After it rains and after an alluring morning, I walked to my new school: Bright Future High School. It looks like a dream when I received an email from the school board on Friday that had gotten a scholarship. I can’t believe it until a clerk knocked on the door on Saturday morning. The school board sent him to give me school uniforms, backpacks with textbooks and pens, shoes, and many more I can’t mention here. The tears of joy crawled to my tongue and taste like a cube of sugar when my mom gave me a motherly hug and kiss. “At last,” she had said, “am proud of you.”

Now and here, handsome flares on students’ faces. Beauties of heaven filled this school. I hadn’t seen an ugly student since morning, and I worried about myself. Did they see the beauties in me too? I don’t know, and I want to know.

And now, walking into the classroom for the first time, I felt all eyes on me. Everyone, including the pretty teacher, look at me and said, “a new student?”

“Yes.” I felt anxiety as the word dropped like a flash of light.

“Your name?”

“Annie Taylor.”

“Annie, welcome. I’m Margaret, and I teach government subjects. You can have your seat over there.” She motioned me to sit beside a fat girl, smiling.

“Thanks, Mrs...” I can’t recall her name because those flashes of eyes on me had to drift my attention away. Away from the class, to home, but with a forceful smile, I sit with my backpack on my lap.

She walked near me. “I’m still waiting.”

I raised my eyebrows. “For what?”

“To hear my name, of course,” she said and everyone laughed; everyone except me.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “had forgotten.”

“It’s fine.” She removed her eyeglass. “Look at me. Feel free here, okay?”

I nodded.

“Again, my name is Margaret. Would you remember next time or need to jot it down?” Everyone laughed again. She put back her glass as I nodded and walked back to the front. “I would love everyone here to cooperate with me. This is an extra session, new talented students- “ Her phone peeped at the long table, she hurried there, look at us. “I will take my leave now.”

Noises raise as she walked out, and the noises abated as four students walked in. They are handsome guys who walked past me and sat on four vacant chairs. I looked away when one of them look towards me as if he caught me staring at them. Something baffled me, something strange because everyone started whispering to themselves.

The fat girl beside me touched me and whispered to my ears, “can we meet outside?”

“Sure,” I said, and I felt all eyes on me once more, though I don’t know why.

I sat on the long bench under the cool trees with the fat girl. I felt her weight on the bench as she adjust herself and look into my eyes.

“Annie, I’m Jean. Can we be friends?”

Oops. I don’t expect to be a fat girl’s friend, and I don’t expect my fast reaction to her words, but I said, “sure.”

She beamed and hugged me. Omg, I felt somehow. Not because she was a fat girl, it’s because I hated public hugs, especially from boys. She smelt of sweet cheese and ice cream as she let go of my body, which calmed me for a moment, for I love ice cream, too.

“Annie, I want to tell you something about A4 and C2 group,” Jean said

“I know A4 paper but-“

“No, A4 stands for four bullying students in this school.”

“Oh.”

“Do you remember everyone kept quiet when four guys walked into the class?”

“Do you mean those handsome guys?” I asked, recalling their paradise handsome faces, especially the one that caught my eyes. And as if he caught me again, I ignore my memory.

“Yes,” Jean said, “they are handsome but dangerous.”

I widened my eyes.

She continues, “I just don’t want you to mess with them, especially the C2 group.”

“Who’s the C2?” I asked

“You would soon know. The C2 was more handsome than the A4 and they came from billionaire families. They’re not like we who got a scholarship-“

I cut in. “How do you know I got a scholarship?”

“Your bag and clothes tell me so. It was like mine. They’re different from others who don’t get scholarships.”

“Oh,” I said. I was surprised because I don’t notice this since morning. I don’t pay attention to those things except on pretty faces.

“We’re talking about A4 and C2 groups, Annie. Please don’t mess with them.” Jean’s voice was soft now. It sounds like my mother’s voice warning me of my good.

“But why?” I can hear myself say that.

“You would soon know with your eyes,” she said, “all I just want you to know is don’t mess with their system because I know you’re innocent.”

“You’re scaring me.” I lied because I don’t know what to say again.

“It shouldn’t be up to that,” she said, hugging me again.

At home that day, I tell everything to my mom and younger brother. I mean everything except the A4 and C2 group. I love their patient listening ears to my happy-filled voices that had quenched many ice creams with Jean in break time. And I like the way Robert, my younger brother, treats me today, for he treats me like Queen who arrived from the palace. I know his new behavior won’t last long until his arrogant behavior takes hold of him again.

And now, on my bed reading a book under a new lamp my mother bought for me, the words of Jean darted to me like memories. Although I don’t fucking care about any foolish groups. I won’t mess with them, but if they mess with me, I won’t accept it. I’m not like another girl who got screwed by boys.

But oh, that face. The handsome face that caught me staring at them becomes my crush. I don’t know why, but I don’t want to know. The clock ticking 1:29 pm on the wall and I hear the sizzling of the night which makes me off the lamp, covered all my body with bedsheets, closed my eyes, then forced myself to sleep, because I feared the night.