Amethyst's POV
I slowly entered the classroom, which was still quiet. I took a deep breath and stood up straight. Scarlett and the others weren't here yet. I looked at my wristwatch. It was only 7:30 a.m. It was still early.
I left the classroom and walked down the hallway. Ace Park isn't here yet, right? He might just suddenly appear and annoy me. I covered my mouth with a handkerchief.
Some of the other students were looking at me. They probably recognized me from the restaurant yesterday. There were quite a few students there. Maybe they saw that Ace Park was angry with me.
I stopped walking and glanced down a hallway. It was a quiet passage that seemed to lead to the back of the building. I slowly walked toward it.
What could be over there?
I quickened my pace and reached a steel door. It must have just been painted because I could smell the fresh paint. It had a padlock, so I couldn't open it. I couldn't see what was inside because a thick glass pane was blocking the view.
"What are you doing here?"
I flinched at Ace's voice and turned to face him. He walked closer with his hands in his pockets, so I made sure to cover my mouth with my handkerchief. He stopped in front of me and looked at me, confused.
"What?" I asked nervously.
"What are you doing here?"
"N-nothing. I was just passing by," I replied.
He didn't answer and just stared at me. What was his problem?
"Why are you covering your mouth with a handkerchief?"
I bit my lower lip and shook my head. What excuse could I give him?
After a moment, he smirked and crossed his arms. He shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he was thinking. What was he thinking this time?
"Oh... Hahaha, you're afraid that I might kiss you in public?" he said with a grin.
"What— uhu!" I choked on my own saliva. I started coughing and clutching my chest. Damn it! "No— uhu!" I said between coughs.
"Oh? A-are you sick? H-hey, what's that, huh!" he said, covering his nose. He was so dramatic.
I continued to cough and gave him a dirty look. Why did he just suddenly appear? I breathed out and held my neck.
"W-why are you looking at me? What now? Huh?" I asked with a frown. "I'm leaving," I said, walking past him.
"Wait."
I felt his hand on my wrist, stopping me. He gently pulled me, so I turned to face him. I was shocked when he put his hand on my forehead and brought his face closer to mine.
"W-what are you doing?"
He stared at my face.
"Are you sick?"
"H-huh?"
"I said, are you sick?"
"N-no," I said, moving away from him. He was too close.
"If you're not sick, why are you coughing?" he asked, looking puzzled.
"I choked. And what does it matter to you if I'm sick? Get away from me! You're too close." We're not even close, I wanted to add but just kept my mouth shut.
"Just make sure you're not sick. There's a virus going around now."
"You think I have a virus?" I said in disbelief, stepping back to get further away from him. "If you weren't Ace Park, I would've hit you a long time ago. I don't care about your life. And stop bothering me. Just stay away from me. People might say something."
I turned my back on him and walked away. I walked back to the classroom because it was already 8:30, and I might be late. My heart was still pounding hard. I thought he was going to do something to me again. He's scary up close.
My phone rang, so I took it out. A notification popped up from the school council. If you're wondering why I'm using different phones, that's the university's policy. I read in the school policies that we have to use one for daily updates about the university's happenings and another for our personal lives. That's why I'm carrying two phones.
NOTICE:
Good day, WinMon students.
Today is your second day of school. We are giving you a notice that next week will be the celebration of WinMon Club Week. Later at 1 p.m., all the students should gather at the gymnasium for a meeting on what will happen next week. We will be discussing the activities and events for the celebration.
We are hoping for the presence of all students. Your presence will serve as an attendance. Thank you and have a great day ahead.
School Council
"Yes!" I said softly, pumping my fist in the air.
I smiled and put my phone back in my pouch, then continued walking. There wouldn't be any classes later, and I was sure we would be sent home after the meeting. I still needed to text Andrea because I had to explain things to her. She was so angry with me.
She called me last night, worried about why I hadn't gone to school on the first day at West Hill. She thought I was sick, which was why I didn't go. I couldn't hide from her that I was already studying at WinMon and had canceled my admission to West Hill, so I told her the truth.
I had been hiding from her for almost two months what happened between Mrs. Silverstone and me in the elevator at the mall. After I got stuck, we went home immediately, and I didn't get to treat her. I suddenly felt unwell then, and that's what happened. I still hadn't made it up to her, and now I had hidden this from her.
I also hid Mrs. Silverstone's offer from her. And now I had to explain what happened to her. It would also help to get some things off my mind. She was the only person I could turn to because she was my only friend. Why did I even hide it from her?
I took a deep breath before entering the classroom. They weren't there yet, and there were only a few people inside. I didn't know the others, and they looked snobby, so I just decided not to bother. I rested my head on the armrest, waiting for the others.
Scarlett's POV
"Hello, Snow?" I answered, holding the phone to my ear. She was calling. "Why did you call?"
"A-ah... Hello, Ma'am Scarlett?"
I frowned at the person who answered. I looked at the caller ID, and Snow's name was there. But why did an old woman's voice answer?
"Who is this?"
"This is Ma'am Snow's nanny. Ah... she just asked me to tell you something important. She won't be coming to school today. She's not feeling well." she replied softly.
"Why? What happened to Snow? Is she back in the hospital?" I asked, worried.
"Yes..." her voice was full of worry. "But she's feeling better now. Her personal doctor is monitoring her. Don't worry, Ma'am."
"That's good to hear," I sighed in relief and grabbed my bag before leaving the room. "Tell her I'll visit her later after morning class."
"Yes, Ma'am Scarlett."
"Okay. Bye," I said and hung up.
I exhaled and fixed myself. When I got down the stairs, I checked my other phone for university notifications. I opened the notice that popped up. It was from the university. It was only a half-day today. After the meeting, there would surely be no more classes.
I took the car keys from my bag and unlocked my car in the garage. I got in, and the guard opened our gate. I started the engine and drove quickly to the university.
If you're confused about why I know how to drive, it's because ever since my debut, I've practiced. Especially since it's required for me and for myself, for my own preference. I don't want a driver. It's too much of a hassle. Like me, Shayna also drives on her own. Unlike some of my friends who have their own drivers.
I stopped when the traffic light turned red. While waiting for the countdown before it turned 'go,' I looked to my side as a black sports car stopped next to me. The hood was down, so I could clearly see the driver. A guy. He was wearing shades and a school uniform, but not from WinMon, but from the middle-class school, West Hill University. It was a good thing my car's windows were tinted.
Five seconds before the light turned green, he looked in my direction as if he could see me. He smiled and lowered his shades slightly. He had slanted eyes. He winked before fixing his shades and speeding off. I was left stunned, not knowing what to say.
"Did he see me?" I asked in disbelief, and started driving again. I focused on driving until I reached the university. I parked the car and turned off the engine. I leaned back on the seat and touched my cheek.
"Why are your cheeks burning, Scarlett? Are you getting flustered over that stranger?" I asked myself. "Why would you be flustered? He just winked at you, and you're already flustered? You're so fragile, Scarlett," I told myself.
If anyone saw me talking to myself, they would surely think I was crazy. And that's definitely not going to happen. I'm Scarlett Garcia, the women's trendsetter.
I got out of the car and looked at the black car that had just parked. I knew who owned that black sports car. Black Fletcher.
I waited for him to get out of the car so I could greet him good morning. Even if he didn't pay attention to me, it was okay. I was so used to his treatment of me.
The driver's door opened, and Black stepped out, looking so handsome every day. He was wearing the school uniform coat, which suited him well because he was fair-skinned, and the coat was maroon. His hair was brushed up, revealing his smooth forehead and slanted eyes like a cat's. He closed the car door, locked it, and then walked away.
I fixed myself and took a deep breath before walking toward him. He was ahead of me, so I quickened my pace to catch up. When I was next to him, I looked at him.
"Good morning, Fletcher!" I greeted him cheerfully, but he didn't even look at me or respond. I gave a small smile and looked straight ahead.
"Have you read the school notice?" I asked.
"Of course, I have a phone."
"Ohh... I see," I said, nodding and smiling. I looked at him. "So, how's your morning?"
He didn't answer. He was so hard to talk to. He would answer, but his replies were always so short. He was difficult to read. His actions, his words, his movements. You couldn't tell if his answers were genuine or sarcastic because his replies were so blunt, especially to me. I wanted to keep asking him questions, but he might get annoyed, so sometimes I just stopped myself. I wanted to ask the questions I'd been wanting to ask for a long time, but I didn't have the courage.
I stopped walking and let him walk alone. I didn't want to bother his day, especially since it was so early in the morning. He might curse me. He didn't even stop, this guy was really something. Why doesn't he like me? He won't even look at me. Is my presence detestable?
I pouted and took out my personal phone. I walked back toward our building. As I was walking to the classroom, I opened my Instagram. I posted a photo and checked my messages. Nothing was too important, so I went to my notifications. I looked at our classroom and turned the doorknob. I looked at my phone screen again and scrolled through my notifications. I stopped walking into the room and let go of the doorknob.
"Oh. My. God." I said in disbelief, covering my mouth.
I clicked on the notification, and the profile account of the guy from West Hill who drove the sports car appeared.
"OMG, omg..." I bit my lower lip and looked at the guy's photos. "He followed me. Oh my goodness."
"Scarlett?"
He had a new post. He was leaning against his car, wearing shades. He was also wearing a school uniform, and the color suited him so well. The caption said, 'Finally, I'm back.' I couldn't believe he knew who I was.
"Scarlett."
"Should I follow him back right now? Or maybe after two hours?" I said.
"Excuse me, Miss Garcia. You're blocking our way."
I turned to the person who spoke behind me. I covered my mouth and stepped to the side. I heard him sigh, and I pouted. He was so aloof. He's like he's on his period every day. The other Winter Flowers members entered after Black. They were all frowning, except for Holland, who was all smiles.
"Good morning, Scarlett!" he greeted.
"Good morning, Holland. At least you're in a good mood," I said, walking to my seat.
"We're all in a good mood. The weather is nice, isn't it, Zircon?" he said, turning to him. Zircon looked at him and nodded.
"Is Brianna not here yet?" he asked.
I looked at the seats next to me, and my other friends weren't there yet. Why weren't they here? But Amethyst's pouch was on her seat. So she was the only one who was here earlier. Where was she?
I looked at Zircon and shook my head.
"Maybe she'll be here soon. Snow is the only one who can't come today. She needs some rest—"
"What happened to her?" my sentence was cut short when Harvey interrupted. I frowned. His radar was too active whenever I mentioned Snow.
"She wasn't feeling well—"
"What? Is she okay now?" he asked one after another.
"Yes...?" I replied, surprised and questioning. I looked at his eyes and his facial reaction. "Why?" I asked back.
He looked at me. I waited for his answer, but he just looked away. Does he like Snow? If so, he's too obvious. If not, maybe he's just concerned since they're close. But my guts tell me it's the first one.
"You're too suspicious, Harvey," Zircon said to him and smirked at his friend.
"We're just the same, Zircon. But unlike you, I'm showing it."
"I can do that, too."
"I don't think so. You're too much of a coward to do that."
"Coward your ass!"
"Why? It's true. You're afraid to show your affe—"
"Shut up! Your voice is too loud," Zircon said, covering his friend's mouth. Harvey just laughed.
What's with Winter Flowers today? They're so chatty, huh. And it's unusual.
"I really don't have anything to tell you, Brianna. You can sit now."
"Really? You sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay?"
Brianna continued walking to my side. She sat down and still looked confused. Even me. I was also confused by the Winter Flowers' actions today. What's going on?
Forsythia's POV
I quickly slung my pouch over my shoulder and grabbed my laptop. It was already 8:30, and class would start in just thirty minutes. I fell asleep in the library, fiddling with files for later. I could just excuse myself because I was part of the school council, but I didn't want the teacher to think I was using my position. It was better to be safe.
I ran down the hallway to our building. I didn't see any other students walking around; they were probably in their respective rooms. I turned to go up the stairs when I bumped into someone. I almost fell if he hadn't caught my wrist.
"Gosh!" I said nervously, clutching my chest. I looked at the person who bumped into me. He was wearing civilian clothes.
"I'm sorry. I didn't see you right away," he said gently.
I exhaled and went up the stairs. "It's okay. Just be careful next time, okay? You might bump into a teacher," I said and turned my back on him.
I continued walking until I reached the front of the room. I was out of breath when I opened the doorknob and sighed in relief. Our instructor wasn't here yet.
"Hi, Forsythia!" I heard Niel greet. What's with him?
"Hi," I greeted back and walked to my seat.
I immediately sat down and rested my head on the table. It was like I was chased by a dog with all the running and walking.
"Need some water?"
I sat up straight and looked at him. A sealed bottled water was held out to me. He raised one eyebrow, so I took it.
"Thanks."
"How are the documents? Are you done with them?" he asked.
So that's why he was being nice and giving me water—it had a catch. I nodded and held out my hand. He placed a flash drive in my palm. I opened my laptop and transferred the files I had finished.
"By the way, why did you leave the house early?" Art asked.
"No reason," I replied, and when I was done transferring all the files, I gave the flash drive back to him.
He left without a word, he didn't even say thank you. It was a good thing I wasn't on my period today, or I would've been so annoyed. He didn't even thank me last night when I delivered his request. He's such a brat.
The door opened, and Amethyst and Annalisa entered together. Our instructor followed right after them. I wasn't familiar with her. Was she new?
"It seems like you are confused about who I am," she said with a smile. She gave a sweet smile. She placed a thick book on the desk.
I sat up straight. The others did the same. Even though the heirs and heiresses were in this room, it was still a school rule and regulation to show respect to every instructor. Except for the Winter Flowers. They can't say 'no' to them.
"Hello, everyone!" she greeted formally. Her voice was also very formal. "Before discussing our first lesson today, I would like to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Simone Carter, you can call me Professor Simone or Professor Sim. I am a fresh graduate from the school of arts. And I am your instructor for your Art subject. It's my pleasure to be an instructor in this class. The top-tier class in the whole Winter Monarch University."
"Moving forward. As your instructor, I only have one rule in this class..."
One rule?
"Keep moving until you make it," she said with a smile. "Education is the most powerful tool to change the world, isn't it? No matter what challenges you may face during your school days, always keep in mind that you only have education to be your legacy in your family's generation. Nothing can compare to education."
"No. That's a lie," Art suddenly interjected.
The teacher looked at him. "Pardon, Mister?"
Art stood up and crossed his arms.
"You said that no one can compensate for education. But that's wrong. Money. Money is always the key why students study. Money is superior to education. If you don't have money, you can't have an education," he said.
He has a point. Education revolves around money. If you don't have money, you can't take exams, you can't be free to do anything.
"Are you sure that money can outweigh education? Does everyone agree with this guy?" the teacher asked, looking at us. "What's your name, Mister?"
"Art Washington."
"Mr. Washington, thank you for your answer and opinion. How about anyone else? Do you have your own opinion?" the teacher asked, looking around the classroom. Art sat down. "Who's superior, education or money?"
Money...
I wanted to raise my hand to answer, but I just decided not to. I didn't want to say anything else. I looked at Art, who was looking at the front. His face was serious, and he was listening carefully to Miss Simone.
"Amethyst, are you okay? You look pale."
I looked at Scarlett. She was talking to Amethyst, who had her back to me. We weren't seatmates. Amethyst and I were three seats apart. Me, Brianna, Shayna, Scarlett, and her. Kimberly and Annalisa were to my left. Snow was absent, and her seat was in the back.
"What's happening to her?" I whispered to Brianna.
"I don't know. Maybe she's not feeling well. Scarlett is still asking her," she said.
"Yes, we can say that money is superior to education. You can't take exams. You can't buy books. You can't pay your extra-curricular fees. But how can you make money if you don't have an education? Education and money are a tough combination. Both are important aspects to be successful in life," the teacher explained.
"You should go to the clinic. You're not okay. I'll go with you."
"N-no, Scarlett. I can still handle it."
"No. You should go."
I looked at both of them because Amethyst didn't seem okay at all. I was debating whether to raise my hand to excuse us so Amethyst could go to the clinic.
"Don't be hard-headed, Amethyst. I don't want something worse to happen to you."
I took a deep breath and was about to raise my hand when Shayna beat me to it. The teacher stopped talking and looked at Shayna.
"Yes, Miss?"
"Sorry for the interruption, but Miss Amethyst needs to go to the clinic. She's not feeling well," she said, pointing to Amethyst. Miss Sim turned her gaze to Amethyst.
"Ohh, what happened? You should go to the clinic now."
"A-ahh, I'm okay—"
"You should go to the clinic. That's the Professor's command," Ace suddenly interjected. He stood up and walked closer to Amethyst.
"But I'm okay—"
"Do you think everyone here believes you? You look so pale, and you're still refusing."
"I just look—"
"Miss Garcia and I will accompany her to the clinic, Miss Simone," Ace said, his voice firm, and he nodded at Scarlett. She immediately stood up and helped Amethyst, who was clutching her stomach.
"I'll excuse you three for the next subject," I said, smiling at them. Scarlett just smiled back, and the three of them left the classroom together.
I frowned at Ace's behavior. What was his plan this time? He's not like that with other students. It was the first time I saw him like that, and to Amethyst? The water gun incident probably wasn't the reason why Ace was acting so weird.
It was strange. And even Shayna. She doesn't like to interrupt things or people. She doesn't care about anyone except for the people she's super close with, like Scarlett. Or maybe I'm the one who's weird because of the things I'm noticing? But is it really weird to notice things that are unusual?
Amethyst's POV
"You didn't have to come with me," I said, trying not to fall because of the stomach ache.
I couldn't remember eating anything that would make my stomach hurt. This was also the first time this had happened to me. I didn't do anything for my stomach to hurt this badly.
"Scarlett, bring her to the clinic. I'll get something first. I'll follow you."
I looked at Ace, who had turned away. Scarlett was still supporting me so I wouldn't fall. Scarlett didn't say anything and we just continued walking.
I was also confused by Ace Park's actions. He's been weird since yesterday. Scarlett didn't describe him that way. He only talks and befriends a select few. Spoiled brat and too arrogant. But why was he helping me and paying attention to me? Was it because I was with Scarlett?
"We're here. Come on, Amethyst."
Scarlett opened the door, and we went inside. We were greeted by a nurse or a doctor? She was wearing a lab coat. A woman, probably in her mid-30s. She walked up to us.
"Oh? What happened?" she asked.
"Miss Cecil, her stomach hurts. Can you check her?"
"Oh, sit down first. I'll get some pain reliever."
I nodded and sat on the bed. I was still clutching my stomach. It hurt when I moved. Why did it have to happen now? My stomach dragons must be acting up again.
"Drink this to lessen the pain. Then lie down for a while."
I took the medicine she gave me, and Scarlett helped me lie down on the bed. She covered me with a blanket. I felt guilty. She was so kind to me. I could feel it. She was so nice, and I didn't know how I could repay her. Scarlett proved that not all upper-class people are spoiled brats. I felt guilty for keeping secrets from her.
"Does your stomach not hurt as much now? You should sleep so the medicine you took can be digested. You look really pale," Scarlett said. Her reaction showed concern.
"I'm o-okay, Scarlett. Don't worry," I replied.
"Just sleep for a while. It's already 10 a.m. I'll buy some food from the cafeteria for our lunch."
"Oh, no, you don't have to—"
"No, I insist," she cut me off. "You better sleep, and I'll be back here once I'm done buying. Get some good rest," she said with a smile. I nodded and closed my eyes.
"Thank you," I said and finally fell asleep.
And sorry.