The next day was shining bright and blistering hot. Even with my sunglasses on, I could tell there wasn't a single pack of clouds in the sky. Standing before the sensors of the Ultara gate, I kept telling myself for a zillionth time that no one knew it, no one expected it.
"You look nervous," a melodious voice uttered behind me. I almost jumped out of my skin. I craned my head around to see Lisa in her usual dazzling self. She smiled innocently at me.
"What do you want?" I snapped.
"Chaeng, I just want to apologize about yesterday," she said, using my short name as if she owned it.
"Apology unaccepted," I muttered back. And when the laser scanners flashed green and the steel door slid open, I quickly walked off without giving a second glance. But it didn't take long for Lisa to catch up.
"You walk sexy," Lisa suddenly said. I stopped to glare at her. The girl just grinned back. I shook my head and turned to walk again.
"Are you just going to ignore me like that?" She said afterwards. I ignored her.
Along the gravel path, flowers were blossoming here and there, showing off their elegant buds. I inhaled the rich scent of the wild orchard in the morning breeze. Everything seemed fresh and colorful than before. I could even hear the sound of crickets and lizards on the ground. The school looked the same but felt different to me. Maybe it was the fact that I had changed a little. My senses were sharper and more accurate.
I stole a glance at Lisa and noticed that she appeared to wear no sunglasses.
"Doesn't the daylight bother you?" I asked. Lisa smirked as if to say, 'Now you talk to me,' And I really hated my curiosity for that.
"I got used to it," she said and shrugged. "Besides, we are daywalkers, not exactly nocturnal."
And as a person who doesn't want to be sight- challenged, I took off my sunglasses too, but my sensitive pupils contracted painfully to the brightness of the sun.
"Ow!" I yelped and quickly put the shades back on. Lisa laughed.
"Don't push yourself," she said. "You're still new at this."
I made a face at her and continued walking. Our feet scuffled along the gravel path, passing the overgrown oak trees. The green leafy branches stretched out to form an archway and shielded us from the burning sun. I looked slightly at Lisa again and wondered whether she had taken modeling or ballet class to gain all this grace to her whole body.
As we finally came closer to the Ancient Hall, I could see Joy and Jisoo standing by the entrance. A smile lighted up my face at the sight of my best friends. They spotted me and waved. I waved back.
"Are you ready to tell your friends?" Lisa said.
"Tell them what?" I asked.
"Looks like you forgot what I had told you," she said. "You have to be with me. You're my girlfriend now."
I stopped in my tracks. My jaw was on the ground as I stared at her in disbelief.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lisa said innocently. "Or you want me to tell them that I'm your girlfriend? Because I'm more than happy to do so."
"Who said I agree to be your..." I started but then couldn't bear it anymore. I grabbed her by the wrist and walked off the gravel path, pulling Lisa along. As we reached the nearest oak tree, I gripped Lisa's shoulders and shoved her back against it.
"Are you out of your mind?" I hissed, tightening my hands around her shirt collar. "I'm not your girlfriend. We're not dating!"
Lisa licked her perfectly curved lips and smirked at me again. Suddenly, she wrapped her slender arms around my butt and pulled my hips to hers. I gasped in shock, feeling myself pressed against her.
"You look so hot when you're being forceful like that," she said in a low husky voice, sending a shiver down my back. My face blushed bright red. Lisa kept staring at my face with a mischievous grin.
After I snapped out of my paralyzing shock, I started pushing her away by the shoulders, but Lisa kept me locked in her strong arms. Her hand already snaked inside my short skirt from below and squeezed my back cheek lustfully. Anger rushed through my pulse. My jaw started throbbing and itching.
"If you don't stop doing that, I'm going to kill you, Lisa," I said through my clenched teeth. Lisa pretended to gasp in a mocking surprise.
"Oh my, is my lovely girlfriend planning on her first murder already?" she said and clicked her tongue as if she was giving a child some discipline.
"Please, Lisa, I beg you," I turned to say. "Just leave me alone. I won't cause any trouble, I promise."
"How can I trust that?"
"I will prove it to you that I'm stronger than it," I said.
Lisa narrowed her eyes as she considered my words. Then slowly, she let go of me.
"Alright, if you say so, I'll let you see for yourself. But words of advice," she said and put her hand under my chin, pulling my face closer to hers. I stared at her beautiful brown eyes, noticing a slight trace of greenish blue around her irises. Lisa leaned forward and whispered into my ear.
"Be careful," she said. Her cold breath brushed against my cheek, causing goosebumps on my arms. I gulped dryly as I stood like a statue. Lisa gave me a small smile and then she just took off in one big blur. I jumped up with a gasp again.
It took me a while to get to Joy and Jisoo by the grand entrance.
"Something wicked coming this way," Joy spoke into Jisoo's ear, her playful eyes gazing at me. She looked like she was expecting to see a pair of red horns on my head or something.
"Good morning," I murmured to them.
"Are you feeling alright?" Jisoo asked me.
"Y-yes," I spoke nervously back. "I'm alright."
"Are you sure? Because you look like you just had a quickie with Lisa behind that tree," Joy asked.
"No!" I burst in protest. "We didn't do anything!"
"Then why did you and her walk together then?" She pointed out.
"Because we have the same school gate, duh?" I reminded her.
"Oh come on, Chaeng! Every girl in this school would sink to the ground every time she walks by!" Jisoo said.
"Jisoo please, don't start," I said and scooted past them, ignoring their giggles. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Joy and Jisoo giving each other a knowing grin.
Then I was shell-shocked by the unthinkable chaos that seemed to hang in the air around me. All voices jumbled together with the luscious scents floated through the atmosphere. It was even worse than in the hospital.
The first period, we had Cultural Anthropology class. Madam DuDu (actually her name is Deborah Doyle, but we like DuDu better), our professor was talking something about the origin of high heels.
"Does anybody know why heels were invented?" She said to the class. I had to concentrate like mad just to keep myself at the desk. Some girls raised their hands.
"Nayeon," Madam DuDu said.
"They were invented to keep women from running away from their husbands," she said loudly. The class burst into laughter.
"Well, interesting answer, thank you," the professor said. "But that's incorrect. Anyone knows?"
"Actually, heels were made for men," Jennie's accented voice came from the back. "Then it was popular in France. Noblemen liked to wear heels to represent their high status in the court."
"Excellent!" Madam Dudu said with an approving smile.
I broke my pencil in half. Don't get me wrong, I was just frantically taking notes, but my nervous system seemed to be a little hyper for some reason. Joy raised an eyebrow at me as she noticed me.
After the first period, we were in World History. Mr. McKowit was going to show a documentary film to the class. He rolled down the white screen then started to operate the LCD projector. Then he walked to the wall and flicked off the light in the room. When everything went dark, I gasped in the air of panic. I covered my face with my hands, knowing that my florescent eyes would send a wave of hysteria to the whole class.
"Chaeyoung, what are you doing? Are you okay?" Jisoo's hand found me, but I shrugged it off.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," I said in a fretful tone. Fear began to rise from my stomach. "Something got into my eyes."
"Can I see that?"
"No, no!" I shrunk back in my seat again, hiding my face away from her. "It's...it's already gone!"
"Do you want to go to the school clinic? I can ask our professor for permission," Joy recommended.
"No, that's alright," I refused. "I just need to wear the shades for now."
"I'm sorry?" Jisoo asked like she was hard of hearing, but it did sound ridiculous to wear the shades in the dark.
"It's the projector light," I quickly told them, somewhat impressed with my smart answer. Then I blindfolded myself with one hand while the other thrusting in search of the sunglasses in my bag.
"I'll get it," Jisoo offered then she fished the sunglasses out for me.
"Thank you," I said. Without opening my eyes, I put it on, but when I turned to my best friends again, they both had a worried look on their faces. I was worried about myself too, even getting scared.
The minutes seemed like years, I couldn't keep my eyes focused on the screen. The darkness had made me hyperaware of everything. The breathing, heartbeats, and the rustling sounds of blood flow all performed like an orchestra as if to invite my personal demons to rise. It was getting harder as lunchtime drew closer.
My stomach started growling. I squeezed my eyes and shook my head, trying to block all my senses. Joy and Jisoo were peering sideways at me. I guess if there was a time they had never seen me being so weird before, it was now.
Mr. Mckowit flicked on the lights again when the movie had ended and then he dismissed the class. I was relieved and able to relax a little. As my classmates began to clear out of the room, Jennie the new girl showed up at our desks. Her presence startled me like a ghost. I quickly took off my sunglasses to have a look at her.
"Is that the book you want?" She turned to ask Jisoo.
"Oh, yes! Thank you, that's very nice of you."
"You're welcome," Jennie replied, but her coal-black eyes were gazing at me. With her piercing stare, I felt like I was having an x-ray scan or something as if she was trying to see through me. I got a bad feeling that she had been observing me the whole time. This sent a shiver down my spine. And just like that, she walked away without a second glance. I gripped Jisoo by her elbow.
"Jisoo, what was she doing here?"
"Okay Chaeng, first of all, you need to let go of me, ow! That really hurt," Jisoo said with a sour expression.
"Oops," I drew my hand back as if I just got electroshock. "Sorry."
"She helped me get the book on Quantum physics from the library," she said later.
"Why couldn't you get it yourself?"
"Well, because we both are suspended from the library for two weeks,"
"What?" I said. Because if you are a genius in the Ultara Academy, you don't get detentions for misbehavior. You get banned from doing homework, taking quizzes or even going to the library, and the latter is the worst punishment that ever happens to one's genius life.
"Remember the carnival dessert?" Joy said. "My mom sort of has this trouble-maker detector, and - beep beep- we both are punished, well... except you, obviously."
"But how did you and that girl get to know each other," I looked at Jisoo.
"Oh, I met her on my way to the suite. She noticed that I looked sad. I told her you were being hospitalized and then we went on to the stuff about our punishment. After that, she offered to borrow the book for me. As you know neither Joy nor I could plant our feet in the library these days."
"Why didn't you just ask me to get it for you?"
"You were in the hospital, hello? And I need the book now for the pop quiz today."
"I think she's hot, Jisoo," Joy said, "You should give her a thank-you sex when you get an A."
"You sound a lot better when you don't talk, Joy," she said and slapped Joy on her arm. I had to giggle as we watched Jisoo blush, but I still didn't feel good around the new girl, and I had no idea why.
"Okay guys, let's go to lunch," Joy said at last. And I almost forgot I was already starving.
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