"Alright, everyone, settle down," Teacher Greg instructed his new advisory class. "Welcome back to school, seniors. My name's Gregor Lopez, but you can call me Teacher Greg."
The students watched him with a mix of anticipation and admiration. Despite being in his thirties, he was charming and charismatic. As he wrote his name on the board, he overheard whispers about his clean-cut looks and how good he appeared in his Monday uniform.
After taking a quick look at the attendance sheet, he began calling names, and each student responded.
"Quinto, Charlotte."
"That's me, sir," came the reply.
Teacher Greg glanced up to see Charlotte standing, flipping her hair and blowing him a kiss. He gave her a stern look, shutting down the flirtation.
"Alright, for our first activity—"
A knock at the door interrupted him.
Teacher Greg turned toward the door, eyeing the well-dressed woman who had just arrived. "Good morning. How can I help you?" he asked as he walked over. The class immediately erupted in whispers behind him.
"I'm Mrs. Rivera, and this is my daughter. We were told she'd be in your advisory class."
A tall girl with a pixie cut stepped out from behind her mother. He realized she was already in the school uniform.
"So, you're the new student. Good to finally have you here. The school informed me ahead of time."
The girl gave him a knowing look before her mother hugged her. "Good luck, sweetheart. I'll leave you to it," Mrs. Rivera said, turning to Teacher Greg. "What's your name again?"
"Teacher Greg," he replied, shaking her hand, which felt delicate in his grip.
As her mother walked away, the new girl stood awkwardly while the class buzzed with curiosity. Teacher Greg, momentarily caught off guard, realized he was staring.
"S-sir, should I come in?" she asked, snapping him back to reality.
"Yes, of course. Come in," he said, a bit flustered.
She followed him to the front of the class. Some students smiled at her, while others, like Charlotte, seemed unimpressed. Teacher Greg gestured for her to introduce herself.
With a bright smile, she scanned the room and said, "Hey, everyone!"
The boys leaned in, obviously captivated by the newcomer. With her round face, blonde pixie cut, and petite figure, she would pass as the most attractive girl in this school.
"I'm Steffy Rivera, from Manila. I'm half Filipino, half Spanish. Nice to meet y'all."
"Half Spanish!" the boys murmured. "I thought she was Korean."
Just then, a boy in the back shyly raised his hand.
"Yes?"
"My name's Brandon," he said, blushing. "You're really pretty."
The class erupted into laughter and giggles. Steffy smiled sweetly and said, "Thanks."
"Why'd you transfer here?" Brandon asked. "Manila's pretty far."
"My parents' work brought us here, and since I'm an only child, I guess they just didn't want to leave me alone in the city."
"So, what do your parents do?" another student asked.
Before she could answer, Charlotte cut in. "Are you even smart enough to be here?"
The room went quiet. Teacher Greg wasn't surprised—he knew Charlotte's reputation for being a bit of a bully. "This is a Special Science Class," Charlotte continued. "You have to pass an exam to get in."
Steffy's smile faded, but she responded calmly, "I didn't have to take the exam."
Charlotte scoffed. "Oh, really? Do you think you belong in this class? Don't you get it? It's for the elite."
Teacher Greg raised an eyebrow, amused by Charlotte's arrogance, but he stayed quiet to see how Steffy would handle it.
"The principal himself placed me in this section," Steffy replied coolly. "But if you need more proof, I can show you my report card."
The class cheered, clearly on Steffy's side. Teacher Greg couldn't help but smirk.
"Who do you think you are?" Charlotte asked, clearly rattled. "You think you're smarter than us?"
"You said that, not me," Steffy shot back. "All I know is, we're going to be classmates whether you like it or not."
"You're such a bitch," Charlotte spat, her face red with anger.
"Alright, that's enough," Teacher Greg cut in. "Charlotte, take your seat. Steffy, you can sit... um..." He scanned the room and realized all the seats were taken. The space was just enough for his fifty-two students.
Two boys in the back quickly offered to grab her a chair. Steffy flashed them a grateful smile, making them blush. Meanwhile, Charlotte sank into her seat, fuming.
Teacher Greg couldn't help but chuckle to himself. With these two girls in the same class, this year was going to be interesting.