Chapter 1

Rinaiane’s POV

The birds’ chirping filled the atmosphere, my hair is swaying with the cool breeze and the sunlight that penetrates my skin feels so refreshing. Just sitting here under the tree in our school garden early morning feels satisfying. I am just having the time of my life, listening to music while thinking about the things I’ve always been a fan of yet most people find it ridiculous. 

I am just trying to continue this ambiance when I heard running steps getting nearer and nearer. I can also hear her hard breathing and her thoughts. Weird, right? I have this “abilities” that is still a mystery to me and my family. I mean, i was just 5 years old when I started hearing things meters away from me and read minds unintentionally. It took me months before I finally able to tell my parents what I’m experiencing and that was when I told them that our neighbors are gossiping about us. I thought my parents’ reaction, which is not surprised at all, seems normal because I thought I’m not the only person who have these “abilities”.  Now that I’m a grown up, I find it  suspicious. After that incident, they always made me drink some kind of tea everynight and since then, my ability to read minds and hear things from afar lessens. 

I took off my headphones as I hear the footsteps just a meter away from and opened my eyes. I saw Lili, mu bestfriend, running towards me with her ponytailed hair, her glasses, white shirt under her denim jacket, black jeans paired with a white running shoes with her pink backpack. She stopped right in front of me, her hands both on her knees while catching her breath.

”It’s so early, Lili. Why are you in a hurry?” I ask as I handed ber my water jag. She immediately reached out and drank. I waited for her to finish and calm her breathing. 

“I have a good news for you.” she said as shehanded me back my water jag. She removed her bag from her shoulders and dropped it on the ground and she followed.

”What is it? Isn’t it too early for a good news when the classes just started a week ago?”

”Well, Miss Perfect.” she started as she emphasized on the “Miss Perfect”, “I visited the university’s forum and guess what?” she asked excitedly.

”What?” I asked lazily while putting my headphones and water jug in my bag. She held both my shoulders forcing my upper body face her. 

”You are crowned as the Campus Beauty!” she said while shaking my body. 

“That’s it?” I asked. As those words left my lips, she stared at me dumbfounded. 

”That’s it? What do you mean by “that’s it?” she said as she stood in front of me while looking atme, astonished. “98% of the students in this university voted for you, made you their role model and praising you nonstop and te only thing you said is “that’s it?” she exaggerating asked.

”Lili, you know that i’m not really interested in those kind of things and you know what i’m interested in, so that doesn’t really affect me and I’m sorry for spoiling your excitement.” I said. I stood up, put my backpack on my shoulders then grab her bag as she’s staring at me with unreadable face, though I can read her thoughts.  

(“Now I know why people admire her”) 

I smiled at her thoughts. I wonder what will her reaction when I say that I can read her mind. I handed her bag back to her and cling my arms on ger arms.

”Set those aside, we have a class to attend to.” I said and drag her with me. 

“What’s the subject for this morning again? I always forget our schedule’” she said while scratching her head and pouted. I giggled at her face, she’s so cute. 

“It’s Mr. Frank’s calculus class.”  

“What!?” she yelled. 

“Shhhhh...” I said and looked around. I saw some students are stunned at her shout and are staring at us. 

“Sorry...” Lili said while covering her face out of embarassment and I just copied her. We fasten our steps until we reached our own lockers. We both look at each other laugh.

”We have to hurry, Mr. Frank might send us to mark us absent id we are late just for a second.” I said as I close my locker after getting my calculus book.

”Just wait a minute” Lili said while she messily look for her book. “And I know Mr. Franks’s tactic about marking us absent, he’s always been like that ever since we’re first years.”

I giggled at her remarks. That’s true. I don’t know why but since our first year in college until now that we’re already third years, we are always under Mr. Frank’s math class. But he’s the best math teacher  here in the university, so that’s nothing to be questioned about. 

“Let’s go!” Lili said after closing her locker then drag me away. We ran for about 10  minutes until we reached the classroom for this subject which is located at the top floor of this building. We ran using the stairs from the ground floor until the fifth floor, the top floor. There’s an elevator here but students are crowding to use that so we took the stairs but surprisingly, it was tooeasy for us and we were just fine arriving in the classroom.

When we arrived, the students inside the room stooped and stare at us, or at me, but I heed them no attention and drag Lili at the front row seats while waiting for Mr Frank to arrive. When we settled in on our seats, the noise went back but some boys are starting to gather around us and starting to annoy me.

”Hey, Rinaiane, congratulations on being the campus beauty.” Rey said, one of the infamous “bad boy” here in the university. 

“Thanks.” I replied nonchalantly. I saw how his smirk wear off and started to look annoyed.

”That’s it? “Thanks”?” he stated then look at his other friends then they sarcastically laugh. 

Ignoring them, I started to get my notes and book from my bag and place them on my table one by one, until he banged both of his hands loudly on my tanle, causing my pen to roll down and fell to the floor.

”Be thankful that you’re famous and well-respected by the students, if ever you’re not, I can slap you on your beautiful face, grab your shiny hair and kick you.” he threatened. “You’re lucky I find you beautiful, so I will always spare you of any violence.”

Hearing those, I clench my hands into fist and was ready to blow his face up when Mr. Frank entered the room. As soon as he got in, he noticed Rey and his friends standing in front of me while I had my fists on the table.

”What are you doing to Miss Salvador, Mr. Nadela and slaves?” Mr. Frank said that made the whole class laugh while Rey glared at me and his friends are glaring at the other students. Rey faced Mr. Frank with his obvious sarcastic smile.

”Nothing, Mr. Frank. Just congratulated Rinaiane for being the Campus Beauty.” he explained still wearing his sarcastic amile.

”Well, you should also congratulate her for getting the only perfect score in my pre-assessment exam last week while you should study more because you,” Mr. Frank said while pointing at him and then to his friends, “and them, are not getting any score.” 

“Noted, Mr. Frank.” Rey and his friends said unison, embarrassed after being thelaught stock early in the morning.

After that, they went back to their seats while glaring at the students laughing at them while Mr. Frank went straight ti me and handed me, as what I guess, our papers from the pre-assessment exam a week ago.

”Return this to them.” he instructed then went to sit on his table while I stood up and start returning their papers. “It’s just been a weeksince this academicyar started but you gave me so much stress with your failing scores, of course except for Miss Salvador who got the perfect score and Miss Salem for only getting on e mistake.” he continued. Every student that approach always stare at me with some of them leaving their jmouth open. It’s getting uncomfortable but I just continue what I’m doing until I finished returning every single paper.

”Now,” Mr. Frank shouted that surprised us, “let’s go back to basics, in which most of you failed, and have a quiz after.” 

Everyone,except me and Lili, groaned at the remarks. Mr. Frank then glared at the class.

”What? You want me to give you the quiz right at this moment?” he ask and the class answered no. “Then let’s begin.”