A loud ringing noise from an alarm clock had woken up Eloise, who was sleeping soundly in the bed. She opened her eyes, squinting, adjusting her vision to the surroundings, and slowly rose from the bed, raising her arms in the air. She stretched them out, then spared a quick glance at the clock hanging on the wall to know what time it was.
'It's seven o'clock in the morning. too early '
She thought.
She was on her way to the kitchen when she halted. Then it hit her like a good smack at the back of her head that she had a university to attend.Without wasting a single second, she swiftly but calmly grabbed the bathroom towel and stormed straight into the bathroom.
The thought that she is going to attend her first day at school is why she can't afford to be late.
It took her five minutes to finish taking a bath. After coming out, wasting not a single second, she went to her wardrobe closet and pulled out some pairs of clothes. Putting on high-waisted faded jeans, a white v-neck t-shirt, and a black hoodie. She also pony-tailed her long, black, bouncy, silky hair and put on a pair of plain white shoes.
Eloise enrolled late, about a month after the classes started at Moonshire University. The uniform is still on process, and Eloise has a month to wait for it. Going to school with her own choice of outfit is temporary, just until her school uniform is done.
After that quick preparation, she was ready to go. Rays of warm sunlight welcomed her face as she stepped outside her apartment, looked around, and was greeted by warm smiles from her neighbors, people who shared the two-story apartment with her. She cocked her head slightly as a gesture that she acknowledge their greetings then walked her way and mounted her black Ninja400 without smile, which was parked just in front of her doorstep. Putting on her black helmet, she drove away.
Luckily, on her way to the school, she passed by a convenience store just on the highway. She still has time since the traffic isn't that heavy. She grabbed a can of black coffee and chugged it quickly. Then drove again fast, trying to reach the university on time.
It was already past seven-thirty when she arrived at the university. Making her pace faster, she parked at the parking area designated for motorcycles only. She did not know whether she was late, but her instinct was telling her to be quick.
There were also many students who had just arrived.
There is no time to squander. She entered the university's enormous gates. The moment she stepped into the university's premises, a very serene view of the landscape welcomed her. The ground was carpeted with green grass, trees to put shade on the benches, concrete pathways, and a fountain on both sides of the field. Students walking everywhere add a slight touch of reality to the scenery.
'It's nice,' she reflected.
Done admiring the view, she is on her way to find the registrar's office to ask for her class schedule. Clueless as to where, she asked the security guard in the guardhouse.
"Hello? May I ask where is the registrar's office?" She asked in a casual tone.
"At the main buil-oh, you're new here? Hija, you see that cylindrical building? That's the main building. On the second floor, there you will find the registrar's office. " The old security guard said, smiling while pointing his hand towards the cylindrical building at the end of the middle pathway from where she was standing.
"Thank you very much." Eloise bowed her head slightly to the old man in gratitude.
"You are welcome!" The old man said with such a warm smile on his face that it made her stare at him.
She swiftly yet gracefully walked, heading towards the second floor. There are many doors that she thought were offices, which they are. She looked for the registrar's and knocked on its door and came in.
The light breeze of cold air from an air conditioner fanned her cheeks as soon as she entered.
"I would like to ask for my schedule." She addressed the lady formally.
The lady on the other side of the long counter that separates the whole square asked for her name and typed something on the computer. A moment later, the lady handed Eloise a small paper slip. Eloise thought it was on her schedule. That's everything she needs, but there is another paper that's been handed to her, much bigger than the previous one.
Eloise's eyebrows frowned a little as she looked at it.
'A map?'
She looked at the lady behind the counter. Eloise and her usual blank face but her being screams confusion. The lady just looked back at her with eyebrows almost touching her hairline.
Eloise just averted her gaze and look at the map she is holding.
Strange...a map? Is this school that big? '
'Is this school that big for them to give away an entire school map? or do every university have a map?
Eloise let the map thing aside and went out to look for her school building. As soon as she gets to the quadrangle, she now understands what the map is for.
It is long and kind of complicated for people who don't have sharp memories. A wide quadrangle with buildings surrounds it, then pathways lead to somewhere.
Looking at the map, she found her building and went to her classroom.
The other thing that Eloise dislikes is tardiness. So she thought that it was her first day. She's going to be late. She might get too much attention and stare. Eloise is avoiding that scenario really hard.
'Class 6-6.'
Finally, she found her classroom and section. Wearing her very usual face—an expressionless one—she was about to walk in, but she froze on her feet.
'What the...?'
Eloise uttered inside her head, very confused at what was happening. The room is in chaos; chairs and tables are in disarray, students are running around like they are playing tag, and some are sitting everywhere. The noises coming from there make Eloise's mood spike too.
'The noise is annoying.'
They do not seem to notice her. She silently walks her way in and finds a vacant seat to take. Eloise can't find one, so she walks to the very back part of the room and takes one table and chair from the other that is piled up at the corner, then places it beside the boy who's just quiet and reading, leaning his head towards the book.
'This is a nice place to sit. If it weren't for this boy beside me, I would be the one who is sitting beside the window. I want the window. '
Eloise mumbled inside her mind in disappointment. She always wanted to sit beside the window ever since, but now that she is in an actual school, luck wasn't on her side.
Eloise was about to take a seat when she noticed that everyone inside went silent. The only noise that can be heard inside the room is the noise of chirping birds from the tree branches outside the windows and the noisy students passing by outside the corridor.
'Sigh*... finally quiet, she thought.
Eloise thought that it was finally quiet, the end of the annoying noises that made her head ache. But she felt tingles in her face, as if someone is looking and staring at her. She looked up and frowned in confusion. The whole class is looking at her with confused, scared and worried expressions.
Eloise looked at all of them with a questioning expression.
'What is going on?'
'Why did everybody went silent?'
'Why are they looking at me with such stupid faces?'
Looking at them, she noticed they were not just looking at her but also at the boy beside her, who was just reading a book, alternately.
'What is going on?' she thought, inside her head.
"Wha-" she was about to speak, but a voice at the front interrupted her.
"Take a seat guys!" A man in his thirties appeared in front with a dazzling smile, showing off his white and complete set of teeth that can be seen even from afar.
A handsome and tall man is towering over everyone in the room.
Eloise took a deep breath. She didn't notice that she had been holding her breath for a while now.
'What a great pressure caused by that stare. What's wrong with them?'
Eloise was so confused but remained calm, facing outside.
'It's strange... those worried expressions... for whom?' She thought.
"We have our new student today...By the way...is she here already?" The man in the front asked the class as his eyes scanning the entirety of the classroom.
Eloise met his eyes for him to notice her.
"Oh, there she is." He said it with a wide and sweet smile on his face. He kept on smiling at Eloise as if waiting for something, Eloise stared at him back.
"Haha Miss, would you like to go in front and care to introduce yourself?"
That is where Eloise realizes she needs to introduce herself at the front. She immediately walked her way in front of them, then flatly introduced herself.
"I'm Eloise Imperial. Please treat me well." She said casually.
"Miss Imperial, I'm Bobby, your adviser. It is nice to have you here. You may now take your seat. " Sir Bobby said, showing off again those perfect sets of white teeth.
But even if Eloise was done and went back to her seat, the gaze that she felt just didn't come off. She can still feel it, multiple pair of eyes on her.
Eloise is trying to focus on the class, but the tingles she feels because of the glimpses and gazes from her classmates are annoying her.
'What are they looking at?' She mentally asked.
She made it through the entire two-period classes without throwing any looks at those who were annoyingly staring and glimpsing at her.
The bell rung, showing that it's already time for their recess. Eloise wants to remain in her seat, but she has matters to attend to and fetch, like gym clothes and books from the school's tailor shop and bookstore.
'Kinda bothersome to walk a mile, she thought.
She was getting up in her seat; she noticed that the boy beside her was leaving with all of his things. He was the only one who had been reading a book earlier. Eloise just stared at his back as he walked fast, leaving the classroom in a hurry.
Eloise blankly stared at the dissipating back away from her.
'What's with him?'
Eloise is trying not to pay attention to everyone. But deep within, the glimpses and glances already annoyed her; she couldn't just complain out of nowhere that people were staring at her.
She ignored all of it, thinking that maybe it was their first time meeting a transferee. She ignores them until lunchtime, up to dismissal.
She went home, diving into her soft and comfortable bed, and let out a very heavy and loud sigh.
"What a strange day." She sighed.