"It will be a new beginning." Zaria looked at their new house and then lowered her head whispering to herself "Mom is this alright or am I doing something wrong?"

Ateel held out her hand towards Zaria with a nod.

A week had already gone by from the time they landed in China. Zaria wanted to learn martial arts and Xian came up with an option as soon as the words left Zaria's lips.

"My dad can teach you!" was what she said. And for some reason, Xian's father was more than happy to teach Zaria. Thus she ended up going to Xian's house every day before dawn.

She had also gone to search for a good school in the neighborhood but Xian had planned something else for Zaria. "My dad already talked to the principal of my school and you just need to fill out the form as a formality." She said to Zaria enthusiastically. This way Zaria and Ateel had settled down in China without the need to lift a single finger.

"Isn't today supposed to be the first day of school for us" Ateel pointed out to Zaria who was lazing around with her mobile in hand listening to god knows what. That was her weird hobby just lay around and listen to random stuff.

"Mm," Zaria responded.

"What do you mean by Mm, we just have 10 min left" Ateel snatched the phone from Zaria's hand. "Now go and get ready."

"Why are you so tensed it will only take a few minutes for me to get dressed." Zaria ruffled her hair with one hand as she stood up and walked out of the hall.

"Make yourself look presentable"Zaria could hear Ateel call out as she entered her room.

Zaria and Ateel were able to make it to the first class before the bell rang. The teacher went ahead and introduced them to the class. For some reason, the class knew Zaria even before the teacher introduced her. There was a creepy atmosphere in the class. To Zaria, the girls of the class looked like wolves and the boys like tigers. It felt like she was standing in the middle of a jungle with all the predators surrounding her.

"Go and take a seat" the teacher's voice bought Zaria back to reality. She walked along with Ateel and sat down in the two empty spots at the back.

Zaria thought that day would never end. She put her head down and slept through all the classes. When the last bell rang her eyes snapped open and a smile spread on her face.

"Let's go Ateel" Zaria was about to rush out of the class when all the girls blocked her.

"Are you Xian's friend?" A girl with a high pony asked.

"Do you go to her house every day before dawn" a girl with big eyes blinked as she asked.

Zaria was about to answer when a barricade of questions fell on her from almost all of the girls from the class. Zaria tried her best to evade them but she could not. Just then she felt petite fingers close around her arm. It was none other than Xian. Relief flooded Zaria when she was pulled out from the crowd of swooning girls.

"Why were they doing that to me?" Zaria's head was spinning. In all this mess she had lost Ateel at some point.

"Let's go search for your sister." Xian changed the topic.

Zaria nodded as she looked around.

After a brisk walk through the long corridors, they had reached the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was almost empty so they were about to leave when a group boys blocked Zaria's path.

"Would you guys mind making a way?" Zaria said in a stern voice.

The boys snickered. They looked daunting. And Zaria would have felt a little afraid if she was not looking for Ateel.

" Look the pretty boy wants to go." a boy with a scar on the brow looked at his companions. All the boys laughed. To Zaria, they looked nothing other than hyenas from Disney's The Lion King.

Zaria found a few girls standing at the end whispering among themselves. Ignoring everything he tried to push her way out of trouble awaiting her. The same boy jerked her and brought her to a sudden halt.

"Sorry if I have done anything to you but I'm in a hurry and..." The boy put a finger at his lips and gave a hiss.

"Who said You can talk, punk?" The boy raised his fist to punch Zaria and she quickly shut her eyes as a reflex. But didn't feel the pain she was expecting to.

"That's enough Chang." Zaria's eyes flew open. She saw one of Xian's family friend from the park.

"Thanx man!" Zaria couldn't understand why he would come for her rescue but she didn't have time to think about it. She was about to walk away when the same guy caught her by her collar.

"What's this?" Zaria choked. "Lets talk about it like civilized people". Zaria was shocked with the sudden change in the guys behavior. 'is he bipolar?' She thought.

"You have to pay for your mistakes." The guy sneered at zaria. "I'll make sure of it."

"But I haven't..." before she could say anything the air was knocked out of her. Zaria saw stars in broad daylight.
"Don't even try to explain. Thinking you can steal our girls is a sin here newbie."
"And we will make sure no one ever does it." This time Zaria heard a different voice. She was shocked to see another of Xian's lover prowl towards her .'Now they think of joining hands?' Zaria staggered when the newcomer clenched his fist and flung it in attempts to punch Zaria square in the face.
To Zaria everything seemed to slow down. At one point she could see a raged punk throwing his fists around and at the very next movement she saw herself being sheilded by none other than Ateel.
Taking the hit ment for Zaria, Ateel fell to the ground like a ragged doll.
Seeing this Zaria's senses were lost. The scene kept playing in her head over and over.

Zaria rushed to her friend's aid at once.
"Why? Why? Why? " Zaria's eyesight became blurred as she continued to ask holding Ateel tightly she could no longer see nor could she hear or feel. All of her skills of comprehension l faded away. In that moment her anger burst and she lost control over herself. It felt like a completely different personality over took her. She let Ateel go and caught the boy's neck in a swift motion.

"How dare you lay a hand on her? Do you know how much she gave up for me?" Her voice rang as she spoke. She exerted so much force that the boy was slowly being hoisted up. His legs dangled towards the ground. There were gasps and all around and then all was quite again.

The boy's companions took a step, back no one dared to approach her. For a few minutes there was utter silence.
This silence was broken by a girl who started rubbing her nose as she said "something is burning." At the comment everyone looked in the direction from where the smell was coming.

Xian who was standing next to Zaria could clearly see the burn marks on her family friends neck and she could also see them increase slowly .

"Zar." Xian was about to speak but a single gaze of Zaria made her unable to utter a single word her whole body trembled and she quietly moved aside.

"Zar, let the boy go. I am alright." Ateel called out trying to standup. Her leg was hurt and it pained when she moved it.

It was like speaking with a statue Zaria didn't even blink.

"Zar" Ateel called her again but still no response and the boy who had fainted long ago continued to get more and more burn marks around his neck.

Ateel slowly dragged her hurt foot as she walked towards Zaria. When she was close enough so that only Zaria would hear her she called out in a whisper.

"Zaria" she continued whispering Zaria's name.

Zaria's grip around the boy's neck slowly loosened as Zaria turned towards Ateel.

"Are you alright. Ateel" she asked her eyes soft with concern.

"Yeah" Ateel replied with a nod. "Let's go home."

Zaria nodded.

All the people who were blocking the way earlier quietly split away and allowed Zaria and Ateel to walk out. Nobody knew what exactly happened but there wasn't a single soul that dared to ask. Xian stared at the boy laying on the ground for one second then asking one of the girls to take the boy to the medical room she ran off to catch up with Zaria.

A/N : How was it? Did you guys like the chapter. This will be the sceduled chapter of the week.

The next chapter will be out on Friday of the coming week . Let's see, I will put up a challenge for you all.
How about this? If you can make my story get 1.5 K reads by Tuesday of the coming week then I will give you guys 1 extra chapter on Wednesday and if you can make it to 1.8 K then I will bow to you and give you 4 extra chapters.

E/N: (Though I don't think that's possible. But let's see what this loon's lovely readers are capable of.*snikers*)

A/N: Do you guys have the guts to accept the challenge? Now don't ask me how to make it happen, you guys are clever. I am sure you can find some way * Smile devilishly *

1, 2, 3 .............................

I am waiting...

E/N: (And so am I. Good luck peeps. (Y) :D)

* E/N - Editor's Note.