Rifton Girls' High School is the most elite all-girls school in the city. With a strict scholarship-only admission, a grand school campus and plentiful funding from its wealthy alumni, it is no doubt that the already-talented young ladies within its...
I stabbed the chicken in my bowl miserably, quickly shoving it in my mouth. I knew I probably looked disgusting and lacking in table manners, but I didn't care.
I had always been a fast eater, too fast for my own good, but the thought of sitting it out at the back, alone while cliques chatted around me, their judgeful eyes fell upon me by occasion, especially with the fact that this recess break had the canteen rather empty... all the more, I had developed a sense of urgency to finish up and escape the canteen. Especially after all that fiasco with the Populars. With Natalie and Gillian and Lisa and essentially every person they talked rot to about me.
I wished I was still in primary school, with Nadine and Vanya and Jen, thick as thieves, talking about literally anything and still feeling like it was real. Not just a holographic vision that people could easily punch holes through, like everything this new school was. Now, Silvercreek Girls' School was no longer my second home, and my old clique had moved on, leaving our group chat on Whatsapp dead and me frightened to revive it. They all had their own lives now, and they wouldn't be able to care for mine.
Should've known it was too good to be true.
"Hey! Selene, right?"
I looked up to see that girl I'd seen around, with the floofy short bob and the eyes that sparkled with what was clearly intellectual brainpower. "Yeah! Hi."
"Would you like to sit with me and my friends?"
Wait. Hold on a second.
She wanted to sit with me?
ME?!
"Oh, yeah, sure!" I immediately replied, smiling back at her own small grin. I picked up my food as she led me to the table. "My name's Juliette Quinton, but everyone calls me Julie. It flows much smoother."
"Oh, okay... Julie."
Even despite my awkward attempt, Juliette Quinton's face maintained a perfect saccharine smile as she introduced me to the others and I waved back, still too shy and shocked to process.
We all sat down - and silence.
Just... everyone eating. Quietly. No talk whatsoever.
Normally, I would agree that eating and talking was a bad combination, but school lunches were exceptions. The social scene of school - was it not rooted to the lunch table discussions? Why wasn't anyone talking, why was everyone eating in this deafening silence of doom?
Was it me? Or perhaps, I should initiate a conversation?
Screw it, bad idea, but I was just gonna take a big L anyway.
"What primary schools are you guys from?"
The heads slowly turned to me with stares that I couldn't place.
What?
What did I do wrong?
Julie half-smiled as she began explaining, "Sarah, Louise and I are from Willerton, Abigail's from Southern Creek..."
But all I could notice was that smile, laced with insincerity, and the stares that nodded slightly and monotonously at Julie's words, the stares that seemed to scream a message that I could sense - you don't belong here, Selene Chan.
Leave, before you ruin things all over again.
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