Chapter 13 Chapter 13.

Chapter 13 Chapter 13.
Chapter Thirteen

Henna’s POV
Ulric smiles at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Popular with women? I don't think so," he says, sounding far more humble than he has any right to be. Before I can say anything else, he reaches for my bag. "I will walk you to your class today. Tomorrow, you can start going by yourself."

I want to protest. There is a sudden, unsettling unease in my chest, a mix of gratitude and the feeling that I’m one of the girls fawning over him... but he is already walking away. I have no choice but to trail behind him like a lost puppy.

"They were a handful, right?" he asks as we navigate the stone corridors. I shrug, trying to play it cool.

"Well, everyone seems to ask the same questions. Like now... everybody is still looking at me," I say. It’s true. As we walk past series of students, their eyes track me like I’m a glitch in a video game.

"Well, let's say they're not used to seeing a very pretty face like yours," he says. I turn to look at him, genuinely confused.

"You know that can't be right? Not when everyone here looks like they were molded from clay by a special artist in God's finest houses in heaven."

"God?" he asks, letting out a little giggle. "You're funny, Henna."

He walks me all the way to my classroom door and hands me my bag. "Make yourself comfortable. It's your first day, so it's going to be very tough. Try to endure through the day, or you can call me, okay?"

I nod my head, feeling a little less alone for a second. But then, a black bike pulls in front of us and screeches to a stop. I don't even need to see the rider’s face to know who it is. The air around us turns heavy and electric.

"Ulric, get in!" Andre says, his voice like gravel.

Ulric turns sharply away from me without a word and hops on the back of the bike. They drive away immediately, leaving a cloud of dust behind. I stay there, watching them leave, my fists clenching at my sides without me even realizing it.

Andre couldn't even say hello? Not a "how have you been?" or even a nod. He is really so rude and annoying. I turn and walk through the hallway that leads to my class, still glancing out at the fast-moving bike as it disappears around a corner.

"So annoying!" I mouth to myself.

"Who do you mean?" I hear a sharp voice behind me. I turn to see three sculpted beauties standing there. I swear, beauty is a requirement for entry in this school. They look like they stepped off a runway, but their expressions are ugly.

"Nothing," I reply, trying to brush past them.

"Aren't you going to say hello, newcomer?" the one in the center says. She seems to be the leader. I stop and turn back to her.

"Hello. My name is Henna. And you?" I say, extending my hand for a handshake. She looks at my hand like it's covered in trash and snorts.

"And what are you doing in our school?" she asks.

They can be rude. Beauties, but rude. Okay, fair enough, I think. Maybe they’re just not open to freshers, like Ulric said. "To study, of course. Why else would someone come to school?"

"We don't know. Tell us," she answers, stepping closer to me. Her eyes are so unfriendly; I can tell she wants to pick a fight. She must be one of the bullies. I know the type, once they see you’re intimidated by their looks, they get even more intense.

"You should at least introduce yourself so we get to know each other," I reply, sensing a small crowd of students starting to gather in the hall.

"Why should I introduce myself to such a lowly being like you? Someone who did nothing but trespass into our territory," she says. I hear the girls behind her murmuring in agreement.

"We are dealing with Omegas and now, a nobody from nowhere breathing the same air as us..." one of the girls in the back starts to say, but I’ve had enough.

"Excuse me, why are you so hostile towards me?" I interrupt. "I came into this school through the same process you all used. Why are you trying to pick on me?"

"How dare you talk to Bianca like that!" one of the girls at the back charges toward me, her eyes flashing.

"Bianca? That's your name?" I say, and for a moment, silence reigns between us. "Nice to meet you, Bianca."
I don't wait for a response. I walk out on them and head straight into the classroom. I’m greeted by dozens more stares, but I keep my head down until I find an empty seat. It happens to be right next to Caroline, my roommate.

I’m surprised to see her. She is hunched over her desk, her eyes hidden behind thick glasses as she reads a book. Someone from the row behind is busy throwing pens and sticks at her, but she just ignores it, pretending she’s invisible.

I sit down beside her. "Hey, Caroline! You are in this class too!" I say, trying to be friendly. "We're roommates and now classmates..."

I’m in the middle of talking when her eyes drift away from me, totally uninterested. She looks like she wants to disappear into the floorboards. I guess that’s my cue to stop.

Just then, the teacher walks in. She has a sharp bun and a look that says she hates her job. "Good morning, students," she says.

No one answers. Not a single person. Instead, everyone’s eyes fix on their phones. It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. The teacher doesn't seem to care; she turns to the board and starts writing, but no one is paying attention to her.

She suddenly turns around after scribbling a few notes. "So, I hear we have a new addition to the class. Please, can you stand so we can take note of you?"

Her eyes narrow toward me. My heart skips a beat before I stand up immediately. "Me?"

"Who else?" she says, looking half-annoyed and half-bored.

"Oh, my name is Henna and I just... I’m the daughter of Melody and Gary, their favourite child by the way..." I say, trying to sound formal. "I'm really excited to be here."

She stares at me for a long beat. "Is that how you do it in your former school?"

"Huh?"

"Introducing yourself at the back of the class instead of coming to the front? No respect for the podium?"

"I thought..."

"Yeah, your kind always thinks. Sit down."