The classes went by unusually long since it took a while for me to adjust to a classroom system. It felt weird when different teachers appeared for each subject, when my focus was disrupted by another student raising their hand, and when a certain pair of eyes won’t stop boring into my back. Majority of the time I felt someone staring at me intensely and it bothered me a lot. I was guessing that it was V and I tried to fight the urge of turning around and giving him a right hook. I wanted to throw a fit, I wanted know why karma keeps biting me in the , why did he have to go to this school? Why? WHY?

“Miss Hana? Could you please come up and answer this question?” The physics teacher stared at me with a smug face. What the hell? Why was this teacher singling me out? All the attention was now diverted to me and I could hear some students saying “There she goes again, she always does this to new students” “That question looks hard as well.” “I know, I almost feel bad for the new girl.”

“She’s just trying to test you if you’re capable or not, don’t worry about it and good luck!” Sana whispered almost inaudibly with a helpless look on her face. So the teacher is trying to see if I was smart? I beeathed in a breath angrily through my gritted teeth and slowly made my way to the board with an unaffected face, as if I was going to give in to the teacher. I eyed the question and easily recognized the exact same question that Mr Daniel went through as revision, cake.

I mentally smirked and swiftly worked through the equation without hesitation. From the corner of my eye I could see the teacher’s smug face slowly turning into a flustered one, when I finished I put down the marker and returned to my seat without sparing a glance at the teacher. The class erupted in whispers once again as the teacher meticulously scanned my work looking for any mistakes but to her dismay, it was flawless and I knew it.

“Be quiet class! Nice work Hana.” The teacher casually dismissed my efforts and resumed class like nothing had ever happened, she’s definitely on my hate list, after V and Miyoung of course. Lunch finally came and the students immediately escaped the classroom hungrily heading to the cafeteria. V and his friend also passed me like I was thin air but it didn’t bother me one bit because I simply did the same.

“Let’s go!” Sana hooked her arm around me again with an excited smile. I nodded and let her drag me to the cafeteria, I had butterflies in my tummy since this was the first time that I’m eating lunch with a friend. Usually when I was homeschooled lunch was delivered by the house chef and was eaten alone in my room, I went through that every single day and as each day passed it felt lonelier and lonelier. Now those days are over.

Sana began talking about how cool I was when I screwed the teacher over and the time the teacher did the same thing to her while we walked down the hallway. I ever so slightly smiled when Sana was on the verge of tears when she remembered how embarrassed she was when she got it wrong.

I was enjoying the conversation with Sana when something infuriating caught my ears, I focused on that something and got a clearer sound of it and how it my beast mode.

“Why the hell is the new girl hanging out with the Japanese freak?”

“I know right, maybe she doesn’t know about the weirdo.”

“Maybe she pities the beggar, why else would she hang with her.”

Fury took over my body like a tsunami as my blood started boiling and my face turned evidently grim, I would have knocked out all the talkers already if Sana hadn’t held onto my arm. I’ve only met this girl for a few hours and I was already this protective of her, how she made me like her charms are the exact reasons to why she doesn’t deserve this crap.

“Hana? Are you okay?” I snapped back to reality and was met with Sana’s innocent doe eyes.

“Oh .. yeah I’m fine.” I quickly lied and looked away. I understood how she must’ve felt, I experienced it first hand; insecurity and inferiority was the only beginning of the effects of being an ‘outcast’. But unlike Sana I built a wall around my heart and vowed that I’ll never expose myself again. But she was innocent and vulnerable, she didn’t do anything to deserve all this. Don’t worry Sana, I’ll never let them hurt you physically or mentally again.

The cafeteria exceeded my expectations, it was set out almost like a high class buffet with its aesthetic interior design. There were rows of different variety of health food and a section where energy drinks of all flavors stood perfectly in line. I forgot how much this school costed.

Sana and I made our way