Phoenix high

A Day before Phoenix high

The Unsettling Morning

The morning sun filtered through the heavy curtains of Annie’s room, painting long, golden bars across her bed. But the warmth of the sun couldn't penetrate the heavy, lingering unease that had settled in her chest since their arrival. A sharp, rhythmic rap against her bedroom door startled her out of a restless trance.

"My angel," her mother’s voice called from the other side, sounding both soft and insistent. "I think it is time to wake up."

Annie groaned, shifting under her covers. She hadn’t slept well; the silence of their new house was far more terrifying than the bustling noise of the city they had left behind. "Mom, it’s only seven," Annie called out, her voice raspy. "I feel like I’ve been working since yesterday. My body just needs more time."

There was a pause, followed by another series of polite, yet firm knocks. Mrs. Lucy was not to be ignored. "I know, my angel. I know how exhausted you are. But it would be best if you came and opened the door. I have something to tell you—something that explains why I woke you."

Annie sighed, the sound loud in the quiet room. She pushed herself up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The ambiguity of her mother’s tone sent a shiver down her spine. Ever since they had left Dubai—that life of opulence and secrets—everything had felt precarious.

She walked to the door and turned the handle. Mrs. Lucy was sitting on the edge of the bed as soon as the door swung open, her face a mask of practiced composure.

"Good morning, Mom," Annie said, leaning against the doorframe.

Mrs. Lucy smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Morning, my little angel. How was your night?"

Annie looked away. "I can't say it was fine, Mom. Because it wasn't."

Mrs. Lucy nodded, as if she had expected nothing else. "I know. That would be your reply, wouldn't it? But you must understand, Annie, I have my reasons for leaving Dubai. I didn't uproot us for no reason."

"I never doubted your reasons, Mom," Annie replied quietly, feeling a sudden flare of protectiveness for the woman who seemed to be holding their entire world together by a thread. "I just... I want to know what this means for us."

Annie hesitated, her throat tightening. She needed to ask, but she was afraid of the answer. "So, Mom... what about Dad?"

Before she could finish the sentence, her mother’s head snapped up. The air in the room seemed to vibrate with sudden intensity.

"That," Mrs. Lucy interrupted, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "is the very reason I woke you up."

Annie’s heart hammered against her ribs. "About Dad? Is he... is he coming?"

"Yes!" her mother exclaimed, the word hanging in the air like a thunderclap.

"What about him? What happened to him?" Annie demanded, stepping closer.

Mrs. Lucy’s demeanor shifted abruptly. She offered a small, dismissive wave of her hand and let out a short, sharp laugh. "Nothing, darling. I’m just kidding. You don't have to take everything so to heart."

Annie stood stunned, her pulse still racing. Her mother’s volatility was becoming a bridge she couldn't cross. "Okay, Mom," she whispered, masking her hurt with a cold obedience. "If you say so."

"Go, freshen up," Mrs. Lucy commanded, regaining her composure. "I’m going to prepare breakfast."

## Chapter Two: The Plan

The dining room was silent, save for the clinking of cutlery against porcelain. Annie poked at her eggs, her mind swirling with the strange exchange from earlier. Her mother sat opposite her, focused intently on her own plate.

"I hope you’re enjoying your meal," Mrs. Lucy said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, Mom," Annie lied. She looked up, deciding to force the conversation she had been avoiding. "Mom, I’ve been wondering. We’ve been here for days, and you haven't said a word about my school. I can't stay in this house forever."

Mrs. Lucy finally set her fork down. She looked at Annie with a calculating gaze. "You’re right. I’ve been doing my research. I’ve found a very popular school in the area, and I’ve been thinking about us going to check it out the day after tomorrow."

Annie felt a surge of frustration. "No, Mom, what happens to tomorrow? We can go tomorrow. I am so tired of doing absolutely nothing in this house. It’s driving me crazy."

"I have an interview tomorrow," her mother said firmly. "I simply won't have the chance to do that."

"Okay, Mom," Annie muttered. "I guess I'll just wait. Good luck with the interview."

"Thank you, my angel."

Annie finished her food, carried her dish to the kitchen, and retreated to her room. She wasn't one to sit still. If her mother wanted to wait, that was her choice, but Annie needed a future. She pulled out her laptop and began her own investigation.

She clicked through dozens of pages until she found it: *Phoenix High*. It was prestigious, elite, and seemingly the center of the local social universe. She began to read, feeling a strange pull toward the name. Something about it felt like an omen—a city rising from the ashes, and perhaps, a girl from Dubai doing the same.

Phoenix High was not merely a school; it was a fortress of social standing, a place where rumors carried more weight than grades and where the cafeteria was a battlefield.

At the center of the chaos sat the "Holy Trinity" of the school: Lucy, Olive, and Ruby. They held court at a corner table, their voices low and sharp, weaving through the cacophony of the cafeteria.

"I heard the rumors," Lucy said, her eyes scanning the room. "We’re expecting a new set of boys. And word is, they’re 'HK' status."

Olive, a girl whose elegance was only matched by her volatility, wrinkled her nose. "What in the world does 'HK' even mean?"

Ruby, eager to prove her status, snorted. "Don't tell me you don't know the meaning of HK? Everyone knows."

Olive’s glare was like ice. "If I knew, I wouldn't have asked. And besides, I wasn't asking *you*."

Ruby shrank back, murmuring an apology. Olive turned her attention back to Lucy, her eyes demanding an answer. "So? Enlighten me."

"It means *Hustling Kingdom*," Lucy began, but the sentence was cut short by a voice that seemed to drip with amusement.

"So," the boy said, sliding into their orbit with a confidence that made the air feel thinner. It was Daniel. "The most popular girl in Phoenix High doesn't know the meaning of the status she talks about?"

Olive looked up, her expression unreadable. "I don't understand, Daniel. Is this term so popular that the entire world is expected to know it? I don't recall seeing it in the curriculum."

"No," Daniel replied, leaning in close. "But for a girl as pretty as you, you’d think the boys would have been lining up to explain it."

"I don't think so," Olive snapped, rising from her seat. "Mind your own business."

She walked away, seeking the cold, quiet sanctuary of the library. But fate had a way of tangling her plans. As she rounded a corner, she collided with someone—hard. She looked up, expecting an apology, only to see Daniel standing there, looking remarkably unbothered.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"Olive, I need to tell you something important," he said, his voice dropping the playful edge.

"Daniel, I would listen, but you only ever say unreasonable things."

"I promise, this time, it’s different." He took a step toward her, his gaze intense. "I like you. I’ve liked you for so long, and I never had the chance to say it. I don't just like you—I think I’m in love with you."

Olive laughed, a brittle, sharp sound. "You? In love with me?"

"Deep down," he insisted, his voice trembling slightly. "But I know you don't—"

He stopped. Outside, a wave of commotion rippled through the school. Students were abandoning their lunches, racing toward the windows and doors. The library was emptying out. Olive grabbed the arm of a passing girl named Sofia. "What is happening?"

"The K family," Sofia gasped, her eyes wide. "They’re outside. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Keleb are here."

The mention of the K family—the elite, the untouchable, the legends of the local social scene—shook the floorboards. Olive’s breath hitched. She had spent years hearing about them.

## Chapter Four: The Arrival of the K’s

Olive rushed to the school compound, her heart hammering. The scene was cinematic: four figures standing against the backdrop of the modern architecture of Phoenix High. Kelvin, Kelly, Ken, and Karen.

The murmurs of the crowd were deafening.

"Kelvin is so handsome," someone whispered.

"I think it’s Ken," another countered.

"They’re cuter than the movies," a third swooned.

Daniel stood by the gate, his previous confession forgotten, his eyes fixed on the newcomers. "I think I’m falling in love already," he muttered, though no one was listening.

The boys didn't waste time with the crowd. They moved toward their classes with the deliberate grace of predators, but Kelvin, the eldest, broke his stride when he reached the Science block. Olive saw her chance. She smoothed her skirt, regained her composure, and intercepted him.

"Hey there, handsome," she said, her voice dripping with practiced charm.

Kelvin stopped, his eyes drifting over her with a look of profound indifference. "Sorry," he said, his voice cold and flat. "But I don't give attention to people like you."

Olive felt the sting of a thousand eyes on her. "Are you talking to me? Do you know who I am?"

"I don't care about your personality," Kelvin said, not even glancing at her name tag. "It means nothing to me."

He walked past her, leaving her standing in the center of the hallway, frozen. He spotted a seat at the back of the classroom—a seat that, until seconds ago, had belonged to Olive.

"That’s my seat," Olive said, trying to recover her dignity. "But if you want it, you can have it."

Ruby chimed in, "But Olive, that’s your favorite spot!"

Kelvin didn't sit. He looked at the seat, then at Olive. "Since it comes from you," he said, his voice devoid of emotion, "I no longer want it."

He walked to the very back of the room, choosing a solitary desk far away from the spotlight. The girl he would soon meet—Annie—was watching from across the room, unaware that her life was about to become permanently entangled with his.

The Collision of Worlds

The next morning, the air felt charged with a different kind of static. Annie stood in front of her mirror, smoothing down her skirt. Her mother’s earlier impatience had left a bitter taste in her mouth, a sharp reminder that they were walking on thin ice.

"Annie, aren't you done yet?" Mrs. Lucy’s voice echoed from the hallway, strained and impatient. "We cannot afford for you to be late on your first day. First impressions are everything."

"I'm coming, Mom!" Annie grabbed her bag, her heart drumming a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She wasn't just nervous about the school; she was nervous about the *why*—the reason they had left Dubai was still a shadow she couldn't outrun.

As she entered the hallowed, polished halls of Phoenix High, the sheer scale of the place took her breath away. It was a labyrinth of glass, steel, and students who moved with the confidence of royalty. She kept her head down, searching for the administrative office, but the hallway was a sea of moving bodies.

In her haste, she didn't see the girl turning the corner until it was too late.

*Thud.*

Annie felt the air leave her lungs as she collided with someone, sending both of them stumbling. The girl went down hard, her books scattering across the pristine floor. It was Olive.

Annie’s face flushed red. "Oh my god, I am so sorry! I wasn't looking—"

She reached down to help, but before she could make contact, a hand—strong and calloused—reached past her, gripping the girl’s arm to pull her up. It was Kelvin. He hadn't even looked at Annie yet, his attention entirely on the girl he had just assisted.

Annie stood frozen, feeling small and suddenly very visible.

Kelvin finally turned, his gaze sweeping over Annie. It wasn't the kind look she had hoped for; it was sharp, assessing, and cold. "You should watch where you're going," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "Always keep your head up, or you’re going to get hurt."

He looked at her, his eyes lingering for a second longer than necessary. "By the way, I’m Kelvin."

"I... I’m Annie," she stammered, her name feeling foreign on her tongue.

"Nice to meet you, Annie," he said, and for a fleeting moment, the frost in his eyes thawed. "You’re new here, aren't you? Come on, let me help you find your seat."

"No, thank—" Annie began, but a sharp voice cut through the air.

"Kelvin!" It was Lucy, standing nearby, her face twisted in a mask of indignation. "Olive is still on the ground, and you’re busy playing the gentleman for *her*?"

Kelvin didn't flinch. He didn't even look at Lucy. "Giving someone a seat is not your business, Lucy. And why should I be concerned about her?"

Olive, now standing, let out a pained hiss. "Kelvin, I think that girl just broke my waist when she hit me. Can you please just help me get to the nurse?"

Annie stood her ground, her voice gaining a surprising amount of steel. "Firstly, my name is Annie. Secondly, if your waist is broken, it wasn't my doing. It was an accident. We bumped into each other. You weren't looking either."

Without waiting for a response, Annie turned and marched toward the classroom, her pulse racing. She didn't belong here, and it was becoming painfully clear that Phoenix High was a place where kindness was a currency she couldn't afford.

## Chapter Six: The Verdict

The classroom was already buzzing when Annie stepped inside. Mrs. Femi, the teacher, stood at the head of the room, her presence commanding immediate silence.

"Good day, class," Mrs. Femi said, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on Annie. Before Annie could say a word, Olive limped in, supported by Lucy, her face dramatic and tear-streaked.

"It was the new girl!" Olive cried, pointing a trembling finger at Annie. "She called herself 'Annie' or whatever, and she shoved me. My waist is broken!"

Mrs. Femi sighed, the sound echoing through the room. "Lucy, take her to the sick bay. Now."

Once they had left, the room descended into an awkward, suffocating silence. Mrs. Femi stepped toward Annie. "So, who is the 'Annie' in question?"

Annie raised her hand, her chin tilted up. "Ma’am, I am."

"And what do you have to say about this accusation?"

"It was an accident," Annie said, her voice clear. "We were both walking around a blind corner. We bumped into each other. I didn't push her."

Mrs. Femi looked around the room. "Is that true, class?"

The class, still stunned by the encounter in the hallway, muttered a collective, "Yes, ma'am."

Mrs. Femi nodded, though her eyes remained unreadable. "What do you think about our school and your new classmates, Annie?"

Annie looked at the sea of faces—some curious, some hostile, some indifferent. She thought of Kelvin’s cold eyes and the sharp, jagged edges of the social hierarchy she had just crashed into.

"That," Annie replied, her voice steady, "is a question that cannot be answered yet."