Chapter 4 STOLEN KISS

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Dinner!!!

Settling before the wall mirror, I applied a little make-up on my face. This was going to be great. An experience that's going to pump me up. I grabbed my cutlery and joined the other girls also in uniforms, exiting down through the stairway.

The air was filled with laughter and wild talks. It'd be difficult to talk to someone in this crowd. I decided to wait till dinner.

Geez I've never seen such numbers of girls in my life.

The cafeteria was something out of a presidential bouquet Hall. Each table was crammed with girls. Dinner was rice and beef. I was also given a can of Pepsi to go along with it.

Now to find a spot to eat. But everywhere was occupied and no one seemed ready to spare me a seat. I stared around until I caught a girl waving at me.

She was all alone by a corner table for only two people. I had no idea what pushed me over to her but I went all the same.

" Saw you Standing," she grinned. " You don't have a seat do you."

I shooked my head. " The entire hall is packed."

She laughed. " That's alright, hey you can have the free seat. This is my favorite spot so no one usually comes here except me."

" Thanks, you're a lifesaver," I breath in relief, settling down infront of her.

" I'm Sharon," she stared interestingly at me. " You are?"

" Lucy."

" New student, huh," she smiled knowingly.

" Yeah quite obvious isn't it," I opened my can of Pepsi and took a sip. " Let me guess, you're a senior."

She laughed. " Not exactly. I passed my promotion exam last year and made it to senior class. I'm to begin grade ten tomorrow."

" Talk about coincidence," I laughed as well. " What do you know, we're in the same class."

" Awesome," Sharon took a forkful of rice and scooped it into her mouth. " Luckily for me, I began schooling here since Junior class so I'm used to all the norms and stuff that goes around this establishment. Hey, let's be friends. What's your room number, maybe I'd come visit."

My instinct told me to trust her. " 205 and yours?"

" 105," she answered, screwing her face in a frown. " 205? That's Chi-Chi's room."

" Who is this Chi-Chi?"

Sharon was about answering me when some group of girls barged into the Hall. Everyone became silent including the seniors around.

I studied these girls with interest.

They were Seven in number, smartly dressed with their uniforms ironed to perfection. They had some sort of special golden badge pinned on their breastpocket and clipboards held on their left hand.

I recognized two of these girls. One was Tamar, hostel captain and the other was...

Collette.

" Who are those girls," I whispered to Sharon cause everywhere was as silent as a graveyard. " Why's everyone quiet?"

Sharon looked behind her to see if anyone was coming their way. " That's the student's council. You can call them whatever you like but over here, they're well known as student's council."

I returned my stare back at the girls. They moved around each table, ticking off something on their clipboards with pencils.

" They look cool, don't they?" Sharon asked, dreamily. " They're Job's way much cooler. I'd do anything to become student's council."

" Sort of," I returned my attention back to her. " But why's everyone quiet all of a sudden?"

Sharon looked behind her back again then whispered. " Duh, don't you know it's bad manners to eat with your mouth opened? Besides, the student's council are very strict and feared. They're like the stronghold pillars of this school. They do lots of jobs, I even heard they assist Mrs Cooker when she's absent."

" Who's Mrs Cooker?"

" She owns the school," Sharon whispered.

" You there!" Someone said in a loud voice.

Sharon and I stiffened. Slowly turning our heads, we saw Collette approaching us with her clipboard and pencil.

She moved calmly and unhurried but her shoes were making loud sounds on the floor as they marched towards us. In four strides, she was standing over us.

Sharon and I stared at her without saying anything.

" Why were you two talking while eating?" She asked.

Sharon seemed frightened of her but she tried to keep cool. " Um...well you see, she was asking if she could get a glass of water from the counter. I'm sorry, senior. I shouldn't have spoken."

Collette grunted and turned to me. Her eyes were as cold as ice. " Can I see your cutleries?"

I didn't want to show her my cutleries. I hated this girl but I knew better than to cause a scene. So I drew out my fork and knife and showed her.

Collette regarded the cutleries with that deadpan expression of hers. " So why are you using only the fork?"

" I thought it doesn't matter what we use to eat so long as we eat our meals. I don't see how using only my fork is an offense here," I said, angrily.

Sharon gaped at me as if I had just gone mad.

Collette returned her eyes back to her clipboard and wrote something down. " I'll advise you eat with your complete set of Cutleries now."

I didn't reply her. Instead of obeying her instructions, I took my can of Pepsi and drank slowly from it.

By now everyone in the cafeteria was staring at me.

Now Where I came from, seniors and juniors get along pretty well. I'm not going to be intimated by this girl or whatsoever she was.

I continued my meal with my fork not minding she'd instructed me to use my knife as well. Sharon was giving me that look as if she wanted me to use the knife but I was too stubborn to listen to her or read her signs.

Collette stood over me, watching me closely as I ate. Then she did something dramatic.

She leaned forward and grabbed my plate. Before I knew it, she turned it over and my rice dropped to the ground.

That does it. I jumped to my feet and yelled at her. " You dirty mean old b*tch! How dare you–"

Before I could complete my words, she turned around and slapped me hard on the cheeks.

SMACK!!!

I gasped in shock, holding my cheeks with feverish hands. That was the first time I've ever been slapped in my life.

Slowly raising my head, I glared at Collette. She was walking away from me with that deadpan calm expression on her face.

" After meals," she said aloud so everyone could hear, looking at me from the corner of her eyes. " Clean that mess on the floor up."

My eyes became Misty and I felt tears rolled off my cheeks, dripping to the floor.

Everyone in the cafeteria was watching me as I stood rooted at the spot, glaring dangerously at Collette.

Before everyone's eyes, I ran out of the cafeteria.

I ran to Vee's Lodge. I can't take this anymore. I'm calling my mom. What sort of school is this? How...how dare she slapped me? Just who does she think she is?

As I ran, I cried. I've never been Soo humiliated in my entire life. If I'm going to be treated this way, then I'm not going to stay in this school. I'd rather return back home.

To my uttermost dismay, Vee wasn't home. I cried more. What do I do now? She's the only one I know in this strange crazy school. She'd fix that vixen called Collette. I'd make sure of that even if I have to wait forever.

Finding a likely spot near her lodge, I sat waiting for Vee's return. I'd wait until Vee returns and when she does, I'd give her a piece of my mind. I don't care if Collette is part of the student's council or not. She had no right to slap anybody.

She has no right to slap me.

My hands gently went to my face as I felt my cheeks. My cheeks was burning with the slap I received earlier. I remembered the slap, I remembered her cold stare, her deadpan expression and calm movement.

Oh I hate her. I hate her soo much!

" What are you doing here?" Someone said out of the darkness.

I started out of my skin and stood up. " Who's there?!"

I heard footsteps emerging out of the shadows. When the moonlight up ahead came to her face, I received another shock quickly followed by anger.

It was Colette.

For the next few minutes, we stared at each other in silence. Then her lips moved. " I hate repeating myself, Lucy. What are you doing here? Your classmate are in class observing evening prep."

My anger formed a lump in my throat, I blasted it out at her. " I'm here to report you to miss Vee. She'd fix you for laying your hands on me. I'd call my mom. She'd make you pay, you fcking b*tch."

She listened to me but didn't say anything.

I was still ranting, my face dripping off tears. " What sort of a senior are you, anyway? Slapping your juniors? My former school, seniors and juniors get along pretty well. You dare not lay a finger on us. We'd tear you apart. Oh wait, is it because this is a boarding school? I don't care. Everyone might be afraid of you but you don't scare me. I'd fix you. I'd call my mom. It's either you hear it from me or I leave."

Her eyes glittered under the moonlight and her lips stayed still in a simple smile. She was as silent as a dumb beggar.

" No wonder miss Vee hates you around," I continued, noticing she was moving towards me. I sniffed. " Go ahead, do whatever you want with me. Hit me again, beat me up, flung me to the ground and punch the life out of me. When miss Vee returns, I'd show her what type of treatment I-"

Collette grabbed my wrists and pushed me against the wall, pinning me firmly so I couldn't move.

" Stop!" I struggled, yelling at her. " Let go off me. What are you-"

Her face came out of the darkness and I saw her lips opened down to my face. Before I knew it, her lips closed around my mouth.

I stiffened, my eyes tearing out of their sockets. I gaped at Collette.

Her eyes were closed lovingly as she kissed me, her tongue roaming inside my mouth.

With all the strength mustered in me, I struggled to pull out of her hold but she was too strong. I even tried screaming but her mouth was covered against mine.

I kept struggling and struggling until I gave up and relaxed.

For the next sixty seconds, we stayed like that without moving. Then Collette slowly pulled away from me, breaking her kiss.

I was back against the wall, gasping for air, the back of my hand against my mouth as I stared at her shadowy figure in the darkness.

" MOM wouldn't be back till tomorrow," she said, calmly. " It's getting late and cold. Go to class and join your classmates for evening prep."