Gossip Girl here.

Queen B and her royal are off to fraternize with... a mere peasant! What next? A Queen reduced to frolicking with her worker bees? Now that'll be buzz worthy!

***

Siwon and I walk into the club's lounge to see J making out busily with a dark haired guy. But of course.

Siwon whistles as we approach hand in hand. J and her beau still doesn't hear us. Siwon sniggers.

"Ah hem! Hello J! We're here!" I awkwardly announce our arrival.

They both immediately broke contact and surface for air, gasping. The dark haired stranger turns around and smiles at us mischievously while ruffling his hair. Ah, a dimpled one. Both J and I have a weakness for dimpled guys. 

He's rather good looking I'll admit, this raven-haired interloper. But... not as good-looking as my Siwonnie! Haha! Ok, other then being smug about how much better looking my fiancé is, I'm glad this guy isn't that much of a stunner. Going by the standards of J's long list of ex-es, that means he probably won't hold J's attention for any much longer. I'll give it one month max. Make it 2 weeks.

"Sorry, we just got too caught up!" giggles J.  "Baby, I want you to meet my besties! We grew up together! Meet Bo and her fiancé Siwon!"

J's 2-week squeeze rises up from his seat and extends his hands to shake. WHAT THE HELL is he wearing?! Is he... Is he wearing harem pants?!! Who wears such stuff? Other than maybe MC Hammer or Justin Bieber? Eww! My eyes! 

1-week! J shouldn't see this fashion terrorist beyond 1 week! 

"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Yixing!, he says as he holds my hand. 

"YIXING?! As in Zhang Yixing?!" I ask incredulous.

"Why yes. And you oughta loosen your vise grip lady." He laughs.

"You're a guy? I mean, you're the one that beat me to the top spot?"

"Oh!" intone both J and Siwon as awkward apologetic looks fall on their faces. Are they feeling sorry for me? No! No one feels sorry for Bo!

"Riiight, so you're the other kid that had perfect score too? Well, I've been meaning to meet you! I'm the new transfer kid in EP. Enchanté!" He shakes my hand again, more firmly this time and he gives me the once over.

Is he checking me out? Now? Here? The best friend of his girlfriend?!! Sleaze bag! And what's with the French? Is he...trying to act posh? Ha!

I quickly withdraw my hand from his lingering grasp and sit across from them with my arms crossed. Why is J consorting with the enemy?!

"Er...what's with the stink eye? You're not drawing enemy lines simply because I outdid you in the tests huh?" Yixing shoots in my direction.

"Well, you are a rival. So I don't think we can ever be friends. Sorry J. I don't consort with my competitor."

"But...B..." J starts to whine, "even for me?"

"C'mon... Bo? Is that right?" Yixing asks. I remain stoic while worried J and Siwon nod anxiously on my behalf. He continues "Ever heard of friendly rivalry? We don't have to be bitter enemies just because we're both top students? We can have some healthy compeition instead? How about that? You've probably been unchallenged for too long at EP? It's probably not good for your development and intellectual growth? You should embrace me! Your new challenger! Healthy competition can keep you on your toes. Spur you to challenge yourself more? So you should embrace this opportunity instead and rise to the challenge and thrive! Think positive!"

Hmm...I've never thought of it that way. Indeed I have remain unchallenged for quite sometime in EP. Gasp! Have I stagnate? Peaked? I guess he's right in some ways. To be the very best, you need to beat the best! 

"Well, transfer kid. Challenge accepted! I shall rise above the challenge! Be prepared to eat my dust when I take back my top spot at the next test!"

"Now that's the spirit! I look forward to your challenge! Be forewarned, I'll defintely be putting up a good fight! I'll be working you hard and stretching you. Watch out!" He winks.

"Bring it on" I fake a smile.

There's something sketchy about this Yixing. I study his form. Other than the disgusting black harem pants, he's also wearing some weird, loose-fitted, androgynously-styled black hoodie top and he has on a pair of black converse and a swatch watch. Urgh! This guy reeks hoi polloi! How can J stand to be seen with him! And to invite him to our exclusive club?! And he has on an ear stud? Plus he wears all black. Is he trying to channel some bad boy look? So cliché! I suppress my eye-roll and inadvertently make eye contact with Yixing. He smirks.

"What's with the once over? Are you checking me out Bo? Careful there, your fiancé is by your side!" Yixing teases.

"What! No! How dare you?" I retort. He was the one giving me the once-over earlier! 

"Baby, stop! Don't tease B!" J giggles and playfully hits on Yixing.

"Yeah, how dare you suggest that? My fiancée only has eyes for me! Right babe?" Siwon replies jokingly as he curls his hand around my waist and pulls me closer.

"Honestly Bo, do I've affront you? Other than robbing you of your top spot, do I displease you in other ways? You've been frowning the whole while you laid eyes on me?" Yixing asks curiously. Well, well, Mr Obvious here just says whatever he sees. Doesn't this guy understand decorum? Social etiquette? You don't say aloud everything you observe! What kind of upbringing did he have? That's right, we don't know anything about him! Where he comes from? Who his parents are? His upbringing is questionable!  That's what happens when you associate with people of unknown background!

Alright then, if we're going with candour here, I shall not withhold myself too! 

"Ok, I'll keep it unvarnished then. I don't approve of you. There I said it." 

Yixing bursts out laughing. What's so funny? 

"Well, I'm sorry you don't approve of me, Mrs Pecksniffian. What are you? J's mom?" Yixing jokes. How dare he reference Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit and associate me with that sanctimonious Pecksniff character! I'm not holier-than-thou, I just...have standards, that's all. Ok, maybe I'm holier than this crude Yixing though. Such a brute!

"FYI, I'm J's bestie and in the boyfriend department, the opinion of a trusted best friend holds more weight than a mom's. Also, I don't think you'll progress to the stage where you'll meet J's mom, so please. Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Babe..." Siwon rubs my arm to mollify me.

"B, c'mon! Don't be like this! You've never disapproved any of my boyfriends before! So why are you so rude to Yixing?" J asks worriedly.

"I'm worried for you, J! We don't know anything about this guy! Where does he come from? Who are his parents? What's his motives? But he knows everything about us! And.."

"Whoa! Hold on a second, Miss Paranoid! What makes you think I know everything about you?"

"Pur-lease! You can just google any of our last names and you'll unearth our family history, what corporations our families own, our ranking, our company..."

"So, even if I were to google, which I have not done so, all I'll probably dig up is useless information pertaining to what you are, not who you are. If the "what" is so important to you, J's best friend...I'm the only child of working class parents from China. My dad's a tailor and my mom's an accountant. While my mom and dad are not heiresses or scions of inherited wealth, they are honest, hardworking folks, contributing abled members of the society. Through their hardwork and toil, they make up the backbone of the so-called empires that your parents supposedly run." 

Ok, I feel... embarrassed. No one has ever talked to me ... like that.

"And as for my motives towards J, I'm not dating her because she's the daughter of so and so public listed corp." Then he turns towards J and gently holds her chin while he gazes intently into her eyes and continues softly, "I fell for you Jessica, not because of what you are but because of who you are. Not only are you stunningly beautiful. Amazingly, you're sweet and kind. And you have the cutest giggle! You laugh like a 4-year old. So brightly, so unbridled. A thing of beauty. A joy forever..."

"Oh Yixing!" J swoons and Yixing leans towards J and kiss her. Aannnnd they are back to making out busily like when we first met them. Lost in their own world. Cue for Siwon and I to leave.