Chapter 10

The house was quite when Iris and I returned home. Even though we didn't do anything but enroll, I felt exhausted. I was not overtired, though.

I entered my bedroom and laid on the bed. I believed I needed sleep. I was too tired to force my body to stay awake.

#

"Wake up, sleeping beauty."

I slowly opened my eyes when I heard Iris' voice. I peered out the window; it was pitch black outside, indicating that it was already night. What time was it?

"I'm sorry, I fell asleep. What time is it? I'm gonna cook." I sat on the bed but soon went down after Iris pushed me. I regarded her with a frown as she placed her cellphone on my tummy.

"What am I going to do with this?" I asked. She grinned and plastered the phone's screen infront of me.

"It's an email from your school. Uh, Dear, Ms. Iris Marguerite Lopez, congratulations! You and your friend, Aurora Jenkins, have been admitted to EastWood University as grade 12 students! I want you to know how pleased we are that you have chosen to join the EastWood University community... " I quickly turned to Iris; she was smiling while waiting for my reaction.

"They accepted me?" I was still reeling from shock. I almost dropped the phone when she nodded repeatedly.

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!

I sat on the bed once more to regain my composure. Oh my, this made me want die young because of pure bliss.

"Congratulations!" Iris exclaimed. I wrapped my arms around her securely. I kissed her cheeks several times to express my gratitude for meeting her. Without her, I wasn't sure I'd be here.

"Yuck, you left saliva on my cheeks!" she protested, but I only laughed. I couldn't care less whether she was repulsed by me; I was too delighted to care.

"Really, when can we buy school supplies? I'm so happy!"

"Uh, most students at EastWood University purchase supplies online. We don't use notebooks because teachers don't grade our notes; they always focus on recitations and quizzes. It's okay to write notes, in fact, it's a huge advantage because they allow us to open our notes during quizzes or tests. Unfortunately, students at EastWood University are too lazy to write a single word. If you wanna take notes, just use an iPad. It's easy to use and you'll have a cleaner notes, it's not a waste of money. We don't have store for school supplies here, it's in the city." I nodded and leaned back over her. I didn't mind purchasing online because I didn't wanna spend much time in the city. Purchasing online was, in fact, advantageous. I wouldn't get tired.

The day flew by until Monday arrived. I was the first to get up since I slept early last night. I didn't wanna be late, I'd prefer not to make a negative impression on teachers.

"Aw," I moaned as the oil splattered on my fingers. For breakfast, I was making corned beef, hotdogs, and eggs. I was aware that it was too much because Iris wouldn't eat this type of meal in the morning. She only ate cereals and fresh milk. That was fine with me as long as she was full. I disliked cereal in the morning, I was in desperate need of rice. I'd observed that when I simply ate cereal for breakfast, I was losing weight quickly.

"You woke up too early, girl," Iris said as she entered the kitchen. I grinned as I placed the dishes one by one on the platter.

"Yes, I'm excited. Breakfast is done; let's eat," I said, handing her a bowl of cereal. I softly giggled when I saw her eyes closed once more.

This young lady was still half asleep.

"Wake up, Iris Marguerite," I whispered as I gently shook her arm. What time did she sleep last night and why did she look exhausted? I wasn't sure. She vacated my room last Friday after we finished rearranging her belongings. We spent the remainder of our vacation cleaning our new home, ensuring that we had nothing to worry about before school began. We even went so far as to paint the entire living room gray.

"Girl, it's way too early for us to wake up," she grumbled. She poured the milk over the cereals and ate them. I, in turn, offered rice for myself. I needed to eat a lot today to keep my energy up.

"We're going to be late." She didn't respond and only gazed. That was, after all, her regular attitude. As if you would face repercussions if she didn't approve of something. However, I was not complaining. If she wasn't rolling her eyes at me every second, she wasn't Iris.

After I finished eating, I prepared the university-supplied outfit and laid it on the bed. It was a white long-sleeved shirt with a black blazer over it. Additionally, the necktie and short skirt were black. My socks were also black. I looked in the mirror to dress after I took a bath. During our leisure, Iris taught me how to apply my makeup. My face was so pale so I asked her to teach me.

She was right when she said that I would be thanking her for purchasing such cosmetics and body care goods for me.

I checked myself on the mirror once more before putting on the small white backpack. Only perfume and other cosmetics were included within, as I would be carrying the iPad I purchased last time. I was hesitant to get it because I also disliked writing, but I easily forget things, and having a copy would be preferable. I had an iPad but no phone at the moment. To be honest, I was okay with this because I didn't have someone to call and hence didn't need it. Perhaps if one was required, I'd purchase one.

"Iris, let's go!" I shouted as I left the room. I waited in the living room for a few moments before Iris' room opened.

As usual, her face and outfit was giving me a mean girl vibes.

The birkin bag on her left arm filled me with nostalgia. That was actually how my mother held her bag. Our uniform fit her so perfectly that the curves of her body were clearly seen. Her black hair with a hint of white in front gave her the appearance of owning the school.

She was far too costly to look at.

"Let's go to school using my pink Lamborghini," she stated as she approached me. I fixed my uniform and followed her out of the house.

Her car was waiting for us outside. To be honest, this car was constantly attracting too much attention. We occasionally used this lambo to purchase hotdogs.

"I'm hoping we're classmates," I remarked as I stepped into the car.

"Yeah. However, I doubt uncle would put us together in the same room. Perhaps he believes we will simply talk whatever comes to mind during our teacher's discussion." I chuckled lightly. Of course, we'd talk a lot during the teacher's discussion.

Iris began driving to school. Unlike last week, the road had a large number of cars on. They were, without a doubt, on their way to work or school. Fortunately, the route remained broad despite the numerous car.

When we arrived at school, Iris' car drew yet more attention. Maybe they already knew who owned this car, as Iris was the only student here with a pink Lamborghini. It was based on what I observed last week.

Iris and I exited the car as she came to a complete stop directly in front of the school. One of the security officers hurried to get Iris' car and put it in the university's parking lot.

Today, I saw more students than I did the previous time. They all arrived early, as it was probably the first day of school. Iris went inside the building with confidence, however I felt as if I was about to vomit because of mixed emotions.

Was this a dream?

As the students began to stare, my brow wrinkled. They were not only looking, but they were also whispering. Their reactions were so abrasive. Did we cause them any harm? I was not sure if Iris and I even knew who they were.

We continued walking when I suddenly felt my knees felt like jelly. As I fell on the floor, I heard an enormous amount of loud laughter.

Oh my gosh, really? I just ate a large amount of rice!

Iris rushed to assist me in standing. I straightened my unkempt black socks and gazed at the students who had laughed at me.

Was there something funny?

"Shut the hell up!" Iris confronted them. The boisterous laughter abruptly ceased. Some of them stifled a laugh, while others grimaced in response to Iris' reprimand.

Iris was even more mad than me because of the laughter. I couldn't care less if they mocked me. I was here to have fun, not fight them.

"Let's go, don't worry about them." I drew Iris away from that area and escorted her to the bulletin board where our sections were displayed. If I hadn't dragged her away from there, I knew she wouldn't have stopped fighting them.

I waited for the other students to finish their searches before going infront. Iris appeared unconcerned about her section, she was just simply allowing me to find my name on the bulletin board.

Jenkins, Aurora, section 12-A1

When I didn't see Iris' name in my section, despair gradually encompassed my entire self. We were not in the same class. She was in 12-B1. I turned away from the bulletin board and approached Iris who had waited for me earlier.

"We are not classmates," I said with a tone of disappointment.

"I told you. I've memorized uncle's doing," she responded. I forced a smile.

"Don't be depressed, young lady. We can eat lunch together." She tapped me on the shoulder before she held my hand.

This was our first day, so we must attend the opening ceremony. When we arrived at the field, there were already a large number of people lined up.

Iris and I were separated from the queue because her section was different from mine. The dean stood in front of the teachers, he was enforcing the rules. Everybody appeared to be bored, yet I was brimming with excitement. This was the first time I'd felt this way.

Before we were brought into our individual rooms, a few additional statements were made. Iris was unable to accompany me due to a teacher's call. I had no idea what they were going to discuss, but I was sure it would involve a quiz bee. I discovered recently that she was one of the representatives.

There were not many students inside when I entered our room. There were students who had their own little world, and there were also students who were conversing with their buddies. I sat in the second row from the back, as the students who arrived early had already taken their seats in the front.

A group of women entered the room in the midst of waiting. Their laughter was as strong as if they were living in their own universe. Their skirts were quite short, perhaps a couple of inches shorter than mine. They were a trio with alluring and curvaceous bodies. Blonde haired and imposing in stature. The other woman's tie was a little loose, as if it was intended to look sexy. Even her white long-sleeved shirt's upper part wasn't buttoned. Were they the popular girls in this school? Numerous men here were staring at them, their eyes were sparkling with different kind of motives.

They were giving me mean girl vibes, but they were too far from Iris' vibes. They were both mean girls, no doubt about it. They simply didn't provide the same level of energy.

The three of them sat in the row in front of me. I assumed they would ignore me, but I was mistaken; as soon as they seated, they instantly focused their attention to my seat.

"Oh, the rumors are true. Iris Lopez found a friend. What's your name, sweetheart?" the woman wearing a loose necktie asked. I didn't expect them to speak with me, but I still gave them my sweetest smile.

I should be polite, right?

"My name is Aurora."

"What a moniker. You'd be wise to safeguard your name, Aurora. Iris Lopez may shed some dirt on it," she said emphatically. My brow wrinkled rapidly. What?

"What do you mean?" I asked, a little befuddled.

"Ask your friend or...perhaps not? Keep a safe distance from her; she's disgusting." I was about to ask something when they turned their back on me.

My interest was piqued even further by what she said. During the enrollment, the woman said almost the same thing about Iris. Disgusting? What? In our house, she was a clean freak; what did she mean when she said Iris was disgusting? Were they aware of something I was unaware of? Should I be concerned?

Iris was my friend, and I believed in her regardless of what others said about her. If Iris were comfortable, she would inform me, wouldn't she? I wouldn't ask if she had no intention of speaking. Perhaps it was too personal.

My thoughts were interrupted as the classroom fell silent. I assumed it was our teacher who had arrived, but I was mistaken; it was also a student. While he walked, the entire class was hushed. His face was expressionless, and he held a little notebook in his right hand. His hair was a little unruly, his lips were red, and he had a very sharp nose. His eyes were emotionless, and when he looked at what he was walking through, it appeared to be one of the most pointless things he had ever seen.

He was handsome as hell, oh gosh.

I could smell his perfume as he passed me. Oh girl, he smelled like a baby.

He walked past me and took a seat in the last row. The classroom had gotten quieter since he came. Even the women in front of me had come to a halt in their laughter.

Was he our teacher? However, he was far too young to be a teacher!

I glanced at my wristwatch; it was already 8:00am, and our teacher had not yet arrived. Really? First day of school? Late?

After a few moments, the door opened. An older woman wearing glasses entered. She was holding a large stack of paper in her hand, which she promptly deposited on the table.

She had to be our teacher.

"The dean called for an urgent meeting. Apologies for the delay, students. Good morning," she extended a greeting.

We exchanged greetings immediately, but I was the only one standing. I overheard my classmates laughing weakly; what were they laughing at? Shouldn't we be standing?

"Oh, sweetheart. You don't need to stand just to greet me," she said, smiling.

"Uhm, ma’am, aren't we supposed to stand?" I asked, taken aback.

"Are you a kindergarten?" From the side, I overheard one of my classmates said. The students laughed once again as a result of what he said.

"I believe showing some respect doesn't only apply for kindergartens? Didn't your mother teach you that?" I asked innocently. I was not trying to be impolite, but he appeared to be offended.

I was simply asking, what did I do wrong?