Go find a seat now," he ordered sternly.
I nodded, feigning compliance. "Okay," I agreed with a mischievous glint in my eye. "Now, position yourself like a chair so I can sit on you."
The prefect was taken aback, his face turning flustered. "What?"
I maintained a straight face, continuing the act. "What? I thought you wanted me to find a chair, so I'm finding one. You!" I pointed at the perplexed prefect.
"Tha-That's out righteous! You-" Just then, another prefect approached and whispered something to the frustrated one. After a brief exchange, the frustrated prefect shot me one final glare and let out a frustrated grunt before walking away, finally leaving us to enjoy our meal in peace.
Liz gave me a worried look and said, "What if that prefect told the head of the disciplinary teacher about you?"
I smirked and said, "Pfft. What's there to be afraid of? It's not like I said anything wrong."
"This year, the head of the disciplinary teacher is Mr. Woo." Iz looked at me in pity.
"Oui~ I'm in serious trouble now, am I?"
I paced myself up and down the gazebo, thinking of ways to appease Mr. Woo.
After racking my brain for some time, I decided to give up and surrender myself to fate. After all, it's Mr. Woo, we're talking about. That man can be worse than my Ma if he's serious. Now that he's the head of the disciplinary teacher, he'll take his job to another level. I wouldn't doubt a word if someone said he's a reincarnation of Satan. Feeling despair, I looked at Iz, who was busy eating her lunch made by her family's chef. I stared at her lunch box.
"...(Drools)". Looking at Iz's lunch box made my stomach hungry instantly. The drool was almost dripping off the corner of my mouth.
Iz, eating her food, looked up and said, "If you have something to say, then spit it out. Don't drool over my food."
I wiped off my drool and said, "I have something to say but not here, and can I have some of your food first?"
Iz gave me the lunch box that she couldn't finish. I took it and gobbled the food like I was breathing air.
"Ouish! Aunty Christine's food is the most delicious food I've ever tasted in my entire life. Don't tell my mom I've said that. Waaa~ Aunty Christine's food purifies my soul. Maybe it can purify Mr. Woo. Hahahaha!"
Aunty Christine is currently working in Iz's house as their family chef. She used-to-be a 5 Michelin star chef in a famous hotel overseas. When I first saw her in the supermarket with Iz last year, I thought Aunty Christine was the chef I saw in the newspaper, but I wasn't sure. So I assumed she was Iz's mother. Aunty Christine had beautiful moon eyes and a sweet smile like Iz. When she introduced herself as Iz's family chef, that's when I knew Iz's family wasn't just some normal rich family. Her father was the tycoon who swept the business world like a storm and hired a Michelin star chef on the spot while he and his family were on vacation. I still remembered it was so shocking that the news went global for unknown reasons. Now that I think of it, Iz is the only child and sole heiress. No wonder people were attaching to Iz like flies. Since then, Aunty Christine's been in-charge-of the family's meals. She would coordinate with Iz's family dietician to provide the family with a healthy, balanced diet.
Iz laughed. "Aunty Christine would be delighted if she heard that."
"Tell Aunty Christine I said thank you. Oh, wait, no. This is your lunch box. If she knew, you and I are going to get an earful."
"Nah, she'll probably prepare a second portion just for you."
"Really? Aunty will? Okay. Tell her to make mine ginormous or-else I won't be able to last the whole day at school."
Iz giggled. "Anyways, you said you have something to say?"
"Let's go somewhere else that has fewer people."
Iz tilted her head and asked, "Where?"
I answered. "The usual place!"
I quickly finished the lunch box, and we walked towards the gazebo near block D.
[Gazebo near block D]
We sat down on the gazebo. "Why can't they allow us, students, to eat at other places? The canteen is always packed." I yawned.
"'Cause they will make a mess everywhere. It will be a hassle to clean up." Iz answered seriously. "So what were you going to say?"
"Oh, right. Almost forgot why we came here. It's a long story, but I'll try to make it as short as possible -" The school bell rang and interrupted me.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
"Ah! We got to go to class now. How about we continue after school? Got to go. Bye! See you later." Iz got up and rushed to her class.
"W-What?! Did she leave me? My only friend left me for a class? A class?! I'm so hurt." I felt like a knife just stabbed right through my tiny heart.
A shadow emerged from behind.
I gulped.
I looked back and saw a demon.
"Llyne. Are you going to skip class?" Mr. Woo smiled.
"Skip class? Mr. Woo! How could you falsely accuse me of such a thing?" I gasped.
"I didn't say you would. I just asked." Mr. Woo crossed his arm.
"Err...Well, I'm going now so ciao~" I quickly ran away from Mr. Woo and headed to class.