001: A Century Later

CURRENTLY,

"Ophelia, the school admin requested your presence," one of the juniors informed Ophelia, who had just finished beating the boy who had been getting on her nerves since her first year.

After several warnings from her mother not to hit anyone or get involved with anyone, not even a friend, she made sure to stay in her lane until this Landon boy came into the picture.

He was well-built, the prominent figure in the whole of Crystal College, or you could say the heir of the school as his mother was the admin of the school. For that reason, he always hit and bullied those who got on his nerves and irritated him.

And among those who irritated him was Ophelia Gaian, the girl with onyx eyes, chestnut-colored hair, and pale-olive skin. Everything about Ophelia was different, making her the weirdest in class.

Ophelia had been tolerating Landon since the first year, until now, today, the first day of her resumption after being on sick leave.

"Don't you hear his mother calling for you? Or are you suddenly afraid of being expelled, weirdo?" the assistant class president asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She lowered her gaze to stare at Landon, who was seriously bruised, his face disfigured, teeth on the ground, looking like a mess and barely breathing. Guilt washed over her at what she did—she regretted not controlling her anger. She regretted not letting him be after he hit her.

Now her mother would be summoned to the school, and she would be expelled after the huge sum of money paid… just why her? She didn't ask for any of this! She didn't ask to be born this way!

She exhaled deeply, snapped out of the guilt before leaving for the school admin office.

It was quite a walk from the student block to the admin block, but she walked as fast as her legs could carry her.

Arriving at the front of her office, she knocked faintly and with permission to enter, she walked in.

Her legs weakened at the sight of her mother, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Mrs. Gaian, your daughter almost killed my son. She is different, totally different, yet I accepted her without even caring about the fact that other schools rejected her," the admin revealed the obvious truth, making Ophelia's mother tighten her grip around her black skirt.

"I won't ask for compensation for the harm she did to my son. What I want is for you to take this girl out of this school," the admin added.

Gata, Ophelia's mother, readjusted before speaking. "Your son and my daughter fought. Isn't that supposed to be kid's stuff? Also, has the school body come up with the decision of expelling my daughter, or did you decide to throw that decision in our face because your weak son was injured by my daughter?"

Ophelia almost chuckled at her mother's words. For the first time, it felt like heaven was by her side as she watched her mother take her place.

"Oh, I think you must be misunderstanding me since I am being kind," the admin's rage reached its peak, and she began, "I want your daughter, Ophelia Gaian, out of my school. Out of my sight, now!"

Gata did not bother exchanging words with the admin before standing up. "I want a refund for this term's fees I already paid," she muttered, and without waiting for a response, she dragged Ophelia out of the office.

There was total silence between both mother and daughter until they reached the parking lot.

"Mother, why—"

"Let's talk about that when we reach home," her mother interrupted her before getting into the car.

***

They both pretended what happened in school didn't happen until this evening when everyone gathered in the living room.

She knew she didn't need a soothsayer to tell her this meeting was about her, especially given the gazes everyone wore.

"Mom, I think Ophelia has to drop out of school at this rate. You know I warned you about this when the same thing happened during her high school days?" Jay, Ophelia's elder brother, reminded.

It was an event no one would ever forget. Because of what Ophelia did to her classmate during their high school graduation, the family lost their savings to pay for the girl's hospital bills and had to move to the countryside.

"Mom, Jay is right. I don't know why Ophelia is different," Samantha, Ophelia's immediate elder sister, spoke calmly, with hatred evident in her voice.

She was everything Ophelia never was. Beauty with brains? The angel without wings? Many more sweet names were all hers, while the bad ones belonged to the weird sister, Ophelia.

"Would you both allow me and your father to conclude?" Gata's voice reduced the tension in the room.

She exchanged glances with her husband, Gaian, persuading him to say something, the decision they had already made earlier, right inside the bedroom.

Gaian cleared his throat before he began. "I, Gaian Gidaf, would never allow his child to drop out of school," he paused before studying Ophelia's face, a glimpse of hope reflected on her face. "Ophelia, due to what happened in your high school and what happened today, no school would give you admission into their school. Even if you decide to start from year one."

The glimpse of hope reflected on Ophelia's face quickly disappeared. What was she thinking of? No one wants someone different in their midst.

Her only crime is being different!

"And that led me and your mother to come up with only one choice; we are going to send you to a school on the outskirts of the far east coast," Gaian continued.

Ophelia blinked her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming. So she was going to go to school again?

I swear if I get a second chance, I will behave myself. She thought inwardly.

"Ophelia, the school you are going to isn't just a school. Hell? You can say that is where we are sending you to," her mother's voice broke the silence, making everyone gasp except for her and Gaian.