Pretty Head

Chapter 6: Is this a school?

Page's POV:

            “Are you ready Page for your first day of school tomorrow? I’m sorry I couldn’t tag along with you, my hands are full. The district supervisor will monitor our school next week. So to speak, we’ve got loads of work to do for the preparation. But don’t worry, Nadz will be with you.” Auntie Emma mumbled apologetically.

            I honestly didn’t like the idea of having a company in my first day of school at my new school. I felt like a freak. Most of all, I didn’t like the idea of that tactless helper tagging me along in my first day!

            "Err Tita, don't treat me like a baby, pretty sure I’ll be good on my own devices. Just kindly tell the driver to drop me there.” I shot back, pitching Nadz a beady look. Nadz just flashed her lip gloss smile at me in return.

                I wanted them to leave me with my own devices, I'm already eighteen.

            "Are you sure? It's a thirty-minute ride away from here to Valentino Academy."

            Aunt Emma had already filled me the details about the background of my new school, Valentino Academy wherein they only offer senior high school. It was instituted early 2011, would suffice to say that it was newly instituted. The number of students there are approximately a hundred fifty only. I even asked Tita why they only offer senior high school and she replied that the school provides intensive training of skills on to get them well-equipped and college ready. She also told me that the school founder of that academy is an American, a New Yorker named Mr. Adam Simmons. Valentino Academy has also sister schools in Texas and New York, but Aunt Emma failed to remember the name of the said schools.

        Valentino Academy had no official school uniform, just like in Northville High. The dressing code should be smart casual or plain casual like shirts and jeans, top and skirts, and of course skimpy clothing is still a taboo.

        "I’ll just tag along with you Ms. Page tomorrow. You never know what danger awaits for you at this time where crimes happen in broad daylight." Nadz butted in as she set the dining table.

        Whoa who would have thought that she would care for me or it’s just her superficial because Aunt Emma was around. Whatever, I still don't like this girl.

        "I have a pepper spray in my bag for self- defense and I could use my heels to punch those freaks. My heels are so pointy that it could also gouge their eyes instantly." I shot back gingerly.

        "We don’t want to be complacent nowadays when it comes to your safety Ms. Page, so I insist." Nadz retorted, flashing a lopsided smirk.

        "She's right Page, we don’t want to compromise your safety especially a beautiful lady like you who’s prone to danger out there.  Besides, it’s only for tomorrow, on your first day so don’t worry. Thanks, Nadz for your concern." Aunt Emma said and smiled brightly at her.

        "It’s nothing Ma’am compared to all the things you’ve done for me." Nadz replied, laced with gratitude.

        "Okay. I appreciate your concern so much."  I finally mumbled as I threw them an appreciative look.

         I finally shook with it. Besides, it’s only for tomorrow.

        That night, I prepared my stuffs for my first day at my new school. Aunt Emma told me to head straight to the registrar office for the list of subjects/classes that my subject teachers needed to sign. I also skyped with Shanty as we shared stories. She told me that there were so many Page-Rickard-wannabees in Northville High, copying my style, my guts and everything that my pretty head could offer. Oh well, I can't blame them though, maybe Northville High missed me that much. I even asked how Mason was doing. Shanty told me the jerk was still acing in the class, and he always asked about me.

             I also told her about the attractive gay I met over the plane ride, Rufford and how our personalities clicked with each other. I also related Nadz and how her tactless attitude always got on my pretty nerves.

            She wished me good luck on my first day tomorrow and I just shrugged it off. Whatever, it’s just a new school—new environment, new set of students and teachers. But what would remain constant was my beauty and charisma. I’d still be the it-girl, queen bee and the prettiest of them all. Hah!

            After we hung up, I phoned Mom and Dad. I told them that my first day in school would be tomorrow. As usual, they relentlessly told me to be good. I couldn’t blame them though, their pretty daughter was unpredictable and cunning even--one doesn't simply know what wicked thoughts running in my pretty head.

5:00 am.

            I was awoken by someone budging me to get up.

            "Ms. Page, wake up," Nadz hissed.

            "It’s too early Nadz." I retorted groggily, cocooning myself.

            "You need to be early in your first day and I bet you’d take too long in your beauty ceremony."

            "I’m effortless, I don’t take too much time in prepping and glamming myself up. I’m not that type who has many beauty rituals on her face because my face doesn’t require too much make-up and effort. I bet you could clearly see my point.” I defended as I got hyped up.

            "Tsk.  Since you took time in defending yourself, you need to get up and get cracking!” She admonished as she put on her full weight to get me up. My whole body was still heavy from sleep I just wished time ticked backwards.

        "Gosh, such a baby. C’mon, Ms. Page, you don’t want to get schooled in your first day!"   

        "If I were you, I would prepare first on your beauty rituals who knows it’d be the reason why I’d be running late," I told her brazenly.

        Seriously though, I noticed that she was always wearing a heavy make-up even at home. I just wished I could see her bare faced. She always took effort in dressing up, she could even compete with those famous fashion vloggers in her sense of style. I bet Aunt Emma didn’t mind Nadz sense of beauty and style, she seemed cool with it.

        Nadz didn’t speak further, and I finally got up. I asked if Aunt Emma already left, and she said she needed to run an errand early.  I went to the bathroom and took a bath, already imagining my first day in Valentino High. After we took our breakfast, Nadz hailed a cab that will ferry us to Valentino Academy.

        "Manong, take us to Valentino Academy," Nadz admonished to the driver.

        "Are you two enrolled there?"

        "Nope, it’s just her," Nadz replied and pointed at me.

        "Ahh. It’s been a while since I had a passenger from that school." The driver answered.

        With that, Nadz and I exchanged puzzled looks, curiosity etched on our faces.

            "Why is that Manong? Is that school is super expensive?” I asked stupidly.  I knew that the tuition fee in Valentino High isn’t that sky high.

        "I don’t know. Maybe you knew better since you’re studying there, right?” He shot back pointedly.

        I felt the impulse to grit my teeth.

        "I hate to break it to you that I had no idea since I just moved in here and my parents pay my tuition fee. Sorry to disappoint you." I replied sarcastically.

        " Even so, you should still have an idea. You know that school has a small population, I don’t know why but I’ve been hearing a lot of great reviews in that school. Teachers there are so focus on teaching the students. I think that’s the pros of having a small population.”

            I rolled my eyes for I already knew what he was saying, and I cast my glance to Nadz.

            What the actual hell? She fell asleep!

            I shook her awake "Nadz!!! Wake up!!! Hey! Don’t sleep on me. You’re here to tag along!" I hissed at her.

            Out of the blue, the driver stepped on the brakes that made Nadz wrench upright from her unconsciousness, good thing was we were wearing our seatbelts.

        "Good grief, these kids are giving me a heart attack. They carelessly cross the streets," he grunted.

        "Ay, sorry Ms. Page I fell asleep," she mumbled apologetically rubbing her eyes.

        " Aunt Emma doesn’t pay you just to sleep on me. You’re the one who insisted to accompany me and you’ll just sleep on me? What if Manong didn’t step on the brakes? I’m pretty sure that you’d still be in the deep slumberland until I got my ass out of here!" I hurled.

        "Sorry, I’ve slept late last night. I did the laundry and afterwards I ironed the clothes and then…”I cut her off in midsentence.

        "Shh...  Enough, don’t wanna hear more of your excuses. I won’t rat you out to Aunt Emma but I don’t want this to happen again, understand?” I asked in a commanding voice.

            “We’re nearing to Valentino.” Manong said.

                In no time, he pulled over in front of a creepy-looking building that you wouldn’t mistaken as a school. It looked like creepy from the outside, rotten green moss overhang around the rusty gates and the painting of the buildings are off-white.

            "Err... is this a haunted house? Are you sure that it’s Valentino Academy?" I asked them diffidently.

            "Yes.” They said in unison.

            "For real? Yikes! It’s so ugly!”  I cringed and they shushed me.

            "Who knew it just looks like that in the outside but the inside is fabulous so don’t judge the building by its exterior.” Nadz chastised.

             "...anyway, good luck on your 1st day!" She added with a wink.

            "Err…I wish I’d be transported back to Northville High!" I drawled as I darted my eyes around the vicinity of the school. I spotted a football field from the distance. I saw a group of long-haired students who have odd shades of hair color like white and hot pink, magenta with caramel streaks, green with baby blue highlights, ice blonde with violet streaks, playing and filing around the field. I gawked from the distance. Are these students for real?

             I’m not a noob when it comes to hair colors because in my old school many students also rock those colors but I’m just wondering if these prestigious small school allows those? I had heard that when you’re studying in a prestigious school there were so many dos and don’ts. I started to feel like an i***t with all these train of questions.

        "Bye Ms.Page, just give me a call after your classes!"

        "Err why? Will you fetch me?" I asked with my one brow raised.

            "If you want," she replied grinning at me.

            "No way, c’mon leave me alone already. I don’t want to be laughingstock here on my first day if they saw the new student having a company."

            Last thing I’d heard was the revving of the cab’s engine. Then, I willed myself inside the odd-looking school, a chubby guard warmly welcomed me as if he already knew that I’m a transferee. I looked at his uniform. wait, something was wrong. His uniform wasn’t like those of regular school guards.

             He was clad in a funky outfit, a gray glittery suit paired with black trousers which has small white crosses printed on it. He was also wearing a black Fedora hat.

            Whoa! Who would have thought that a security guard could sport an androgynous attire in his duty?

            "Excuse me Sir, what’s the buzz around here? Is there something I’m missing?" I asked with my curiosity skyrocketing.

            I looked like I was in a carnival.  I wanted to add that out, but I held my tactless tongue. Thank you so much Nadz, maybe you should have a one-on-one session with me sometimes. Besides, it was my first day, I didn’t want to get my pretty head in trouble.

            He smiled broadly at me and said "What’s the buzz here? Oh, f-u-n! You'll have fun in this school, we’re not a typical school that teenagers had gotten used to. Here in Valentino Academy, everything’s in here! You don’t need to go in far places just to have a field trip! " He crowed as he twirled me.

       Eh? This guard must had hit his head pretty bad. I just knitted my brows for it did not make sense at all and then he stopped twirling me.

        "I'm Genoch Faviere, the ever-loyal guard here. I've been here since 2011," he beamed as he removed his hat and bowed at me. He looked like an Italian though with his sharp features, maybe he was partly Italian?  His name also sounded Italian. But I was still bothered by what he was babbling about earlier and the students I’d saw in the field.

            "Uhm Mr.Genoch, why are you wearing that outfit?" I asked under my teeth.

            He did not answer me though instead he just smiled at me an ushered me toward the school ground. He then left me alone without a word.

            The feeling of awe increased exponentially when I set foot on the school ground. Holy smokes! Inside loomed a mini zoo—there were chimpanzee, giraffe, zebra and even peacock inside the cage.

             Again, is this even a school for real? My mouth hung wide open as I scanned the eccentricities in the place. I scoured for the registrar's office. I suddenly recalled what was Mr. Genoch was talking about earlier, that you don’t have to go in far places to have a field trip because everything’s in here and his words crystallized before my awestruck eyes.  He was damn right.

            I circled like an i***t in the school ground as I passed by several odd surroundings like a morgue, small cabin that had been inhabited by spider webs and a grotesque statue of St. Valentine--all of these scared the hell out of me.

            I suddenly thought that maybe the school was celebrating its foundation week and they put up a horror booth for fun? But it looked like that they’d been here since the school was built. I even saw two albinos, one boy and one girl heading to the small cabin, they were both carrying backpacks and in no time, students followed them. I noticed that students here are peculiar; most of them have these oddest shades of hair color just like what I had saw earlier, I haven’t seen a black-haired soul around or even brown--which made me look like a freak. Some of them were wearing bandana like those of the hipsters whilst some were wearing huge flower crowns paired with leather boots.

            I spotted a yellow building which was the Registrar's office, I heaved a sigh of relief and quickly went to the registrar.     

            "Good morning. I am Page Rickard. I’m a transferee here. " I said in preamble over a brown tainted window. Finally, this registrar’s office was the only normal looking building unlike the facilities I’d seen earlier.

            Suddenly, the window slid down automatically, but there was nobody.

            I creased my forehead.

            "Sir? Mam? Can I ask for a slip for the subjects that I'll take and to have it signed to my teachers?" I wheedled.

            Still, there was no answer. I was waiting for a head to pop out.           

            "Please?" I mumbled laced with annoyance.

              To my surprise, the slip I was asking was already set on the tile and the window automatically closed. Hah so techie! So much for surprises! I thought with an amused grin as I walked away. I reeled as I looked like an i***t earlier, waiting for the registrar to tend to me. I didn’t know that the registrar’s office was machine operated. How rad is that?!

              I looked at the slip in the list of subjects that I was going to take and what section I belonged. Grade Tzelth? My eyes almost fell out of its sockets upon the odd word I’d encountered.

         GRADE TZELTH? WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT GRADE LEVEL? It felt like it was written in a pig Latin!

            "Excuse me, you're a transferee here, right?" said a small voice.

            I spun around to see a statuesque woman with an annoying shade of forest green hair and she was wearing a thick rimmed glass. She has a wide nostril that I could clearly see a glimpse of her booger doing circus inside. Just kidding, there was no booger but if there was any, everybody could see it.She was smiling at me exposing her pink braces.

            "Err yeah right, I was looking for Grade..." I gulped before I could finally speak the unfamiliar grade level. "Tzelth," I continued as I wrinkled my nose.

            "Oh yes, I’ll accompany you to Grade Tzelth. By the way, I'm Mrs. Mishca Zekatuna. Your teacher in Literary Criticism," she stated, flipping her forest green hair. ZOMFG. I mused at her attire; she was wearing a black leather pencil skirt paired with long sleeves turquoise turtle neck top. I like the fashion sense of this teacher. She was donning a pair of red pumps.

            Hold up, even teachers here have odd shades of hair color?  I saw a middle-aged bald man passed by us carrying a file case and he greeted Mrs. Zekatuna a good morning. I stifled a laugh—well except for him.

            It had me thinking now was it actually a prestigious school? Why did it seem a school for alines? People here were so odd to the core, even the environment and most of all, the term of that grade level I was in-- GRADE TZELTH?

            "Nice to meet you Mrs.Zekatuna," I said in flat monotone.

            "By the way, about the class you belong, you might be wondering about the unfamiliar term Tzelth. To give you a brief info, Tzelth is an obsolete Romanian term for twelve so yeah, the school decided to adopt that term for a particular grade level to give it into a new twist," she informed.

            "Obsolete? Why are you still using it if it’s obsolete?" I countered as I chuckled dryly.

            "Mr .Simmons is somewhat an outlandish person. He always comes up with the ideas which is out of the box, everything you see here is just a living proof of his peculiar ideas. You would also notice that teachers and students here have oddest shades of hair colors. Well, I hate to break it to you but the more outlandish, the better, that's why they have these strangest shades of hair colors. Typical is not our thing honey, so If I were you go dye your hair later," she mused at my wavy black hair.

            I felt my stomach churn. I looked around to see if I was still in earth or I’d been kidn*pped by aliens and I’d been gone in an unfamiliar freaky place. The more outlandish, the better. Her word was ringing in my head. So they wanted me to dye my hair in those odd shades of colors? To hell with that! I'd never change myself just to fit in with one's standards.

            "What if I don't want to dye my hair in such odd colors?" I hedged defiantly.

            "Well… if that's the case, we'll see you in the detention," she said boldly, pointing at the familiar building that I’d passed by earlier. All the air in my lungs had left when it dawned on me that the detention room she was referring to was the morgue that I passed by earlier!

            "You can't be serious Mrs. Zekatuna, that’s a morgue!" I cried in disbelief.

            "Yes, that’s a real morgue. It’s our detention room here. It’s really an actual morgue, you could even see a glimpse of carcass lying out there." She said with a wicked smile.

            My head was starting to feel lightheaded. I couldn’t take this anymore.

            "What the hell?  Is it bad for the health? The stench of formalin?!"

            "Don't worry, you wouldn’t smell it for the stench of formalin is impenetrable inside the detention room. I told you we’re not a typical school that you’d gotten used to," she said, grinning a lopsided smirk.

            I wanted to cuss out loud in front of her. But I didn’t want to send my pretty head straight to the dete-morgue if I did that. I stifled the profanity about to burst right in the tip of my tongue.

            What kind of school is this? It was getting creepier and creepier—I wanted to go home. What did Aunt Emma and Mom saw in this school? Hadn’t they review thoroughly about the facilities and the freakiness of this school? Is this what they call a “highly accredited” school?

             I wanted to puke right now.

            "Uhm is there any students there?" I asked, nervously.

            "Yup, oh I forgot I’ll give you the handbook in my class. Let's go." She motioned me and with few quick strides, we entered a white building that had a GRADE TZELTH embossed on the surface of the wall.

            My eyes darted around the surrounding of our classroom. The seating arrangement was in Z- fashion. Graffities were painted all over the classroom walls and there were statistical charts at the back corner of the room. I shoot a curious glance on the new faces of my classmates. Yes, they all had these annoying shades of hair colors.

            I nearly stumbled as I looked for a vacant seat. Soon enough, I was able to find an unoccupied seat. Since the seating arrangement was in Z- fashion, which I couldn't fathom out why, I sat at the lower edge of letter z; I was at the tail end of letter Z. The number of our class was only populated by twenty students, including me. The number of boys and girls were equally ten.

            "Alright class, we have a new student here. She came from Ardsley, New York USA. Ms. Rickard, kindly introduce yourself." Mrs. Zekatuna admonished me to go in front.

            "I'm Page Rickard," I spoke, staring impassively at them.

            "Well is there anything you want to know about Ms.Rickard, class?" She prompted to the class who are all wearing a blank expression.

            Suddenly, a tall ice blond haired guy with an indigo streak exclaimed “Meow”.

            "Yes. Mr. Arkin?"

            What did he say, meow?

            "Why is her hair black? Hadn’t she been informed that typical hair colors here are taboo?" He jeered.

              "Wait, what did you even say lately? Why did you exclaim meow?” I asked, furrowing.

            "Well, if a guy wants to ask something or to answer in the class, they'll just stand up and say "meow" as for the girls they'll just stand up and say, “bleep”. Mrs. Zekatuna whispered to me.

                What the hell, I found it amusing. I c****d my head in an amusement upon hearing it, suddenly forgetting what this ice blond haired dude’s predicament all about.

            "Well, Ms. Rickard will dye her hair after this day. Just bear with her now, because she's clueless with the school policies," she cooed.

            "No way!”  I countered which made them scowl at me.

            "Seriously she's right. I'm clueless about this school's policies and it had me thinking if I’d been transported to another planet or what? Mu auntie told me that this school only forbids wearing skimpy clothing and all the typical taboos in a school. Why are you guys making a big fuss out of a hair color huh? Is that correlated with my performance in this school? Yeah, the more outlandish, the better, but I’ll never gonna change myself just to fit in with your standards. Send me into that detention room for all I care, I'm not gonna dye my hair in those annoying shades!" I said feistily folding my arms.

            With that, a ripple of whispers echoed, and everyone threw me dirty stares, boring hole in my skulls. Nah, I’m not gonna be faze with that stares!

            Then, Arkin scoffed.

            "Did you hear what she just said?  She couldn’t care less, and she had an audacity to break the rules knowing that she just transferred in? You surely have an idea what the detention room looks like here, aren’t you?” He asked with a wicked glint in his black orb eyes.

        "I know it’s the morgue but the stench of formalin there are impenetrable, you son of a b*tch," I slurred.

            "Ms. Rickard!" Our teacher glowered at me.

            "Bleep," mumbled the green haired girl wearing a denim jacket which had a Rolling Stone embroidered on the right chest pocket.

            "Yes, Charlotte?"

            "She just called him son of a b*tch! She just disrespected you Mrs. Zekatuna! How dare you to disrespect our teacher!"  Charlotte cackled and the whole class went into a jeering fit.

            I slowly tilted my head towards Mrs. Zekatuna's direction; her lips were pressed into a hard line, she clenched her fists and roared at the class.

            "Shut up, grade tzelth!!!!”

                It rang around the whole class like a volcanic eruption.

            Then, it dawned on me, that the b***h I was referring to was no other than Mrs .Zekatuna. Appraising their looks, she and Arkin were spitting images of each other; their jaw line and even their black orb eyes were the same. Good thing though that her son didn’t get that wide set of nostrils she had.