I look at the gold heavy authentic fancy gate of the school. It was huge and it looks clean as I enter the gate, flowers on gold plant boxes, gold benches everywhere and a red carpet to welcome you in. Everyone looks so prim and proper, they walk and talk like royalties. The girls look femininely beautiful and all the boys look boyishly handsome in their uniform. They are not the gangster type students I expected to see. They are far from those.

Then I remember the rule from yesterday. The saying says, ‘Looks can be deceiving’. Is this student’s not really normal people?

But then, I feel so out of place because of my outfit. The usual red uniform with long socks, I was carrying a bag pack and not an elegant purse or bag from France, plus the fact that I was wearing a nerdy glass.

“I hate this glass, it ” I said and frown as I started walking to the office for my schedules. Oh, and as usual, I’m with Zoey. Dean said they have more things to work regarding their transferee papers.

“It looks good on you, and look around, you don’t want to be a gangster in this kind of school, right? They all look good and friendly! This is the kind of school I want” Zoey said and looks really rich from her hair and bag up to her heels.

Instead of agreeing with her, I didn’t, because I completely disagree. How can she say that if we’re just starting our first day today?

“Do you know what the rules said in the invitation I found in the paper bag you give?” I ask and look around, wanting to find suspicious things from the students who’s roaming.

“Hm? They didn’t give me one, how come they give you?” I look at her that made my eyebrows arch upwards. They didn’t give her one?

“What do you mean? I found it on the paper bag” I said and try to find it on my bag pack but I didn’t find any. Argh! Where did I put it?!

“Where?” she ask and pull out some things on my bag to help me find it. But we find nothing!

“Ah, never mind, let’s go” I said and started to walk again. When we are on the hallway, we catch some eyes. Some eyes was full of amusement, while the others also have disgust seeing a nerd like me (Oh man!) walking in the hallway of royalties.

As if I care!

“Hey, you walk so dignified, like you didn’t care about the world” I glare at Zoey because of what she said. And how did she want me to walk? The shy-type girl who walks with heads down?

“So? I always walk like that. Do I need to care about people around me? We have our own business and I don’t care about theirs” I roll my eyes and cross my arms on my chest which she pull down and put beside me.

“You’re supposed to be a nerd. Walk like a naïve person who was shy that everyone was seeing her” I groan in irritation and do what she says hesitantly. I bow down my head and hold my hands together like a shy girl.

“If everyone puts their attention on you, they might find out who you really are. From their eyes, students here are not ordinary, they are all mysterious. We don’t know if one or two of them are gangsters or assassins, or maybe a frat member.” I was about to answer when she continue talking. She was like that when she was using her instincts.

“If they saw you as a nerd, you won’t catch attention, no one will even dare to give you a second look and they won’t even care about your existence, and by that, you can succeed on whatever plan you have. But if someone knows who you are, eyes will be on you every time and everywhere you go, you can even get into dangerous fights. So, pretend to be a nerd and don’t catch attention like you always do” she ended and that made me shut up and look at her in amusement. All the things she said makes a lot of sense than what Blaze told me last night.

Speaking of Blaze, where are they? They’re taking so long.

“Ouch” I look at the floor and saw the girl who I bump. She’s just the one who falls on the floor while I remain unscathed standing behind Zoey. I held her hand which she pushes away. I was about to argue when she quickly stands up and walk away in a hurry.

“Are you ok?” it seems like I didn’t hear what Zoey said when I realized what I saw in her hands. But that girl looks more like a real nerd when people compare the two of us. Her hair was in a bun and some strands was scattered on her face.

“Hey, are you ok?” I look at Zoey and nod hesitantly.

I really saw it. On her hands… the thorn rings of Black Maiden. Black Maiden was also a gangster which I saw how to fight many times, accidentally or not. The thorn rings on her four right fingers symbolizes who she is. Like my symbol was the tattoo I have. Black Maiden was strong and I knew I have fight her once before, I can’t just remember what happen.

I think that was ages ago or not.

But it’s not just the ring I saw on her hands. I also saw… blood on it.

“Do you know that girl? That’s how a nerd should be” I look at her and my brows furrow when she didn’t even see suspicious thing on her actions. Well, Zoey barely go on gang fights. But these past few days, she was coming like a confident gangster like us.

“No, I don’t know” I said and look at the door where we stop, shaking off the thought of Black Maiden in my mind.

“Sphinx?” I read the name of the room and look at Zoey for information,

“Yup. She wants everyone to call her Cleopatra, because Cleopatra was the last ruler in Egypt. She wasn’t an Egyptian, she just love Sphinx and mythical creatures”

“Is she the dean? or a secretary? She’s kind of weird. Sphinx my ” I sarcastically said and roll my eyes.

“She’s a student here as well. She’s the daughter of the owner of the school. She was somewhat weird and spoiled, her father gives her everything she wants, like this, wanting to give transferees their schedules because she was bored in class”

“Do you memorize all the things about his school? And what did you say? She was the daughter? Alyana has a daughter?” I ask in disbelief.

“To your first question, I just read the information’s we need and memorize the names of the student I should memorize. To your second question, not only Alyana was the owner of this school. This school was built by the money of powerful people. But they are not just powerful, they are also filthy rich and have their own syndicates who worked for them” I nod simultaneously and open the door without knocking it.

A girl, I guess with the same age as mine was looking at us like she was waiting for us to come in. She wasn’t startle at all by the harsh way I open the door. She was smiling and she was holding a snake on her hands.

Maybe, she really wishes to be Cleopatra.

“Good Morning” Zoey greets and smile, afterwards she pulls me to sit on the chair in front of the desk.

“Zoey Nevaeh Murphy and Avery Madison Wright, nice to meet the two of you” she smile and put the snake on the desk. Zoey leans back on her seat because of the obvious fear in her face.

“N-nice t-to… m-meet you t-too” Zoey said, stuttering, looking at the snake with fear. Why the hell would she bring a snake on her office?! She’s just freaking annoying, making someone scared.

“Oh don’t worry, it won’t harm you” she said seeing Zoey’s actions and smile, grinning from ear to ear. I look at the snake and glare at it.

“It’s a black mamba, how can you say it won’t harm us? One bite can kill us just for 20 minutes” she stops looking at the pile of papers and look at me, intently.

“How can you tell it was a black mamba in one glance?” she ask and put her claps hand in her chin, beaming at me.

“What would you expect from a nerd?” I ask back instead of answering her questions. Tss, why don’t she just give the schedules and we’re off to go. Simple as that, -_-

“If you’re really that smart, Black Mamba is known as what?” her expression pisses me off. Her face shows that she was underestimating me. I wasn’t smart as Zoey but I know some kind of things too.

“Death Incarnate” I confidently said and copy her position. The snake was between us. We were looking eye to eye seriously; no one wants to look away first.

Zoey cleared and we both lean back. She smile at me and nod simultaneously, “You’re right, the death incarnate” she said and pull out a paper in the piles and push it on my direction.

“Section Rose, 3^rd floor, last room” she said and smiles wickedly.

She pull another paper and look at Zoey, “Section Butterfly, 3^rd floor, 1^st room” she said and beam at Zoey.

How ironic. Rose and Butterfly. Our code names huh.

“We don’t have the same section?” Zoey ask in disbelief while looking at the schedules she gave her.

“Yup, so the two of you may now go” she turn her swivel chair and look out on the glass window.

“Even if you don’t say, we don’t have plans to stay longer” I get up on the chair harshly and pull Zoey out of the room.

“Hey, what was that for? You’re too harsh”

“Why? Is it new that I am harsh?” that snake-like girl, I hope we never cross paths again or else I’ll surely kill her. I hate her snake. It can even kill twenty people in 2 minutes because of its size and speed.

“No it wasn’t, but it’s ok, she’s the only one there anyway. No one sees you” I stop in my tracks and look at the hallway on my right side. I walk there and stop at the door in front of me, dean’s office.

“It’s the dean’s office” I whisper and raise my hand to stop Zoey from speaking. She was babbling nonsense things so I wasn’t listening to her.

“Why? What’s-” she cut her own statement and also look at the door I was looking.

My lips twitch and form a smirk, “Cleopatra. I’ll put that in mind” I whisper and crumpled the paper she gave me. Schedule my .

“But they say… Sphinx… what the heck?” I look at Zoey and tap her shoulders.

“It’s ok. That’s maybe her leisure room. She’s not working; she’s resting in her room. Maybe we disturb her and maybe she was not new in those kinds of scenarios” I reassured her and started walking again. Did Cleopatra do that on purpose?

Tss, it calling her ‘Cleopatra’.

I look at Zoey who seems to be thinking so deeply, “Zoey” she divert her eyes on me and ask why.

“What’s the real name of that girl?” I lower my tone because there were some students around.

“Ah, that… as far as I know, her name is Kim Brooklyn Cunningham”

Cunningham… whatever, I don’t care.

“Kim, screw that name” I said and laugh silently,

“That’s rude” she said and look at the paper Kim gave her.

“Shall we throw it away? I guess it’s not real-”

“What the” I look at her and quickly pull the paper from her hands. I turn the page and saw pictures,

“What’s this?!” its pictures of butterfly, black butterflies dying, with only one wings. The other has no head, the other has no body. They all die without a complete body.

I look at the back of the paper, “Kiss of Death” it says.

“W-what did she wants to imply?” she ask and look at the butterflies in the picture. I turn the next page and saw the real schedules. Maybe she gets some copy on the dean’s office to completely fool everyone who accidentally comes on her room.

I look at the crumple paper on my hands and quickly look at it. But it wasn’t like Zoey’s paper. It was just my schedule. A real schedule without pictures, without a statement like ‘Kiss of Death’.

I look at Zoey who was shaking in fear. I pull out my phone and start to dial Dean’s number. In three rings, he finally answers it.

“Damn! Where the hell are you, guys?!” I shout on the phone, keeping an eye on Zoey. Argh! Why is this girl so weak and so scared?!

“Yow! Avery! Can’t you do hello’s?” Oh , it’s King!

“Just answer!”

“Where almost there. Miss me?” I sigh in relief and ended the call without answering his nonsense question. Drat the man!

“I’m so scared” a tear fall in her eyes that made me cuss and mutter an oath apprehensively in anger and irritation. I call Dean because I don’t know how to deal with Zoey when she’s so scared. She’s a cry baby and I hate hearing her cries. It makes me remember my old self. Weak and so vulnerable.

I pull her inside an empty room and sit in the teacher’s chair, “What’s there to be so scared about?” I ask impatiently and play with the chalk above the table.

“I-it’s creeping me out. W-what if I g-got killed l-like those butterflies?” she said while stuttering I almost didn’t understand.

“She only give you pictures, she didn’t say she’ll kill you like those butterflies” I said in a bored tone and lean my head on the table.

We’re late but I don’t care. I’m not even here to study… I always reasoned out before that I can’t find my room because I’m a transferee that’s why I’m late. Maybe we can do that right now. And that snake-girl, I wish I can crush her face on the floor.

“But-”

“Shut up, Zoey. Nothing’s gonna happen bad to you if you’re with me” I said to reassured that she’s fine. I’m not saying I’m going to protect her. If she’s the target, then that means I can have a fight with someone. That’s great! Because I want suspense and action in my life and not a normal life a normal girl in my age has. Pity them, they’ll die without even experiencing the word ‘thrill’.

And Zoey’s one of them.

“I know” she smile and wipe her tears. The door suddenly opens so I get the chalk and throw it on the face of the new comer and jump over the table. But I stop in mid air when I realized who it is,

“Blaze?” I jump off the table and wiped the chalk dust on his face. Ha-ha! Sorry, I didn’t know it was him. I’m just being alert and careful.

“Sorry” I smile and tap his shoulders. He glares at me and quickly goes to Zoey. He’s like a brother to Zoey, to all of us because he’s the oldest. While the twins was the youngest but I’m just 3 months older than them.

I look at the three and raise an eyebrow, “What took you so long?” I said and look at Dean suspiciously. I doubt if they didn’t go on a date before coming here.

“And how did you find us?” I ask again before he can answer. He gave me a dagger look for interrupting what he was about to say.

“Aish! Zoey’s phone has GPS and we have some things to work about according to our transferee papers!” King answers and cross his arms above his chest. Clay was reading his book and Dean was standing in front of me while hands inside his pockets.

“What do you mean?” I turn around when I heard Zoey’s question. The both of them were talking seriously. I walk over and stop in front of them. Maybe Zoey had already told Blaze about the picture.

I snorted, why is that even a big deal to Zoey?! For Pete’s sake, it’s just a picture!

“Kiss of Death, the Black Mamba” Blaze said and sighs.

I look at him. That’s right! The Black Mamba’s bite was also called the Kiss of Death! What was that snake-like girl tries to imply?

I roll my eyes heavenwards, “I’m gonna go on my room, see you later” I step out on the room when Dean grab my arms.

“What?”

“Are you a Section Rose?” he ask and before I can answer, he took my ID and look at it.

“Let’s go together. Blaze, King, Clay, we’re going” he didn’t wait for their answer and quickly pull me to the stairs.

Wait--- STAIRS?!

“Hey, don’t they have elevators here?! It’s so inconvenient!” I hate climbing up and climbing down on the stairs. It makes me tired; almost wipe out when I reached the top. Damn! I hate this white, shiny stairs!

“Tell that to the owner” he said and started walking up. There were students who was also going up and some are going down that’s why I need to walk behind the railings and sometimes sideways, my arms almost touching the white wall. It was so crowded, damn it!

If I couldn’t muster up my patience and self control, all these students was now falling down the stairs.

“Madie” before I can look at Dean, he quickly took my hands and pulls me beside him. I was walking normally now, without those faces who was grinding me behind the wall.

After how many climbs, we reach the third floor. And I’m dead tired! I really hate stairs. I’m lazy and bored, that’s why I always stay in my room and just goes out when Dean said we have a practice which double the boredom I feel because of the basics the instructor was teaching us.

I don’t mean to be rude but I’m 10 times better than the instructor that’s why the day after that, we changed our instructor.

We walk and walk until we reach the last room of the third floor.

“I believe this is it” I said and was about to open the door when Dean stop me,

“What?”

“First, know how to knock or else you’ll be in detention on your first day” he said and knocks on the door. A bald, aged professor opens it and gave us dark deadly look that can make any new students nervous…but in my case, I didn’t know how to control my laugh.

“What do you need?” he ask and now I know that he was gay, according to his voice. But he was muscled and he looks like a martial artist because of his fit body! Oh heavens!

“Sir, we’re just transferee’s. I’m sorry if we’re late, we didn’t find the room-” he cut me off by raising his hands and pulling us in. Talks about rudeness! The room has a mixture of colors red and black. Ooh! They have my style. Because of the combining colors, the room looks darker. And the only light comes from the big chandelier.

We catch attention, or should I say, Dean catches attention when we stand in front of the class. He was really a scene stealer and an eye catcher. Tss. For a real nerd, I must be nervous but I feel nothing but boredom because of silence.

“Introduce yourself” baldy said,

I clear my throat, “My name is Avery Madison Wright, 17” I shortly said and look for a vacant seat to go but baldy stop me by grabbing my arms. I gasp in surprise because the way he held me was different. His palms was strong, his hands was rough and it was cold that made me stiff. I didn’t feel this kind of strong muscles before, not to mention that he was gay.

“W-why?” to my surprise, my voice crack for the first time since I enter the room.

“Wait until he finishes his introduction” he let go of my arm and nod at Dean. I can’t move… why is his hands so strong?

“Gavin Dean Carter, 18” he said and looks at baldy while I can’t even breathe normally because of the pressure I’m feeling. This professor was different; he was incredibly strong even though he just touches me.

“Good, welcome to Dragon Heads University and welcome to Section Rose” he said and points the two vacant chairs in the last row.

 When were on our way to our seats, some were whispering and some doesn’t even care.

“Wait until their third day and something will happen to them”
“Yeah, I bet they’ve already meet Cleopatra” I raise an eyebrow when I heard the name.
“That’s worst, they might not stay for a week in this school”
“Yeah, the boy might, but look at the nerd”
“She looks so naïve”
“She won’t survive”

I grimace and stop myself not to shout at their faces to shut up. I look around and some seats were also vacant. There were only few students in this class based on the number of heads I can see.

Above the white board is a saying, “Only those who’s useful is the one who stays”

I lean on my seat as baldy started to talk about animals and plants and trees and all about science that made me drift to wonderland.

I open my eyes but it was so dark. I try to look for the switch but I can’t touch anything.

“Dark Rose…” the voice was scary, like those in horror movies. A husky whisper which sends shivers down my spine.

“Who are you? I can’t see anything!” I shouted and run but it feels like I’m alone in a dark world, locked up in the darkest room.

“Dark Rose…” it calls my name again,

“What?! Who are you?!” I turn and turn but I see no one. It feels like someone is playing games me with me.

“You can’t see me?”

“Yes! Damn it!”

“You don’t have to see anything, you need to feel a thing” the voice said and a mirror suddenly appears in front of me.

“Feel a thing?” I ask and touch the mirror when a snake suddenly comes out from it and pulls me inside the mirror. I was trying so hard to fight and flee but fleeing would be futile. The snake was strong and it didn’t match my strength.

I open my eyes and a girl with the same face as mine stab me on the chest.

“AHHH!!” I open my eyes and shouted in fear. My body was shaking. My dream seems to be a real one.

I was breathing heavily when I saw all eyes were on me, even baldy. I look at Dean who was supporting me to sit straight, “Are you ok? What happen?” he ask and caress my shoulders that made me calm down a bit.

I nod my head hesitantly and force to smile at him. I didn’t want him to see me scared. It feels that I’m so weak,

I look at baldy who was eyeing me like a hungry lion, “For sleeping in class. One hour in detention”

WHAT?!