Sorry guys for the late update. I was out of station for a while. Please read this part and tell me what you think. Happy Reading :) 

Also, picture of Grace on the side played by Brit Robertson.

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Chapter II

"Miss Gupta, the answer please?"

I pulled my eyes away from the weird glaring guy and looked at Mr Daves. He was wearing a smug look. 

"Lucy Negro or Dark Luce" I answered with a smug look of my own. It was fun to watch Mr Dave's happy look turn defeated. From the corner of my eye, I saw the nerdy guy shaking his head with a disgusted look. What was his problem?

"Correct Miss Gupta, you may sit." Mr Daves said, his tone a little peevish.

I sat down, my eyes still on the mysterious guy.

"You do know I hate you for that right?"

I dragged my eyes away from the guy and saw Grace looking at me with envy, her arms folded.

"Seriously? Again?" I said, exasperated.

"Well you do it every time. How is it possible?  You listen to me with your full attention but still manage to answer the teacher's question. It is  like you have one ear to me and the other towards the teacher."

It was true. Trust me, it was not by choice.  I had no intention of listening to Mr Daves lecture or the other teachers' except a few but it had always been like this for me. It didn't matter how intently I was listening to anyone, I could always pay attention to what the teacher was saying.

I rolled my eyes and asked'

"Anyways, who's that guy?" indicating to the nerd.

She looked at the guy and her eyes were filled with interest.

"Oh yes, you wouldn't know him. He is new here. Michael Stevens. He is apparently a brilliant student. MIT standard. And right now your biggest competition." she said, looking at me.

"Hmmmmm" I said, mulling over what she had just said. Maybe that is why he had been glaring at me. Believe it or not, I happen to be the star student of the class. Yep, the bad girl comes with brains. Or a photographic memory in my case. My teachers were still trying to digest this fact after three years.

As the bell rang after five minutes,  Mr. Daves gave a heartbreaking look at his book and left the room. He had just been about to compare his love to an ocean or something. The girl in the first row took out her handkerchief and started wiping the top of her book with it,all the while glaring at Mr. Daves' retreating back.

Grace and I stood up and walked towards the door. Grace stopped just inside the door, looked back at me.

"Go and ask Brandon now." she ordered.

"Can't we wait till the break?" I pleaded. 

"Fine" she sighed. 

At that moment, I heard a commotion behind us. I looked back and saw Michael on the floor with his books around him and Thomas, another jock, laughing at him. Apparently, Thomas had intentionally stuck out his leg and Michael had tripped over it. Michael's face was red. Others might think it was embarrassment, but something told me it was anger.

I didn't say anything but just as I saw Thomas heading for the door, basking on his brilliance, I promptly stuck my leg out and he went barreling to the floor.

I smirked while I heard Grace groaning behind me. This didn't go well for Thomas. He stood up with rage masking his expression and headed towards me. I stood calmly with my fists clenched, ready to punch him if need be. I was a black belt in karate and kung fu. I could take him down. And if worse came to worse, I could scream like a little girl and cling to his back like a leech. 

From my side I heard Grace sigh 'not again'.

"Hey Gupta, what's your problem? Didn't you see me coming?" he said looming over me.

"Oh yes,  I saw you. My leg was solely stuck out for your purpose. Now don't go throwing up again. " I said sweetly.

Thomas's face turned red but he refrained himself. He must have remembered the last time we had spurred. I had mixed cockroach paste to his sandwich. I grinned as I recalled that day.  He had thrown up for two hours straight.

Thomas saw my smirk and instantly paled. Stammering about a homeroom project, he ran away. I am pretty sure he wouldn't be going anywhere near the cafeteria food for a while.

Somebody brushed past me. I saw it was Michael with his head bowed down. Nice guy, not even a thank you for what I did. Still, it seemed I had done my good deed for the day.

After three more classes, Grace and I headed towards the cafeteria where our other best friend James was saving us a table. Grace badgered me all the way about asking Brandon his tie color but looking around I couldn't find him anywhere. I grabbed myself a cheeseburger and Grace got the same.  According to Grace, it was a good thing that she had a high metabolism. Because in the choice between food and thin figure, she would always choose food. And it was good that she already had a best friend because her high metabolism didn't make her any favorable to the other ten pound cheerleaders.

I waved at James and put my tray at the table. But before I could sit down, somebody tapped me on my shoulder. I looked around and saw Alex, a quiet and geeky guy with an awkward smile, looking nervously at me with a bunch of notes in his hand.

"Alex, right?" I smiled at him.

He blushed bright red and smiled back at me.

"You know me?" he asked shyly, as if such a thought was unimaginable.

"Of course I do, I have biology with you." I replied.

Much calmer now, he said, " You are Brandon's girlfriend ,right?"

Immediately my smile disappeared . Since it had come out that Brandon and I were going to prom together, everybody had started thinking that we were a couple. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was Brandon's own handiwork. As if I would ever date that scumbag. I was waiting for the prom to end after which I wanted to see if kissing a frog got Brandon a princess.

"No, he is not. May I know why?" I asked with a kind smile.

"Well, I can't find him anywhere and I was supposed to give him his chemistry homework." He said indicating the notes in his hand.

Which Brandon had obviously bullied poor Alex to do.

"Sure, I will give it to him." I said, taking the notes from him and keeping it beside me.

I was about to sit down again when Alex cleared his throat again. I turned around.

"Would you mind giving it to him now? I don't want him to miss his notes" he said, nervously.

I looked at him sympathetically. It seemed Alex had previous experience of what happened if Brandon didn't get his notes on time.

"Of course Alex. I will go right now." I said with a smile.

"And you can ask him about his tie color as well" Grace chimed in from her seat.

I glanced amusedly at her.

I walked out of the cafeteria and headed towards the lockers. As I got closer to my locker, I heard a moaning sound. It seemed somebody was getting lucky. I turned my head with curiosity and wouldn't you know it, it was Brandon and Daisy, the other popular cheerleader going at it against my locker. MY locker.

Daisy shrieked when she saw me and promptly let go of Brandon. Now it was true, Brandon and I were not a couple and it didn't affect me even a  bit that he was snogging other girls. He could snog the whole school for all I cared except Grace, but the smug and victorious look Daisy gave pissed me off. Daisy had been another candidate of my pranks. After Grace had been elected head cheerleader, Daisy had started spreading vile rumors about Grace. Long story short, she had walked around with lice on her head for a month. We had been mortal enemies since then.

"Well look who it is. The so-called-bad girl of the school." she smiled evilly.

I just raised my eyebrows at her, promising retribution. She immediately stopped smiling.

"Brandon, have you told her yet?" she asked, looking at him.

I looked at Brandon. He was shuffling his feet nervously.

"Brandon?" I asked, already guessing what he was about to say.

"Well, the thing is Rebel, I can't take you to the prom. I have asked Daisy here and she said yes," he said, not meeting my gaze and sidling behind Daisy.

I wouldn't have minded at all if I hadn't seen Daisy's triumphant look. In fact, I  had been hoping he would say that. But Daisy's smug look made me changed that. Something told me it was all her work. I calmly walked up to them, handed Brandon the notes and turned around. I heard his sigh of relief. I turned around and punched him right on the nose. Daisy looked at me with a terrified look. I just looked at her and whispered "Watch your back".

And walked out of there with my head held high. 

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