It's about 11 o'clock in the morning, I should be tired by now after having a five-hour flight but the excitement was far too great to be ignored. Instead of lying back and relax as Manggis drove us through the city, my eyes were wide opened, enjoying the view. Just like how any other city would be, it was hectic. The streets are crowded with people and vehicles and yet it had this soothing feeling towards it. Calmness, yes, I felt calm and for once I felt like I belong. Is it because of the people? Maybe it's because of the childhood memories I still dearly hold on too, I wasn't sure.
"Master Berry, is there any place you wished to stop by?" Manggis' question grabbed my attention. "You seemed a little peppy to head home straight away," My smile reflected on the rear mirror. Manggis must have seen it, for he had read my mind. "Perhaps the school..?"
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We finally arrived in front of the gate, a guard came to us to do the required procedure and eventually he opened the gate to allow us to pass through. The school was just a normal school, nothing out of the ordinary. Except that the buildings had such an eccentric design, somewhat an old English look. My mind was set on it being a hundred years old. The car then stopped at the main entrance.
"Master Berry, we're here." Manggis noted.
I was slightly nervous. That was a lie. It was more than a slight, I felt as though I have thousands of butterflies flapping around in my stomach. My thin, lengthy fingers actually trembled as they slowly grabbed the handle of the door and I gently made my exit out of the vehicle. I stood there, in front of the school and closed the door behind me. As I stared at the already opened gigantic wooden door I began to think of how it will be like here. After being home schooled for so long, I have very few friends. More accurately I had zero to none. Even after I stopped being tutored during high school, I was never closed to anyone. Though it may seem rather boastful of me, but it was never because they hated me. In fact it was really the exact opposite. They liked me too much. The boys that is, the other half of the school which consist of the female population resented me. Generally it was because of envy. Apparently when you are 6 foot tall with slender figure and sharp facial features, as well as waist length dirty blonde hair you will most probably be popular among the boys; most of them still believes that I am a girl and those who knows for a fact that I am a dude wishes that I wasn’t. The situation was made worse when you had to go to a school full of rich and spoilt girls who dislike the fact of having anyone better then them.
However, I had a feeling that this time would be different. It seems that I might just be right when two girls came pass by me, though they stared as how any one would, it doesn’t seemed like it was jealousy. It looks more as though they were in awe. I almost couldn’t suppress my laughter. It was so amusing to see two girls giggling and stealing glances of yourself. Soon after they disappear from my sight, two other figures came towards my direction. One was a short old man; slightly large in size and the other was a tall middle-aged lady; well-dressed with her curly black hair tied up into a ponytail. She looked as if she could be a model herself.
“Berry,” the man greeted me with both of his arms opened. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” He grabbed and shook my hand. Surprising, it was.
“I- I- I’m sorry… But you are…” I stuttered.
“Oh yes, I bet you are confused. Manggis had the liberty of calling me and telling me that you have arrived.”
“Ah, Manggis,” I turned to look at Manggis who is already standing next to the car. He smiled.
“I supposed you wouldn’t remember me. The last time I saw you were only five years old.”
“We’ve met?”
“Yes, of course. Come on, I’ll explain as we walk,” He pat my back and led the way. “Your grandfather and I had been friends for such a long time. As we got older, we were both too busy with our own life we rarely see each other anymore. But that day, I had to come. I had to show him my new granddaughter.” He stopped and faced me, “Ah, you’ve met her too,”
Before he could continue further, a petite young female in her twenties, I presumed, came running towards us. She was so small, even smaller than the old man. “Professor, I’m so sorry, I came as fast as I could.”
“Ah, Miss Dandelion, I’m sorry to trouble you, But you see here,” the old man pointed towards me, from behind the glassed her eyes followed.
“Is this the new student?” She cut him off. “Oh my, he’s so tall and beautiful, I must say,”
“Well, yes he is. Miss Dandelion. I want you to meet Berry. I feel that he is best placed in your class. Berry, this is Miss Dandelion. She’ll be your homeroom teacher during your studies here.”
“Good morning, Miss Dandelion.” I hold up my hand for a shake. “My name is Berry, I’m sorry for adding burden to you,” I waited; my hand was still hanging there waiting for her response.
“Oh Berry,” It was slow but eventually she returned the shake. “You’re not a burden at all I’m glad to have another tall person like you in my class,” Tall. She mentioned it twice now. My height must have been a surprise for her. Suddenly the lady from earlier whispered something to the old man, or as how Miss Dandelion called him, Professor. He left me in Miss Dandelion's care and then quickly rushed off. “Shall we?” Miss Dandelion showed me the way to the classroom.
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My entrance was ensued by a stare from each and every student present there. It’s not comforting, but it stopped being annoying long time ago. Since then I was accustomed to the long drilling stares I receive.
“Class, I would like you to meet your new and very tall classmate, Berry,” Tall, once more. She then opened a file that was on her desk and she turned to me, “Berry, isn’t Berry your last name? Should I continue to call you that?”
“Yes, I prefer it as such.” I gave her a smile as a friendly gesture.
Not surprising that my smile would caused one of the student, a boy, average in height with an athlete’s body and had his hair waxed and styled in a spiky manner, shouting all of the sudden, “Miss Dandelion! Berry is so cute! Can I hug her?” His rhetorical question made the other boys cheered. It was most likely that this boy is the head of this class. Even Miss Dandelion chuckled to his humor. Suddenly stopping all means of laughter was a loud thud that followed when a boy came into the class practically slamming the door open. He had to be the other tall that Miss Dandelion had mentioned earlier, he seem as though he’s around my height. However, he was a messed. He’s hair was not properly combed and his uniform was not properly tucked. I wonder, this guy that silences the whole class, could he be the leader that everyone bows to. With bruises all over his fierce looking face and arms, I’m sure he reigned the school by fear.
“Sorry, I am late.” Harsh, but gentle his voice that is. He said sorry, he has manners. This showed that he was not one of those temperamental peanut-brained bullies. He might not be a terrible person.
“Hmm, okay. Go ahead and take your seat, Chocolate,” Miss Dandelion treated him well too. She does not look like she feared him; instead she looked like she cares.
Chocolate walked pass me, I was so curious about this other tall boy in my class that I just couldn’t disregard him. Unknowingly my hand was already reaching for his shoulder and I stopped him. I could swear I heard the whole class gasp, holding in their breath. He slowly turned his head looking at me over his shoulder with intense and stern face, before his eyes fell down, staring at the hand that grabbed him. I, myself was taken aback. I swallowed in my saliva and greeted him, “Err… Hi, I’m Berry,” My hand slowly moved away from his body. His attention then went back to my face. For about three or more seconds our eyes met. Still maintaining eye contact, he then turned his body fully facing me and had his clenched fist up to his shoulder level. Seeing his fist, I absurdly grabbed it and pulled it close to my face. “You’re bleeding,” I heard another gasp. It made me wonder how long they have held their breath in so far. His knuckles were bleeding. I could not help but examine the wound. However, before I was finished he tugged back him arms. I looked up and saw him staring at me with brows tighten and his face red. My foolishness must have angered him.
“You…” He had his left hand holding his right fist in front of his chest. He then let both of his arms down and clenched them both tight. “Why, I ought to…” He came dashing straight for me.
Instantaneously Miss Dandelion screeched her voice out, “Chocolate! No!” But it was too late I could see the bloody fist heading straight for my face and everything was moving so fast and yet so slow at the same time before everything just went black. I was right, this time it will definitely be different.
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-END PART 2-
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