The Billionaire Student's Secret.

Jade Pyre cursed under her breath as she shoved an old janitor pushing a trolley out of her way. The old man cursed at her, but Jade did not turn to apologize, instead she continued tearing down the marbled hallways as fast as she could, pushing anyone who stood in her path. “Professor Clarke should still be calling the roll call now,” Jade muttered hopefully, trying to keep her flailing hair in check. Minutes later, Jade crashed into her class, panting like a dog, only to hear the lecturer announce, “And that's all for the roll call.” “Sir, Sir,” Jade pleaded, still at the door, “I'm present.” Professor Clarke, a tall bespectacled man with salt-and-pepper hair and a slight stoop to his frame, scowled at Jade disapprovingly, “And who are you?” Before Jade could reply, a few of her course mates sitting at the back of the class chorused, “Mouse! Mouse!” Jade rolled her eyes inwardly. Anyone who saw her would describe her as short, although she always begged to differ; petite was more accurate, skinny without a spare ounce of flesh on any part of her body, and an equally small face which housed huge brown eyes, a snub nose and full lips. Professor Clarke gave the backbenchers a glare that quietened them, and then returned his piercing gaze to Jade, “You haven't answered my question, although with how dishevelled your hair looks, one could mistake you for an inmate in a mental asylum.” Jade's hands flew up and she quickly patted her hair, trying and failing to make it look more presentable. “My name is Jade Pyre.” Jade replied meekly, and her words were succeeded by squeaking sounds from her course mates, before the whole class burst into laughter. “And pray tell, Jade Pyre,” Professor Clarke removed his tortoise shell glasses and wiped them with his suit jacket, “why did you come late to my class?” Jade turned and glared at her fellow students, many of whom were shooting her smirks. As she was making her way to the class, someone had thrown a blanket on her from behind, and before she could react, she had been thrown into a closet for cleaning agents and had been locked in. Jade had begun to knock and scream, kicking and shoving at the door with her shoulder. It had taken twenty minutes before a janitor who was planning to mop the floors had noticed the cacophony emanating from the closet and had opened the door. Jade's knuckles and shoulders still hurt from the exertion, a glance at her knuckles showed that they had reddened and would probably get swollen. “I was locked in a closet,” Jade replied, and again, the whole class descended in a flurry of laughter. To Jade's consternation, Professor Clarke joined in, “Why, of all the incredulous things I've heard today.” Jade felt her cheeks redden and stared sullenly at the floor, noting her worn-out sneakers. Professor Clarke finally stopped laughing, “Who locked you up in a closet?” Jade sighed, there in lied the problem. There were a lot of people who loved to pick on her, so she didn't know whom to accuse. For all she knew, it could have been team work. Jade looked at the people who bullied her the most in the class. There was Brummel Cassius, who was rumored to be the son of an English baron. Brummel was ruddy-cheeked and curly-haired with an innocent disposition which hid a ruthless streak. He took every opportunity that came his way to cyber bully and body shame Jade. He was currently laughing loudly and pointing at her. No, she thought, dismissing him. It couldn't be Brummel, that was not his style. The coward could only hurt people through his keyboard. Next, Jade's gaze slid up to Darin Koor, a beautiful olive-skinned girl. Darin was the daughter of a renowned movie director, and she was an i********: influencer with nine hundred thousand followers, although if you asked her, her reply would be, “approximately one million.” Darin was seated in the front row, chewing gum and really looking chic in her y2k inspired outfit of pigtails, a crop top, a mini skirt and platform heels. She was not paying attention to the spectacle unfolding in class, but rather was typing viciously on her smartphone. Nope, Jade dismissed once again, it wasn't Darin. Darin loved to watch the consequences of the pranks she played unfold. Next, she considered Leroy Hawkins, the school's star athlete, a tall, handsome, built and conceited athlete, whose face and his ability to shove people out of his way while holding a ball made him attractive to most girls and a few boys. He was all brawn and no brains, and barely managed to pass his courses. He derived joy in hassling and beating up people he considered weak. Yes, Jade concluded, Leroy Hawkins was very much capable of doing something as juvenile as enshrouding her in a blanket and shoving her into a closet. Not that anyone would believe her without proof. It was the word of Blossom college's golden athlete against hers, a virtual nobody. “Ms. Sun, I believe I asked you a question,” Professor Clarke snapped angrily at Jade, visibly startling her. “Um . . .,” Jade was momentarily at a loss for words before she recovered herself, “I have no idea, Sir.” Professor Clarke sighed angrily, “Get yourself seated, I marked you absent from the class, and it shall remain so.” “But—” Jade protested vehemently. “No buts,” Professor Clarke interrupted, “The next time you're late for my class and you want to give an excuse, make it a plausible one.” Jade nodded demurely and went to join her course mates without trying to convince Professor Clarke to change his mind. It was common knowledge that he rarely did. As Jade took her seat and opened her notebook, Professor Clarke added, “I wish to remind everyone that if you are absent from class three or more times this semester, you are automatically disqualified from writing your exams. And you know what that means, people? You'll retake this course in the next academic year.” Jade groaned and slapped her forehead with her palm. She had one strike against her already, two more and she was out. Picking up her pen, Jade vowed never to come late for classes, no matter what happened. Professor Clarke switched on his projector, and a PowerPoint presentation began to play. “Okay, students. Today we shall discuss the possible motivation for Shakespeare's Othello.” Jade readied her pen to jot down notes when a masculine voice whispered angrily in her ear, “Why must you come late for classes?” Jade turned and came face to face with the person she probably hated the most in the world, Charles Black. Tall and lean with a chiseled face and rich dark hair which he cut too short, Charles was one of the smartest students in the class, who always answered the lecturer's questions correctly and aced all his tests and exams. He wasn't interested in anything other than his studies, and he was the heir to a rich conglomerate who specialized in making antique furniture, and his shares in the company had already made him a billionaire who had been featured in numerous youngest billionaire lists. He was a shoe-in to win the best graduating student of their set, not that Jade would let that happen. Charles never picked on her, but she hated him more than all her bullies combined because he did something worse, nothing. He would watch as Jade was berated, and give her a smirk that seemed to say, “Serves you right.” She found his apathy annoying as hell. Jade decided to ignore him and give Professor Clarke her undivided attention. Seconds later, the snake whispered again, “You took up almost thirty minutes of our time with your little drama, time that could have been put to better use learning.” Jade bristled at the condescending disapproval in his voice and before she could stop herself, retorted in a whisper, “Shut up, Charles. You're just full of s**t!”