76. Morning assembly

"You all, get out now. Enough chit-chat." Olivia swung the towel she using to dry her hair at them.

"Didi. Do you really have to go to bed this early?" Ritutandra complained.

"Mhmm." Olivia nodded.

"Alright, guys. Let's leave Olivia and her sleep alone else who knows we might only go out of this room with black and blue patches all over us. Let's play safe." Trayee was the first to get up.

She crossed her hand behind her head and walked towards the door.

"You've become sensible," Olivia said like an elder praising her junior's good behaviour.

"It's the result of all those kicks and punches." Parijat taunted.

Trayee, who had almost gone out of the room rushed back at lightning speed and kicked his butt.

"Your mouth will be the death of you," Olivia shook her head as Parijat looked at her with teary eyes.

Ritutandra made a disgusted face at him and left with Nilambori.

"When do you plan on leaving?" Olivia threw the towel on a chair, sat on the bed crossing her legs.

"Aahhh. I'm hurt, let me recuperate for some time." Parijat slid over the bed on his belly and lay sprawled with his arms and legs like a starfish.

Olivia used her watch to set a timer and said, "You have three minutes."

"Haaa. You're so stingy. Can't you coax your Lil cute baby brother since he just got beaten up?" Parijat pouted.

Olivia looked at him indifferently and said, "Two minutes twenty-eight seconds."

Parijat quietened and pressed his face on the bed. After he left, Olivia prepared the bed to sleep. Just then, a little object caught her eyes. It was a keychain with three mini figurines. It was lying on the ground, probably fell from her bag. She picked it up and kept it on the table.

The next morning, all the students gathered on the ground for the morning assembly. Once the Principal arrived, a part of the ground rose, making a raised platform. The

Principal climbed on it and greeted the students, "Good morning everyone. From today onwards your overall score on your performance will be shown on the display screen."

He pointed towards the big holographic projection on one side of the field which was showing the rankings of the students along with their ID number, class and section.

"I would now ask our School Captain and Vice Captain to start our morning prayer."

Ritutandra got on the platform.

The Principal whispered, "Where's the Captain?"

Although he was asking Ritutandra, his eyes were scanning the crowd in search of the said Captain. Olivia, very conveniently, lowered her head.

'Do you think I'm stupid? Are you thinking that you can hide your bamboo-like figure behind that short boy just by lowering your head?' The Principal thought.

However, Olivia, even after feeling the Principal's intense gaze, behaved like nothing happened.

"Sir, the Captain isn't feeling well so she asked me to carry on." Ritutandra good-naturedly conveyed the Captain's words.

The Principal gave her a sidelong glance and nodded. Ritutandra cleared her throat and started the assembly.

Hearing Ritutandra's words, Koushik stared at Olivia in confusion. The other newcomers around them also turned towards her but immediately looked away after receiving her death glares.

At the end of the assembly, Ritutandra said, "Another addition to the previous announcement is that along with your ID numbers, your names will be shown on the display screen too."

Her eyes caught Olivia's whose face clearly had it written which familyf*cker decided this?

She gave her a sympathetic look and ended the assembly. While the students were dispersing, Olivia slowed down her pace, walking at the very end.

Ritutandra casually walked past her, whispering, "Good luck."

Olivia stopped short, thinking to herself, 'For f*ck's sake, that sh*t doesn't work for me, sis.'

She knew it. A sudden call from the Administrator General could be nothing but trouble and more work. He even roped the Principal into his plans to torment her! She spotted the Administrator General's accomplice walking at a distance and glared at him. The Principal felt her burning gaze and smirked, looking right at her.

Olivia gritted her teeth and muttered, "Amazing. So this was just the first phase of the troubles coming my way! Okay, bring it on. I'll also show you how slimy and slippery I can be."

She was walking along the hallway where someone waiting for her. She stopped in her tracks and raised her eyebrows.

"Hey, what was that on the ground? You were clearly present. Why did the VC lie?" Koushik asked the question that was itching his tummy since the beginning of the assembly.

"I don't report to you," Olivia said as cold as usual.

He clicked his tongue, "Tch. I was just asking. Why are so serious all the time?"

She just stared at him blankly.

Koushik slapped his temple and said, "Okay okay, I get it. You don't have a large word bank. I wonder how are you able to live without talking?"

'I do talk. A lot. But with myself.' Olivia replied in her mind.

Seeing her still looking at him with that expressionless face, Koushik became exasperated, "Come, come. Let's go to class. You're so boring."