**Gina**
Sitting in front of the mirror, my long jet black hair was packed in a bun, and I applied lip gloss to my lips, satisfied with my looks; today was resumption day. I was excited to finally resume, taking a full look at myself, satisfied, I picked up my bag and phone, headed out of my room, stepping down from the foot of the stairs. I could hear Mom's voice in the dining room. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I made my way to the dining table; "Good morning, mother".
Mom stared at me, nodding her head and going back to her breakfast, taking my place at the dining table. I greeted my brother, who had his eyes glued to his phone; breakfast today was pancakes, scrambled eggs, and some on. A classic meal to start the day, "I have sorted things with the school management," My mother, Shayla Briggs, a multimillionaire ceo who single-handedly rules with an iron fist, as I quickly finished my breakfast, my brother barely looked up from his phone, grunting a quick goodbye. I rolled my eyes, used to his aloofness. Mom, on the other hand, gave me a stern look, her eyes narrowing slightly, "Remember to keep your grades up. I don't expect less from you," she said; her eyes firm but laced with a bit of warmth. I nodded, feeling a bit pressured and a mix of motivation. My mom was a demanding and strict woman, but I knew she wanted the best for us. I grabbed my bag, muttering a goodbye to my mom.
The ride to school was quiet. Rubbing my palms together, I made a mental note. We arrived at our destination, and I quickly stepped out of our luxurious vehicle and onto Apex High Campus. My heart boomed with pride and belonging; the school's stunning architecture and beautiful, manicured lawns were a testament to its reputation as one of the best schools in the city.
I took a deep breath, my palms sweating as I smoothed my uniform and adjusted my bag. "Backing out already," My brother said, looking at me with a smile. I spotted the teasing look in his eyes, and I scowled.
Fidgeting confidence, i walked towards the entrance of the school, its tall building swallowing my petite figure, a group of students chatting and laughing together as they walked to the other side of the building, "assembly is about to start, let's head to the hall," my brother said pulling me with him as we made our way to the hall.
** Leonardo**
As the water cascaded down my skin, washing the remnants of last night, I stood under the shower, letting the warmth seep into my muscles. My mind wandered to the day ahead- another semester at Apex High. I stepped out of the shower, and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes seemed a bit more tired than usual, but a quick splash of water fixed that.
I dressed in silence, thoughts filled with uncertainty about the new semester and Gina, she'd be getting prepared for school too, probably stressing about how her day would go by starting as a fresher at Apex High. Downstairs, the aroma of breakfast wafted through the air. Mom was already at the table sipping her coffee and checking her phone, i muttered a greeting to her before taking my seat at the table, i could feel her drilling holes into my body with her eyes; looking at the table filled with western dishes and one word I could use to describe it is mouthwatering.
Serving myself, I picked up my phone glancing through my IG page, i heard my sister's voice trembling as she greeted our mother, gone was the confidence and pride she carried, i felt her eyes as she whispered a greeting to me which I nodded, my eyes were still glued to my phone as I ate.
Staring blankly at my phone, scrolling through social media out of habit rather than interest, Gina was chattering away, but Mom's voice cut through, "I have sorted things out with the school management, " she said; her tone confident and authoritative. I grunted a quick acknowledgement, not looking up from my phone, I knew better than to engage in a conversation with my mom when she was in ceo mode. Besides, I was used to her demands, Gina, on the other hand, looked a bit more affected. She nodded eagerly, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and nervousness, I pushed my chair backwards, picking up my school bag to leave for school, grunting a quick goodbye. I could hear mom's voice speaking to Gina, "Remember to keep your grades up, I don't expect less, I could sense that underlying meaning to those words, failure was never an option in the Briggs household.
The ride to school was too quiet. I turned to look at my sister, who had her eyes closed, muttering a few words to herself, stilling my laughter. I looked out the window, gazing at the sky, which had become one of my hobbies. Arriving at Apex High, we stepped out of the vehicle and onto the school's campus, smiling at my sister's nervous face as she tried to put on her mask, and I couldn't help but tease her, "backing out already." She scowled.
I watched a group of students making it to the hall, "assembly is about to start, let's head to the hall," I pulled the dumbfounded girl with me, heading to the massive second building. The hall was already crowded with students, chatters filled the hall as students buzzed with excitement, spotting my two friends dotted at the third row, pulling my sister with me, ignoring the stares from other students; "wassup dude."
Dew stood hugging me tightly, "Is that a Barbie doll?" I shook my head at how fast Dew detached from my grip, clinging to Gina. As Dew clung to Gina, she blushed, her eyes darting between us, "Hey, Dew," she said, trying to sound casual. Dew grinned, just eyes sparkled with excitement, "Barbie doll got some life in her, huh?" I rolled my eyes, chuckling, "Shut up, Dew".
Our friend, Kingsley, chuckled, shaking his head, "dude, leave the girl alone." The assembly started, and the principal's voice boomed through the microphone. Gina listened intently; her eyes fixed on the stage. As we sat there, I couldn't help but notice how Gina lit up when Dew teased her. Maybe this semester would not be so bad. Assembly ended, and students filed out; joined the crowd, we chatted about this new semester.