After two whole period had been borrowed in the process of pairing the students up, a verbal controversy took up another period. Class A-1 weren't allowed to be associated with each other thus resulting in the disagreement of different classes pairing. Mr Jang, and his versatile conform, managed to abate the matter before it took their lunch period too. They were pissed and Class B was the center of their problems. It was suffocating for everyone but they didn't complain. They were used to this kind of pressure and had learned to live with it. Well some of them.
Jojo, however, had her own problems to deal with. And that was her own partner himself. Suho was a nice person of good character and judgement, or so she heard, but she wanted nothing to do with him. His entire presence brought about unwanted attention, and the mere feel of that chilled her to the bones. She couldn't handle being watched all the time, and she didn't want to try to overcome that fear either. Jojo just wanted a peaceful senior year, and beautiful graduation without any unpleasant memories that would keep on as a momentum in highschool.
Well, that was a dream that was a far reach now.
Her anxiety put her to sleep after a while that she had sat down, and missed the entire session. She didn't know for how long she had slept for, until someone shook her to reality. Opening her eyes with a disturbed groan, she moved her body up into a straight sitting position and stretched. She felt a bit better, the nap helping in both the mentally shockingly drama of that morning.
"Are you awake yet?" Juyeong asked in a soft tone still shaking her shoulder.
Jojo moaned, blinking up at her two best friends. The class was almost empty except the few that sat together talking, the teachers desk missing their homeroon teacher. "Huh... Where is everyone?"
"You dozed off till lunch time Jojo, missed three whole period of pure drama. Everyone has kind of been dismissed to lunch." Ra-im informed smoothing the tiny wrinkles that appeared on her tucked in shirt.
Jojo's eyes widened." I did? Oh no, I missed two whole periods?" She jumped up from her seat, obviously in panic. Sleeping during class hours was strictly prohibited and those caught would both get detention and five demerits." Why didn't you wake me up!"
"Relax you're safe. There was a..... a uh slight disagreement that apparently took both periods to abate." Juyeong itched her nape anxiously. Jojo eyed her carefully, watching as Ra-im shot her an incredulous look.
" Okay, what am I missing here." Jojo grimaced.
"Come on we'll tell as we walk to lunch." Juyeong gestured her head towards the door.
Jojo nodded and got up from her seat." Alright hold on, let me grab my Mom's packed breakfast." She said moving to the back of the class to where the lockers were, and opened up hers to grab her breakfast to-go. The commotion and the shuffling prevented her from eating it in the morning. It probably would have gotten cold but she hated to waste food as long as it wasn't rotten." Who did you guys get partnered with? Hope it's someone better?"
" I wish." Juyeong snorted as they made their way out of the class. The halls at all sides were almost scarce of students and surprisingly not too rowdy like Class B hallways are.
"Unfortunately for all of us, we happen to have the same fate as you too." Ra-im hummed dragging her feet through the ground. " No Class A-1 were allowed to be partnered up with each other which resulted in another pairing shuffle. "
" Are you serious? "Jojo blinked in shock." Director Park really wants to abolish this feud Crimsons and Platinums have going on with Bronzes."
" I'm telling you "Ra-im let out a low chuckle. It was almost hilarious, who knew that their senior year would be the worst they would ever want.
Jojo asked." So you both got Crimsons huhn?"
Juyeong and Ra-im shared a knowing look, simultaneously pursing their lips." More than just the regular Crimsons actually."
Jojo blinked." What?"
" Ra-im got paired up with Dowha Goo. "Juyeong announced.
Jojo froze, raising a brow at Ra-im who shrugged in an unbothered manner. "Dowha Goo? As in our tennis star male player slash second in general rankings and one of Eunyeok's childhood friends."
" Don't start, it was so unexpected." She groaned banging her head." I couldn't even fathom the amount of stares I got walking up to the front to get my identification card."
" I feel your pain sister." Jojo hummed." Sucks to be both of us I guess. "
"Sucks to be the three of us actually. "Juyeong added showing off her ID card with a number 22 on it." I got paired with Eunyeok Park. I need some meat to go through the fact that he handpicked me himself."
" Who picked who now? "Jojo pondered, her nerves scattering around the place at the breaking news, and her stomach requesting for both her missed breakfast and lunch.
"Our Class B basketball player, Minu was actually picked to be partnered with Eunyeok but since they were rivals in every game, an arguement broke out." Juyeong begun explaining snatching the container of food from Jojo hand and peeling off the lid." In order to settle it, they asked Eunyeok to choose and out of twenty five more students he chose me. For a reason that I don't have the slightest idea why."
" And I slept through all of that? "
Ra-im snorted." Like a champ."
Jojo let out a sarcastic chuckle, shocked at the three of them being paired with the people capable of bringing about the worst attention ever. Despite Ra-im even being a Platinum and having at least a chance to not be so discriminated for being partnered with an honorary Crimson, she had no wish to be associated with the likes of Dowha Goo. He was a nice guy, but she just didn't want to cause any conundrum with her and his fan of girls.
" So us three girls bestie happens to be partnered with the three male besties." Jojo hummed twirling a few strand of her hair with her finger." Even our hair happen to match..... huh....."
Ra-im felt her hair, eyes narrowing in thought. Jojo was right, Ra-im had the same shade of blonde hair with Dowha and Juyeong sported a similar shade of chocolate brown with Eunyeok. Jojo's hair was black, but she had a rare condition were her hair occasionally turned white, which she died consistently.
"Whatever, I'm too hungry to worry about this again." Ra-im finally spoke up, brushing off the subject like dust on her shirt. She did look irritated and no one could blame her. "I heard Class A's mess hall is having pork cuts today. And jamjamyeong."
"Noodles." Juyeong moaned, stomache grumbling and mouth watering at the thought of Class A juicy menu. Their cafeteria always sold the best food but at a high price, a dejectable catch to their yummy food. Jojo, as much as she was sick of hearing about Class A, she always had a large appetite for meat. A type of food which she could never disagree with.
"I'll treat you guys to lunch today." Ra-im offered with a huge grin. Meat, Ra-im could die for meat whether it be pork, chicken, mutton, turkey, venison... It was one of the catering hobbies both her and Jojo deeply related together with. Juyeong was obsessed with her noodles. "Now come on, let's grab some before they run out."
"But listen.." Juyeong stopped Ra-im, biting her lips wearily as her eyes travelling towards the open cafeteria doors at the other end of the square hallway. "I know that we are now sharing a class with Class A but that doesn't mean we are invited to share their cafeteria. It's too high class and those who contributed to their renovation is allowed to use it's facilities. Or those who have permissions from Class A students–"
Ra-im chuckled. "Girl, relax. I'm a platinum, I have permission to go there from a friend who happen to be a nice Crimson in Class A-4."
Every nook and cranny of Class A cafeteria room was spotless and filled with a sea of immaculately dressed students. To differenciate themselves from the other lower groups of society, the Class A personally funded the renovation of their own facilities into a remodeling that suited their elegant tastes. Their cafeteria looked like a high class restaurant. Dozens of chandeliers hung in tiny crystals, giving the enormous room a golden hue that illuminated the gold and red walls. Their tables were expensive round tables everywhere with posh looking chairs enough to contain more than the usual amount of Class A.
Class A-1 had a special spot dedicated to only themselves with a few hangout booths around and at corners. But their spot was looking quite empty making it easier for Ra-im to slip in and out without much commotion. However, there were the stares and whispers of others when she stepped in to get the food but if she was bothered by it she didn't show it.
The three friends had their lunch in the huge gym storage room where no one would find them or disturb their peace. It was the least calmness that they had experienced after their horrible day. After lunch only a few classes were taken since it was still the first week of school. They only had the compulsory classes like government and for the last period poetry writing.
The room was as silent as a grave yard save the ticking the grandfather clock that echoed around the room. The entire class sat at their desks trying to conjure up a four–five line poem on the things they did during summer.
What had I done during the summer..... Jojo thought. She travelled back to America to visit her grandmother, took a hike through her large garden and spent her moments under her apple tree just enjoying the ethereal feeling that being home brought.
Jojo stared down at her blank sheet. She didn't know what to write or where to even start from. It wasn't like she hated poetry, she fairly liked it but one needed raw emotion to write a poem and her emotions were frizzy with worry. She felt like burying herself underneath the ground. Ten minutes into their work, some screeching of chairs filled the room. Eunyeok Park, his friends and some other students had gotten up holding their finished papers ready to submit. So that was the gap between classes, they were quick in writing and in conjuring.
However, the bell rung before they could make it to the front desk indicating the end of school hours.
"Submit your papers tomorrow so those of you who haven't quite finished should take it as an assignment." Their poetry teacher, Mr Jim announced as everyone begun to clear out their desk and packed up for the day. "Next week you all will each be reading to the class a full six stanza poem on that particular assignment. Have a good day. "
" Have a good day Mr Jim. "The class chorused, respectfully bowing their heads as he exited the room.
Juyeong let out a tired breath throwing her bag over her shoulders." That marks the first day of senior year in HaYan Highschool. "
Jojo snorted placing her notebook into her bag and zipping up." Yeah, HaYan Highschool where dreams come to die apparently."
"I'm sure you're just overreacting, you know being paired up with Suho and all. But there is still more that life has to offer, maybe this year isn't the end for the three of us." Ra-im offered with a half shrug.
They silently agreed. The year was still young and maybe things might turn out for the better. Things might turn out great for Jojo and her friends... or so they thought. The class was half empty when—
"Hey, Kim Jojo." Someone called to her, the person who was none other than Dayeong Yu walking up to the trio with five Crimsons following behind her. Jojo's eyes nearly popped out as her brain went frizzy. Who was Dayeong Yu to Jojo, one might ask.
Dayeong Yu was one of the richest, brilliant Korean girl in the whole of HaYan Highschool and Jojo utterly despised her.
Once upon a time, they both used to be in Class A-3 back in middle school and believe it or not Jojo was ranked number one in class ratings. Dayeong had always disliked Jojo for that. There were many unending competitions between them– which Jojo managed to effortlessly beat her in all area of studies– which led to Jojo's middle school bullied life.
Pranks, vandalism of private property, bullying leading to injuries. When the bullying ceased to decrease , Jojo's mother made a report to the school despite Jojo's pleads not to. The complaints had a serious impact on Dayeong and whoever was involved along with her. She was suspended for a week, assigned to one month community service and was demoted to Class D-1.
It had been an all out war since then. Both between the girls and their parents.
That incident made her a lot of enemies in middle school, she knew she wouldn't survive if she continued to be known so she changed herself. She grew out her short hair, removed her braces, stopped using contacts and diverted to glasses, associated with people who knew nothing about her past and purposely allowed her grades to drop. It wasn't that Jojo wasn't smart enough to be in Class A-1, she was, after all she came from a generation of intelligent people but being invisible was the only way to keep a low profile and be on the safe side.
The Kim Jojo in middle school was history.... until today.
"When I heard your name being mentioned I couldn't believe it my ears. It thought, maybe it was another Jojo." She chuckled walking up to her. Jojo said nothing, but stared up in shock at how much more prettier that she had gotten and taller. It seemed that everyone she knew had only grown much more taller. "But then I saw you stand up and thought, no one was as short as Kim Jojo, no one had fluffy hair as Kim Jojo, no one had so much freckles as Kim Jojo."
" I thought you switched schools." Her face crunched up in irritation, observing her body from head to toe.
" I got a scholarship to the highschool. " Jojo muttered suddenly finding it so hard to speak. With Dayeong her sense of confidence melted away, she was rich and powerful and her parents to could crush Jojo's with a mere call of a court.
"You should have dropped out while you still had the chance." She hissed leaning on her desk.
"Don't talk to her that way Dayeong!" Ra-im spoke up harshly standing up from her seat so fast it almost toppled backwards.
"Fucking back down filthy platinum." One of Dayeong minions, grabbed on harshly to Ra-im's shoulder and roughly pushed her back into her chair.
"Leave her alone." Juyeong cried moving into intervene but was blocked by the other girls.
"Okay stop Dayeong, what do you want." Joo bit her lips. This wasn't looking good. The beef she had with her, she didn't want to lump her besties in with it again just like they had been back in middle school. Dayeong would destroy them if they got in her way. This was a dangerous game, and they weren't kids dependent on their parents anymore.
She snickered leaning in close to Jojo's face. "What do I want? I want you gone Kim Jojo! I want you to disappear but not before you paid for what you and your bitch of a mother did to me and my friends."
" We were in fourth grade Dayeong. "
" And so what? " She said with a soft smile that held thick venom." I can't do much because we have a little crowd here, you won't be so lucky if I happen to find you alone next time. But I'll visit sooner, oh and one more thing...... Stay away from Suho. "