The close following continued until they got to the senior class building and Amy watched the friends part from each other and walk in different directions, just as Estella also followed two of the friends in the same direction to her dismay.
"Wait," Amy drew her friend to a halt before she moved any further. "Why are you going with them? Isn't that too much?"
Estella laughed at her clueless friend, "I am in the science corridor and we have to pick our seats before assembly starts. It was only a coincidence that Damon and Luka are also headed that way."
Amy nodded in understanding before Estella asked her again. "What about you? What field did you want to study?"
"I picked commerce. Does that mean that this is where we part?"
"I believe so. The commercial corridor is that way." Estella pointed to the other side of the building. "You have only two classes assigned to commerce so it should be easy for you to spot your class. I believe you were told whether it was A or B you were in."
"I don't want to go alone," Amy whined, grabbing her friend by the shoulder. "Let me come with you for now. After the assembly, you would follow me to my class before going back to yours."
"You do know that no one is going to bite you, right?" Estella chuckled before intertwining their fingers together. "But whatever you say. Let's go to my class. I hope Damon is in the same class as I am."
Amy shook her head and Estella giggled as they walked toward her dictated class. Because the science corridor had four categories, Estella was assigned to grade 10-C and she walked in with others who were also assigned to the same class.
Estella looked around the room and saw that Damon wasn't in the same class as her, but she could see Luka River chatting with someone, and Estella gasped.
"See Luka," Estella shook her friend hard. "If I can get to sit beside or behind him, Damon will have a chance of seeing me if he comes to hang out with Luka frequently."
Amy could only shake her head as Estella rushed over and picked the empty seat that was behind the black-haired boy. Luka was so deep in his conversation that he didn't notice the girl who had rushed to take the seat behind him.
As Amy walked toward her friend, the bell rang for assembly and Estella paused from offloading her bag and told Amy to carry hers along with her because they wouldn't have time to walk to the science corridor and back to the commercial corridor in time for the class.
"Normally, we use the assembly hall, but it is under renovation for now. That is why we are using the assembly ground." Estella notified her friend as the student population gathered in the large open space and everyone began to move to their respective places.
"You are meant to walk over there, but you can stay with me for today." Estella smiled at her friend before raising her hand to her mouth to muffle her screams.
The famous five had just walked to the assembly ground and were standing a few meters away from the girls. Amy could see that Leone Martin was wearing trousers, unlike every other female senior high student, and she tugged at her friend's arm.
But before she could ask her question, the principal had appeared with her subordinates and began to address them. Amy decided she would ask Estella after the assembly and focused on the woman who had voiced out her greetings.
The school band started playing their instruments as the students around her started singing the national anthem, which Amy followed until it was time to recite the school prayer. Amy didn't know it and she made a mental note to learn it later from the handbook she was given as part of her student guide on Founding Fathers."
"Over the break, our basketball team represented our fine establishment in the bi-annual regional tournaments." Amy could see she was so happy to give this announcement and knew that the school team must have brought home a victory. "As expected, Leone Martin and her team brought home the gold and a cheque of a hundred thousand dollars for our school."
Amy gaped as the students around her, including Estella, cheered and hollered at the news. Leone must be an amazing person and it was no wonder she held so much power in the school.
"Please congratulate the basketball team with a round of applause!"
Amy glanced to her left, where Leone stood amongst her friends with a poker face despite the congratulations being offered to her, and clapped slowly as she watched the female walk towards the building behind her team members.
Amy didn't know if she was to be surprised that Leone was the only female amongst the boys that were part of the team or to be worried about her physical strength compared to the rest of them.
The basketball team stood in a horizontal line beside the principal and faced the crowd of students and teachers below them. The elderly woman proceeded to call them by their names, and each person that answered their name would step forward, bow, and shake the hands of the administrative staff.
"Leone Martin." The principal finally called her name, and Amy expected that the female was going to smile a little, but she didn't. Leone only stared right at the student body amidst the loud cheers and screams, especially from her best friends until she stepped away.
"You have to admit. She is amazing and the only female on the team. She is also the captain of the chess team." Estella whispered to her friend as the cheers died down and the principal continued with the announcements. "I want to know what she can't do."
Amy also wanted to know, and that was what was on her mind throughout as they sang the school anthem before the principal dismissed them and Estella walked her to her class. The commercial corridor was closer to the assembly ground so it didn't take much of their time.
"Here you are!" Estella pointed inside the class that had a small number of students chattering amongst themselves. Estella hugged her before prancing away to her corridor and Amy walked in.
Some of the students had looked up and waved at her with a smile, which she returned before walking to the back of the class and settling her back on a seat. Amy assumed that the seats at the front were already taken since she didn't stop by earlier to claim a seat but was at Estella's class instead.
Amy was in the middle of trying to arrange her things when someone tapped her on the shoulder and she looked up to see Danielle staring at her.
"Excuse me, but you are in our seats. Hers specifically." Danielle jabbed her thumb behind her and Amy knew who she was referring to in an instant.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was taken." Amy quickly apologized, scared that Leone might end her at that moment. She wouldn't have sat there if she knew that it had been taken already.
"It is okay. You are new, right?"
"Yes! How did you know that?"
That wasn't a question Amy felt she should have asked. Of course, people would have noticed she was new but she didn't think someone of the Famous Five would notice every other person in the student body apart from themselves.
Danielle smiled at her warmly before leaning in like she was about to tell her a secret. "Well, because you wouldn't have sat there if you knew Leone Martin and her addiction to personal space and property. But you're good to go."
Amy could only blink in confusion as she grabbed her bag and scanned the class for any empty seats. She did see one that was towards the front of the class and right by the window. She could feel eyes on her and when she looked up, she saw Leone's eyes on her before Danielle blocked her sight.
"Hi." Amy smiled at the male who was seated beside her and he smiled back at her, "I'm Amy Waters. I just transferred here."
Before he could respond, a teacher walked in and tapped the board with his ruler, "Let us bring out our Mathematics textbook. We will be looking at the first chapter for the next two hours."
Amy hadn't gone to the school bookstore to get the required textbooks for her grade, and she panicked. She wasn't sure if the teacher would tell her to stand up or if he would send her out.
Luckily for her, the male beside her pushed his book to the middle of the desk and tapped on it. "We can share mine. Don't fret, Mr. Williams won't cause a scene."
Amy let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you. I didn't get your name."
"I'm Jay."
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Estella waited for Amy outside her class during lunchtime so that they could eat together. She was bummed about the events that happened earlier and needed to vent her annoyance and betrayal to her friend.
She saw the female approach her with a little smile and Amy intertwined their arms. "How were classes?"
Estella let out a painful groan, "Remember when we thought Luka was in my class?"
Amy wanted to say that she never thought about the dude but it was all Estella, but she held her tongue and nodded her head.
"Turns out he isn't in my class, but only came to see someone before the assembly started. He is in class B!"
Amy felt bad for Estella. She would have sat with the people she was familiar with, but she was deceived into thinking that Luka was going to be in her class. It was partially her fault too because of the obsession she had with the idea of seeing Damon, but she was also sure her friend would have learned her lesson.
"I'm sorry. Let's go for lunch, I'll treat you." Amy patted her shoulder comfortingly and they walked off, with Estella leading Amy towards the pavilion where the students were designated to eat their midday snacks served by the school authority.
Amy saw the five friends as they drew closer. Her eyes instinctively went towards Leone amongst the others and it seemed the female wasn't pleased to be there.
"Look, they're here."
Estella and Amy got to an empty table that was a few feet away from the Famous Five's table. Their table was in the center of the pavilion, which was the center of attention.
"Someone is definitely going to approach Leone today," Estella remarked and Amy looked towards the table once more. Damon was munching on his samosas slowly as he read the novel in his hand as Danielle was chatting animatedly with Luka and Lois.
"And it is happening," Estella remarked as she saw a male student walk towards the table. Every chatter ongoing in the pavilion suddenly died down as students turned their attention to the disaster that was bound to happen.
Leone's friends had their attention on the boy, even Damon had looked up from his book and waited for the boy to hand over whatever he had.
"L-leone," The young man put out his hands, revealing a bottle of soda and doughnuts. "A senior asked me to get you this and to tell you how amazing you are."
Leone's friends turned their eyes to the young woman, anticipating her response as she stood up from where she was seated and glared hard at the boy.
"I don't take things that people buy for me."
Amy inhaled sharply at the stabbing words of the female. She felt Leone could have been gentler with the boy, considering it took all of him to approach the table of the famous five. But Leone had walked away from the boy and the pavilion and even her friends didn't go after her.
"Well, we would accept it in her place." Luka grabbed the snacks from the boy as Danielle stood beside him and offered her sympathy for the mini embarrassment he had just faced.
"Sorry about that. Leone is just...Leone. She doesn't like public displays of affection so it was a bust before it even began. Tell that senior that he is shameful to send you in his place."
Murmurs began once more, bringing the once quiet pavilion back to a lousy area. People began to talk amongst themselves about Leone, which they wouldn't have done if she was still seated right there.
Amy wondered if it was possible to get close to Leone and try to know how she worked. She had never seen someone like her and that was what made it seem like a mystery. If she made her thoughts known to Estella, the female would probably scream all about how Leone would end her, so she continued to bite on her samosas and left her desire to solve Leone Martin like a puzzle on hold.