The Red tradition
1752 Words
Astoria's eyes widened as she was led into the classroom. She was awestruck momentarily by the beautiful room adorned with sleek, modern furniture and walls lined with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing natural light to pour in. The floors were made of polished marble, and the high ceilings added a touch of luxury. The beauty of the classroom took her breath away, making her feel like she had entered a new world.
As her eyes scanned the room, she realized that everyone present lived in a world far higher than hers.
"The scholarship girl is in class B?"
"How can she be in the same class with the elites of the school?"
"A scholarship student here?"
"Must be a mistake!"
Astoria felt like an outsider as more comments were made. She scanned their faces and saw the disgust until her eyes landed on him.
Prince Lyriq.
Just staring at him made her heart race faster. It was the mate bond, and she wondered if he could feel it. Astoria didn't know if the universe was playing games with her by bonding her to an asshole like the prince—the tyrant prince who almost ran someone down with his car. He looked away first, breaking the connection, while Astoria continued to stare at him, only to see another pair of piercing green eyes staring back from the girl beside him. She wondered who the girl was to him, and as if reading her mind, the girl placed her hands on Lyriq’s shoulder, giving Astoria all the answers she needed.
"Everyone, this is the new scholarship student admitted here. Because of her brilliance, she was placed in this class!" Mr. Eric introduced her, but it differed from the kind of introduction she hoped for.
"She's that brilliant?" someone shouted and burst into laughter. The class joined in, all except Rowan, who was smiling at her.
At least there was one friendly face.
"Everyone!" Astoria shouted, introducing herself. "My name is Astoria Winters. I am the..."
"The new scholarship trash!" someone shouted, laughing.
It was a boy with white hair, the same one who had doubted her brilliance.
"I hope we will get along," Astoria continued, lowering her head, but no one responded or clapped.
"Find a seat," Mr. Eric said to her.
Astoria scanned the room again, looking for empty spaces, and saw one beside Rowan. She walked towards him, waved, and sat down. "Hey," Rowan greeted her with a smile.
"Hi, Rowan," she smiled back and faced the teacher still in the class.
"This is a new semester and the year of the championship where the best senior is crowned in front of the world. Work harder and stronger; I will see you all at the top!" No one responded to his motivating words as they all focused on their phones.
"See you all later," Mr. Eric muttered, leaving the class.
As soon as he left, everyone started talking again, and Astoria could feel all eyes on her. She ignored them and focused only on Rowan.
"How are you coping?" he asked her.
Astoria sighed, not knowing where to start, but then she explained how the teachers had acted toward her and how everyone kept staring at her. When she finished, Rowan chuckled. "It is not funny," she also chuckled.
The class suddenly went silent as if she had done something wrong by laughing. She looked around to see the glares her classmates were throwing her way, and finally, her eyes landed on him again. Prince Lyriq stared at her with such intensity that it made her skin prickle. His gaze was like a laser beam, piercing and unyielding as if he were seeing right through her. He looked like he was judging her, just like everyone else in the class.
Just then, the bell rang, and a teacher walked in. Astoria averted her gaze and focused on the word written on the board.
Mathematics.
Her favorite subject.
Throughout the class, Astoria could feel the burning gaze behind her. Every few minutes, she turned back to see him staring at her, getting her wolf all excited about him.
"Our mate is good-looking," her wolf, Blue, wouldn’t stop talking about him, and Astoria's body took every ounce of strength not to be distracted by him.
Once the class ended after thirty minutes, Astoria sighed and stretched her hands, glad that the first class went on smoothly.
"You must love math," Rowan commented, pointing to the words scribbled on her notes, but it was not about math; instead, it was about him.
He is good-looking.
Astoria gasped and quickly covered the book, realizing she had written down her feelings. She looked up to face Rowan, and just as she was about to speak, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
She turned to see two girls pointing at her. "Hey, you red girl, it is time for the class tradition."
"Class tradition?" Astoria frowned, and before she could understand what was happening, she was pulled up from her chair and dragged outside the classroom. She looked at Rowan for help, but he only mouthed a sorry to her.
"Where the hell are you taking me?" she shouted. "Let me go!" she yelled as they continued to drag her down the stairs.
The girls laughed, tightening their grip on her arms as they descended the stairs until they reached the center of the senior hallways.
"Since you are the only red girl in our class, you must pass the class tradition," one of them sneered, pushing Astoria to the ground.
Cheers and claps sounded from the students in the classrooms downstairs and upstairs. Most students wore blue ties, meaning they were the noble students, and they gathered around with their phones, pointing them directly at Astoria and taking pictures.
"What are you..." Astoria started to ask, but her words got caught in her throat as red paint poured down on her from above. The girls and everyone around erupted into cheers and laughter. Cameras flashed on her face from different angles, and they all started chanting, capturing every humiliating moment.
"Scholarship girl!" The chanting continued.
"You don't belong here!" someone shouted.
"The poor girl!"
"Dirty girl!"
Everyone commented on her, and no one dared to come forward and save her from the humiliation. She couldn't see Lyriq anywhere. What did she expect if he was there? For someone who had almost crushed another student to death, there was nothing he could have done other than watch her suffer.
Astoria couldn’t fathom how her classmates, her peers, could derive pleasure from her humiliation. They all laughed at the tradition that made her skin crawl. She felt like a spectacle, a punching bag for their entertainment. The paint stained her skin and hair, making her look like she was drenched in blood.
Red.
The name was given to every scholarship student.
Red.
A disfiguring name that meant you didn’t belong.
Astoria heaved a deep sigh and wiped the paint from her face. "Are you all happy now?" she yelled at them, echoing through the hallway.
"It’s a tradition for the scholarship students. You should feel honored!" someone shouted, and Astoria recognized her as the girl beside Lyriq in the classroom.
Birds of the same feather, she thought.
"Your tradition sucks!" Astoria spat angrily and turned to walk away, the jeers and laughter of her classmates following her like a shadow. She found her way into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. "I look like red paint!" she shouted at her reflection. "Spoiled children," she muttered as she tried to get the paint from her hair. "How can they be so cruel?" She tried to turn on the faucet to wash her hair and face, but the water wouldn't turn on. Before she could even process what was happening, the door burst open, and a group of girls rushed in, laughing and cheering as they threw water on her, soaking her skin and clothes.
"The tradition is completed!" The girls burst into laughter and rushed out of the washroom.
Astoria groaned and shut her eyes, stifling a groan that threatened to escape her lips. "What the hell is this school?" she muttered. "It is only my first day..." she trailed off when she heard footsteps approaching her. Her eyes were still shut, and she had expected it to be the girls until she smelled the familiar scent of Rowan. She opened her eyes and saw him offering her a towel, which she took gratefully.
"Thanks," she wiped her face and hair and then looked at Rowan. "What kind of tradition is this? I can’t believe..." she trailed off. "Goddess, how can I..."
"Be careful, Astoria," Rowan cut her off with a warning. "The school is darker than you think. Some would stop at nothing to maintain their power and status. Stay away from the crown prince and his crew!" he warned and then turned to leave.
"Thank you, Rowan. Without you, I don’t think I would have been able to survive another day in this school," she muttered.
Rowan turned back to face her and adjusted his glasses. "You’re welcome," he smiled at her and pointed to her clothes. "Change into something else if you have it because class is starting soon," he told her and walked out of the washroom.
Once alone, Astoria sighed deeply and stared at herself in the mirror. For a few minutes, she dried herself, went to her locker to pick up another uniform, changed, and then headed back to the class, looking fresh and neat with all eyes turning towards her. They all murmured, laughed, and pointed fingers, but she ignored them and sat beside Rowan. She didn’t dare glance back at Lyriq, even though she felt his stare on her back.
She kept to herself for the rest of the day, avoiding everyone’s gaze. She couldn't even report what she had faced to the teachers because she knew they would never be on her side.
After all, she was a red and not a blue.
Once school ended, she was the first to rush out at the sound of the bell after bidding Rowan goodbye.
The Hope Orphanage school bus was parked at the gate, and Anna was waiting to pick her up.
"You have a change of uniform already?" Maria asked as she entered the bus.
Astoria shook her head and heaved a deep sigh. "It’s a long story, and I don’t think you would want to hear this one."
- Writer
