Victor Cruz

"Couples"

These days, that's all society seems to care about. Who is dating who and why are they together? A relationship between a male and female will forever be a hot topic in the modern age. Especially for those who are young and attending schools. To have a special girl in your life, that is every man's dream. That being said, not every guy has a girlfriend and the same holds true for girls. For some reason there are some guys who are just incapable of being in an relationship.

No, incapable is not the right word. It is not that some guys are incapable, it's just that they don't take initiative. I am one of those guys. If I have a girl I like, I would simply stare at her awkwardly and not start a conversation with the person. Why? Because I'm shy of course and afraid of getting hurt. There are plenty of guys who are just like me, single for most of their lives. Not knowing the true benefits of being around someone special to you.

From my observation, I can tell that guys who have girlfriends have good confidence in themselves. They are highly motivated to stuff compared to those who are single. A relationship can really change a man. I have seen it happen many times. Erick! A classmate I knew back in middle school was a timid dude who was always getting bullied. Everything changed after he started dating a cute girl from a different class. He ensured that the bullying stopped and his self esteem drastically rose.

What would change about me if I was suddenly in a relationship with a girl? I asked myself this question many times. I always seem to have long monologues with myself when surrounded by couples. The reason for my ranting was simple. Everywhere I look, I see students in the same blue and white uniform as me in pairs. One boy and one girl, most pairs were holding hands. That alone should indicate that they are a couple. Being on the same street, walking by myself while surrounded by couples made me feel uneasy. I could drown myself five times over and still feel like doing it some more.

"All Star Academy. This is where I can start a new". This school is where I'll determine one thing. If I can truly change as a person. I have four goals moving into my first semester. First goal is to be famous amongst my pairs. Middle school taught me that famous individuals usually have a ton of manipulative powers over normal students. If I can just become popular in All Star, maybe my life can finally feel enjoyable. Second goal is to Never kill a classmate no matter what. This might be the trickiest goal of them all. It would not hurt if I made a best friend in my first semester too. Just before I entered the campus, I saw a couple exiting. Holding hands and eating pastries. Cute moments like those are what I yearn for too. Last goal is to get a girlfriend or at least in the process of getting one.

I arrived at the school gates for a while now, standing there feeling nervous. Today is the first day in All Star, a symbolic moment. . Back in middle school I was subjected to bullying, discrimination for my beliefs and the biggest outcast there is. Not even teachers could help my situation back then. Now is different, I made sure to attend the best school in the world. A school where I know my previous classmates will not attend. All Star Academy only accepts exceptional students. Teenagers who are incredibly talented and have excellent grades. There are many branches world wide. I got accepted by the Europe Branch. "As of today. I am a new me" I said rearing to go. When I entered the school gates, I saw a huge crowd in front of the notice board. The board displayed the classes all the students were assigned to for the school year. As a guy who is terrible with crowds, I quietly waited for the crowd to leave.

"Victor Cruz- Class 1B"

After knowing which class I was assigned to, I headed to the classroom. Main building second floor, third room on the right. Before I opened the door to my new classroom, my hands suddenly began to tremble. Memories of my middle school days flooded back to me without any warning. "Now's not the time for this. I haven't even seen them" I told myself while the holding the doorknob. A new chapter of my life begins now.

The classroom was already filled with students. It was 7:30 am and school officially starts at 8. Almost everyone was early on their first day of school. I wished I have arrived earlier because my favourite seat was already taken. It is no secret that the window seats are always the best. Being able to look out through the window whenever you like, that's something every guy loves. Fortunately, there was an empty seat at the back. Time wasters always spends time at the back of the class but I don't mind that. The benefits outweigh the costs in my opinion. With a backseat, I can assess the entire class without anyone looking at me. Study my classmate's behavioural patterns and most events that will unfold.

I immediately took my seat without saying a word to my new classmates. I can't help but feel like I messed up already. Is it too late to greet the class good morning? I headed to my seat without even thinking or glancing at the other students. Old habits die hard I guess. Around 10am, all the first years were gathered inside the auditorium, beside the main building. The teachers showed us a brief presentation of what is expected of them. Students are expected to always have their ID pinned to their top pocket. Participate in extracurricular activities after school and not violating the rules.

After a long lecture from the Principal, Mr Raihan. The Student Council President presented himself on stage. He was what I expected from an high school student president. Neatly groomed, wears a light green jacket over his blue shirt and pants that fit just right. A lot of guys recently thought it was famous to wear tight pants, I'm glad to see that our president is not one of them. Other from his attire, his looks were also decent. Short hair that's white as snow with grey eyes and brown skin. His face was filled with confidence as he walked on stage.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!!"

"STEPHANO!"

The girl's screams spread throughout the whole auditorium. Despite it being their first day at the school, most of the girls my grade already seems to be big fans of the president. Just how famous is he? The president cleared his throat and gave us a warm speech.

"Good Morning my fellow students. I am your current Student Council President, Stephano Souken. As of today, each and everyone of you are students of All Star Academy. Do you know what this means? Everyone around the world will be having their eyes on you at all times, expecting nothing but the best. I know you all are talented individuals or else you wouldn't be here. Make the most out of the opportunity given to you. When it's time for graduation, you will all have the capability to leave a big impact on the world. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your stay here"

In response to his speech, everyone clapped and screamed out of admiration. I understood why everyone was so excited to see this person in the flesh. I have heard news about a person named Stephano Souken, running national scale businesses while attending high school. It was a pretty impressive feat for a student, no wonder everyone admires him. Another reason for the girl's riling is because of his last name Souken. If I remember correctly, the Souken Family is the richest family in Italy and to top it off. Every member is very influential worldwide. Whether it's politics or entertainment. "Guys like him would be at this school". The president continued to explain a ranking system exclusive to this school. After midterm exams, every student will receive a rank added to their IDs. This determine who is at the very top and who's suffering at the bottom.

By the end of the first year assembly, the students were free to buy lunch then leave the premises. They can also stay and look around the school until 3pm. We will start our school year officially tomorrow morning. The cafeteria was surprisingly empty when I went there. Only the first years were present, the other grades were still in the middle of classes. I checked the school's menu and it did not take long for me to decide on what to buy. I see fried rice, so I ordered fried rice.

"Simple yet yummy"

I sat under a tree near the school gates and ate my lunch. As usual l was by myself. Shouldn't be surprised at this point. Not like I made any effort to make friends yet. Not this morning in class or during grade assembly. I missed two important opportunities just because I was too nervous. The girl beside me during the assembly seemed friendly. Looking back at it now, I wish I had said something to her." My first day could have been better if I tried hard enough but oh well. There's always tomorrow". All that matters to me now was chowing down my fried rice.