Sarah's POV
Chapter 3: The Lonely Seat
I trudged through the school hallways after Calculus, my mind still reeling from the encounter with those two snobbish girls, Rebecca and Rita. Their cruel remarks about my clothes still stung, but I refused to let them see me as a failure. The bell rang, signaling break time, and my stomach growled in response. I clutched my lunchbox, filled with the simple sandwich and apple my mom had packed for me. I could still hear her words from this morning, telling me I didn't need designer clothes to stand out.
As I entered the breakroom, I was met with a wave of laughter and chatter. Students crowded every table, each one full of perfectly dressed kids talking about things I couldn't relate to. Designer bags, weekend plans at their families' vacation homes, and the latest gossip about who was dating whom. I looked around for an empty seat, but every time I approached a table, someone would suddenly push me back or throw a bag onto the chair I was about to sit in.
The whispers started almost immediately, and I could feel the eyes of the other students on me. The word "scholarship" echoed around the room like a dirty secret that was never meant to be known. I thought my scholarship would earn me some respect, maybe even admiration for my hard work, but instead, it became a label—a mark of being poor in a sea of wealth.
I finally spotted an empty table in the corner. It was completely bare, unlike the others, which were littered with trays and bags. With a small sigh of relief, I made my way to the table and sat down. The room fell eerily silent, and I noticed everyone was staring at me as if I had committed some unforgivable sin. I looked down at my sandwich, trying to ignore the stares, when suddenly, the doors to the breakroom swung open.
Ethan and Liam walked in, their presence commanding the attention of every single person in the room. As they made their way toward the table, I felt a chill run down my spine when I noticed Ethan glaring at me with that same deathly cold stare from earlier. It was as if he was silently telling me I didn't belong there.
But then, something unexpected happened. Liam looked at me, and instead of the judgment I was bracing for, his expression softened. There was something in his eyes, a spark of curiosity, maybe even intrigue, that made me feel slightly less alone. For a moment, I thought he might say something to me, but just then, Percy appeared out of nowhere.
"Hey, girl, what are you doing sitting here all alone?" Percy asked with a grin, grabbing my arm before I could respond. "Come on, join me and my boys over there!" He swooped me up so quickly I barely had time to grab my lunchbox. I glanced back at Liam and Ethan as Percy dragged me away. Liam's expression darkened as he watched us, and for some reason, his reaction bothered me more than Ethan's icy stare.
Percy led me to a table where a group of boys was laughing and joking around. He plopped me down in an empty seat and sat beside me, clearly pleased with himself. I forced a smile, trying to shake off the strange feelings from earlier.
"Why did I have to leave that table?" I asked Percy, still confused about what had just happened.
"That table?" Percy's eyes widened. "That's Ethan and Liam's table. It's always been theirs, and trust me, you don't want to mess with them. They'll make your life a living hell if you sit there."
Another boy at the table, Kevin, leaned in and added, "He's right. I tried to sit there once, and they locked me in the washroom overnight. Even the principal couldn't do anything because their parents are the school's biggest donors."
I stared at my sandwich, suddenly feeling queasy. So that's how things worked here. I wasn't just the poor scholarship girl—I was the one who didn't know the unspoken rules of Ridgewood Academy.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, my thoughts consumed by what had happened in the breakroom. I couldn't shake the image of Ethan's cold stare or the way Liam had softened when he saw me. It was clear that this school was going to be far more challenging than I had ever imagined, and not just academically.
When I finally got home, I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. My mom was in the kitchen, still in her nurse's uniform, making dinner. The smell of her cooking usually comforted me, but tonight, it just made me feel more alone.
"How was your first day, honey?" she asked, looking up from the stove with a warm smile.
I hesitated, not wanting to burden her with my problems, but the words came out before I could stop them. "It was awful, Mom. I don't want to go back. The kids there are all rich, and they made fun of me for being on a scholarship. I just… I don't fit in."
Her smile faltered, and she put down the spoon she was holding. "Oh, Sarah," she said softly, walking over to me. She cupped my face in her hands, just like she did this morning, but this time, there was a sadness in her eyes that broke my heart. "I know it's hard. I know you're feeling out of place right now, but this school is your chance, sweetheart. It's a way for you to get a better education, to secure scholarships for college. Without this opportunity, it will be so much harder."
"But I don't care about any of that, Mom," I said, my voice cracking. "I just want to feel like I belong somewhere. I don't want to be the poor girl everyone looks down on."
She sighed and pulled me into a hug. "I wish I could make it easier for you, Sarah. I really do. But you're strong. You've always been strong. And I need you to be strong now, not just for yourself, but for Elle and Noah too. They look up to you, and they need to see that you can push through this. I'm not always going to be around, honey, and you'll need to take care of them."
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I had always known that my mom carried the weight of our family on her shoulders, but hearing her say it out loud made it all too real. She was right—I couldn't give up now. Not when my family was counting on me.
"I miss him too, you know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Your father. It's hard, managing everything on my own. But I do it for you three. And I know he would be proud of you, Sarah. He would want you to fight for this chance."
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them back. I had to be strong, for my mom, for Elle and Noah, and for myself. I couldn't let a few cruel comments and a rough first day derail everything I had worked so hard for.
"I'll go back," I said, my voice steadier now. "I'll go back, and I'll do my best. For you, and for them."
My mom smiled through her tears and hugged me tighter. "That's my girl. I'm so proud of you, Sarah. You're going to do great things, I know it."
As I went to bed that night, my heart felt heavy, but I was more determined than ever. Ridgewood Academy was going to be a challenge, but I wasn't going to back down. I would find a way to make it through, no matter what. And maybe, just maybe, I would find a place where I truly belonged.