Elizabeth sat in a corner of the school garden. This was a public high school in Laredo, a border town close to Mexico. It was here that she and Lisa had spent their high school years. Elizabeth was in her final year and had already taken the SATs multiple times, she was now applying to universities. Lisa, on the other hand, was a junior.
Once Lisa reached her senior year, she could begin taking the SATs and apply to universities using her best score. Lisa wanted to go to the same universities as Elizabeth, either Stanford University in California or Cornell University in New York. She was intent on studying medicine, just like Elizabeth.
"Hey, Elizabeth, do you want to go to the movies with us?" A tall and handsome boy, carrying a backpack and accompanied by a few friends, approached her. As he did, a few girls in the distance turned to watch.
"No, I'm going home." Elizabeth closed the book she was reading and glanced at the boy, shaking her head, "Gustin, I've told you many times not to waste your time on me. I'm not one of those flighty girls, okay?" As she spoke, she got up to leave.
"Wait, I just wanted to say… I really like you." The handsome boy waved his hands hurriedly, gesturing her to hold on. "Give me a break. People are watching."
"That's your problem, Gustin. You shouldn't have bothered me. I've made my stance clear. I won't be in a relationship during high school, it's a waste of time and I don't have the energy!" Elizabeth retorted and turned to leave, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.
"Hey, Elizabeth… wait!" David Gustin reached out and grabbed her backpack, but before he could react, he was suddenly airborne, then violently flung onto the grass a few meters away.
The sound of Gustin's fall startled the boys behind him and the watching girls. The boys quickly gathered around him.
Elizabeth stopped and glared at David Gustin. He waved to his friends and struggled to his feet, "Don't come over, I can handle it." Meanwhile, the girls gathered around like they were watching a show.
"Elizabeth..."
"Enough, Gustin. I've told you, if you keep this up, I won't hesitate to throw you again. It's no use. I've said I don't want to waste time in high school. Goodbye…" Elizabeth decided not to tangle with him any longer and walked away.
"Hey, stop… don't just walk away like that." Suddenly, a boy stepped out and blocked Elizabeth's path, and a few others moved to block the other roads.
"You owe David an apology, you threw him! That's not right." The boy who stopped her was freckled and a bit short but had a menacing look on his face.
"What if I say no?" Elizabeth chuckled coldly, pointing to the side, "I can have them deal with this, right?"
Following Elizabeth's pointing finger, two campus security guards were walking towards them.
"You're lucky this time... but you owe David an apology. You'll eventually do it." The short guy jabbed a finger at Elizabeth, shrugged, and turned to David Gustin in the distance, gesturing that all was good.
David Gustin just shook his head and walked away. The crowd slowly dispersed. Elizabeth watched them leave, shook her head, and was about to leave when she saw someone walking towards her, waving.
It was Lisa, who had just finished her classes and was ready to head home. They always met here.
"Hey, Elizabeth, looks like you ran into him again." Lisa joked, "He is quite handsome, a real celebrity in this school."
"Indeed, a celebrity, an all-rounder. The main player in the football team, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do with impressive speed and strength. Do you know how powerful a sidekick in Tae Kwon Do can be?" Elizabeth laughed, "It's equivalent to a car moving at thirty miles per hour crashing into your chest."
Lisa shrugged and said, "I don't like fights, but sometimes they can't be avoided... why do you keep treating him like this, aren't you afraid of him… oh, right, for you his power and speed are really nothing."
Elizabeth knew what she meant - her original form's power and speed. But even without her transformation, her strength and speed were beyond average, even a black belt couldn't compare.
The two of them continued their walk and talk, quickly exiting the school gates. They stood at the school gate, waiting for the school bus. They commuted from their small town instead of living on campus. The previous bus had already left, so they had to wait another ten minutes for the next one.
Lisa and Elizabeth stood waiting at the nearby platform. Not too far off, a group was loitering, their gaze directed at them. Among them was David Gustin, although he stood separate from the rest, pointing at Lisa and Elizabeth.
"That lunatic..." Lisa murmured to Elizabeth, "He won't leave us alone. What a jerk."
"I agree," Elizabeth replied, just as the school bus arrived. She gave Lisa a nod, and they both boarded.
The bus was not crowded, many seats were empty. Following Lisa and Elizabeth's boarding, surprisingly, David Gustin's gang got on the bus too. However, David Gustin himself did not board. He watched his crew get on, then made his way towards a sports car parked by the roadside, hopped in, and snapped his fingers.
"My girls, if I've set my eyes on you, you shouldn't run. I'll find a way to get you, I promise..." It seemed like he was pep-talking himself, a smug grin on his face.
Indeed, there was no girl in the school he couldn't sway. Using his charm, athletic prowess, or wealth, he had always found a way. But Elizabeth was an exception.
The more a woman resisted, the more he found it challenging. Elizabeth had piqued his interest. To get to her, he was even ready to break his own rules, planning to use threats. He didn't want to, but it seemed like he had exhausted all other options.
He ignited his car, its deep roar echoing as it sped away from the school, following the direction of the school bus.
The bus rolled along at a leisurely pace, stopping at a station near Harold's town. Elizabeth and Lisa disembarked, along with a few others, some local students who left quickly, and some who lingered around the station.
David Gustin's crew had also disembarked, standing not too far from Lisa and Elizabeth, leaning against the station's pillars. Among them, a skinny guy stared at Elizabeth with a provocative gaze.
"What do we do?" Lisa asked Elizabeth in a hushed voice, "These guys are such pushovers, it's unbelievable. How much did David Gustin promise them?"
"Maybe he didn't promise them anything, they're just simple-minded," Elizabeth laughed, patting Lisa's shoulder. "Let's go, ignore them."
"I was thinking the same. Let's go, these idiots!" Lisa also laughed, and the two of them walked away towards the town.
Just then, they heard the distant rumbling of a car. A silver Ferrari roared towards them, causing quite a gust as it passed, messing their hair.
The car drifted and came to a stop in front of them, blocking their path. The gull-wing door opened, and out stepped, unsurprisingly, the showy David Gustin.
"Typically, this is where the applause comes in, along with flowers and kisses from beautiful ladies!" David Gustin said, walking towards Elizabeth. He took off his sunglasses, tossed them casually to a nearby minion who caught them.
"Hey, Miss Elizabeth kort, I'm thrilled to bump into you here. I'm sure you feel the same. How about joining me for dinner?" David Gustin approached Elizabeth, a charming smile playing on his lips.