Chapter 03

As Samantha and Anthony continued to navigate the ups and downs of high school, they found themselves facing new challenges. They attended the prestigious International School, a school known for its rigorous academic programs and competitive students. It was the only school in the estate. Samantha and Anthony were both excellent students, but they had different interests. Samantha was passionate about music and science, and she wanted to become a medical doctor. Anthony, on the other hand, was more interested in sports and arts. He loved to dance and write novels, and he planned to become a lawyer.

Despite their differences, they remained close friends and supported each other in their respective endeavors. However, not everyone at International School was as supportive. Alex, a star athlete on the school's soccer team, had a crush on Samantha but hated Anthony. He was known for bullying other students, trying to intimidate them and make them feel inferior. His goal was to be feared.

Cassandra, a quiet and reserved student, was another classmate who struggled with her own demons. She came from a troubled home and was extremely intelligent. Samantha tried to be kind to her, but Cassandra pushed her away, fearing that her secrets would be discovered. Unfortunately, Cassandra sat beside Samantha in class.

Angel, a beautiful and popular student, had a crush on Anthony but hated Samantha. She saw Samantha as a rival and often tried to sabotage her relationships with Anthony. Her hatred for Samantha was not like that of other students who hated Samantha for being the school's star student, always winning awards for the school during competitions against other schools.

Geoffrey, the class comedian, was always making jokes and trying to lighten the mood. However, his humor often masked a deeper sadness, and Anthony suspected that he was hiding secrets of his own.

As the school year progressed, Samantha and Anthony found themselves navigating a complex web of relationships and alliances. They had to deal with bullies, rivals, and friends who were struggling with their own issues. Samantha grew tired of being the school's representative at every competition. She wanted to be a simple girl who could blend into the background, but the school wouldn't let her. As a result, she became unpopular among her classmates.

"I really don't know why they don't like me. I mean, it's not my fault that the school always selects me for every one of their competitions. I'm tired of all this. I wish you were in my class. It's so sad that you're an art student and I'm a science student - really sad.

Every day, I go to class and try as much as possible not to answer any questions asked by our teacher, so they won't say, 'Samantha is too proud; she's making it look like everything is about her.' It's annoying. Cassandra isn't helping at all. She sits quietly, waiting for someone to get on her nerves, and then she pours out the 5,000 words she's been holding back. And as for Alex, that guy is crazy. He never leaves me alone. He keeps claiming he loves me, after what he did. I'm sorry, are you listening? It feels like I'm talking to myself," she said to Tony as they walked through the crowded hallways.

"Of course!" he replied. "Look, girl, I also have my own issues, okay?" he said. "Evil," she thought to herself. "Excuse me, did you say something?" he asked. "No!" she said quickly, walking faster away from him. "See you at the closing!" he said aloud, trying to make her hear, since she was quite far away. "Yeah!" she said aloud too.

As she approached the door of her SSS2 Science class, the sound of loud chatter and laughter spilled out into the hallway. Someone was telling a joke, and the class erupted in laughter. Samantha's eyes rolled in annoyance. The Principal was notorious for cracking down on noise, and she knew this commotion wouldn't go unnoticed.

Samantha took a deep breath and nodded, feeling a sense of calm wash over her. "Should I walk you in?" Alex asked.

"What...?" she exclaimed. "Are you following me?"

"You, no, no way. I'm just coming," he said.

"Yeah," she said, facing the class. "You seem uneasy," he said.

"Really? Oh! You noticed," she replied.

"What's with the tone?" he asked.

"Look, things were difficult last time, okay? I'm not the same person," he added.

She turned to face him. "I'm sorry. Those words that all men are the same are rubbish," he said. "I still love you. You're the only one who believes in me."

"What about your gang?" she asked.

"The family?" he asked.

"They're well," he said. "Look, I'm not gay, okay? They're all boys. Why don't you help me not become one and accept me once again?"

"Joker," she said, scoffing.

They were so lost in conversation that they didn't notice Angel's arrival. "Umm, if you two want to kiss, can I get into the class first?" Angel asked.

Samantha looked at Angel, then at Alex, and entered the class. "Well done," Alex said, walking into the class.

Angel scoffed. "I'm only trying to get into the class, dummies," she said, entering the class.

As they entered the class, Samantha took her seat beside Cassandra, who barely acknowledged her presence. "Hi, umm, good morning," Samantha said, stretching out her hand to shake Cassandra's.

Cassandra gave her a side look and turned her face away. "Yeah," Samantha said, withdrawing her hand.

Their teacher, Mr. Kelly, entered the class. "Good morning, class," he started. The class was noisy and rowdy, and they didn't notice his arrival.

"Good morning... Are you guys okay?!" he shouted angrily.

Alex, who had been sitting quietly, turned to them. "Hey, Mr. Van der Waal is here," he said.

"Ugh," Anita said.

"I'm I too small that you couldn't acknowledge my presence?!" Mr. Kelly said angrily.

"You have said it all," Rex whispered, and they all burst into silent laughter.

"Dude," Alex said, giving him a disappointing look.

"This shouldn't repeat itself again!" Mr. Kelly said.

Alex turned to look at them, giving them a signal to apologize. "We are sorry, sir," they all echoed.

"Alright, let's begin with the lesson," Mr. Kelly said after giving them an angry look.

"Psst, bro, I didn't know you had a good heart like that, seriously," Geoffrey whispered to Alex.

"Nigga, there's a teacher in front of the class, so show respect," Alex said.

"Since when did you care about respecting elders?" Geoffrey replied.

"Dude, a teacher is standing right there," Alex said.

"When love is in the air, it corrupts the soul and spirit," Geoffrey teased.

"Bro, stop it," Alex said.

"Okay, sorry," Geoffrey said.

Their teacher, Mr. Kelly, began the lesson by writing complex molecular structures on the board. Samantha's eyes widened as she tried to make sense of the intricate diagrams.

"Cassandra, can you explain this to me?" Samantha whispered.

"Umm, hello, I'm trying to listen," Cassandra said.

"I know, me too, but how can I listen to what I don't understand? Please," Samantha said.

Cassandra leaned in, her voice low. "It's all about the arrangement of atoms. See, this molecule has a hydroxyl group attached to it, which makes it polar."

Samantha's eyes lit up. "Oh, I get it now! Thanks, Cassandra."

"You're really smart, Samantha. But don't you think you're wasting your time with Tony?" Cassandra asked.

"No, thank you," Samantha said.

"He's an art student don't forget," Cassandra said. " Yeah I know," Samantha said. Samantha's eyes met with Cassandra's, and for a moment, they just looked at each other. Then, Cassandra turned away.