Chapter 1: The first meeting

SPLASH! The harsh sound of water hit the little boy who was seated at the podium near the school's football pitch. The weather wasn't at all favourable so the cold air hit him harder than ever. Still trying to fathom what had happened and how it must have happened, the event was followed by some sniggers. He turned his little head towards the direction where the sound of laughter was coming from.

"Oh my! Our hands slipped. Are you cold?", one of the three boys who had done it said with a taunting smile. He was their leader. He was quite jealous of the little boy who was also a newbie at their school due to the fact that the latter was pretty, cute and was intelligent. On his first day at school, the kid received a bar of chocolate from one of the girls and a heart shaped card the second day. The leader of the gang was scared that his spot would be taken away from him.

"Why'd you do that?", the victim asked, his voice a little hoarse and choked. He didn't know if it was because of the cold or if he wanted to cry. He wished it was the former but was dismayed when a warm liquid came rolling down his cheeks. The trio saw this and laughed hard.

Their laughter was piercing to the ear causing more tears to keep streaming down. He missed his former town, Hillside. He had lots of friends there. He wasn't bullied one bit but now...all because... The thought of the reason that brought them to Crestwood seemed to have become more intense than the cold he was feeling at the moment.

"Too bad newbie. You're such a weakling. You can't even fight back... Ouch!", he yelled trailing off as he turned around. This caught the little boy's attention and he was distracted from his thoughts. At that moment, he saw a girl who seemed quite taller than him with just a little height, holding a tennis bat in her hand, her other hand resting on her little waist.

"That's so cruel", she said, her voice crisp and sharp. "You don't bully people and tell them that they're weak. I'll report you to the teacher!"

"Hey! Can you just mind your business? Why mind us?", their leader said his voice almost rising.

"Well, it's my business because you're hurting someone. I can't just pass by", the girl said.

" Really? I'll get back at you", their leader said.

" No you won't", she said with a cute smile, tilting her head sideways to look at the boy that was seated at the podium.

"Hey!", she called.

The little boy didn't know how to react and just looked away. The girl saw a few shades of red on his cheeks and ears and giggled. The little boy was embarrassed. He didn't know if it was from the cold or if he was shy.

"Hey Ava! How do you think we won't deal with you?", the leader yelled at her

"That's because I know. Have you forgotten? My dad is the headteacher here", she said as she crossed her little arms across her chest.

The boys' eyes widened in deep shock. The pupils all knew that their headteacher had a daughter and that she was also a studying at their school but no one knew her.

"Liar!", one of them blurted.

"Alright then. I'll make sure the three of you are expelled", little Ava said, her tiny index finger giving them numbers.

"There's no way you're gonna do that!", their leader shouted his eyes shooting lasers.

"Now you're scared huh?", Little Ava taunted.

"We were just playing with him", the leader said, arching his little brow.

" Well that didn't look like play to me", Little Ava said.

" What do we do now? ", their leader asked, his face almost turning red from fury. He hated how things turned out.

" What else? Say sorry!", Little Ava said.

What?! The trio screamed in their heads. There's no way they're saying sorry. That's too much!

"You don't want to? Ok then", she said and turned on her heels towards the school office.

"No wait! Ok fine", their leader said

"And also, after today I don't want you guys bullying anyone else or else I'll bully you and you will call me ancestor, got it?", Little Ava voiced out

The trio clenched their fists in anger and turned to the boy who was there.

"Sorry", they chorused behind clenched teeth.

" Louder", Little Ava urged.

"Sorry!", they said and ran off.