Morning had come and a new dawn awaited Marx. Today was his first day in his new school. He had transferred from Beverly Hills High last term and had just turned 17 at that time. A feeling of tiredness and anxiety washed over him as he woke up from sleep and remembered what today was. Seriously he thought to himself. Last night was a hot one so he could understand the beads of sweat on his face and on his chest. He wiped the sweat off his brow and got up from the bed, Instinctively touching around for his phone. When he found it he went straight to his WhatsApp and started checking his Inbox. A lot of thoughts crossed his mind at the moment. Mostly about the new school he was going to be admitted at... The school was not new to him he had schooled there and left but now he was coming back to the place where he had schooled the whole of middle school and had made a lot of memories. Marx was intelligent so he had a lot of accolades from that school. He wondered if he'd still see his former classmates there. "Well, time to find out for yourself" Marx said to himself as he saw the first vestiges of dawn break out and start the work of illumination. "Let us pray" Came a distinct bold voice. It was Marx's father calling the family to prayer. Marx woke his brothers, repeating Let us pray with every tap on their hibernating bodies. They woke and he proceeded to his dad's room for prayers.
...
7:30 am
Tuesday
Marx walked through the gates of Stanford High and was greeted by the gentle and academic breeze that the place exuded. He could see the students sitting down in the assembly and he sighed. Too early, he said to himself. Marx's Dad had come here with him(he was actually following him to the principal's office at this point) and he was cutting a stern look at the time. Marx was brought into the principal's office having being beckoned onto by his dad. Marx looked at the principal. She wasn't the one he knew before. Even though, he knew her too. She had a fair complexion, with a wrinkle-marred skin that made her look older than she actually was. Jack looked at the smile on her face when she saw him and smiled back. He faked the smile to look at ease with her but he was not having it easy here. What's your name? Came the principal's voice, cutting Marx from his thoughts. Marx Spencer ma'am he replied. Droning on, she kept asking him questions and he kept answering absent mindedly.
"Okay Marx, you can go to the assembly grounds and sit with the others, find your class and sit down with them" The principal said finally. Thanks ma'am Marx replied. Your welcome she said while Marx left the office. Now it was about making his way around the school. It didn't take long to find the assembly grounds because it was noisy because there was a competition going on at the time. Marx walked in quietly almost unnoticed until he took a seat beside his classmates. "Good morning". Marx said with a smile to the boy who he was seated next to him. The boy looked at Marx and replied the greeting. Marx was a social person, this class wouldn't take a long time to familiarize with. "I'm Brett, the boy said. I see you're new here" . "Yeah, I am. I'm Marx by the way". "Max?". "No. M-A-R-X " he corrected.
"Ohh, That's a weird name" he said. Something caught his eye. "It seems our classmates are in the competition too". "Yeah Brett replied, That's Ivy and that's Queen, They are the best in the class as of now." Brett said that with a look of jealousy and admiration written on his face. Marx looked at them, he had been classmates with Ivy but hadn't seen Queen. He nodded silently. This was going to be interesting. "Brett, could you help me with this question in the English assignment we were given yesterday??" A shrill voice came. Marx looked in the direction of the voice. Sure enough it was a girl. Bemused at the request, Marx smiled. Brett had already obliged and started helping her with the questions. When he had a break to let her continue, Marx decided to ask him about her. "What's her name?
"Crystal" Brett Replied. Marx nodded. That was a nice name. The girl turned again but this time was specific on the question. Marx answered the questions instead. She looked at Marx, then back at Brett, then she wrote the answer down in her notebook. She asked again and Marx answered them for Brett again. She looked at Marx but this time there was a small glare to her look. No one told Marx to stop answering her questions and focus. Marx, embarrassed stayed silent throughout the rest of the assembly.
The competition had been decided and it turned out that Ivy had won the competition at Queen's expense. Crystal ran her hand through her hair as she was trying to finish the english assignment from the previous day. She had tried asking Brett for help but with that super nosy new guy trying to help her himself, She felt she couldn't do much around him so she stopped and focused on the competition. " What a jerk" She thought. She entered the classroom and the teacher, Mr. Blake stepped in. "Good morning people, It's a pleasure to see you guys again, We have a new transfer student from Beverly Hills High. His name is Marx and I trust you'll give him the accomodation to thrive and succeed in this school." Marx, Take a seat ". The boy looked around, there was no other seat left to be taken but the one besides Queen. He took the seat. Crystal sighed, She already had disgust for the guy now. The first class was maths, Crystal heaved a sigh, her worst subject. "I wish I was at home resting than having to listen to the teacher talking about mathematics Ughh". She was restless. What was the cause? She could only blame whatever-his-name was, Max or what? She didn't really care. He had ruined her day already and she was determined to live with it. Maths class was soon done... Then came Civic. "Manageable". She thought. Yeah... She listened as the woman droned on about Citizenship and stuff. Finally, She gave an assignment and left the class at the end of her period. Crystal heaved a sigh of relief. "Now for some peace of mind and some much needed rest" she thought to herself "Yo Crystal, how you doing? Came the voice of her best friend, Emily cutting her thoughts. "I'm good and i see you're good as well? "Yeah, it's good to be back?"
P.S: she hadn't resumed school until today.
"Well, Crystal's here so no bore for me".
"So, Emily tell your holiday went. Or am i to beg you for that??" Crystal said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Well, if you want to hear it so badly, then be my guest." Emily replied. Crystal listened as Emily dished a rather interesting tale about her holidays. She looked around and caught Marx's eyes.
What did he want this time? Thought Crystal. She narrowed her eyes." Y'know you've got sniper eyes do you??". Marx said.She looked at him with a murderous look in her eyes.What gave him the audacity to take to her that way?. She wanted to insult the living existence out of him but her mouth said the opposite. "I've suffered" was all she could say. She kicked herself for being so weak in front of him. She didn't have to regret for long though. "Hey, Stand up and go to my seat, I want to write this assignment" Came the voice of the last person's voice she wanted to hear right now. It was Marx again. He looked at her with that bossy look on his face. Her best friend Emily, who had been a long time classmates with Marx, looked at Marx and said "Who are you to ask her that??. Don't you have manners??" She retorted in a fit of anger. Stop Emily, Crystal said, and got up and left to his seat. Emily looked at Crystal in disbelief. Looking with disgust at Marx, Emily turned away. Marx sat down and started writing the assignment. Crystal watched him and for some reason she felt flutters looking at him. His handsome features, dark skinned complexion and his hazel eyes that almost gave her that trapping feeling,his domineering attitude, One thing she wasn't sure of was for a newcomer, whether she liked him.
Marx was talking to his fellow classmates, leaving his work undone and the assignment unwritten. Crystal had alerted hmm severally to focus but the subject of the gist was not just allowing him to do so. All of a sudden, the bell rang and he entered overdrive, writing the assignment on the board In less than two minutes. Crystal was already in front of him, urging him to write faster,while the others prepared to leave. He finished and went home, silently thinking about Crystal.