Why...
Why do I have to suffer like this?
Why do I have to kneel in front of these four spoiled, elite girls?
What did I ever do to deserve this?
The hallway is filled with whispers.
Every student looks at me with disgust — as if I'm something filthy that doesn't belong here.
My hands tremble. I clench my fists tight, fighting the tears burning behind my eyes.
Juice drips down my hair, sticky and cold.
My head hangs low; I can't even bring myself to look up.
Then I hear it — footsteps.
Slow. Confident.
Each step echoes against the marble floor until it stops right in front of me.
Even without seeing her, I can feel her presence — sharp, commanding, and cold.
Her shoes alone look more expensive than anything I own.
She doesn't speak at first. She doesn't have to. Her silence is heavier than words.
Then, she bends down. Fingers, perfectly manicured, grip my chin and force me to look up.
Her eyes — brown and polished, like glass — hold no kindness.
She smirks, leaning close until her breath brushes against my ear.
"This is your welcome party," she whispers.
"Hope we get along."
Her words pierce straight through my mind, and my heart starts to race uncontrollably.
Julia Lin.
The girl who made my very first day of school a nightmare.
I slowly wipe the juice from my face, forcing my voice not to tremble.
"Why did you do this?" I whisper. "What did I do wrong?"
Julia turns back, her face blank, not a trace of remorse in her expression.
My tears fall silently, tracing warm lines down my cheeks as I try not to show how scared I am.
She shrugs, rolling her eyes like I'm not even worth the effort.
"If you don't get it," she says coldly, "then just leave."
And with that, she walks away — laughing softly with her friends —
while I'm left on the cold floor, shoulders shaking, sobbing so quietly that no one dares to care.