Inferno

Onyx High Wallflower

The holiday went by quickly, and it was my first day at my new school. Well, not necessarily a new school.

I had decided to make my senior year worthwhile, as I was going to try to make friends and get out of my social anxiety.

Getting to Onyx High was much more different than what I had imagined it to be. Everyone was in one group or the other.

The popular cheerleaders too busy with their respective phones, the jocks panting after them like flies, the gamers, the rebels and the rest, which I could not wrap my finger around just yet.

Right there and then, I knew I could not belong into any of them, for no one would be willing to accept me. I wasn't ready to be a senior outcast in high school. I had to make my way into one group or the other.

I stood in the hallway, transfixed at the school building, and breathed in the cool atmosphere.

The serenity of a school building.

I have missed that.

The hallway was filled with so many students and their chatters, which made me almost start hallucinating. I tried not to bump into any one, as I shrunk, avoiding contact. but then I ended up bumping into one, scattering the books she held in her hand.

" I'm really sorry" I apologized, as I helped in packing it up.

" You don't have to apologize " she said, running off like someone who was in a hurry.

" Get out of the way" a voice declared behind me. Then I was pushed with my books sent sprawling on the floor.

It was the group of cheerleaders, their cheer uniform giving them away; and while they went their way, one stepped on my book, which had gone farther than it should, intentionally. This, I know as she looked at it before stepping on it.

" You shouldn't step on that" I shouted, picking up the ruffled book, which had been dismantled, and mumbled to myself.

" What did you say? " she demanded, walking up to me, but I stood there, transfixed on the spot.

" Cat got your tongue? " the pretty girl with the long black hair and jet black eye color, stood in front of me, one whom I perceived was the cheer captain asked, but I kept mute.

" Yeah, that's what I thought" she said again, then the school bell rang for class.

" See you around" she walked away with her minions.

I breathed in a sigh of relief, knowing Onyx was as brutal as my middle school days. Having such an encounter on the first day is such a bad jinx, just like Mum would say.

The other students stood and watched while she trampled all over me, and that wasn't fair. They were all giggling and whispering among themselves, like it was all entertaining to them.

Just like they had done while Zac bullied me in middle school, they all watched me like a movie, with no one rendering any help or standing up to him.

....

" Listen up class,

We have a new student," the teacher announced, making everyone fix their stares at me.

" Introduce yourself to the class" the teacher added, this time directly to me.

" Do I really have to? "

" Sure! "

" I'm Amber Kingsley, a new transfer student.

Nice meeting you all. "

" Do you have breast implants in there?

Cause it looks big." a voice commented, and the whole class laughed.

" Silence!

Miss Kingsley, you should take a seat over there." the teacher signaled to an empty seat in the middle of the class.

A few seconds after settling into my new seat, a boy came to sit beside me, facing me directly. It was the same boy who had asked me a rude question earlier.

" Hi... " he said waving his hands, while showing off his uneven set of teeth.

" Hey" I struggled to answer.

Gosh!

Is this what I have to put up with?

I'm sure, making friends would be much harder than I thought.

" I'm Landon and you're... "

" Amber, I've introduced myself earlier"

" Let's be friends, you know what I mean" he said further.

" I'm not interested"

" What do you mean you're not interested, I'm not one of those guys you met before. I promise not to kiss and tell.. "

I stole a quick peek at my breasts, eye scanning them to see if they were really big or not.

Bullies, sure know how to get into one's head.

" Heyyy, F*ck off my seat" a familiar voice replied to him, making him seem uneasy.

I sat, face shocked while trying not to believe what I had heard.

Zac?

I'm sure he isn't the one.

" Okay man, take it easy" Landon said, leaving in quite a haste.

" Mr Carter, take your seat.

I don't have all day. " the teacher said, confirming my suspicion.

It's true!

So damn true!

Zac Carter is my seatmate

His voice had grown deeper; his hair was different, his jaw line more sharp , his shoulders more broader, but his eyes were still the same.

I prayed for him not to recognize me. I had always and only was his target for bully, but everyone else adored him.

" Miss Kingsley? " the teacher called out, bringing me back to reality.

" Sir? "

" What is your answer? "

" I... I wasn't.... What was the question? " I managed to say, and the whole class burst into another round of laughter.

" Mr Carter? "

" Solar radiation sunlight is scattered across the atmosphere by a process called diffused sky radiation. The sky is blue because much more short-wave radiation--blue light--is scattered across the sky than long-wave radiation--red light. "

Still the same, Intelligent and sharp as ever.

" Mr Carter, would you help Miss Kingsley out on the new given assignment? " the teacher asked him.

" No, I don't want to be bothered by a boring ijot" he replied, making me regret once again, why I was his seatmate in the first instance.

The bell rings and the teacher walks out.

Zac is still the evil, popular and handsome jerk. I still knew, he was just taller and had wide hands.

I walked out of class, and proceeded to pick a book up at the library, before moving over to the cafeteria.

With my airpods plugged in, I could finally breathe again. I stood in line, waiting for my turn to get my lunch, when someone snatched the book I had picked out earlier in the library from my hand.

" What's this? " he asked, giving a smirk.

" Give it back" I said, trying to get the book back from him, but he shoved me away and I landed on the floor.

" Adolf Hitler?

Who reads this kind of book?

You sure must be a nerd" he complimented, dumping my book on me, as he walked away.

I was just happy he didn't recognize me; I struggled to stand on my feet, when the cheerleaders approached me, while lending a hand, which I took and then releasing it, while I found myself on the floor once again.

" Oops! My hand slipped" They laughed and left.

Now, if it's not Carter, it's this b*tch, who is trying to see the death of me.

Another hand, stretches towards me but I declined, as I won't be hassled the second time.

Third time right?

I stood on my feet, to see the girl, who I bumped into earlier in the morning.

" I was only trying to help" she assured.

" No, it's fine"

We took our lunch, sat down together, eating in silence, until she struck up a conversation.

" Adolf Hitler, the mastermind of the World War II"

" You know Adolf Hitler too? "

" Yeah, I like a little bit of history"

" I hated history before, but I took a liking to it, because I liked Germany"

" Ooh, Can you speak German? "

" That, I can't " I laughed at her sarcasm tone.

" I'm Amber, a new transfer student"

" I'm Peach, we're in the same class"

" Ooh, I never noticed"

We chatted through out the lunch break, until the bell rang again.

Soon, the school was over, but we still lurked around the school's premises a little bit, just like the rest of the students did.

" Carter invited me to his party" the cheer captain said, discussing it with the rest of her teammates.

" Ooh, what else are we waiting for?

We should go pick up a dress for you." one of them answered.

I hissed and rolled my eyes. Girls like them, disgust me the most, treating girls like them like trash.

" Carter is hosting a party? " I asked Peach.

" Yeah, he hasn't in a while.

He wants to welcome everyone back to school.

He hosts lifetime memorable parties.

Aren't you gonna go? " She waited for my response.

" Nah, I hate parties"

" Really??

You're sure nerdy." she complimented.

They say if you can beat them, join them.

I would rather make an empire of my own, than to be tousled around by people who have no dreams whatsoever.

I came to Onyx High to get my hands on that most coveted scholarship.

And nothing,

I repeat, nothing can take me down.

Not even my arch enemy, Zac.

I was determined, as this was an opportunity for me to get into NYU, if not the only opportunity.

A once in a lifetime chance!