Ara's POV
Holy sh-shrim!!!!
Why is he even here?!??! I froze from head to toe when I realized what is happening here with me!!!?!
–flashback–
I woke up, took a shower, wore a neat and clean uniform and hang a formal rucksack on shoulders. But confidence???
Le confidence—I'm out...
And this is not enough—even the planets—
"Let's ruin her first day of school... ha ha ha"
I left for school with Liza and Leo. Nothing special, but nervousness is at its peak.
When we reached school, they both left to hang out with their friends early in the morning. I'm okay with that. Everything is going smoothly.
Until....
Planets make their first move! Ha ha ha!
I walked inside the elevator; my classroom is on the third floor. Who wastes their energy on the staircase? With my unusual walking, I spilled an entire orange juice box on my white shirt! Of course, I didn't even wear a cardigan under my blazer…!
Fortunately! Fortunately! FORTUNATELY!!
There was no one in the elevator. I immediately started punching the button to shut the door...
But no, that's not enough!?! A guy walked into the elevator, blindly pressed the floor button. Once again, fortunately, he didn't notice me! He was busy with his notes.
The elevator door closed and—
BOOM...!!??! DÉJÀ VU!!
But why?? I saw the guy and examined him from head to toe. I know this face! But can't recognize him.
He is… he is… he is...
He is the elevator guy in mall!
My jaw dropped and almost hit the floor. Is it really necessary to send him to me when I dropped juice on my shirt? The juice box was lying just… just next to his right shoe. What to do now...
Just keep reading your notes! Be a topper in school. Why only school? Topper in the whole country! Keep reading! Keep reading!
Finallyyy! Elevator door opens. I directly moved out of the elevator, looked for a helper, informed him about orange juice, and asked for the restroom. The restroom was damn pretty clean. I tried to wash the stain…
Nice!
But the orange stain was still proudly sitting on my shirt like it paid rent. And to top it off, I forgot my tie at home. Brilliant. Ara, you absolute genius—truly a national treasure of dumbness.
Now I was this close to asking Liza if I could borrow her cardigan, but NOPE—
BIG no-no. Leo has already gone full angry mode:
"Don't talk to me, don't talk to Liza, and definitely don't even breathe near our classes."
Apparently, I'm his top-secret shame and he doesn't want anyone knowing I'm related to either of them.
So yeah. Here I go. Marching into class with my orange-spilled, tie-less mess of a uniform. Peak fashion. I tried to cover the stain with my blazzer.
And now here I'm...
I'm just wandering all over the halls, corridors, even the courts like a toddler—but nothing found. Where the hell is room number 517!?!? On the fifth floor? On the fourth floor? NOPE! Is this school also making routes to the moon or Mars!?!! How big is this! My legs are aching now.
Well, I'm a toddler roaming the whole campus so of course! Everyone is watching my fashion! My orange juice–printed white shirt—sorry, it's not white anymore. Finally, I'm ready to ask someone about the class.
I cleared my throat, took a deep breath, and approached a girl leaning on the wall. Cool, pretty!
"Excuse me, do you know where room number 517 is??" I asked her.
She saw me from head to toe, shocked by my fashion.
"Oh! So you are going to Sage 11th!!" she exclaimed while controlling her laughter.
"Suits you! Just go to the sixth floor and you will find that room." She wanted to laugh. And the one standing beside her was already laughing like a chimpanzee. Fulfiling the role of hyna.. Nothing else.
I left with a "thanks." Then I noticed all the rooms labelled with 4 sections of 11th are straight in a row and the girl I asked is from the second section, Coral 11th, but Sage isn't here. I'm shocked, but I kept walking to the sixth floor. I didn't take the risk with the elevator, so I chose the staircase. Elevator don't suits me.
Finally!!! I found it! Sage 11th!
As I entered the class, sir was already there. Very nice. But the class isn't in good condition. He noticed me and came to me.
"Welcome, Miss Ara Reyes! Right?"
"Yeah! I'm Ara. Sorry, but I had trouble finding the room."
"It's okay. Come to the center of the class and introduce yourself."
I nodded and he was walking after me, but—but—but… Planets are against me. I fell on the floor very hard. In front of everyone. All eyes on me! As I fell, the blazer shifted from the stain and now… I'm. Under. The. Lights... Everyone fell silent.
I'm lying on the floor with a stain on my shirt and everyone is watching me! Great, Ara. Very nice.
One student gulped, second student giggled, and now everyone was laughing. I turned into a beetroot.
"Ara, are you okay??!?" Sir rushed toward me, helping me get up.
"Yeah! I'm absolutely fine!..." I assured him.
"Take a seat, take a seat." He was very tense and took me to my seat. "Give the introduction in the first break." I nodded. Then suddenly—
"Hey Samridhi, is she is real?" the boy on my right said to the girl on my left.
"Holy shit, she's real!" the girl said to the boy. It felt like I'm on Mars with aliens right now.
I blinked
"Hey miss, what's your name?" they both asked in unison. Looking like total baka and nothing else.
"Ara..." I was barely audible.
They nodded and both fell silent. Okay...
I turned behind to take a look at how my new class looks.
My jaw unhinged.
Like literally, it dropped. I almost swallowed a fly.
Elevator Guy.
Sitting in class. MY class. My new class.
Behind me...
Excuse me, WHAT in the Bollywood plot twist is happening here?
Liza strictly warned me that day not to go near him. She will kill me if she finds out.
–End of flashback–
He looked all clean and fresh in the uniform like he just walked out of a detergent ad on TV, while I looked like I got kidnapped and just escaped.
Not only me—the whole class! Looks like they all forgot how to dress in "school" even is! One of the students wore different socks: Doraemon on the left leg and a cupcake on the right.
Wearing pure leather made in Italy jackets...
really! They all are rich. The doraemon and cupcake socks are branded.
I wanted to laugh.
And the worst part?
Everyone was just chatting about me. I'm not a murderer or any terrorist or refugee, then why? I think the topic is my fashion.
And the elevator guy… He was sitting.
Right. Behind. Me.
I–want–to–leave.
I swear, when I get home I'll apply for another school nearby. Wait—why nearby? I'll apply to any international school in Japan or Russia—anywhere. Just let me leave this hell.
I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. But no. The floor was like, "Girl, suffer."
I sat on the only empty seat—between two absolute chaos goblins.
They both turned to me in sync, like those creepy twins from horror movies.
"Hi!" they chimed and I turned to them. "We're your new best friends. Congrats!"
"Uhm??" I didn't understand what they meant. Of course—they are goblins.
"I'm Gaurav. This is Samridhi. We've already adopted you. You have no choice."
Adopted...me...
Samridhi nodded solemnly. "We both smelled you're an orange. You're one of us."
Seriously!?? Did they see how they both look like in mirror ever? I'm an orange. Wow!
"Hey," Gaurav whispered with all the subtlety of a fire alarm. "You know Aarav? You looked at him like he owed you money."
Okay... he is Aarav. The human being who always irritates my sister.
Samridhi whispered back, "Or like she accidentally kissed him in a dream."
I turned to her, giving her a scary siren-eye deadly glare. "I just saw him in the elevator earlier, that's all!"
Gaurav smirked. "Uh-huh. And I just 'accidentally' stole a teacher's pen for the fifth time today. We're the same."
"We are not the same."
"Leave this,,first tell us what's wrong with you shirt???" Gaurav asked in curiosity.
"Yah!! yah!! I also want to ask that.." samriddhi mentioned.
"Don't ask!!" I replied. And now someone is giggling behind me. Wow.
And that's how my first day began—with a crime-scene shirt, two lunatics as friends, and Aarav sitting directly behind me like the universe wanted me to combust.
Fantastic.
"I know you were in the elevator earlier," the person behind me whispered.
WHAT?!?!?! He knows I was in the elevator?! Super. Duper. Fantastic!!! I know he is my brand new friend but Liza strictly warned me.
Wanted to leave. I ignored. Just Ignored.
The teacher is just doing nothing and every one is chatting in groups like it's a family reunion.
"Hey,----" samriddhi called me. Of course she's now talking in hindi.
"I don't understand Hindi very much."
"Ahhh... where are you from then?" She asked.
"Germany" I answer back.
"Hmmm...okay! So now our class also have a German native also." She exclaimed like she's just got a trophy.
"Also??" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yah, our class have Japanese and Irish natives as well."
"Ohhh." I exclaimed.
"Leave this, Let me show you your cabinet." Samriddhi said while pulling me towards the cabinets. I'm just hit the ground by my face.
She pointed at a cabinet and remove the name sticker of old child who used the cabinet before I think. I didn't bother to see the name.
"Keep your goods here and here is your key." She handed me a cute little key.
"Thanks."
The bell rang and it's the first break. The first two periods I only discussed about the school with goblins.
Our actual class teacher is here now. Of course I'm late to class because of that stupid juice.
This is our actual class teacher. I back to my seat situated in middle of the whole class.
He came to me and said"introduced yourself to your new class."
I nodded. I checked the orange stain is not visible to anyone and stand up and walked towards the center of the class with my zombie walk.
"I'm Ara Rao Reyes. I'm transferred from Wooden-Rill school from Germany."
"That's our girl! Woooooooo...." The two goblins hooting. But why? I only said two lines...Everyone is busy with their chatting. I glazed at Aarav how is looking at me with a smile. Okay okay okay.
I'm confused what to say next so I back to my seat. Without any trouble. Great. Then the first break over. And started a mission: bycot Aarav. Just to ignore him.
And then suddenly... "Aarav and... Ara go to the library and collect the 5 books new in stock. Then I will collect them from you in lunch break." Mrs.Hansda announced and leave. I'm looking like dumb. Why me!?!?
What about my mission bycot Aarav????
"Let's go.." the person behind me stands from his seat and waiting for me.
"U–Uhm.. hmm..."and stand up. The both goblins are looking at me— Sorry the whole class actually.
As we stepped out of the classroom, I could feel the goblins' eyes drilling into my back.
"Don't fall again," Samridhi whisper-shouted behind me. "The library floor is even harder!"
Gaurav added, "And don't drop another juice box, we're low on trauma today."
I didn't even turn back—I just waved my hand in defeat.
Aarav was walking beside me, super chill, like this wasn't awkward at all. Meanwhile, my brain was doing backflips. Why me? Why this mission? Why him?
"So… do you like books?" he asked casually, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Yes. I mean, kind of. I like books that don't attack me with too many big words, and this bother me to search the words on internet." I said, trying to sound like a normal person and not a social disaster.
He chuckled. "Same. I once read a book that
used the word 'Myrmecophilous' five times in one chapter. I thought it was a dinosaur."
This thing made me laugh, this is different I don't want to.
The hallway was quiet. Bright windows, echoing footsteps, and my brain screaming: don't slip! don't slip! don't slip!
We reached the library and the student volunteer at the front desk glanced up with a bored expression. Very bored like he is still sleeping.
Aarav grinned. The volunteer didn't even blink. "11th Sage??? I put them back because I thought you were not coming." My expression is just...."you should search that books in Third row to seventh row. You will find them. Take this." The volunteer handed a list containing the Book names.
Okay okay okay calm down...
We walked in slowly, the smell of books calming me just a little. The big windows cast golden sunlight across the room. I immediately bumped into a chair.
Aarav pretended not to see it. "Smooth."
"Shut up," I whispered.
We crouched down, searching the third shelf. He found the first book.
"One down, four to go."
We continue searching the five books. Then I noticed the volunteer goes to deep sleeping phase.
Just then—
BAM!
The library door slammed open. Liza stomped in like a boss battle.
Aarav and I froze. I had a book halfway off the shelf, and he had a half-grin on his face.
"Oh hell no," Liza growled, zeroing in on Aarav. "What the hell are you doing with my sister?!" Then suddenly she punched him!!!
WoW!!
I covered my mouth in shock. I squeaked. Aarav blinked. And the volunteer is still sleeping.
"Hi, Liza." Aarav replied with a small smile.
"You absolute buffalo. Back away. Now."
"We're just collecting books—"
"I don't care if you're collecting stars. Don't get so casual with me."
Aarav raised his hands in surrender like a very peaceful criminal.
"Okay, okay. No casualty. Just books."
"Ara, collect your books and straight go to your class." She ordered me.
She glared a hole through him, then gave me a look that screamed we will talk later and stormed off, leaving a puff of rage behind her.
I exhaled.
Aarav looked over at me and smiled, trying not to laugh.
"That went well."
"Remind me never to stand next to you and talk to you again." I muttered.
"You sure? We make a good team."
I blinked at him. "We've picked two books."
"And survived from Liza." He said while laughing.
Volunteer is still sleeping...