“Rinse and shine, babe,” shouted my best friend Yuri as she opened up the curtains, making the sun shine in my face.

“Just five more minutes,” I moaned.

“Tiffany! You have approximately sixty minutes to get dressed for your first day at GG High School. There is no time to waste. So get up and so something with that hair.”

“Okay, okay,” I said, getting up. “Even though I don’t see what the big deal is. We’re seniors anyway.”

“Exactly, that’s why we need to make friends. I mean. Come on, I left home, my parents, not that they cared, but not to mention Hyuna, Hara and Bora to be here with you,” she said.

“Well sorry, but I never asked you to come,” I said angrily.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. After everything you’ve been through this past year you don’t need me to complain. I just want this year to be better, for the both of us. You know?”

“Yeah”

“We have a chance for a fresh start here. No more rumours, no more reputations. Instead we have a chance for new friends, new people, and new men,” explained Yuri.

“I don’t know about guys. I mean, the last guy I dated almost killed me.”

“Oh, Fany-ah, you can’t let him stop you from finding love again.”

“It’s just going to take time,” I said walking to the bathroom.

“I know, but I just hope you don’t let that experience ruin your future. Not all guys are like him.”

“What about you Yul? I mean, after what happened you haven’t been in a serious relationship,” I said looking at myself in the mirror and putting my hair up.

“I just don’t want to get hurt again. I’m just waiting for that right guy to come along again.”

“Me too,” I said.

Then I noticed my scar on my lip. It was small, but big enough to remind me of that night.

Tiffany, come on, baby. I’m right here he shouted. He kissed me one last time on my lips, where the scar was now.

At the hospital he didn’t even show up, even though he promised me. My parents had already disowned me so I knew they wouldn’t be there. I had built a reputation that my parents didn’t even want to claim me as their daughter. I tried to explain to them that all the rumours about me weren’t true, but no one believed me. Only him, but that night I waited. No one came. No one came but Yuri. Once I got better I went home to find no one there. All my belongings were left outside. Luckily nothing was stolen. So then I decided that I need to make something of myself. I needed to go someplace where I wasn’t going to be who I had become or was labelled to have become. What better place than Wilmington, North Carolina, miles and hours away from my old home. Yuri was willing to come with me. She was thrilled by the idea. She wanted to come for the same reasons as I had. Now, five months later, I was here, looking back at what happened that night. Now five months later, here I was, beginning my new life.

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“Tiffany, please tell me you have Miss Gonzales for the first period,” Yuri said after we got our schedules.

“She teaches economics right?”

“Oh thank god we have first period together,” she said.

“I never said I had her for first,” I said as she gave me a stare. “I’m kidding.”

“Don’t ever do that again Tiffany Hwang,” she said smacking me lightly on the shoulder and walking away.

After surviving the first three classes, all of them with Yuri, I was sure I wouldn’t like this school. But then someone made me question that theory. I was running late to my next class, due to Yuri’s “major hair crisis” when suddenly I accidently bumped into someone. My economy books dropping to the floor.

“I’m sorry. Was that my fault?” he asked kneeling down and getting my book as I looked up at him.

“Oh, no, it was mine. I’m very clumsy,” I said beginning to blush as I stood up.

He was tall, dark haired and very cute.

“You’re new here, aren’t you?”

“Yeah” I replied.

“I can tell. Anyway, where you headed?”

“Ummm… Calculus with Mrs Mendoza,” I said looking at him, as he smiled and said.

“Me too, do you need help finding the class?”

“If you don’t mind,” I said, clearly blushing.

“No, I don’t. I’ll even carry your books for you.”

“Thanks,” I said as we began to walk down the hall.

“By the way, my name is Jung Jessica.”

“Oh, and I’m Tiffany, Tiffany Hwang.”

“So what brings you to GG High, especially senior year? You are a senior, right?”

“Yeah, I am. I just didn’t really like my old school,” I said, not wanting him to know about my past and the real reason as to why I left. Then the bell rang.

“Don’t worry. I and Mrs Mendoza go way very back. Just play along with me,” he said as we entered the classroom.

“Jessica Jung. What a surprise,” replied Mrs Mendoza.

“Now, Mrs Mendoza, before you jump into anything, I was just helping out my new friend, Tiffany,” Jessica said.

“Save it Mr Jung, just because your captain of the basketball team and doesn’t mean you can walk into my classroom late. You know my policy on tardiest. Now have a seat and you owe me a detention tomorrow after school as does your new friend here,” Mrs Mendoza said, then motioned for us to have a seat. Conveniently there were two empty desks in the back of the classroom right next to each other. As we sat down he looked up at me and smiled and then said.

“It’s the first day of school and yet her tardy policy still applies. I don’t think you’ll like this school better that your old one.”

Already then I knew that there would be one reason why I would.