The Beginning (2)

By 7 AM the next day, Li Jing was fully dressed and ready for school. She takes a mirror selfie with her iPhone and posts it on her snapchat story with the caption, "first day of school."

Her school uniform is pretty simple, Grey plaid skirt with navy blue stripes and a white camisole with a matching navy blue blazer. She paired it with black ankle boots and white knee length socks, she put a navy blue headband on her hair to separate the fringe.

Her face was makeup free and she looked pretty without trying too hard. She picked up her black school bag and walked out of her room towards the dining table.

Her brother is in his school uniform also, black shorts and white plain shirt. His light brown hair was combed and styled. Her brother looked smart. He was fourteen and was starting his freshman year at a different high school from hers.

She took the seat beside him and fist bumped him. Her mother dishes out some pancakes on her plate and tells her to hurry up.

She finishes her food, takes the plate to the sink and grabs her lunch. She starts to go to the door when she is stopped by her mother. "And where do you think you are going young lady?"

Li Jing looks around the house before making eye contact with her mother. "To school?"

"I'm taking you to school."

She groans. Her mother was old school, she did not want her mother to make a scene at the school on her first day.

Li Jing had her reasons for that fear, on her freshman year in her former school, her mother had humiliated her by telling her classmates that she stopped bedwetting at the age of Ten. She had to walk through the school gates for three whole years and bear the shame of being called the pee-girl.

Her mother slightly exaggerated the fact, she actually stopped bedwetting at the age of Eight. But before she could clarify, the damage had already been done.

Li Jing got out of her mothers Milky white sedan and waved to her. "Bye mum. See you in the afternoon!"

Her mother simply waved and drove off. Li Jing stood in the middle of the crowded parking area and took a deep breath. She turned around in circles, taking in the exquisiteness of the school. She smiled, this was going to be one hell of a ride.

"Get off my way you!" A deep velvety voice interrupted her thought and a hand pushed her out of her spot in the parking area.

Li Jing staggers and falls on the ground. Her knee scrapes against the hard surface of the ground and a bruise is formed. She looks at her bleeding knee and her cheeks redden in anger.

The guy who pushed her just presses a button on his car key to lock his car, throws his bag over his shoulder and walks off. Li Jing stands up and hurries after him. How dare he?!

She catches up to him and gives him a resounding slap on his right cheek. This causes people to stare and gather round them in a circle.

Some people bring out their phones to film the event.

"A girl slapped Lu Chen."

"I've never seen her before, it's like she's new."

"What?! A new girl?!"

"How desperate. Seeking drama on her first day at school."

"Everyone, clear OFF!!!" The guy who she slapped, Lu Chen, shouts at everyone and the students all scurry away.

"Hey, I'm sorry. My temper just got the better of me." Li Jing apologizes but Lu Chen raises a palm to stop her.

"Save it." He says and walks away. He takes three steps and pauses. "You just signed your fucking death warrant."

The last statement was spoken in a low menacing voice but the stillness of the air makes the statement sound louder than it should and it produces a chilly effect on Li Jing.

*******

"Goodmorning sir." Li Jing greets Mr Zhao, the principal of Cheng High school, a stern faced slim looking man with an ominous aura.

"Morning, please have your seat." He says and gestures to one of the chairs in front of his desk. Li Jing cleans her sweaty hands on her skirt and sits down on the specified seat.

"I understand that you are a transfer student from Lakeview High?"

"Er... yes sir."

"Name?"

"Li Jing."

"Hmmm." He says and flips through her file. He nods his head and peers at her through his owl like glasses.

"You are born on the eleventh of July."

Li Jing doesn't know whether it's a question or a statement so she chooses to answer with a smile.

"When I ask you a question girl, you answer me." Mr Zhao says drily.

"I'm sorry, yes sir. I was born on the eleventh."

"According to your file, you want to be a lawyer but you hate Government studies, Citizenship education, english, Mathematics, History and Geography. But you love Fine arts, swimming, sleeping, eating new foods, exploring new places and ..." Mr Zhao pauses and runs a puzzled eye over the file once again. "... fighting?"

"Yes sir."

"Do you think this school is a joke?" Mr Zhao asks, the vein on his forehead pulsating.

Li Jing looks around in confusion. "I don't see anything funny about this school sir."

Mr Zhao sniffs and places the file on his desk. "Your class is Grade 12D. Now get out of my office, I wish you the best of luck in your .... studies."

Grabbing a student guide leaflet from the secretary, Li Jing makes her way to her class. She observes the students from class 12A downwards.

The students in class 12A are all studying and the atmosphere is quiet and subdued. A bunch of complex mathematical equations are written on the board and the students there all look very serious. No body is interacting with each other in class 12A.

The students in class 12B are all listening to the teacher who is standing infront of the class and mixing some chemicals. Only few people are not listening to the teacher and those that are not listening are simply reading their Chemistry textbooks.

Li Jing shudders at the thought of being in class 12A or 12B.

The students in class 12C are divided. There is a collective murmur in the class. At one end of the class, a boy is sleeping on his desk, at another corner, three boys are reading, at the front of the class, a girl is staring into space while the boy beside her is writing something in his book. People are interacting with themselves and at one end of the class, a group of girls stand around another girl, they give her the stink eye as she passes the class.

Class 12D seems to be the last class in their grade. Beside the class is a staircase leading downstairs.

Li Jing pauses infront of the class and takes a deep breath. The class door is locked though she hears a loud noise that seems like people cheering. She opens the door and everything seems to go in slow motion.

A bucket filled with eggs and flour is emptied on her head and over her school uniform.

The occupants of the class cheer and whoop belatedly while people take pictures and videos of her humiliation.

Li Jing bolts out of the classroom, tears flow down her cheeks. "Hapoy first day of school to me." She thinks.