My High School Revenge

My fingers tap on the laptop lying across my legs as my mom turns onto the main road to Remington College. The steady beat I play is one that is stimulated by my nerves. My mother can sense it. She occasionally looks into the rear-view mirror, making quick eye contact with me, which elicits a small. I stop for a few minutes, and then it begins back up again. I’m nervous, just like the many other freshmen showing up on move-in day. But I’m not like the other freshmen. For starters, I am not from a wealthy family whose name alone comes with an acceptance letter to this prestigious school. I got in on a scholarship and a game plan. My science GPA proved that I can handle the high standards that come along with being a pre-med student. My sole purpose of applying was to take part in their research department for women’s health. I would do outreach work in low-income communities, find participants for their reproductive studies in order to makw better treatments and cures for PCOS, endometriosis, and PMDD. Secondly, I grew up in a small town a couple of hundred miles from here. It was a mix of urban and rural living. Most of the residents are middle class, with two wealthy and involved families. I was on the lower end of socioeconomic status. It made life in High School on most days unbearable. Girls were pitted against each other and the boys; I can’t begin to explain the standards I couldn’t reach because of who I was. So, of course, my middle school friends dropped my ass a week into my freshman year, and the bullying began. I tried to stay under the radar, to go unnoticed, almost like a ghost among the swarm of bodies. It didn’t matter; I had drawn a target on my back when I rejected Tate. A junior who was after fresh meat and thought that he could conquer me next. He was well-liked and from one of the wealthier families of our city. He made it his sole mission to embarrass and harass me. He had an accomplice who took pleasure in making sure that my days remained hell if Tate could not. Until the day they graduated and moved on. Things got quieter for me after. I wasn’t shielding myself from the bullying anymore, but I hadn’t had a social life within those walls. So, this is my fresh start. I didn’t need to have a large circle of friends. However, I did want to put myself out there a little to make some friends. College would be depressing if I didn’t. I would be damned if I hadn’t spent my breaks and summers working on myself to let all of it go to waste. This summer in particular, I had put in work. I found a salon that specialized in textured hair that fixed me up and educated me on the dos and don’ts of curly hair. I worked full time while staying with my grandmother. Spent some of it on a new wardrobe and makeup. I took every opportunity that came at me to interact with people my age and others that would test my intellect to be successful my first year at Remington. My plan was foolproof: study my ass off, volunteer, obtain work experience, network, never draw too much attention, and get hired at the top research hospital for women’s health. What could go wrong? The car rolled to a stop outside the drop-off and loading zone. I unbuckled and opened the door to look out at the old brick buildings; my new home for the next four years. “Hi, welcome. Are you a freshman?” a peppy blonde girl asks me. “Yes, I am,” I respond. “My name is Haley. I am on the welcoming committee. I’m here to help get your things into your dorm. Can I get your name” “My name is Cherry. It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for helping.” “It’s not a problem. We are happy to have you here!” She pulls a deep rolling cart over and starts taking things from the trunk out and placing them in it. After it’s full to the brim, she leaves us with another one and leaves to get help. Just as I reach in to grab the mini fridge, a pair of hands grab it along with me, lifting and placing it in the second cart. When I look up, I see the same blue eyes that caused me countless nightmares. “Hey, Cherry.” He stands there with that same smile that he charmed Thornhill High with only years ago. I'm frozen in place. I can't say anything back. I begin panicking. Not certain if my eyes are playing tricks on me. Is this guy really here? How come he’s smiling at me instead of glaring me down? “Tate Cunningham, it’s so nice to see you,” my mom says, rushing in to hug him. “I had no idea you were attending Remington College.” “I transferred here in the summer. When I saw Cherry’s name on the acceptance list after being accepted myself, I knew I had to see you guys on your first day on campus.” He flashes my mom a grin and pulls me into the tightest hug, but I keep my arms at my sides. “Let’s get you off to your room.” He grabs the second cart, following behind Haley. “Oh, I forgot to mention that I’m your student advisor this year. I know I am new to the campus, but I have seen enough of it and know many of the resources here. I thought it might be nice to have a familiar face. I know how hard it can be starting in a new place. What did he just say? That he’s my student advisor. The one person I would be required to check in with weekly while studying here. What the actual f**k?