Ten days later, classes start on the fourteenth and Scarlett can't be any happier. She's always loved school and this time she's specifically looking forward to it. She wakes up earlier than usual at 6:30 to get ready soon. She's opening the lock to her cycle, Ella arrives on hers. "You ready?"

"Yeah, let's go." They head towards Block A, some other students also join them in the way. Life in the area has its own way of things, a little different than a regular town or city of The States. They reach after around fifteen minutes and get greeted by a beautifully decorated front gate. "Cringe!" Someone says. "Same old same old," followed by another, and yet another, "When will our school ever get a little cooler?"

Different comments come through so many students, Scarlett feels a little sad. She asks them not to say such things as the workers really put in effort into the gate, which makes her earn some stares.

They walk to the stand and lock their bicycles to their respective slots and finally head towards their class.

***

"What is this? A playschool?" Elijah expresses his disdain while standing in front of the gate of Saint George where he'll be spending the next three years.

"No, Elijah. It's our high school." He gets alarmed as he senses someone too close to his ear. "Skylar! Were you following me?"

"No, I was just worried that you might get lost while on your way till here so I-"

"Followed me." He narrows his eyes at him.

"Umhm, okay. Can say that too, I guess." Skylar says hesitantly, looking everywhere but him.

"What are you, my mother?" He storms inside.

"Hey, wait! Let's go together, we're friends!"

"No, we're not." He shouts, Skylar follows him in like a puppy, "But you wanted to meet again!"

"Aaagghh!"

***

The classroom is hustling with conversations; some talking about their winter trip to Switzerland while some boasting about who slept the most during the break. No one even bothers to look anywhere else than their source of listeners and vice versa, until...

"Oh my god who is he??!!!" Someone shrieks and everyone turns to her, follows her line of gaze which falls upon an extremely beautiful human: a face with all the fine features but too bad that parts of it are covered with his hair. But then again, where else can they see such perfect hair? Straight, silky raven black hair complimenting his black eyes that seem to have a magnetic lustre just like his radiant skin. And his height? That of an actor's straight out of the movies! The whole ambience of the class suddenly changes when Elijah steps in, it's like spring has rushed its way through the months and mischievously entered a mundane September with its ever so young charismatic aura blossoming in everyone's heart.

And all the girls swoon as he releases a deep breath. It's as if they are swaying with every step he's taking towards them, slowly yet classily.

"Unbelievable!"

"This can't be!"

"He's amazing!"

"So perfect!"

"What a fine beauty!"

"Beauty? Say 'handsome,' silly!"

"Doesn't matter, he's the definition of perfectionism."

"Omg I might run out of breath now."

"Aaahh! Why today? Out of all the days in the year, why today? It's the first time I didn't put on any makeup, my lord what will he even think of me?"

"As if he'll think about anything! He seems to be new."

"New student, right?"

"Shall we go and introduce ourselves?"

"No wait, let Miss Gilbert come."

"Oh, I can't wait to know his name."

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

"Sure he has."

"Such tragedy, he's way too gorgeous."

"Hey, stop it let's not scare him, it's his first day man calm down."

"Oh, you won't understand cause you're a boy. I bet he's going to be the new heartthrob of the school."

"Competition for Damien, mmmm gonna be a show!"

"Sshh shhh, let's behave..."

The room gets filled with whispers and giggles.

Except, these aren't for him.

They never were.

It was all in his head.

Elijah stands at the door calculating every possible way he can go get himself a seat without being noticed by anyone, quite contrary to the main character fantasies he just had. Five minutes pass by just like that while gossips get louder than ever before. He inhales a deep breath before finally stepping in. His head hung low, hands holding the straps attached to his bag, his feet drag him to a seat he noticed has been empty for a while.

Right when he lets go of the breath he was holding all this time to sit, his ears broaden to let in some unpleasant gossip...about him.

"Who's that dude?"

"Didn't know we had a new admission?"

"He seems gay, quite honestly!"

"Ay, twink! Where you from?"

"I guess he's handsome though!"

"Oh my god look at him! He has such a pretty face!"

"Femboy, ah?"

"You from Thailand?"

"Why does our school give out admissions to just anybody?"

"Okay we all need to chill and let the boy speak."

"Is he even a boy? Seems more like a tomboy."

In what feels like a few seconds where Elijah isn't even seated yet, there is a pool of people swarming around him which makes his breaths irregular. He plops on the chair and descends his head into the hideout his crossed arms have created on the desk. The voices go around for a bit until the students realise he must be really shy or uncomfortable. Everyone get back to their seats, except three.

One blonde girl with two brunettes alongside - the famous trio of Saint George - approach him. "Hey, I'm Francesca." The blonde one leans in to his right ear. "Would you care to respond, little guy?"

Elijah lifts up his head and takes a look.

"Oh so you're not so little. Mhm." She eyes him top to bottom before placing her manicured hand on his shoulder. A squeeze. "Care to introduce yourself?" She smiles amorously.

"Cessie, be gentle. Boy seems scared." Linda, one of the brunette twins, mocks.

"Scared? I don't think so! To me he's rather shy." Gracy, the other twin, adds on.

"Shut up you two. Let me make him utter something." She leans in, making him stand upright.

"Ow, the new boy just got some balls!" A guy hollers.

"This what we talkin' 'bout now! Give us some spice!"

"Go on Francesca! Make him talk!"

"Could you all be more kind? He's new, just stop it already!"

"Exactly. Where are your manners?"

The voices keep going which makes his head feel dizzy. He loses balance but someone catches him right on time.

"Back off." She says, eyes sternly fixed on Francesca.

"Why? Is he your sissy?"

The class bursts into laughter.

She holds a breath. "No but I will make you into one if you don't stop. Bother to come to the field?"

"Whoaaaa!"

"Ohhsshh damn!"

"There you go, Scarlett!"

"Man that's why I love this girl! Just be my girlfriend already!"

Francesca and her girls roll their eyes before marching to their designated seats.

Scarlett's grip on Elijah's wrist loosens. "You alright?"

He nods, embarrassed by whatever everyone witnessed just now. That's not how he imagined it will go in his mind the night before - the countless times he practiced giving an introduction, how he'll walk up to his seat and take his book out, how the teacher will instantly develop a liking towards him just as his mother wishes, and so much more. Nothing is going according to his plans and he's loathing it, he's loathing his craven self.

"Would you like to be here or go freshen up a bit?"

"I...I'd like to stay."

"Okay, cool. I sit next to you." She says and proceeds to beckon her classmate to move to a different seat. With her reputation in school, the girl immediately shifts to another seat happily.

He feels guilty for feeling annoyed by Scarlett sitting next to him, after all he was just saved by her. As planned, he takes out a book to study in order to avoid further communications as well as get noticed by the teacher.

Scarlett soon gives in to her exhaustion from the morning practice. Conversations go on as usual in the class until the teacher arrives. Elijah, with his concentration embedded in text matter, fails to acknowledge and pay respect to the authority standing near the board. Everyone is stood, greeting their home room teacher. Miss Girlbert's attention though, is plastered on two kids completely oblivious to her presence in class; one she is used to and the other a face she hasn't seen before but has her hunch about.

"Umhm Umhm." She coughs, making everyone laugh in hushed tones.

She coughs again but to no avail.

"Ma'am, may I please come in? Sorry for being late." Skylar's voice snaps Elijah out of his dedication for his book, but fails to make a difference to Scarlett's nap.

"Yes, you may." She speaks but her eyes narrowed at Elijah. He stands and straightens up at once. "Sorry, ma'am. I'm so sorry, I din't mean to-"

She senses his tension and her face softens. "It's okay, child. You must be the new student. Welcome, please introduce yourself!" She smiles warmly, which makes him relax a bit.

"Yes." He hurries to stand near the board where she is seated at her desk.

A deep breath, followed by a rising head with eyes facing the back wall instead of the kids. "Hello, I am Elijah Walker Zaniston. Starting this sophomore year, I will be completing my high school with you all. I hope we all can get along well." His toes curl up inside his shoes at what he just uttered but he knows he had to. He looks at Miss Gilbert who seems to be expecting more. He continues, "I have shifted here some days ago, so I'm still getting used to things here. I come from South Korea, I'll need some time to get used to the culture and everything here. Please help me out." His phalanges might as well just rip through his skin now. To avoid any further reactions that he may elicit involuntarily, he looks down and keeps his hands together.

Miss Gilbert smiles and everyone claps. "Welcome to class, Elijah. Let's give our best!" She says and he nods before going back to his seat again.

"You did good." Skylar nudges him.

He nods, then snaps out of it. "Wait, why are you here? Near me?"

"Um, this is my seat."

"What? Why?!"

"Because this is my seat?"

Elijah's brows refuse to straighten for he cannot fathom just how wrong his entire day has been going when the day has just started.

"Sure, and it's my seat." He looks to his left where a smiling Skylar looks back, then to his right where a passed out Scarlett drools. Obviously, this is what I came here for! Heh heh heh! Thank you dear lord, thanks a lot!

***

Lunch break has started.

"Hey, won't you be needing a library card?" Skylar asks Elijah, they are heading to the canteen.

"Is it mandatory?"

"It is if you want to borrow books."

"Then I will. You go have your lunch, I'll go to the library." He feels relief thinking he just dodged him off but stops in his tracks because he doesn't even know where he's supposed to be headed.

He looks back at an annoyed Skylar who sighs and leads him ahead. "Follow me."

In the way, Skylar remembers about something he needs to take care of, he apologies to Elijah and explains what he needs to do. "See, once you enter you'll greet the librarian and tell him that you're new. He'll probably ask you some questions so just answer them accordingly and then he'll ask you to sit for a while until the library monitor of our class comes and helps you with your card. Understood?"

"Wait, you guys have a library monitor?"

"Yeah, it's Saint George after all. It's different in here, we have a monitor for almost everything. The faculty thinks it helps us being organized. Dumb, I know."

"Alright, understood. I just hope your monitor is fast enough."

"Last year it was Ross, I don't know who it is for this year but don't worry, you'll get it soon. I'll go then?"

"Yeah, sure." Elijah walks in and greets the librarian. After some questions he is asked to sit on the sofa as told by Skylar, "Your monitor has been called for. Wait for some time."

Minutes after minutes go by and there's still no sign of the monitor, lunch break is almost about to end now. "Hey kid," Mr. Arthur, the librarian, calls Elijah. "I don't think she'll be coming anytime soon. Do one thing, just go and have a look around for today and come back tomorrow."

Elijah gets a little displeased after waiting for so long but is happy at the same time that he at least is getting to see the library. It's an enormous library with three floors and two flights of stairs, just what can make him instantly happy.

He goes around the second floor first, then climbs down to the first as he sees some good science fiction there. While going through one of the books he looks at his watch and realizes that there's only five minutes left for the bell to ring. He thinks about the monitor, "What an irresponsible person!"

"Who?" Someone catches him off guard and he turns back to see who.

"You!!!" His eyes widen at the audacity of his destiny.

"Oh, it's you." Scarlett just stands, surprised too.

His face turns into a frown. "What even!"

____________________________________________

A/N: Hmm, poor Elijah's main character fantasies didn't come true. But he hates being social or being noticed, so why are his thoughts different? Why does he even want to be the main character? 🙄

Read to find out 😏