Upside Down

Have you ever stopped to think about how your life could change from one day to the next? Any specific circumstance that would turn everything upside down? She did, and she always smiled to herself at the thought that such situation would be winning the lottery suddenly. Of course, for that she would first have to buy a ticket, and to buy a ticket she had to be 18 years old. Not just 15, as was her case.

She didn't complain about her life, in fact she felt grateful most of the time because despite the economic limitations they had, her parents made an effort to make sure she didn't lack anything and always prioritized her access to education over other things, for example paying for internet service so she could do her homework.

But knowing that she would turn 16 that year, she couldn't avoid feeling a little sad when she saw on television the huge celebrations that other countries did either with 15 or 16 and she felt sad because that would be something that would never happen to her.

She knew something was wrong that morning when the house phone rang and asked for her parents, when she clarified that they were at work they told her that they were calling from her high school for a priority meeting the next day. She wrote down the hour they gave her and when she hung up, she couldn't help but feel that it was something weird, classes would start in one week and she was waiting for it to start so she would not be bored at home all day.

When the night arrived the first to arrive was her mother, greeting her with a hug while they finished preparing dinner, she used to do the basics and it was her mother who cooked the most elaborate.

She told her mother about the meeting and her mother called her work at once, excusing herself for not having given notice in time for the leave and promising to replace the hours. They had dinner alone because her father had not yet arrived and it was probably because he had had the chance to work a couple of extra hours, something that the man always appreciated because it was an additional income.

The following afternoon they arrived at the small auditorium of the institution, discovering that the parents of the upper-class students were also there. They sat down and waited until the principal turned on the microphone that made the characteristic sound when it is too close to the horn and for which everyone wanted to cover their ears. He began to speak a second later, apologizing for the sudden meeting and the reason for it.

"The deadline to receive the money transfer from the government was last week, since we didn't receive it, we have been making inquiries and they have already confirmed that it will not arrive."

The parents exchanged glances, worried because being a state institution they depended entirely on governmental and foundation funding for their operation.

"We have reviewed what reductions we can make and... well, the only way we have found to be able to function almost normally this year with the new budget is to remove the two upper grades."

"What are you saying?" She did not even turn to see which mother had said that.

"The meeting is precisely to tell you that this year the penultimate and last course will not be taught, we can't afford the teachers and the respective maintenance of the laboratories that your children need."

"We are a week away from the start of classes! What do you expect us to do at this point?!"

"You can't do this to us!"

"Our children can't be left without studying!"

"Calm down parents, please." No doubt the principal had expected such reaction. "I have been talking to other principals in the city, knocking on doors and trying to get them to accept at least one of your children, it has been a busy week but I managed to get 76 places in other high schools in the city." At last there was some sort of silence.

"There are 80 students," that was a father who had two children who were only a year apart and that is why he was aware of the number of students in the two classes respectively.

"That's right, I spoke with one more high school, a renowned private school who offered to give 4 scholarships to the best students, the 2 best students of each class will be the beneficiaries and their school year will be there."

"Are the schools close by?"

"They are all over the city, I would like to say that I got them within our area but no school was able to create so many places out of nothing."

"We will have to pay for transportation."

"It's either that or they don't study this year," a simple way of looking at it that made everyone nod, at least no one would be left without studying. "Now please in order go to the wall, there are posted the lists and the name of the institute to which each student was assigned. Ama, Gōjo, Konoē and Usui," read the man and her mother froze when she heard her last name. "Congratulations, you are the ones selected for the scholarship. Please go to my secretary for further information."

Both they and the others that the principal named approached the secretary, the woman handed them a brochure that showed the information of the prestigious private school that was on the other side of the city, giving them also a letter with which they should approach a specific store in which 3 uniforms would be given to each one of them. At that moment all her mother could do was thank for the opportunity and she for her part wondered exactly what the implications would be for her life.

.

She looked in the mirror to be sure that her new uniform had no wrinkles, she had been given one for the days when she had sports and another one like the one she had for the others. This one consisted of a red plaid skirt, a white shirt, a dark blue vest and blazer with some red details and a red tie. Her black socks just above her knee and perfectly polished shoes, she bit her lip at the reflection, no doubt she looked like the students in the photos that the brochure had.

She combed her hair in her usual buns and after packing what she needed for that day, including the lunch that her mother had left ready in a lunch box, because the day at the new school was a little longer than the previous one.

She hugged her parent's goodbye who would be leaving shortly after her for their respective jobs and went to the bus stop. She had checked several times the route number she should take, the internet said it was a 40-minute ride with normal traffic conditions, she had to add at least 10 minutes more for the morning rush hour traffic jams so she had to leave at least 1 hour earlier. The bus passed as soon as she arrived at the bus stop and there was no inconvenience in the route, so she was early and slowly walked into the huge building.

The hallways and green areas were filling up with young people greeting each other and talking enthusiastically about their recent vacations and celebrating their reunion. She was just walking around trying to find her assigned classroom, the day before she had received the schedule for that year and she didn't want to be the rookie asking where everything was, she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself.

When she found the sign with the appropriate number she looked out, there were a few students sitting there who didn't pay much attention to her so she moved to one of the seats by the window and unloaded her backpack before sitting down to wait for the time to pass.

"Did you hear the rumor?" She heard them say among themselves the group that was already

"What rumor? We arrived just last night from the trip and my mother didn't want to let me stay home. I need a vacation from my vacation."

"It's serious, this year we will have new classmates."

"Every year we have new classmates, just as some leave because their parents move out of the country."

"No, no, it's different... it's bad."

"What are you talking about?"

"My mother told me that the principal decided to change the social work that the school does every year and instead of making a donation or whatever he does, he decided to offer scholarships."

"Scholarships?"

"Don't you get it?"

"Scholarships for people without resources, we'll have a couple of poverties between us!" She felt her back tense up when she heard them refer to her in that way.

"No way!"

"Yes! My parents were like crazy, several in the club were saying that they tried to get old Ōnoki to change his mind, but you know how he is."

"An old man with chitchat his age, he sure is senile by now."

"My dad couldn't change me to another school, but he made it very clear that I should be aware of who they are and not hang out with them. Can you imagine? Us next to a pauper?"

"How disgusting, really."

She clenched her fists involuntarily and stared out the window, trying not to listen to any more of a conversation that, although it involved her, was none of her business. A few minutes later someone sat in the front seat and greeted her.

"Michiko," she smiled when she saw her, "good morning."

"I almost didn't make it, this is too far away." She started to laugh softly, it was good to have a familiar face nearby

The teacher arrived shortly after and began to welcome them, explaining a little of what would await them that year and as it was their penultimate year, they had to prepare for the state exam that all institutions nationwide presented before graduation and from which excellent results were expected, always keeping the prestige of the school at the highest level.

After that he said that they had new faces, a young man introduced himself, telling that his father had recently been transferred to be appointed director of an important multinational company. And it was her turn.

"My name is Tenten Ama, I'm 15 years old..."

"Ama?" She nodded. "You are one of the scholarship beneficiaries," the tension that formed in the room could be cut with a knife and the murmurs started all at once, pointing at her without any regard and starting to look at her in a despising way.

She sat down, listening to Michiko just clarify that her last name was Usui and that was it. Officially they had just been declared the outcasts of the classroom and as they went out for their first recess, they realized that it wasn't just the classroom, it was the whole school. The senior students had a different recess time and for that reason alone they did not look for their two classmates from the previous high school to see if the same thing had happened to them, although it was very likely.

Fortunately, they both had the same subjects and the same schedule, so they started to walk together everywhere, thus having someone to study with and company. Since it seemed that no one wanted to touch them even with a stick, besides the different murmurs when they passed by were still there.

The only thing she had to do was to survive that year, with some luck for the next one she could return to her previous school or at least get a spot in another institute where she would not be treated that way. That was it, survive and try not to feel affected.

.

The teachers were satisfied with her performance, at least academically she had shown why she had been chosen for the scholarship and her first term report card proved it. Even if she took into account that the first week several of the teachers had been measuring if she was really "up to par" with the high school, the English teacher had found it surprising that she had mastered the language despite being from a state institute, and just that year it was stipulated in the program that they would start with French, so she was at the same level as most of her classmates who also learned it from 0.

That week in Chemistry class she heard the teacher ask everyone to pair up and she stood at her station without seeing anyone, Michiko had a cold and hadn't attended either the day before or that day, so she planned to just do it alone, it's not like anyone wanted to work with her besides.

"Keep in mind that the partner you choose for today will also be the one with whom you will develop the classroom project that you will have to hand in at the end of the year." Well, she would update her friend. One by one the man passed by the tables occupied by the couples, she was in the first row at the back. "Who will you work with, Miss Ama?"

"With Michiko, she is on medical leave for today but..."

"No, no, no," he moved his finger along with the words. "Today's experiment requires 2 people, according to my attendance list there are 2 students missing so there is an even number of assistants."

"I can do it by myself, I'm sure..."

"I said no"

"You can pair up with me," the voice came from the table on the opposite side of the room from she was at. She blinked slowly, she had seen that classmate before but had no idea who she was or had ever spoken to her before.

"Well, you heard Miss Inuzuka. Problem solved." She resignedly took her notebook and advanced across the room to the other table.

"I'm Hana," the girl held out her hand and she took it with trepidation.

"Tenten..."

She opened her notebook again to write down the teacher's instructions when he explained them the assignment for that day, handing them some test tubes and after finishing that part he went to the blackboard to start explaining the classroom project.

"Doesn't it bother you to know what you will have to work with me the rest of the year?"

"Why would that bother me? You're a good student." She smiled, grateful that she didn't reject her like everyone else did because of where she came from and looked at academics.

When she finished that class she went to her French class and then it was her turn for English literature, where she realized she hadn't noticed before that Hana was also there. She sat in her usual place and listened to the teacher also explain something about the classroom project that they would begin to develop that same day. Repeating again about being in pairs and the teacher refuting that it would be done with her absent partner. Seeing that the Inuzuka made signs to her so that the two of them would work again. And it's not as if she had any other choice.

She had not noticed that Hana was quite solitary in general, in the classes that she saw her accompanied by other classmates she seemed to remain relegated among the others and keep silent, probably because of that she had not had a definite partner to work with, as the others had.

When they left the literature class they walked together to the last class and from there they began to talk to each other, going out together to the breaks.

When she went to see Michiko over the weekend to lend her the notes and catch up on what she had missed because of her illness, she heard her complain about the teachers who did not take her into account and now who would she have to work with or work alone, she mentioned that they had said that another classmate was also missing but neither of them had any idea who it could be.

On Monday back to school Michiko talked to the teacher and he gave her the name of her partner, someone who almost never went to class because his parents lived traveling around the world and was almost never in the country, that is to say that she was practically alone in the project of the two subjects.

There was no problem in adding Hana to her breaks, the young woman was calm and pleasant so she combined well with the two of them who were also dedicated to not drawing attention to themselves.

A month after starting the project Hana invited her home, they had been staying sometimes in the school library collecting as much information as possible about what they were going to do for their projects. But it was time to start seeing if the theory was applicable to practice and besides, they were not very comfortable in the library because it was closed only an hour after classes ended.

"Let's go to my house," it was obvious that she could not answer and say that they better go to hers. "We have a complete library where we will surely find something."

She nodded as she couldn't refute her, she was about to ask about the bus route to go when she saw that the Inuzuka was heading towards one of the many luxurious black cars that used to park in front of the school and she signaled her to get in as well.

The windows were partially tinted but still she could see out, as the car drove further and further into a neighborhood where each house seemed larger than the previous one, finally stopping a few minutes later in front of a huge property that spanned practically the entire block.

She tried not to look overly dazzled either by the size or by all the details that screamed how far from home she was and that she would never know what it was like to live in such place.

No, not even if she won the lottery would she be able to live in such place.

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All corrections and comments are always well received, they help me improve a lot.

Hope you like it!