Chapter 6 0006

After getting ready for school, I rushed out of my room and headed straight to the kitchen. Dad was already there, flipping eggs in the pan.

I know what you're probably thinking-why don't I cook? Well, the thing is, I can cook. But I love Dad's cooking way more. His meals always taste like home.

"Best Dad in the world! Good morning!" I said with a smile as I hugged him from the side.

"Good morning, darling. How was your night?" he asked, placing the fried egg on a plate.

"It was good," I said, grabbing a piece of egg and popping it into my mouth. "Mmm, yummy!"

After breakfast, Dad drove me to school. As I was walking toward my classroom, I heard someone call my name.

I turned around and saw Abigail with Ava. "Hey! Good morning!" I greeted.

"Morning, beautiful!" Abigail replied cheerfully. The three of us walked into the classroom, chatting and laughing.

Not long after, we heard a loud noise outside. Curious, the whole class rushed out to see what was going on-including me and my friends.

That's when I saw them.

Three girls were strutting into the school compound like they owned the place. They looked super stylish in their short skirts, chewing gum and walking like models. They didn't even glance at anyone.

Strangely, the girl in the middle looked a bit like me-except her hair was brown while mine is black, and her eyes were brown while mine are light green.

"Slay Squad!!!" some students shouted. Others just stared with annoyed looks on their faces.

"Those are Kate, Ann, and Akira," Abigail said with a serious tone. "They're the Slay Squad. You better stay away from them."

"Why? Why is everyone so scared of them?" I asked, confused.

"Because they're the only girls James and his friends talk to. And if you get on their bad side, those three handsome guys will come after you."

During the whole class, I kept stealing glances at the Ann. I had learned her name from the Abigail and now I couldn't stop looking at her.

She was all over James, sitting close, touching his arm, whispering things in his ear, and even kissing him on the cheek. "I missed you," she kept saying in this soft, flirty voice that made my stomach twist.

I tried to focus on the teacher, but my eyes kept drifting back to them. Every time she touched him, I felt this weird feeling inside-like something was crawling under my skin.

I crossed my arms and looked away, feeling a little annoyed.

But then I asked myself, Why am I even angry? What's wrong with me?

I don't even know James like that. So why does this bother me so much?

After biology class-which is one of my favorite subjects-the bell rang for lunch, and we all headed to the cafeteria.

We ordered our food, and it didn't take long before it was brought to us. We were already eating when the "slay squad" walked in. You could hear the loud popping of their chewing gum from across the room.

I rolled my eyes at them in annoyance, then turned my attention back to my food, trying to ignore the noise.

Just as I was about to take another bite, I felt someone yank my hair.

"Hey, I guess you're new here," a voice sneered behind me. "Why did you look at us like that?"

I turned to see who it was-and it was Ann.

I shoved her hand off my head, my anger bubbling up.

"How dare you pull my hair?" I snapped.

Ann smirked, crossed her arms, and blew a big bubble of chewing gum right in my face.

"Wow... interesting," she said, clearly amused.

Then she turned to my friends.

"Abigail, I want the three of you off this table. Right now."

Without a word, Abigail and Ava stood up, picking up their trays, ready to leave. But not me. I stayed seated and calmly kept eating.

"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear her?" one of the girls-Akira-said with attitude.

"And what makes you think I'd listen to her?" I replied, not even looking up. I was too angry to care anymore. Honestly, I was just tired of everything... tired of this school.

Kate suddenly shouted, "How dare you talk to us like that?" and the whole cafeteria went quiet.

Before I could even react, Ann grabbed my tray-and dumped all the food on my head.

The entire cafeteria exploded with laughter.

I slowly stood up, shaking with anger and embarrassment, and before I knew it-slap!-I hit her across the face. The whole place went silent in shock. I was shocked too. That didn't even feel like me.

Ann's eyes widened in rage. She raised her hand and slapped me back. She was about to hit me again when someone grabbed her arm.

It was James.

"Stop. Let her be," he said firmly.

"But James, she-"

"I said let her be!" he cut her off, then turned to me with a cold stare.

"Hey, ugly girl," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Next time, be careful. I won't stop her again."

He walked off to his table, and just like that, the room filled with laughter again.

I felt like the ground should open and swallow me. I ran out, tears streaming down my face, straight into the girls' bathroom.

I looked in the mirror. My reflection was a mess-food all over my hair and clothes.

Moments later, Abigail and Ava came in. They gently started picking the food out of my hair, trying their best to help me feel better.

I couldn't stop crying. They pulled me into a hug.

"It's alright," Ava whispered softly. "Next time, just ignore them."

Back in the cafeteria, James and his friends were having lunch, laughing and chatting like usual.

"Wow, I didn't expect to end up saving that girl," Philip said, shaking his head.

"Ooh," James said, picking at his food. "I did that because I don't want the Slay Squads expelled again. Not that I care-but come on, those girls are hot. We need them around."

Demien raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I thought you had a thing for the new girl already."

James shot him a cold glare. "Watch your mouth."

"Relax, man. I was just joking," Demien said with a laugh. "Anyway, Philip, I saw you getting out of a cab this morning. What happened? Did your car break down?"

Philip sighed. "Nah, my dad said I can't use any of the cars or even my bike until he sees this term's results. That man is stressing me out."

"Damn," Demien said. "At this rate, he might kick you out of the house too-'go sleep on the road until your results come in!'"

James burst into laughter.

Philip frowned. "And what's so funny?"

"Sorry, bro," James said, trying to stop laughing.

"Sometimes I wonder how I became friends with you two," Philip muttered, but a smile was creeping onto his face. "Anyway, I'm actually happy today."

"What happened? Tell us," James asked, leaning forward.

"My big brother secretly gave me some money," Philip said, grinning. "I used it to order the designer bag my girl wanted. Her birthday's tomorrow!"

James dropped his spoon and started clapping slowly.

Philip gave him a confused look. "Why are you clapping?"

"Just giving it up for your foolishness," James said. "Your dad cuts off your allowance, your brother helps you out-and the first thing you do is buy a bag for a girl?"

"James, please not today," Philip said, still smiling. "I'm in a good mood. Anyway, you guys are invited. We're going to her house tomorrow."

"Her house?" Demien said, eyes wide. "Have you forgotten her dad's a soldier? You're trying to die for love or what?"

"No worries," Philip said confidently. "One of her friends told me her dad's traveling, and her mom will be at her shop. It's the perfect time for a surprise. You know-romantic vibes."

James looked at him and shook his head.

"So are you guys coming? Please?" Philip asked.

"I'm in," Demien said. Both of them looked at James, who was still focused on his food.

"James, what about you?" Demien asked.

"Nope. I've got better things to do," James said.

"Really, James?" Philip sighed. "I don't even know what to say to you anymore."