Chapter 6 To be the new girl

Renewed with a kind of vigor for his start at life. Selene was all smiles as she walked into the halls of the school.

She’d greet almost every person she come across, giving a pleasant nod, hoping for the same reply or at least a hello.

But all she received were frowns and condescending gazes, with some clicking on their tongues and wincing upon catching sight of her.

It didn’t take long before her energy and liveliness finally faded, realizing she was doing something wrong, especially seeing how everyone avoided her the moment she stepped into the classroom, as if she carried the plague.

Because of this, she chose to sit at the far end of the room, same as what she usually did in her previous schools.

It seems no matter where she goes, her place will always be at the bottom.

It wasn’t that hard to see, considering she wore her normal white T-shirt, tight jeans, and worn out sneakers. Compared to the students there who donned fashionable clothing, with some being well-known brands, he only saw in magazines.

Only then did she recall what her friend Loraine told her, that most of the residents there were from rich families.

And here she was thinking she’d make new friends there, and have a wonderful school life. She heaved a sigh, shoulders dropping from the realization that her hopes of having a better start were impossible.

Selene caught a few whispers from a group of girls, sending meaningful gazes at her while giggling.

“Just look at that jacket.”

One girl murmured, throwing glances at her way.

“It’s so worn out.”

Another added, causing more laughter between them.

That got Selene checking herself and then back to the others who were now there. It was obvious she was the person they were talking about, considering her clothing were old and faded, unlike the rest of the people who were there.

Selene ended up lowering her head in shame, lips pursing from feeling so small. She tried shrugging it off and concentrate on her happy thoughts by staring out the windows, submerging herself in the view of giant trees, flowerbeds, and a few birds flying here and there.

She’d been so deep in her own little world, she did not notice the shadows towering over her until she gets a tap on her table, causing her to flinch and raise her head.

The sight of one familiar face was enough to put a smile on her, her gaze brightening upon seeing the fellow smiling at her.

“Hey, mind if we sit here?”

The man’s deep, playful voice got her to straighten in her seat. Somehow, him arriving there brought her energy back.

“Lucas! What are you doing here?”

Her glee returned, along with the glint in her eyes.

The guy and his group surrounded Selene, taking over the remaining seats there. This covered her from the sharp gaze of several groups of females that were there, making her more at ease.

“It seems we have the same first period.”

Lucas chuckled, sitting right next to her.

His friends remained looking in front, making sure the on lookers kept to themselves by throwing menacing gazes at anyone who dared to look at them.

“I didn’t know you also studied here.”

She giggled.

Finally, having removed the weight in her chest, she now can’t stop herself, elated at the thought there was still a chance for her.

“Isn’t she the girl from the diner?”

The clean shaven boy blurts out, eyes fluttering upon recognizing her.

Like before, the fellow had this playful smile on him, as if a little child gazing at a new toy.

“Selene, you remember Bruno, right?”

Lucas snaps his fingers, making the person nod.

“Hello there.”

She was quick to do the same, along with a wave of her hand in a friendly greeting.

Lucas’s finger then pointed to the others, who were now turned to them. Each having the same gaze as the first fellow.

“And the guy with the smug face is Joel, the grinning one is Samuel, and the smiling goofball is Bernard.”

He states with each.

All of them were keen to give a gesture of acknowledgement, together with a welcoming smile.

And with that, she became more relaxed, prompting more conversations between them. Until their classes started.

Being with the group gave her new strength, so she got filled with liveliness.

“Where are you guys going to have lunch?”

She cheerfully asks as they made their way out of their last class.

All the men gathered around Selene like guards, shielding her from prying eyes. So she was unaware of all the murderous gazes being thrown at her.

“We actually don’t have classes in the afternoon.”

Lucas sighed, putting on a weak smile as he glance at her.

That got his friends laughing, with Bruno sliding his arms on the guy’s shoulders playfully.

“Yeah, and Lucas here is grounded, so he needs to keep to his schedule.”

The fellow points out, pressing a finger on the man’s cheeks, causing the others to laugh seeing how Lucas’s face turned sour.

“That means going home after classes.”

Samuel murmured, throwing a teasing grin which cause another round of loud chortle from all of them, including Selene, who could not hold her own laughter at that point.

“Shut it. All of you.”

Lucas was already massaging his temple, head lowered to hide his embarrassment.

But hearing that spark Selene’s curiosity, especially after recollecting all about the things he heard about the guy from Loraine.

“I didn’t know that was possible for you.”

She absent-mindedly blurts out.

And here she thought after all the man’s achievements, he’d somehow be independent and all. So it came as a surprise hearing that.

“I have my reasons.”

A grin appeared on Lucas’s face.

In that moment, Selene turned silent when several visions flash before her eyes upon staring at the fellow.

Fire, blood, her aunt Pen screaming in tears. It was the same image she’d seen before, so she can’t help but furrow.

“Come on. I don’t want to get an earful again.”

Joel groaned, pulling the lot as they halted the minute they stepped out of the double doors.

“Sorry about this, Selene.”

Lucas gave her a pat on the shoulders, along with a weak smirk.

That snap Selene’s senses back to reality, shaking her head to wake from the daze of that sudden vision.

She forces a smile, eyes nearly closing from the effort.

“No worries.”

She says, waving at the group as they made their way to the parking lot.

“The cafeteria is just over there. You can’t miss it.”

Lucas points to the nearby building where most of the other students were gathering.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

With a nod, Selene waves goodbye to all of them, waiting until they disappeared from her sights before moving along.

Alone again, she finally notices the sharp stares from several females there, with some whispering behind her back. But thanks to Lucas and the others, she gathered enough courage to push through.

Aware of the attention and hostility being thrown her way, she understood the troubles that may come. So instead of going to the cafeteria, she chose a nearby tree with a stone fence around it, far from the rest of the people there.

After finding a pleasant shade to sit on, she takes out her lunch box that she prepared earlier. She savors her meal of boiled eggs, bread, and bacon, while enjoying the relaxing view of the wide field and trees in front of her.

All seems well, having nearly finished her food when she felt a drizzle on her shoulder. She shrugged it off at first until she caught the giggling of several voices behind her.

This forced her to look, swallowing hard upon glancing at the group of girls standing there. All of them having this condescending gaze and mischievous grin while looking down on her.

She realizes where the spray was coming from, seeing how they had their lips purse together, teeming with saliva.

Yet even with that, she remained smiling towards them, keeping her head and eyes low, but enough to get a glance.

“Can I help you?”

She asks in a soft and calm manner.

This caused all the girls to raise a brow, turning to each other with confused looks.

There were four of them, and all were just as gorgeous as the other, each flaunting a beauty of her own. One had long wavy blonde hair, a set of twins had straight black with one having a shoulder length cut, and the last was a red hair, sporting glamorous curls.

It seems the blonde was the leader, scoffing as she spat to the side before walking to her. She was quick to grab hold of Selene’s jacket, effortlessly pulling her to stand.

“You bitch! Do you even know who I am?”

She hissed, teeth grinding while giving her a murderous glare.

Selene froze, a frightening chill running down her spine, surprised by the sheer strength the person had. She did not think a person with such a petite and thin figure could lift her with just one arm.

She felt her tongue recede, immediately closing her eyes upon seeing the woman’s palm raise up high, preparing for a solid slap to her face.

“Let her go, Bernice.”

A deep voice thundered, stopping the act.

The other girls turned pale, retreating the minute they saw the man standing beside them, looking menacing with his brows furrowed and teeth bared.

“Stay out of this, Duncan.”

Bernice’s jaw snaps, a growl nearly escaping her.

“Or what?”

Duncan growled back, getting the attention of several people walking by.

They ended up in a staring competition, with neither one backing out of it. This cause a few onlookers to gather around, seeing the two dueling it out on with their stares.

In the end, it was the girl who surrendered, clicking her tongue as she let Selene go. But not before pushing her hard.

Selene’s scream aloud, having that stabbing sensation on her ankle from being shoved, losing her balance in the process because she could not shift her entire weight on one foot.

She braced her body by hugging herself, along with holding on to her breath to prepare for the fall.

But it never came, and the pain in her leg disappeared when her entirety became weightless. She heard a much deeper growl, forcing her to look.

She can’t help but gape, realizing she got encased in the man’s arms once more. This caused her heart to race, remembering the warm and protective sensation of the guy’s hold.

She nearly stopped breathing when their gaze met, her mind drawn by those dark eyes that seemed to pierce through her very soul.

“Are you all right?”

Worry etched on Duncan’s face after she remained silent for some time.

The sudden jolt from his voice and the man’s gentle shaking woke her from the daze she was having, thrusting her back into reality in a flash.

“Yes, thank you.”

Was all she can say, remembering the situation she was in.

“I warned you before, didn’t I?”

Duncan slowly put her down, but the stabbing pain remained, causing her to wobble when he let her go. This resulted in the man grab her once more, holding her waist to keep her from falling.

“Sorry. I did not understand what you meant back then.”

Selene bit her lower lip in shame. Not being able to fully grasp those words that were given to her.

Duncan heaved a sigh, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Almost all the girls around here are vying for that guy’s attention. And with you, a new girl, taking that from them means you are a great threat to them. And I can assure you, the women here will not show any mercy against their rivals.”

The man’s tone was grim and foreboding, causing another surge of fear crawling down on Selene’s spine.

She can’t help but swallow hard because of the large lump in her throat that suddenly appeared, knowing that her supposed peace and chance had truly crumbled, all because she held on to that wish of hers.