*This chapter contains sensitive scenes on bullying.*
The old man knocked on the dean's door before entering a decent-sized office, adorned with fine furnishing. The dean was already standing, ready to welcome the new students to their prestigious school.
The old guy introduced himself first. He wasn't very tall and looked modest, but his voice was strong, which echoed like the grand peaks of the mountain range, surprising the Dean a little.
"I am Steve Sohn, their representative." With a nod, he gestured to the students standing behind him, bringing his hand forward for a firm handshake.
"I am Roland Kasko. Welcome to the Elite School!" greeted the dean.
"Allow me to introduce these three jewels," Steve said, presenting the trio. He handed over the transfer documents from their previous school, and the three of them signed the documents before leaving the dean's office.
At the parking lot, each of them lounged on their respective bikes, arms casually folded, as they waited for Steve to finish his final sentence before embarking on their school tour.
"Your school uniforms are already placed in each room. Please call me if you need anything else." Steve concluded without taking long.
"Sure thing, our representative. If you're done, can we go now?" Teased Kai, shooting a playful glance at Steve.
"By all means, Mr. Rothschild," Steve replied with a nod. Just as he was about to get into the car, he remembered something and returned to the trio."What should we do with the luggage in the back of the car?"
Donovan, Logan, and Kai exchanged glances before their eyes shifted to their hand gloves.
"Mr. Sohn, dispatch it in an H.T. container heading to South America. Let the luggage taste their own medicine," Donovan said without a flinch. His dark grey eyes seemed to turn black as if a demon had awakened from its slumber.
"Of course, Mr. Magnum!" Steve then got into the SUV and drove away, leaving the school premises behind.
"Are you sure about this? Are you really sure about studying here?" Kai looked at Donovan with a serious gaze.
Donovan's eyes wandered around, but his tone was firm. "Yes."Logan shot Kai a warning glance from his position behind Donovan, urging him to drop the subject.
But Kai pressed on. "Do not feel any sympathy for any girl, do not get involved in a girl's matters, do not look at any girl, and do not fall for any girl... here in this school."
Kai brought his hands together as he pleaded, "I beg you. I don't want to change schools unless you want to go back to our previous school."Donovan let out a sarcastic laugh.
"You worry too much, Kai." A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Me falling in love? The day that happens, the sky itself will weep."
They all glanced up at the clear sky, like a challenge hanging in the air.
Logan rose from his bike. "Now that things have been resolved, let's take a tour of the school."
He was eager to move past the conversation and explore their new surroundings.
Time passed, and it was lunch break. The school cafeteria, which usually buzzed with the typical lunchtime chatter of the elite-class students, was dreadful today.
The bullies sitting in their usual places were laughing and taking pictures of the female students with thick glasses standing in a line. Each row consisted of 10 girls, and behind them was another row.
The first-row girls held soda in their hands. Then Silvia, the queen of the school, made an announcement.
"Alright, girls, let's see who can finish their soda in one go! No breaks, no pauses. Just chug it down. Whoever fails has to go for another round.
"The first batch of ten girls hesitantly clutched a bottle of soda. At Silvia's signal, they lifted the bottles to their lips, their cheeks puffing out as they began to gulp down the fizzy liquid.
A low gurgling sound came from their throats as the liquid surged out of the bottles and into their mouths, followed by a rapid glug-glug-glug as it was swallowed in a hurry.
Occasionally, there was a faint, wet glop as someone struggled with the volume and a muffled choking sound as the soda went down the wrong way.
The fizzing bubbles caused some girls to splutter and cough, producing a sharp, spluttering cough that punctuated the steady rhythm of drinking.
Some began to hiccup uncontrollably, each hiccup a sharp, involuntary jerk that made the spectators giggle.
Some managed to finish, but others were less fortunate and had to redo. A loud sound of burps echoed in the cafeteria from the girls after finishing the whole soda cans.
Silvia's eyes sparkled with a sadistic glee as the boys roared with laughter, clutching their sides as if they were watching a comedy show.
She designed this game to entertain the boys and humiliate the girls, and she was succeeding brilliantly. The girls left the cafeteria in humiliation with wet red eyes.
After the fourth batch, it was Liora's turn. Silvia's gaze was locked onto Liora. Liora had never wronged Silvia, but the hatred Silvia had for her was clear. Silvia handed her a bottle with a smug smile.
"Good luck, Liora," she sneered.
In the corner of the cafeteria, the new student, the Trio, sat observing the spectacle. Kai's pale face looked visibly uncomfortable as he watched the girls struggle.
"There are so many girls here who need sympathy," he muttered. His eyes flicked to Donovan, wondering if he had chosen this school with a purpose.
Donovan's expression remained calm, and Logan, sitting beside them, leaned back in his chair, watching the scene with keen eyes.
Liora looked at the soda bottle in her hand, then glanced at the other girls standing beside her."Ready, set, go," Silvia commanded.
The other girls opened their cans and started to drink, but Liora held her soda bottle, staring right into Silvia's eyes. She set the soda bottle on the table,
"I am not going to let you humiliate me like this."
The girls who were drinking the soda suddenly stopped, lowering their cans. A deafening silence fell in the hall. The entire cafeteria, including the trio, turned their attention to Liora.
The girl sitting beside Silvia stood up, ready to hit her, but Silvia screamed.
"Do not touch her."
The girl looked at Silvia in confusion. "Are you serious? This pest is trying to defy the order."Silvia's eyes narrowed.
"Lisa, take care of the other girls here."Silvia stood up right in front of Liora, glaring at her with a murderous gaze. But her threatening gaze didn't affect Liora. She held Silvia's gaze with her determined one and stood her ground. Silvia's nostrils flared in anger. Grinding her teeth, she wrapped her arm around Liora's neck and dragged her outside of the cafeteria with her other friends following closely behind.
"This pest needs special treatment."
Kai appeared impressed by Liora. Donovan's expression was unreadable, and Logan's sharp eyes reflected curiosity. They couldn't look directly at Liora as her back turned to them.
Silvia took Liora to an expansive field twice the size of the football ground. "You didn't want to be humiliated, did you, Liora?" Her grip tightened around Liora's neck.
Liora tried to pry her hands away but Silvia was stronger than she expected. Dark patches started blurring Liora's vision as she struggled to breathe.
"Get me your heels, Sofy." Silvia looked at Liora's feet, "I think your shoe size matches hers."
Sofy, who was accompanying Silvia, hurried off to retrieve her heels from her locker. She was back within a few minutes. She handed her shoes over to Silvia, who tossed them in front of Liora. Silvia finally let go of Liora and pushed her away.
Liora coughed, holding her throat, but refused to submit.
"Put those on and circle the entire field until I give the signal to stop." Liora was stunned by Silvia's order.
The other girls, now understanding Silvia's cruel intentions, erupted into laughter and Silvia flashed Liora a false warm smile. "Best of luck."
Trusting her regular running practice, Liora convinced herself she could handle it, even in heels. If Silvia wanted her to break and give up then she could go and hit her head against the oak tree in the distance. Liora was determined not to let her humiliate her.
She sat on the ground and slipped off her shoes and high-knee socks, revealing her toned legs, sculpted to perfection, with smooth, glowing skin.
She wore the sandals, and she began her run around the field. However, after several rounds, Liora struggled to maintain her pace. Her feet ached from the pressure of the heels. With every stride, it felt like sharp needles were pricking her soles, and her calf muscles tightened when her feet hit the ground as if they were rebelling against the unnatural strain. She started to lose her balance.
To add to the pain, the blazing sun shone down harshly, making Liora sweat heavily in her blazer, which she wore over her white shirt. Tired, hungry and thirsty, she kept running, but the heat was getting to her.
Her ankle twisted, and she fell to the ground with a cry. White pain shot through her leg. Liora heard Silvia and her friends laughing loudly, enjoying her misery.
True to her expectations, Silvia and her friends abandoned her after she fell to the ground. The punishment had served its purpose.
Angry and frustrated, Liora took off the heels and hurled them away with all her might. With her ankle throbbing from the twist, she struggled to rise to her feet, her breaths coming in short gasps as she pushed herself up from the ground. She limped barefoot, and despite the pain, she took her shoes and socks and went to her usual hiding spot in the school.
Liora sat down, taking off her blazer and hanging it on the back of the chair. She noticed that the sweat on her shirt was sticking to her skin, so she unbuttoned the top two buttons to cool down.
She tied her hair into a ponytail. She then took out her glasses and kept them aside.
She stood up and moved the chair closer to the water tap. When she turned on the tap, cool water flowed out. She cupped her hands and splashed the water on her face, feeling the relief as it washed away the heat.
Her skin burned a little after receiving the harsh sun rays for a long time. She kept splashing water on her face and neck, enjoying the coolness.
Then, she moved her legs under the running water. At first, the water stung her foot and her sprained ankle, but she let it run over and gradually moved her leg further into the water. It felt refreshing on her hot skin, easing the discomfort she felt from running in heels.
She closed her eyes and leaned back, enjoying the moment of peace. Suddenly, a dry thunderclap shattered the tranquillity, startling her into opening her eyes. She glanced up and saw that the clear sky had been replaced by dark, ominous clouds.
As she wondered about the sudden change, she heard a voice behind her. "Peekaboo." She turned to see who it was and found four guys standing there, watching her intently.
Liora sat up straight. She recognised them instantly. They were the same bullies she had captured on her phone while they were assaulting Daran. She quickly scanned the group for the boy with thick glasses, but Daran was not there.
Instead, she noticed they were holding cigarettes, likely having come to this spot for a smoke. The sound of running water must have led them to her hiding place.
"I... I will leave now. I'm sorry if I disturbed you," she stammered, reaching to turn off the tap. With great difficulty, she used the chair to help her stand.
Despite the rule that only same-gender bullying was allowed, she didn't feel safe around these boys. Her legs were trembling, and she had no energy left for being bullied again.
She stood on one leg and looked around for her belongings. She realised her shoes and socks were on one side of the ground, her thick black frame glasses were lying on the other side, and her blazer was on the chair.
She couldn't afford to linger and put on her socks, blazer, and shoes in front of them. It was better to leave the place as quickly as possible. But how could she go without her stuff? She couldn't walk around in the school like this. No, she would hide somewhere else and come later to pick up her things. That's a good plan, she thought.
But was it?