Butterflies and Ashes

Chapter 4 - A Poor Introduction

I shook my head slowly, puzzled. “No, I’m not a scholarship student,” I mumbled, wondering what had made her think so.

“You are not?” The disbelief was clear on her face. “Then what? Your parents sponsor your education?”

The way she asked made me wonder if she thought I was an orphan.

“Yeah,” I mumbled again, though this time with a hint of pride. Actually, my parents weren’t really the ones paying, but my dad’s friend had transferred my school fees to him, so my dad could make the payment in his name.

Mrs. Martinez’s eyes ran over me, from my golden curls to my glasses, my shirt and skinny jeans, all the way down to my worn out shoes. “Your parents sponsor your education?” she repeated.

I shrugged with irritation. “Yeah,” I answered again. Was I supposed to explain the whole story in detail? Nah.

“It says here your dad is a laundry man and your mum is an elementary school teacher. So how are they able to afford your fees here?”

June quickly covered his mouth with his hand as if to prevent himself from laughing out loud.

I swallowed, feeling the heat crawl up my neck again.

“Actually, a family...” I began slowly.

“Mrs. Martinez!” a staff member called, cutting me off. “Could you spare me a moment, please?”

I sighed in relief as she headed out with the staff.

“Let me complete it,” June said with a glint in his eyes. “A family friend took pity on you guys and decided to sponsor your education, right?”

I rolled my eyes and chose to ignore him, but he chuckled and stepped closer. Instinctively, I stepped back, but instead of retreating, I ended up sitting inadvertently and awkwardly on the table behind me.

“You know what, charity case? Let me give you some advice,” he began with a smirk, still leaning closer. I held my breath. “Take a break from school for the rest of this week.” He smiled before stepping back.

Heather appeared just then, to my relief. I definitely didn’t want to be left alone with June for even a moment. The staff lounge was almost empty, save for a few teachers who minded their business.

“What are you up to, June?” she demanded airily, giving me a once over. Without waiting for his reply, she grabbed my hand. “Come with me. Red Light asked me to give you a tour of the campus.” She spoke quickly and acted even faster, dragging me out before I could blink. I followed obediently, like a lamb led to the s*******r.

“Before we resume this tour, let me give you important intel. There are three people you should never think of messing with in this school: Lottie, who is in her senior year; Tina, her kid sister; and most importantly,” she paused dramatically, “June.”

I frowned. “Why?”

She gave me a nonchalant shrug. “Because they own this school, and they run it. Whatever they say goes. Why, you may ask? Let me start with June.” She halted abruptly, stopping by a window at the end of the hallway that overlooked the grounds. “You see that outdoor amphitheater? His dad built it single-handedly and upgraded the gym. He is one of the highest ranking officers in NASA and also owns a private airport with tons of private planes. He is the board chairman of the school committee. Next to June are Tina and Lottie Turner, their dad owns the school.” She paused dramatically again. “But June’s family holds more power because they are one of the major sponsors. And since the families have been close since their kids’ childhood, it’s only natural that June and Tina are a couple and will eventually get married. So any girl seen with June or worse, rumored to have a crush on him, is automatically in for a battle… unless, of course, she wields some kind of power too.” She flashed me a wink. “Like me.”

I was about to ask her what her position was in all this, but it was like she read my mind.

“You are probably wondering where I fit in. Ever heard of The Graham Hotels? That’s our family business.” She turned, resuming her walk, and I followed her sheepishly as usual, feeling numbed with this bit of info. Of course I had heard of them, who hadn’t? Growing up in the States, especially Miami here where they were actually based, it was impossible not to know The Graham Hotels. So this was their daughter? I was stunned.

“Though I don’t have anything on June,” she continued, “I already have a mature boyfriend, and June is just a baby.” She said it dismissively. “We will head back to class now. P.E. starts in fifteen minutes.” She glanced down at her expensive smart wristwatch, the kind I had only ever seen in adverts. I was sure its price could pay off our house mortgage for two whole years.

By the way, didn’t she say she was giving me a campus tour? Was this it? It felt more like an orientation on the top powerful students on campus.

A familiar cologne drifted to my senses, and from the corner of my eye, June appeared again. He stared at me with another scowl.

“Here, take this,” he said, handing me the scripts.

I didn’t know why I accepted them, but I regretted it instantly.

“Distribute them to the class,” he ordered, walking away without waiting for a response.

Heather smiled at me as if he had just said something sweet.

“If I were you, I would skip school for the rest of the week,” she said.

Exactly what June had said a few minutes earlier. What now?

The closer I got to the class, the heavier my legs felt. June was already way ahead, and Heather had left me by myself, so I was the last to step in. The buzz of the class ceased the moment I entered.

Something was definitely wrong.

All eyes were pinned on me. But this time, their stares felt different, ominous, like they were all eager to see me cry.