Majority of the population in this world, especially middle schools and high schools, see popularity as a type of power. If you’re not popular then you’re a nobody and if you are then you’re a somebody. I like to think that somewhere in this world filled with immature idiots that there’s a place where popularity doesn’t matter, where everyone is equal.

Sadly, there isn’t one.

There’s a system in my school that I’m pretty sure every other school has as well; the popularity system. As little kids start to grow up into adolescents, they enter middle school and form cliques, a small group of friends that would be together for as long as they want. Be it until their final years of high school, college, or even their whole lives.

Cliques varies from the ever so popular cheerleaders, jocks and preps to the average skaters, thespians and hipsters to the constantly looked down upon computer geeks, nerds, emo kids and wannabes.

And me? Where do I belong in this popularity system? I’m not even there.

I’m a nobody, an invisible. I make sure I go unseen; pressing my back against the walls in hopes to blend in with my surroundings so no one would notice me.

In short, I’m a wallflower.

I don’t particularly socialize or participate in any school curriculums. There are very few people like me since no one would want to be invisible for the rest of their lives.

I am happy with my life though. I am free from all the scandalous rumours and drama that comes with popularity. I live a simple though uneventful life and I’m absolutely content with it.

But now. Now is different. Just because of a little slip up I made, the whole student body has deemed me as public enemy number one in the time span of five seconds. All because I bumped into a cheerleader (in my defence, she wasn’t there the seconds ago) and had stained her pretty little uniform orange.

And it just so happens to be during lunch where everyone, including the teachers, was there. She screamed a high pitched scream (my ears, ow) and started hyperventilating, chanting ‘oh my gosh’ for about half a minute. Before I could even open my mouth to apologize, I found myself taking a few small steps backwards as she jab her perfectly manicured finger at my chest. It was pointy too, ouch.

“You! Look what you did! I have a competition tomorrow and you stained my uniform! This is going to take forever to get rid of!”

I felt uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze and the fact that I can feel the stares of everyone in the school wasn’t making it any better. I’m pretty sure someone was currently mocking me too and was looking forward to my demise.

“Well? What are you going to do huh? You’re so rude too, didn’t even apologize.” She sneered. I would have laugh at how funny her face looked if I wasn’t so intimidated.

“Umm…”

“Leave her alone Dahee, it was an accident.”

The cheerleader, Dahee turned to the voice with wide eyes, “You’re taking her side?!” she screeched, pointing her finger at me accusingly and almost stabbing my eye out, “She stained it Myungsoo! This… This… This nobody stained my uniform and you’re taking her side?”

“It was an accident.”

“She didn’t even apologize!”

“You didn’t really give her any time to do so,” with those words, Dahee shut and I can tell she was clenching her teeth the way her jaw was so tense. “Whatever,” she spat before turning to me with a glare, “You’re lucky this time but Myungsoo won’t always be here to protect a nobody like you.”

I blinked in confusion the moment Dahee stalked off with her group of cheerleaders. What just happened?

“Come on.” A voice whispered into my ear and before I knew it, I was being dragged out to the empty hallway. I wasn’t surprise when I saw everyone staying at me with wide eyes. Mine was probably equally as wide, maybe even bigger.

“You need to be more careful Min Jae and what were you doing just standing there? You should have said something.”

My head snapped up to look at the male, “How do you know my name?” no one is supposed to know my name. I’m a nobody. This isn’t supposed to happen. One of the most popular guys in the school (not to mention student council president) is not supposed to save me from an angry cheerleader in front of the whole student body. He isn’t supposed to know my name.

He stopped and look at me with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, before the corner of his lips tugged up into this little grin and I think I’m hallucination because there is no way that he’s blushing right now. “A guy should know the name of the girl that holds his affections.”

“…What?” I stared at him in shock and he scratched his cheek, embarrassed, “Yeah, this wasn’t how I was planning to confess.” I stood there stunned with my jaw slack, forgetting the tiny detail that his warm hand is still holding onto my wrist.

It’s official, popularity and its people are so unpredictable.

AN: This was my English essay for exam. I added some stuff and yeah...