Quincy felt the tie around the collar of her blouse had

started to tighten as she walked towards the gates of Kerfla High School. The

ends of her black and medium-bobbed hair had brushed the yoke of her white

blouse that had the school crest stitched to the ****** pocket. She loosened

the tie and patted her skirt to try and remove the lint that stuck against the

fabric. She stopped at the gated entrance of the school that were opened and

checked the time on her watch. It was 8:30 AM. Quincy was 30 minutes early. A

short and plump man peeked from the windows of the security guard room that was

stationed beside the entrance. He opened the sliding windows and squinted his

eyes at Quincy's face, "You new here, kid?". Quincy turned her head

to the security guard. The man looked like he was in his fifties. On his head

was a shiny bald spot that Quincy could see growing wider in 10 years' time.

She nodded to the guard's question. "Yeah, I figured it since I've never

seen your face before" said the security, "You may be an early bird

on your first day, but I hope I don't have to see you walking through this

entrance pass 9". The guard lifted an eyebrow and shooed at Quincy. Quincy

took flight of the stairs to the main building which was Block A. She took

looked at her surroundings. Block A had only two storeys unlike that of Block

B, C and D which were 3 storeys up and facilitated the classrooms of students.

Quincy had been exchanging dozens of emails from Kerfla High's administration

team ever since her former school in the countryside decided a school transfer

for Quincy would be a good decision on her mental health. "I think she needs

to readjust herself to some new surroundings. This transfer would be a good

challenge for her to try and change herself to become a mentally and socially

better person", Quincy remembered the words of the principal on the day

that she and her mum were called in to the principal's office. She sighed at

the thought of it, knowing that nothing could be turned back to how it was

before. She wondered whether the change in the environment was ever going to

change her as a person. The fact that she fell into depression for years after

the incident that occured six years ago; these dark thoughts

ran through her head once more as she stepped into the administration office of

Kerfla High.

Quincy's pupils dilated as she stopped at the entrance of

the office and looked to her feet. The dark thoughts swarmed in her head and

voices were slowly emerging like demons whispering to her ear. The flashbacks

of her being bullied were appearing again.

You're a half-Versistan mutt!

You don't belong in this country.

No wonder your father beat you up. Haha!

He was as pathetic as his wife.

Pfft. Your father could've been a great boxer if he

wasn't on drugs.

Quincy's heart started to skip a beat and she breathed

heavily. She could hear a faint voice that was muffled over the demon-like

whispers. Stop being like this! she thought to herself. "Miss

Quincy Greye? Miss Greye, can you hear me?" Quincy was startled to hear a

woman's voice from the back of the office counter. She snapped out of her

conscience and looked up to see the sterned face of a woman with a permed

hairstyle wearing half-framed glasses. She was behind the long office counter

table that had divided the room into two. Behind her were another two people,

each sitting at their desks facing the monitors of their computer and typing on

the keyboards amongst the piles of paperwork.

"Miss Greye, are you okay? I called you a few times and

you didn't respond" the woman said with a concerned tone in her voice.

"Sorry, I, uh," Quincy muttered as she clenched

her fist behind her back and came up with a simple lie, "I'm having quite

a headache at the moment"

"Do you need to go to sickbay?"

"No, I don't need to." Quincy stepped forward to

the counter.

"Alright then. You haven't gotten your class schedule

yet, have you?" the woman asked.

Quincy shook her head.

"Okay, so I'll give you your class schedule, as well as

the list of books that you will need to buy at our bookstore in Block D"

the woman said as she typed on a computer that was placed behind the counter

table. The inkjet printer beside the computer started to whir as the printed

papers came out to the output tray. The woman grabbed the papers and set them

on the upper part of the counter that was in front of Quincy. The paper showed

a table of subjects being taught on each day. On the top left corner of the

paper read 'Class XI-7'.

"You're in class XI-7, which is at the

second level of Block C" the woman said and gave a smile of service to

Quincy, "but before you go to class, the principal and your homeroom

teacher has requested to meet with you".

Quincy sat on the seats next to the door of the principal's

office. Seven different teachers had passed by the hallway that she was in,

bustling to prepare for the first period's subject that they would teach to the

students. Quincy tapped her foot nervously on the navy-blue carpet and looked

at her watch. Ten minutes had passed since she was told to wait for the

principal.

Why do I have to be called out on my first day of

school? I'll end up being late for class because of this, Quincy sighed at

the grumbling thought.

At the end of the hallway, she heard the laughter of a gruff

voice coming from a man. She stopped tapping her feet and took a glimpse of a

tall, grey-haired man with muscles that stretched and tensed the fabric of the

white collared shirt that he was wearing. Quincy remembered seeing a formal

photo of him on Kerfla's school website. It was the principal himself, Mister

Navrin Hudson. Principal Hudson held on to a brown leather briefcase as he

talked to a male student that was striding along with him. The male student had

brown hair and was wearing the Kerfla school uniform. The colour of his iris

were hazel-green and was the same as that of the principal's.

"I thought I had him at the uppercut," the boy

boasted eagerly, "but he dodged it and took me down by the double-leg. His

force was so strong, my back felt like breaking."

"If you fall like that, you need to grapple," the

principal smirked as he smacked the boy's elbow, "Try using your elbow

next time."

"Ouch!" the boy yelped as he rubbed the red skin

of his elbow, "My back's already sore. I don't need a sore elbow as

well!" The boy lifted his wrist to see the time. "Imma head out now.

See you, uncle!" the boy said as he skipped down the hallway to the

block's exit.

"Its 'Principal Hudson'! Not 'uncle'!", the

principal shouted from across the hallway and grumbled, "that kid is

always calling me 'uncle' in school premises, when I specifically told him not

to".

Mister Hudson turned his head towards Quincy and met with

Quincy's eyes that had suddenly widened. Quincy stood up from her seat. She

made a petite bow before introducing herself in her usual, taut tone.

"Good Morning, Principal Hudson. I'm-"

"Oh, you must be the new transfer student!" the

principal said raucously, "Quincy Greye!"

Behind Quincy, the boy whose name was Kirk Hudson had

stopped in the middle of the hallway and was surprised to hear the name of the

girl he had just passed by. He turned his head over his shoulder to see

Quincy's tall figure and wavy black hair.

"She's his daughter?", Kirk thought and gave a

dismissal expression.

She was as tall as Kirk was. He knew himself to be 178 cm in

height. Kirk also spotted that Quincy's biceps and calves were well toned. He

turned back to his front and made his way outside.

"I am very sorry if I kept you waiting, Miss Greye.

Your class must be starting at any time soon," the principal said as he

grabbed for his keys from one of the pockets of his leather suitcase. He

inserted the key into the keyhole and turned the doorknob. "But there's no

need to fret. I won't be sending you to the disciplinary teacher on your first

day, since I called you here for a meeting" he chuckled as he reached out

for a switch and turned the lights of his office on. Quincy wasn't bothered by

his comment nor was she amused. The principal entered the office and Quincy

followed. She started to smell the essence of vanilla in the room, and then she

spotted the diffuser that was placed on the top rack of the bookshelf. On the

third rack of the bookshelf was a framed photo of Principal Hudson with the boy

she had seen earlier and a girl who had the same distinct brown hair and

hazel-green eyes. Both the girl and the boy looked very young in the photo and

were wearing white karate-gi uniforms with red belts. Principal Hudson sat on

the ergonomic office chair behind his desk and noticed Quincy staring at the

photo.

"That's my niece and nephew, Freya and Kirk," said

the Principal, "They were 16 years-old when they got their red

belts."

Quincy stayed quiet to his comment and sat on one of the two

cushioned seats that faced the principal's working desk. She couldn't help but

compare those kids to her 16-year-old self she once knew; they were brave

enough to go and fight people without thinking twice about the perspective and

the judgement of others. For a girl like Quincy, ,

she would get hurt by the foul remarks of those that looked down on her family

and cultural background. The special vow she made was

broken by the constant reminder of worthlessness in this world.

The room was very quiet, and Principal Hudson felt the

awkwardness from the edge of his seat. He wanted to try and lighten the mood.

"I heard from the administration team that you are part

of class XI-7," said Principal Hudson, "Freya is also in your class.

She's a very friendly girl. I'm sure she would want to get along with

you".

At that moment, the door behind Quincy came swinging open

and a woman appeared. A young woman of her late twenties with long, sleek black

hair tied into a low ponytail. She was taking short breaths and her legs

wobbled with every step in her black high heels.

"I am so sorry to be late, Principal Hudson!" she

said in a shrilled tone, "The taxi got caught in traffic and I had to run

to the school instead."

"It's alright, Miss Daisuke," Principal Hudson

reassured her, "Please take a seat."

Miss Daisuke sat next to Quincy and cheerfully smiled at her.

"Miss Daisuke, this is Quincy Greye. She is a new

transfer student that will be joining your class, XI-7", said the

principal.

"Its nice to meet you, Quincy," said Miss Daisuke

in a silvery tone as she turned to Quincy, "I'll be your homeroom teacher

for the next two years."

"And since you have only been teaching here for two

months, Miss Daisuke, I would like for you to support her as much as you

can" the principal emphasized his words to Miss Daisuke to remind her

about the emails that described Quincy's situation. "This is also a great

opportunity for you to build on your relationships with students and learn how

to handle different students properly," the principal turned to Quincy,

"Quincy, if you need any help in both studying and personal issues, you

can always rely on Miss Daisuke."

"Yes, I'm always there to give my students a word of

advice," Miss Daisuke gulped as she agreed along with the principal.

Quincy didn't meet the eyes of either Miss Daisuke or

Principal Hudson. She knew what they knew about her. They were giving their

concern to her. Quincy gave a nod to make them reassured.

"Alright! That's all for this meeting," said

Principal Hudson as he smiled at Miss Daisuke and Quincy, "You may to go

to class."

Miss Daisuke and Quincy walked side by side throughout the

hallways of Block C. The hallway was crowded with students that were running

around and huddling in various corners. There were students conversing with one

another about the answers to last week's test and other students shouting from

across the hallway about the upcoming soccer match on Friday. Quincy avoided

getting bumped into other students with effort. She could feel her ears

starting to clog as the loud murmuring filled the classrooms and hallways. Then

the school bell rang. Th students were going into their classrooms and the

sounds of metal doors clanged as the the students closed their lockers. Miss

Daisuke turned to the right and entered the classroom of XI-7. Quincy followed

and entered the room. Most people were chatting to one another, some were

looking at their phones and one person was dozing off on his desk with his head

tucked in his arms. A group of girls were sitting at the back desks. Quincy

noticed among the group was Freya. Her skin was as fair and clear as the

actresses on TV promoting their favourite skin care products. She wore a glossy

peach coloured lipstick that complemented her complexion and her long and wavy

brown hair. She had the looks that Quincy wished for. The ideal look of a

Heiden girl.

"Settle down, everyone!", Miss Daisuke shouted

from the front of the classroom, "Return to your seats! You girls at the

back! Yes, I'm talking to you! And someone wake up Zack."

Quincy remained standing next to the green chalkboard. The

students in the room organized themselves to their assigned desks. A boy that

sat to the right of Zack's desk tapped on Zack's shoulder. Zack slowly lifted

his head up and revealed his sleepy eyes and saliva that ran down his chin to the

students around him. A strand of his dark blonde hair tickled his nose. He

itched his nose and caught the piercing eyes of Miss Daisuke. He quickly put

his arm down and straightened his back against his chair.

Now, I'd like to introduce to you all our new transfer student

who came all the way from the countryside" Miss Daisuke gestured her hands

for Quincy to speak.

Quincy gave a small bow. "Hello. My name is Quincy

Greye. I'm 18-years-old and-" Quincy paused.  She noticed four students whispering to each

other and at the same time looking at her. The palms of her hands were

sweating, and her heart rate spiked. The demon-like whispers emerged in her

head to predict what they were saying about her. Quincy's face turned blank in

front of the students.

They're talking about you again.

How you look so much like a Versistan freak.

You must look really ugly through their eyes.

I wonder what they'll think of you if they were to

find out about your past. Haha!

"Quincy," Miss Daisuke putted her hand on Quincy's

shoulder. She caught a glimpse of the emptiness in Quincy's eyes. Quincy turned

to Miss Daisuke. "You'll be sitting at desk 24, in front of Zack over

there" Miss Daisuke pointed at the empty desk near to the windows that faced out to the school field.

"Since we're running late, I won't be able to give the

class our usual opening-of-the-day session," said Miss Daisuke as she

heard several people sighed of relief, "I'll be taking the attendance now.

I expect everyone to have their history books ready. The history teacher will

be here in ten minutes".

Quincy collected herself and controlled her thoughts. She

walked over to desk 24 as Miss Daisuke called out the names of each student.

The eyes of the male student that sat next to Quincy's desk followed her every

move. His name was Eddie Kich. Eddie was popular in Kerfla High and most people

knew him for his family's reputation. He was the first son of the chairman for

a major electronics corporation known as Kich Corporation. He had ginger-coloured

curls and a stud earring on his left ear. He whispered to the other male

student that sat behind him, but Quincy could clearly hear the words that he

mouthed to his crony.

"She's taller than most girls here, aye?" Eddie

sneered, "She's seriously hot though. Look at her legs. You can tell she

works out a lot"

Eddie's crony whose name was Sam Grettin was wearing an

oversized black jumper over his school uniform. He was tall and overweight.

He'd usually wear the jumper to try and cover the fatty areas of his stomach

that stuck out when wearing the white uniform.

"Not bad for a Versistan girl," Sam looked up and

down at Quincy's figure, "but I bet she can bite the hand that feeds her,

just like the tyrant of that country".

Quincy tried ignoring them. There was a hidden rage and, at

the same time, a dark and sad feeling inside her when she heard the remarks of

the two boys.

Zack had also overheard what Eddie and Sam had said about

Quincy. He was as annoyed of them as Quincy was. He caught Freya's attention

from across the room and signalled her to shut Eddie and Sam's mouths. Freya

was sitting to the right of Sam. Freya stood up from her chair. She lifted her

hand and slapped the back of Sam's skull. It was hard enough to give a sore and

burning sensation that would last for an hour.

"Agh! What the ****, Freya?!" Sam yelped.

"Why don't you boys ever shut the **** up?"

Freya's voice was cold. She stood her front as she looked down at Sam with

confidence. Sam was taken aback for a moment. He felt as though her aura was

that of a female lion ready to eat him up. Eventually he returned to his douche

personality. He stood up from his chair and was now face-to-face with Freya.

"I really don't care if you're a girl," Sam

mouthed off with a smirk on his face and the eyes of a madman, "I could

beat the shit out of you any day, Freya."

Miss Daisuke noticed the commotion between Freya and Sam.

"FREYA! SAM! SIT BACK AT YOUR DESKS RIGHT NOW!"

Miss Daisuke shouted with a shrilled tone in her voice. Miss Daisuke's voice

was so loud that the students from the surrounding classes heard it. Student's

heads were peeking out of their windows as they grew curious about the

situation. Miss Daisuke putted down the enrolment book on the teacher's table

and composed herself from her built-up anger. "Freya, you're up for

detention this afternoon."

"Ma'am! He was the one talking nonsense about the

transfer student just now" Freya defended herself.

"That's no excuse to be putting up violence in the

classroom," said Miss Daisuke, "I'll be seeing you in the

disciplinary office at 4 PM".

Then suddenly, Zack stood up and flipped his table in the

air. It plummeted on to the carpeted floor with a soft knock to the ground. The

pages of three of his books that were on his table flew along with the table

and landed on the floor with the spines open. The whole class was in shock. The

student that sat in front of Zack stood from his chair and quickly took two

steps from his table. Quincy's eyes widened and Freya's jaw opened; Eddie and

Sam creased their eyebrows. Zack was breathing heavily. He was looking down at

his feet and his face was covered by the strands of his dark blonde hair. It

shined like gold as the rays of sunlight shown down upon him. The kid that sat

on the left of Zack reached out his shaking hand to tap at Zack's shoulders

once more.

"Yo, Zack. What's up with y-"

Zack lifted his head and gave Miss Daisuke the biggest and

brightest smile. He looked like the most beautiful sunflower in the classroom.

He said in the most cheerful tone, "I would also like

to go to detention."