"Jameson. Here is your group's assignment. Graded that is." Ms Swan says as we walk into the class. I look at the paper and then at her. What does she mean it's graded? Today is the due date. She still has days to go before we grade it. "I got curious and read through it." She says in response to our shocked faces. "And I wasn't disappointed." She says when I sit down in my seat.
"Yo!" Jameson says excitedly when she sees the grade on the right-hand corner of the paper.
"What the hell?" Oliver says high high-fiving Jameson when he too sees the grade. He places the paper on my table and my jaw drops in shock at the number there. 98? I can't believe it, she gave us an amazing mark.
"I told you guys this thing was gold," Kelly says smiling at me.
"Very good indeed." ms Swan says when the rest of the class walks in. Marlene enters last. Everyone looks at her the room silent. She doesn't take English with us so I can understand th
3 Days Later"Can I ask you something?" Ryo asks looking up at me. We're lying on the grass in the school garden. She's on her back, her head on my lap. I look down at her and nod. "What would you rather not have, toilet paper or washing soap?" She asks her question randomly. I look at her trying to figure out what brought that on."I would rather..." I say and then I pause to think about it. I can't imagine a life without either but if I had to choose."Toilet paper." I say and she stares at me appalled."What?" She asks laughing. "You would rather go without wiping your butt?" She asks whispering the last three words."Yes. I can't imagine not having bath soap." I say she shakes her head at my comment."I could never walk around with remnants of my private activities. If you know what I mean" She says and I laugh."I didn't say I would walk around with poop in my but," I say and she makes a face. "I'd use
"What do you mean you missed the deadline, Marlene?" My mother screams looking at me like she doesn't know me. I knew she was going to freak out if I didn't do my school work but I didn't think it would be this bad. She's acting like I already failed. This is just one part of my English grade, I can make it up with other assignments.But that's not the reason she's mad at me, is it? She's mad because I broke a promise I made to her and Dad.After my breakup with Oliver, I fell into a terrible space. I wasn't interested in going to school, doing assignments or going outside really. All I wanted to do was hide. As a result, my schoolwork suffered. I almost failed my grade. My parents were not happy. They didn't understand why I let a boy take over my life. They didn't understand why "I would let a boy ruin my life?:"It took a while for me to back to myself but I did it eventually. I found the strength to get up, get my mind right and save
It's the morning after my mother went off on me. She decided I'm grounded and she's taking all of my privileges away. That means I don't have a credit card, no allowance and no car unless I have to go to school.I am fuming, how did I get back here? All of the loss and pain I felt when Oliver and I broke up came over me. I can't believe I let him mess me up like this again. I hate him so much. Why am I being punished for his decisions? My mother was so mad that she didn't want to hear any of my explanations.I drive into the school parking lot and already regret why I'm here. I don't think I can take being in this place anymore. The messed up part is that I can't skip classes because my parents are going to kill me. As soon as I go missing from any classes my father will know and there will be hell to pay.I bring my car to a stop and sigh. I know I can do this. All I have to do is get through eight hours of smiling and talking to p
I follow Marlene into the school. I don't know what got into her just now but this madness needs to end. I won't let her attack Ryo like this. "Marlene," I say when she walks into a random class. She looks back at me and then she frowns. "What the hell was that?" I ask closing the door. "Leave me alone Oliver." She says walking to a wall. She presses her head on it. I watch her breathe hard for a few seconds and she says nothing. "I won't let this go. I've let your behaviour slide for too long." says and she turns around. "Oliver I really don't care about what you have to say right now," She says and she dares to be angry at me."Look, you never going to put your hands on Ryo ever again," I say ignoring her anger, she's not going to bully or cry her way out of this one. I want to make sure she knows there will be consequences if she ever tries to pull anything like that again. "I swear you're going to regret it if you pull this shit again," I say my voice calm but dangerous. She f
I have six eyeballs staring at me right now. I want to tell them off but I know they are just trying to watch out for me. That whole incident with Marene was super scary. I was sure she was going to attack me. She had the look of murder in her eyes when she pulled me by the backpack.Well, I guess this is my first fight. I thought when our eyes met. I thought she was going to swing on me and break my nose. I prepared myself mentally in a few seconds. I even forgot that we there were a bunch of people staring at us."You guys are staring," I say looking at each of them. "You can stop now," I add and Oliver smiles at me."We're just wondering how you're doing," Jameson says looking at Kelly for confirmation."I'm doing fine" I say and he nods slowly. "Really, I'm good, you can stop worrying," I say and Kelly smiles."I spoke to her, she's not going to bother you ever again," Oliver says his face hard. What di
"Sir, I have Ryo for you." The Secretary says when we get to the door. I will myself not pass out. I take a few breaths and brace myself for what's to come."Yes, come in." He says and I take a few steps into the room. I gasp on the inside when I see Marlene sitting on a chair in front of the principal's office desk."Good Afternoon Sir," I say looking at him. He smiles and he gestures for me to sit down. I take a seat opposite Marlene and she looks down at her hands."Ladies, I called in here to address the incident in the parking lot this morning." He says looking at me intently. I stare at him blankly not sure what to do here. What does he want me to say? "Ryo, do you want to tell me what happened?" He asks smiling at me. I turn to look in Marlene's direction and she's still staring at her hands. Is she going to look up and confront this situation? She's the reason we're in here. She's the one that decided to attack me for no dan
"Well, Marlene I guess you can go." The principal says and I look up at him. "I should say that behaviour like this morning will not be tolerated." He says and I get up and head out of his office.What the hell just happened? I was sure Ryo was going to rat me out. And I wouldn't have blamed her. I was wrong for attacking her. I don't know what came over me. I was so enraged that I took it out on the first person that I saw.I look down the hall hoping to see her but she's not there. I have to talk to her. She didn't have to lie for me but she did. If she didn't decide to keep quiet I would be in big trouble. My mother threatened boarding school; if I pulled one of my stunts.If today's incident got out, I would have been in a school miles away before I could say sorry.I have to get it together I can't let my emotions take over me like that.A few hours later, at the school parking lotAs I
I pull into the McDonald's parking lot and see Oliver pull into the parking spot next to mine. He smiles at me when he sees me. I open my door and get out of the car, I lock it and walk to his. He opens the passenger door for me and I get in."You look gorgeous," He says when I close the door. "You look really good." He adds and I smile."You look gorgeous too." I and he smile."I do?" He asks shyly and I nod."You look really good. I love you in all black." I say truthfully. He really does pull off the all-black outfit."Thank you." He says taking my hand in his, he kisses it and I feel the warmth of his kiss from the inside of my hands all the way between my legs."What are we eating?" I ask trying to distract myself. I almost jumped his bones right then. We haven't been intimate in a while now. So many things have happened since our date in the garden. I wish we were in the garden right now. I wish we w
As I head back to my room, the cozy feeling from the movie night fades, replaced by a growing sense of dread. I know Savannah won't let this slide. I try to shake off the anxiety, reminding myself that it's not a crime to talk to someone, but deep down, I know this will be more complicated than that.When I reach my dorm room, I take a deep breath, preparing for the confrontation I know is coming. Just as I turn the doorknob, I hear the unmistakable click of heels behind me. I turn slowly to see Savannah, her arms crossed and her expression as icy as ever."Marlene," she says, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Do you have a minute?"I nod, feeling my heart rate quicken. "Sure, Savannah. What's up?"She steps closer, invading my personal space. "What do you think you’re doing with Adrian?" Her tone is low, but the threat is clear.I take a step back, trying to create some distance. "We were just watching the movie. It’s not a big deal.""Not a big deal?" Savannah repeats, her e
It's movie night and every student in the dorms is summoned to come and watch. I would rather be sleeping right now but the headmistress made it clear that we have to be here. The common room is buzzing with excitement. The lights are dimmed, and the scent of popcorn fills the air. Students are chattering as they find seats, some on the couches, others on the floor, creating a cozy, makeshift theater.I choose a quiet corner, my back against the wall and a thick blanket draped over my shoulders. I prefer this spot for its unobtrusiveness, allowing me to watch without being the center of attention. As the opening credits roll, I relaxed slightly, hoping to blend into the background.But my hopes are dashed when Adrian walks in, his presence immediately drawing the attention of the room. He scans the area, his eyes quickly finding me. With a confident stride, he makes his way towards me, carrying a bag of popcorn and two sodas."Mind if I join you?" he asks,
The first week at St. Hilda’s passes in a blur of classes and unfamiliar faces. I keep my head down, focusing on my studies and staying out of trouble. Despite Adrian’s unexpected attention, I’ve managed to remain invisible, just the way I planned.It’s Friday afternoon, and I’m sitting under a tree in the courtyard, reading a book for my literature class. The sun filters through the leaves, creating shadows on the ground. I’m finally starting to
My parents dropped me off at the school dorms a day ago and I've been layng low since. The girl's accomodations is about 5 km away from the main campus and today is the first day I''m seeing it and the other day students.The bus ride to the new boarding school feels like a journey to another planet. Trees blur past the window, the landscape changing from unfamiliar streets to unknown territories. The thought of starting over terrifies me, and I try to suppr
The sun filters through the café windows, casting a warm glow over the bustling breakfast crowd. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked pastries fills the air as Oliver and I walk in, hand in hand. We spot Jameson and Kelly at a cozy corner booth, already settled with cups of steaming coffee and plates of pancakes."Look who finally decided to show up!" Jameson calls out, a wide grin spreading across his face as he waves us over.Oliver laughs, sliding into the booth next to him. "Good morning to you too, Jameson. Ready to celebrate?"Kelly pushes a plate of assorted pastries toward us, her smile warm. "Absolutely. Congratulations on the A in your English assignment. You guys really earned it.""Thanks, Kelly," I say, taking a croissant. "It feels good to see our hard work pay off."We dive into breakfast, laughter and chatter filling the air. It's moments like these that remind me of the importance of friendship, of having people who cheer for your successes and stand by you th
"Forever," I murmur, my lips still tingling from our kiss. Oliver pulls back slightly, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that makes my heart skip a beat. We both laugh, a mixture of relief and joy filling the small space of his car."I have another question," Oliver says, his voice softer now. He glances at his phone, then back at me. "What’s your biggest dream?"I pause, letting the weight of his question settle in. The sunset paints his face in warm hues, making his eyes sparkle. "My biggest dream?" I echo, pondering. "I think it’s to travel the world. To see places I’ve only read about, experience different cultures, and find inspiration in the beauty of our planet. And…" I hesitate, then smile. "To do it with you."Oliver’s face lights up, and he takes my hand, squeezing it gently. "I love that. I want that too." He looks out at the lake, then back at me. "Imagine us, years from now, looking back on this moment. Knowing we had the courage to dream big and chase those dream
"That went well," Oliver says sitting next to me in the driver's seat of his car. I nod looking at the amazing view in front of us. We found a new spot to chill and have our epic question dates. And today is a very special one. "I should say, I think she loves you more than me." He says and I laugh shaking my head disagreeing with him.She was nice to me but she will never feel that way about me."I'm glad you agreed to meet her." He says smiling at me happily."I'm honoured to have met your mother. She's incredibly kind and she's beautiful" I say and he nods in agreement."So, he says taking out his phone." He has this cheesy smile on his face. "I put together a list of questions for us." He says and I get excited. I really missed spending time with him. We had a great thing and all of the fighting and backstabbing had ruined it.But being here with him, the stupid grin on his face beaming back at me. It all
"I'm so happy to meet you." Oliver's mother says getting up to hug me. I take in her beauty, poise and style as we embrace. She looks incredible. so well put together. I don't know if I can stop staring at her. I realize I have to eventually so it doesn't turn into anything weird. I don't want her to think I'm crazy"I'm happy to meet you too," I say finally finding my voice. I'm still nervous but a little at ease because of how sweet she is. She hugs Oliver and then we sit down."I've heard wonderful things about you." She says looking at me with a huge smile on her face. I look at her with such awe. I don't think I've seen her smile before and it's incredible how much her face changes."I hope I can live up to them," I say and she chuckles a little."Oh, no. There's nothing to live up to. You're perfect." She says and I smile not really sure what to say. "So, how are you?" She asks genuinely
"Do you think this is a good idea?" I ask Oliver when he opens the car door for me. I stare into his eyes hoping he changes his mind. I know I agreed to this but now that we're here I'm not so sure. "Yes, it's a very good idea." He says offering me his hand. "Don't freak out. It's going to be great." Oliver says when he sees my face."What if she doesn't like me?" I ask closing the door. We start walking and my legs feel like jelly below me. "What if I say the wrong thing?" I say and he smiles looking back at me. "You can never say the wrong thing." He says and I groan in frustration. I'm freaking out here and he's not taking me seriously. I don't think I'm ready to meet his family, let alone his mom. I've never met a boyfriend's mom. I was never in a serious relationship where it got to this point. What am I doing here? I don't belong here. "That's a lie. I put my foot in my mouth all the time. And I don't know if I can find the right words when I'm this nervous." I say trying to