Chapter 3: The gazebo behind the hedge maze
1305 Words
"Okay. I just need to claim a locker and move into a dorm," Nikki said to herself. "Easy!"
Just as Nikki reached the top of the stairs, she felt someone tug on her foot and she fell.
"Oops! Sorry, I didn't see you there," said a girl in black clothing slyly while chuckling.
Nikki didn't say anything. She knew this girl was not someone to mix with.
As Nikki got up and started to carry on her tasks, she felt a tug on her foot and she fell again.
"Oops! Sorry again," said the girl.
Nikki knew by the looks of her that she was a bully. The bully.
"Anyways...you look new. My name is Mackenzie Spears. And I see you already have bad thoughts about me," Mackenzie said proudly yet slyly.
"How did she know what I was thinking? " Nikki thought. She looked up to see this Mackenzie.
Mackenzie indeed looked like a bully. She had long blonde wavy hair. Her face had a full face of make-up on with black eye-shadow and cherry red lipstick.
"Hi," Nikki got up and said hesitantly without making eye-contact. "My name is Nikki Days. I'm new here. Can I help you with anything?"
"Oh I wouldn't want help from someone like you," she said back rudely. "Well, I'll see you around then," Mackenzie said as she walked away from Nikki proudly like she was a model on a runway.
Nikki felt very annoyed as she watched Mackenzie go.
"Well, at least I know who to avoid now," Nikki warned herself.
She then claimed the closest locker to her. "Okay, locker number 7," she told herself. Nikki keyed in a password and carried on.
As she was walking towards the dorms, she accidentally bumped into someone.
"Uggh...Mackenzie again...," Nikki told herself, annoyed.
She then looked up to tell Mackenzie off-
"Oh, hey. I'm so sorry. I'm always bumping into people. They call me a bulldozer," said a voice.
Nikki was speechless. It wasn't Mackenzie.
Instead, it was a boy. She couldn't help but stare. He was slightly taller than Nikki with blue eyes and scruffy brown hair. He had buttercream skin and wore a white T-shirt with a red flannel jacket over it along with a pair of jeans. He looked about the same age as Nikki.
"Umm...are you okay?" said the boy.
"Oh no. Why am I staring? Get a hold of yourself, Nikki Days!"
"H-h-hi. My n-name is Nik-Nikki-D-Days," Nikki managed to blurt out.
"Oh...you have a stuttering habit?" asked the boy again.
"Goodness, now he thinks I stutter. Just be yourself, Nikki," she told herself.
"No, I don't stutter. Sorry. I'm just new here," Nikki said more confidently.
"Oh, hello then. My name is Eric. Eric Wilson. What's yours?"
"Nikki Days. How old are you?"
"I'm 13. I'm assuming you're 13 too?"
"Yes. I think we might be in the same class, actually," Nikki said.
"Haha, yeah...," Eric said, drifting off.
"Is everything okay?" Nikki asked.
"Yeah. Everything's fine," Eric replied.
"Do you want me to show you around? Since you're new," he asked.
"Yes, please. This place is making me go bonkers. I mean, how do students even find their way around in such a huge place like this?" Nikki asked.
Eric chuckled at Nikki for being so lost. He almost found it cute. "It just takes practice. Trust me, you'll get used to it too," Eric replied.
"Okay. I'll take your word for it," Nikki said.
"Should I start the tour, then?" Eric asked.
"Okay," Nikki said accepting Eric's offer. His eyes twinkled with joy upon her acceptance. Almost literally...
~~~
"And this is the school's garden," Eric said.
Nikki was in awe. Everywhere Eric had shown her around the school amazed her- except this. This was unbelievable.
The school's garden shined under the sun as if it were some garden in a fairytale. It was filled with rows of daffodils, roses, daisies and many other colourful flowers. A path slithered around the garden giving students a full stroll around it. But something else attracted Nikki. At the far back of the garden, behind the hedge maze, laid a gazebo.

Image: YardCraft, 12' Wood Octagon Gazebo Kit, accessed 9th August 2020,.
Although it was simply made of wood and surrounded by simple plants with a simple brick path leading towards it, it still drew Nikki's eyes towards it. It brought Nikki more interest the fact that it was hidden in the far back of the garden. It almost reminded Nikki of herself.
"You like the gazebo?" Eric asked noticing Nikki's bewilderment.
"It's extraordinary. Can we go stand under it?" Nikki asked.
"Sure. Let's go," Eric replied.
They walked down the simple yet intriguing path towards the gazebo as Nikki felt more drawn towards it. As they stood under it, Nikki felt comfortable and welcomed. She felt as if she was meant to be here. It felt like she was home.
"I come here quite often too, you know," Eric remarked.
"I understand why you would. It almost feels like I'm where I'm meant to be like I'm home," Nikki said.
"Come on, let's go get a snack. Shall we?" Eric proposed.
"Are you kidding? I could eat a living horse right now!" Nikki said.
Eric laughed hard.
"Sorry...," Nikki flushed feeling embarrassed. "I usually don't talk to people like that."
"You're not much of a people person, are you?" Eric asked.
Nikki sighed. "You see people and I don't really work out. Ever since I was young no one spoke to me. Sometimes I concluded that there was an electric shield around me that I couldn't see. To top it off, me being an introvert doesn't make things any better," Nikki replied.
Nikki was surprised that she had opened up that much to Eric, someone she had just met. It was the first time she had ever opened up to anyone like that apart from her parents.
"So why are you so comfortable talking to me, then?" Eric blushed.
"I don't know. Anyways, want to grab that snack you were talking about?" Nikki diverted not knowing the answer herself.
"Okay!" Eric chuckled in response.
They then started to walk back along the simple bricked path. As they were leaving, Nikki noticed that something was shining. No- glowing. Like the floor of the gazebo was glowing?
"Wait, what?" Nikki thought to herself. She glanced again to look at the gazebo's floor. Nothing glowed. Everything was normal.
"Must be the jet-lag," Nikki told herself as she followed Eric along the path.
~~~
- Writer
