Chapter 1.2: "When you did something out of your character"

"How's your school today honey? Did it go well?" I smiled wryly after Mama suddenly asked me in the middle of a quiet supper between us.

"Everything's fine, mom. I am doing great," I simply responded to her as I shifted my focus back at the meal before me.

Unlike the last time together, the rest of our family members except for me and my mother went to other places which explains why the dinner table tonight is nearly empty and incomplete. Papa and kuya Terrence just flew to Japan two days ago to deal with some business issues and will be back after a week. Ate Monice has also gone to Europe after hearing that one of the branches of the clothing line where she worked at suddenly had a problem and would probably return home in the next few days. Meanwhile her twin, Kuya Matt, is currently stranded in the capital since he had to make up with his days of skipping work, so apparently it will take him twice the times of his absences before he could finish the heaps of paperworks he left there. In short, I will spend the rest of the month with merely just the two of us, or maybe like the usual — just me, all alone.

Why am I not surprised, knowing that I came from a family where career and work must stand atop in their long-list of personal priorities — even before their loved ones or anything that is wholesomely senseless. I've been used to it now, since I grew up in this kind of lonesome and monotonous environment. Anyway, what doesn't kill you can make you totally invulnerable to almost anything, so there's no point of stressing over it 'cause aside from the fact that it is frivolous at pathetic, I also can't force them to choose me over their profession, just so we can bond and have fun in Alice's wonderland rather than working their important million-dollar deals off.

Also, I'm a growing and independent adolescent already so wishing for something like 'family bond' is nothing but just a stupid and ridiculous concept. This is the stage where some teenagers like me should no longer be asking for their family's attention, although some parts of my mind are subtly craving for it — perhaps to fill the void they excavated away from my childhood. I might even puke diamonds if someone around my age can directly say something they wanted like their parents' time and care, without even mentally shaming their dignities. I swear to God I will.

"I'm glad to know that you're still doing well in that institution. Perhaps, San Ignacio is not as bad as it seems after all," she said in a complacent manner. "But just in case you don't like it there anymore, you can tell me immediately so I can transfer you immediately to another school."

"No thank you. I'm okay mom, don't worry."

"Well, if you say so."

I kept silent and continue eating. To be honest, I was half-lying about what I said just now. In fact, I was half-lying for FOUR days straight ever since the first day of classes. Yes, it's been four days since I've been to SIHS and somehow I got a little bit disappointed knowing that my expectations didn't meet my unjust reality. I thought that when I study there, people will start seeing me as a person they can consider as their equal — but I guess that would be the least thing to ever happen in my life.

Rather than treating me like a normal student just like how I wanted it to be, they entitled me as a ROYALTY instead — like a literal, blue-blooded queen ant inside an anthill of workers. And it's not because I initially subjugated them to become my servants, but because they're enslaving themselves to me on their own accord.

In contrast from volunteering to do things for me even if I didn't asked for it, my schoolmates spontaneously avoid me in the best way possible whenever I try to approach one of them just to have a small, casual talk regarding school stuffs. When I walk through the halls or in the pathway, they always move to the side and submissively lowering their heads as I walk past them. It's unpleasantly disturbing how I could clearly see the mixture of fear and vigilance reflected upon their glossy eyes every time they look at me, as if I'm a wicked witch or someone who has an infectious disease. They are afraid of what might happen to them in return if they accidentally created a mistake around me.

Although I could understand them slightly for that reason, I still couldn't take the fact that they're giving me special treatment most especially the teachers and the rest of the faculty staffs who were supposed to have much more authority in the school. I'm not a daughter of a country president but they obviously treat me as one, they even respected me more than their pride as public professionals. The compliments they give me are always on the superlative level which are terribly annoying as how they also give me more credits for being attentive compare to my classmates. But I'm not saying that it's a bad thing though, and I deserve the honor since I am indeed an excellent stude regardless of my status, however they are a bit unfair towards my peers because of that biased grading. If this situation could kill, perhaps I wouldn't be breathing anymore.

Aside from having my own customized seat in the classroom as well as in the cafeteria and library, I also have my own bed at the school clinic. Not only that because there is also one cubicle inside the Girls' toilet room that is exclusive for me. And to top it all, even the textbooks and other school utilities I use are always unique and at its finest quality unlike to what my classmates usually receive.

Whenever I get late or unintentionally forget to bring my ID oftentimes, the school guard will still let me in but the others are not so they are punished by trimming the grass on the field while exposed under the heat of the sun for a couple of hours. There's also a punishment for those who miss their cleaning assignments daily while on the other hand, I am free to do whatever I bloody want during those cleaning hours, because no matter how much I pleaded for it they still won't allow m to volunteer. And even though it's mandatory to join any sports or physical fitness club in school, there is always a exclusion when it comes to me. Their reasoning is base on my previous medical records that I — quote unquote — have a 'delicate' immune system which explains why I easily get sick before.

Like, what the perk? Where is the freaking equality here? Don't they know that the medical record they thought as an excuse for my exemption actually came from my pre-schooling documents? Just because I currently look like a bloodless mummy due to my natural skin complexion and vitals doesn't mean I can't do those stuffs, a'right? Shame on those judgey people.

Honestly, I wanna give the crown of blame to my parents. They are the reason why most of the people at my school sees me as a fragile thing needed to be taken care of inside a grand museum. I'm starting to think that they must have paid the school staff themselves just to make sure I am always in a good condition while studying there at all cost, and I'm absolutely not okay with that foul play. This is technically not the main cause why I signed up for this in the first place. If I only knew that this is what will happen beforehand, I would have just chosen my old school instead since I was also treated there the same bloody way — minus the 'queen' thingy because we are all princes and princesses there.

All I freaking requested for is simple, to study in a normal school and experience normal things. But why does it seem so hard to obtain? What's so difficult in being normal? Don't I already have what it takes that destiny still seems to intrude against my plans?

I excused myself after I'm done eating and hurriedly went upstairs to get back inside my room. My daily routine is always as mundane as this. I go to school, I go home, I lock myself in the room and then I'll sleep and wait for tomorrow just to go to school again. It's like I've been running in circles, and regardless of how fast my pacing was, I still go back to where I started. There's no exhilarating progress, only a repetitive series of activities. And even though I tried to entertain myself through reading books, playing instruments, watching films and other stuff, nothing seems to excite me anymore. At the end of the day, I will always find myself gawking at the ceiling, wishing that I could just die and get reincarnated to another life as a different person in the low-working class. A lot of people usually say that rich kids like me are lucky because we can do whatever we want but heck, they had no idea that I'm secretly being restraint from getting something that I truly longed for — which is to have a life. A real one.

Another thing, although movies make it look like a piece of cake, I never thought it would be so hard to drill a way between the rich class and the poor class. It's like trying to make a tall ladder between Heaven and Earth — which is humanely impossible. I should have known that they could never treat me as equal because I am not one of them to begin with. If I wanted to make everyone see me differently, the best option there should've been is to convince my parents that I will disguise as an average schoolgirl even for just a year. I was barely known as a rich person in public anyway so it will never be a problem, but of course knowing them, they will not let me either. If I say that, my dad will definitely get mad — enough to drag me to Japan where he mainly works at and force me to study in a secluded academy there. And when that happens, I'd be restrained even more like a bird inside a cage and my freedom will be completely taken away from me.

"I just hope tomorrow's gonna be different," I said to myself as I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

The next time I open my eyes, another sunny daylight greeted me as I rose from the bed — barely having the will to get up after realizing my situation last night aside from the lack of sleep. However, I still manage to take a shower, dress myself, ate breakfast (which is not really my thing), and went to school in less than three and a half hours of that early morning rituals.

In contrast with how bright the weather was today, I marched inside the campus grounds with the gloomiest look I could ever had at daytime. People might mistaken me as somebody who came from a dreary funeral yesterday but I don't care.

As usual, my schoolmates couldn't help but look towards my direction as I walk through the corridor of the main building. Aside from noticing the aura I've been radiating ever since I showed up, they probably must have been wondering why am I still studying here at their school up until now. Well, it doesn't matter anymore, they can think or say whatever they want to for all I care. Anyway, if there is still no change in my life for a month then rest assured that I will definitely go back to AU and disappear from their sight like this never happened.

Not unless, a miracle will happen here of course.

"YOU SON OF A FUCKING BITCH!"

My half-asleep consciousness got instantly awaken by the moment I heard a loud voice at the left side across the building hall where I currently stood at. As I turned around, I saw a horde of students squeezing in a particular area meters away from me. Out of curiosity, I walked closer to their direction and see things for myself. Now this is something I don't usually encounter everyday.

But because I'm a vertically-challenged kind of person, I have to stand on my toes to lift my body up just to have a peek on what was happening inside the mass circle. Unfortunately, the three guys in front of me happened to be enormously tall so the pointe technique didn't work that much, well at the very least I saw half of a guy's head facing on the opposite direction.

"Wait, why are they fighting dude?"

"Looks like someone got into Montega's nerves again."

"I pity that guy from STEM department. He's too handsome to get beaten."

"Girl, they're both handsome."

"I know right? I can't decide which one should I side for! Eek!"

I heard various commentaries from the people surrounding me but since I also did not know who they were referring to, I decided not to pay too much attention to it. However, based on what they just said, it seems like there are two people fighting at the middle of this crowd rim here in the corridor. They even mentioned the name of the person who I think is one of the prominent students in this school. And because I'm a girl who always stick my nose in something that piques my interest even if it is other people's businesses, I decided to go around to find a good spot where I can get through and see the show upfront. Fortunately, I found an empty space around 9 o'clock so I immediately wedged myself into that area.

My eyes immediately stopped wandering around after I set my sight on the scene. There was a rough-looking guy who was one-handedly choking another guy covered with injuries and bruises on his face and limbs. One of his hands is holding a broken skateboard, as the other half of it is lying on the floor. If I'm gonna judge this scene by first impression, he is with no doubt oppressing the other person who looks he's about to die any minute now.

I focused my eyes more on the strangler and quickly notice about his slightly-torn undershirt behind his unbuttoned, chocolate brown motorcycle jacket. His sleeves are rolled which flaunted his bare arms wrapped in sterile dressing. I lifted my gaze back to his face and stared intently at him, and it was only then that I realized how his facial attributes appeared to be a mesmerizing vision in my eyes. His dark curly hair, his pitch black eyes, his perfectly-carved nose, his sexy thin lips, and his well-toned body is bloody screaming 'perfection' all around him. But what made me froze isn't about his god-like face and body but because he feels so familiar. And suddenly, a scene that took place on the first day of school came back to my memory.

Geez, he's the hooded ruffian who kicked the door of our classroom last time!

I mentally snapped back just before I was about to get totally hypnotized by the view of him. Disregarding his physical charisma though, what he's currently doing is something that is not ethically tolerable. I mean, he's gonna suffocate that person to death! Somebody has got to do something!

I looked at the people around me who were more focused on the on-going live show. My forehead furrowed because it seems like none of them had any intention of stopping the ruffian from doing what he was doing now. I was stunned out of dismay and frustration. Why are they just staring? Wouldn't they do anything at all?

It startled not only me but the other spectators as well when he just harshly dropped his victim on the ground like some kind of a light object. The receiving end coughed hard as he gently caressed the part of his reddened neck due to the tightness of the strangulation. I thought that was it not until the ruffian suddenly kicked the poor guy's stomach several times and forced him to roll into a nerf ball on the cold, cemented floor — totally weak and helpless. He whimpers in extreme pain every time he gets kicked while I, on the other hand, secretly clenched my fist and tightened my jaw. I did not realize that I was already shaking not out of fear but out of rage.

And so what I did next is totally out of my character.

"Hey! That's enough!" I yelled as thunderous as I could and quickly threw the phone I was holding to the ruffian's direction, enough to haul his attention towards me.

And because I put a lot of force from that throw, it made a loud thud when it miraculously hit his head. As a result, not only a few but everyone in that hall especially him turned around to face me.

As if on cue, the students move aside when they saw me so the space surrounded me widened even more. People around us started murmuring again but my eyes were only focused on the guy I threw my phone at. And just like me, he was staring at my face as if he could disintegrate me through his malevolent glare. Metaphorically, there is an electrifying line in between us as our flaming eyes met each other.

He stepped closer to me and stopped as soon as we're only just a couple of inches apart. His gigantic height is proudly towering over me. Or was I too small?

"Why did you do that?" he asked in a calm manner despite of his flamboyantly annoyed tone of speech. His proximity towards me is undeniably suffocating

"B-Because you're a big i-idiot." I tried to release the same vibe he's trying to manifest upon me in order to show that I wasn't completely intimidated by him, and yet I almost stuttered out of fear. No one can blame me, after all this is my first time getting involved in this kind of scenario so it's just natural for me to shiver. Besides, no knees won't surely wobble just by hearing his gruff voice.

His aura grew even darker as he showed his gritted teeth. "Don't you know who I am, huh?" he snarled.

"H-How about me? Do you also know who you were talking to?" I asked back as I fought against his stare. He could have strangled me already just like what he did to the other guy if only he wasn't suppressing his anger to me.

For a second, I thought he was going to grab me by the collar but he just lifted my ID card to read my name written on it. Unlike other students, my ID is also customized so its design is distinct when compared to others.

I saw him smirked before he returned his gaze back to mine. "Ah, I see. So you're that QUEEN everyone has been talking about recently," he said in a mocking manner. "Well, this all makes sense now. But damn, I seriously wasn't informed that you were such a stunt in person."

"Excuse me?" I gave him a confused look when he snickered. What did he just called me? A stunt?

"Look miss, I hope to offend you not but if you think that you can make me bend my knees down before you like everybody else in this hall just because you had a higher status in the society, well you are mistaken." He laughed boisterously. Where did he even get that idea? "Cause let me tell you this, I am not afraid of people such as you. You only had the upper hand since you're rich but when you have no money, you guys are all pathetic as hell," he added.

I flinched as I felt ridiculed by what he just said.

"How dare you say that, that's not true! Not all of us act like that as you say!" I defended.

"Tss, liar! Who do you think will believe in that stupid and baseless statement? Rich people have always been the same. Greedy, selfish, and fucking pretentious! You all act like an innocent sheep after you wash your bloody motherfucking hands!" His grin faded as he snapped his eyebrows together. "Tell me, what's your true motive for studying here, huh? Let me guess, is it because you wanted to display how goddamn lucky you are that you weren't born in the slums and eat shits everyday?"

"You! Take back what you said," I spoke with an extremely dull expression pasted on my face. I noticed how he scoffed when he saw how I secretly balled my hands into fists harder than earlier. "You don't know anything about me so you have no right to say that."

He lips twitched before he leaned his face closer to me. "You're right, I don't know you. But you also don't know me yet so you have no right to interfere with me or to whatever I fucking do."

He pushed me violently so I fell to the floor. The demon grinned before he picked up the broken skateboard and turned his back on me. But before he could get away I was already standing.

"YOU'RE A MONSTER!" I hollered at him.

He looked back the second time and then showed his two middle fingers as he mouthed the word 'fuck you' before he puts his hands to his pockets while walking away. I watched his back irritatingly and decided to stand up when I lost the sight of him upstairs.

The bell rang which signaled the viewers to start moving around. The guy who was beaten earlier were immediately brought to the school clinic while I still remain standing like a statue in the middle of the hallway. I still couldn't recover from the fact that this is the very first time I've ever been humiliated in front of a large audience.

And to lose against stupid guy like him is what makes it even more humiliating. How unutterably ridiculous.