Chapter One.

"Oh look, it's her." A voice whispered from behind me then muttered something under her breath. "The bastard bitch."

"Yes, it's her. I can't believe she would do such a demonic thing." Another one croaked out in agreement and my poor ears could do nothing else than to stand firmly and absorbed all of the whispering and chanting of the school gossiping. Not that I blamed it though.

"Me neither. We have to be careful around her." The first voice again said and mumbled something that sounded like a warning. Then I patiently waited to hear the other one's response but only the early morning wind whistled past my ears. They probably left, I thought. I wondered what crime it was that I'd committed this time. It was either I slept with a teacher, or I ruined the life of a student, or even bullied a little child. Whatever it was, at least I knew the first two might had been true, but bullying a little child? No way. I'd just wait till they were a little of my age, then strike. I knew how it felt to be bullied at a pretty young age. Why would I try to haunt the life of a young person?

"Miss Marie?" A tall skinny looking woman dawdled towards me with her eyes staring ferociously at me through her bug eyed glasses. "You're late again." She huffed.

"It was on purpose." I confirmed, and she only grunted in disgust. "Technically, 10 am is early from where I came from."

"10 am is second period here." She implied then continue after giving me a second to roll my eyes. "Give this to the Principal." She dropped a pile of files in my hands and turned back before I could even protest. I'd say she got lucky I was in a good mood. Deliver some trash to the principal?No big deal. And so I headed to the hall way. Now, unlike other schools where disrobed bulletin boards surrounded everywhere, large bins of waste paper specifically in the hallways by the locket alcoves, my school on the other hand was always fucking clean. It's hallway had ocean green marble floors and white walls, not a single hand print or scuffled mark anywhere. Doors, glossy black were numbered with yellow digits that matched the fancy globe shaped handles. I must say I give credits to them, even when I know we have hardworking cleaners half the number of students. I mean, asides from the materials, it's dimension, the width being at least twice that of other schools around.

Some students perambulated down the hallway, a lot of them minding their businesses, others gossiping about how they'd love to die. (I just normally imagined that was what they gossiped about. It helps me... relax a bit.)

Did you hear what the witch did this time?" A voice asked though I couldn't tell where the question was coming from. Then, bam! He bumped into me and you could tell from the terrified look on his face, he had sure been gossiping about me. "Ahh, no. I'm sorry... I, um-" His puffed cheeks in no time flustered red as his eyes stared in awe.

Well, 'what a day?' you might think I was having. But it was a normal one for me.

"Go." I barked out and in the blink of an eye, he vanished before me. Another dummy was already standing in my front, gritting his teeth in fear.

"Th-thank you." He awkwardly gave a scary looking bow; knees pushing forward, eyes squinting as his mouth transformed into a squashed position and head lowering down so fast they would have pounced on mine if I hadn't taken a wide step backwards, then trotted off to meet the other guy who were supposedly friends. Hmmm. I carefully adjusted the strap of my cheap ass Ribbon Tie Camisole dress. Oh but you see, this cheap ass piece of fabric was the only gift I'd ever received from my multimillionaire -- No no, multi-billionaire father. He does stack my bank account every year with enough millions of dollars that I doubt I'd hardly spend till I die, but the fuck though? Anyway, I wouldn't blame him. "I work for you, honey pie." Yes father, I know that. And I enjoy spending all the money that you make.

"Miss Marie," A deep husky voice muffled out from a tiny prison. "In my office, now." Oh right, the principal's office. I always thought of the tiny office as a prison room for poignant old men like Mr Duff over here.

"Of course, your highness." Like I had a choice other than to lumber directly to him. He just stood still, nodding in disappointment at me. The office was usually small and wrongly furnished, with a reeking icky smell of garlic bread or something, but today it was still small, wrongly furnished and smelled even worst. "What is that terrible smell? Geez!" I always knew my Acquadi Santa Maria Novella's fragrance would come in handy someday. God bless you Maria!

"Enough with the spray Miss Marie." He implored, but I only ignored and continued spraying till I counted to four. It didn't do anything in particular, I just liked to stalled after I'm being asked to do something.

"Now, that's better." I smiled.

"Have your seat." He gestured towards the tiny wooden thing that resembled a chair.

St Rudford high was a very big and highly recognised school all over... owned by some saddists-- I means church owners. Very big? Yea, big enough to occupy all of England's most gruesome bullies,(I myself not excluded) and of course highly recognised as a bribery and corruption centre. I can be damn well sure of that because my father is a full time high chief member of their bribery industry. Fuck, all they ever know is money, and money. Allowing all sort of criminal disguise themselves as students once they have their money with them.

Ensuring me waste his time for a short while, he finally resumed his boring talking. "Miss Marie--"

"Oh these were asked to be submitted to you." I dropped the trash of papers on his already occupied desk.

"Ah, thanks." He cleared his throat, then continued. "A new student will be transferring here by Monday." I raised my brows for him to further on his great discovery. Why the hell would he dare make such announcement to me? "Well," he started to talk after the blank expression on my face gave it all away. "We'd love for you to show her around--"

"And why would I care to do that?" I asked.

"You are not really in the position to talk back at me Miss Marie. At least not after what you'd just done." He pointed out.

"Ohh, then why not just punish me like you always do?" I offered.

"You know sending you home to take a two days leave from school isn't really a punishment."

I tilted my head to the left, weighing the theory he'd offer down. True, it would be impossible to suspend or even dared expel me from the school with the amount of influence my dad has. I was basically stuck with them. "Well, this is a real punishment now that I think about it. Show a student around? Are you going to allow all my father's donation to the school go to waste? Really, you don't like money anymore? Hmm."

"I would watch the attitude if I were you!" He hollered.

"Are you raising your voice at me, Mr Principal?"

"Miss Mar-" he sighed in frustration.

"It's really simple than you're imagining. Don't fret too much about this. Send me home as usual, though I must say I'll need the whole of this week." He smacked his lips and brushed off his already rough curly brown locks back. "Personal reasons." I added to back up my lie fully well.

"Miss Marie, I'm afraid you'll really be interested in meeting this new person.. uh, girl actually." he corrected, like I'd suddenly cared once I found out the gender. "We clearly heard some interesting news about you and this girl, a long time friend of yours you see." It still didn't ring a bell, in fact, it didn't ring anything to my ears. "Your Californian best friend for over.. is it four years now?"

Five. Five fucking long years!

I could already hear the bells ringing like crazy now, accompanied with a throbbing, pounding pain at the sides of my head. It couldn't be her. I gripped both hands together as tight as I could, awakening every dead body parts.

"When I saw her picture, I truly was fascinated. I mean especially seeing the heartwarming smile on both your faces. Oh and the matching outfit." He chuckled. "Barbie fans I suppose."

My lips began to chap so damn dry that I thought they would wither away as soon as all the water left there.

"Red haired chubby little sweetheart, next to little Miss Marie's sunflower Blonde--"

"Name!" I barked out.

"I'm sorry?" He coughed. Maybe it was her, maybe it wasn't. Who knows? But deep down, I wanted it to be her. I've longed for her so dearly, imagining every possible magical adventure we'd start together this time. The room suddenly became hotter than earlier and I wondered if it had always been like that. Using the soft hand towel I recently found after loosing it for three months in my bedroom, I dabbed off the tiny freckles of sweat that had appeared on my forehead. Or at least I thought there were there, seeing how my fucking palms had already became all sweaty and shit. I tried a few deep breathing but only stopped after barely taking the third breathe. Stupid doctors told me it was a good relaxation technique and I should practice it whenever I felt tensed. I was tensed. Why wasn't it freaking working!

Zoe, focus. Focus.

Using the last beat of serenity before it walked out on me, I managed to ask. "Name. Give me her name."