Chapter Two- White Bird High

WHITE BIRD HIGH- It was my dream high school ever since I joined the school. It was one of the A+ high schools in the country and the only A+ high school in the Bumthang district. Since my marks and my character certificate were awesome, I got the opportunity to study in the school and the plus point was that my best friend Isabella Gomez was also enrolled in the same school.

My phone rang my favourite song and I knew it was my best friend, whom I lovingly called Ella. We had been best friends and classmates since pre-primary school and we were going to the same high school. I wished that we would become classmates in the new school too.

“Good morning, my baby girl,” I responded, grabbing my phone from the table.

“Hey! Good morning. Is everything done? Are you ready to go?” She asked like someone was chasing her.

I could tell from her intonation that she was more excited than me and knew that she was almost ready to walk to our new high school.

“I am about to. Just done with breakfast. Umm, you come to my place, it would be the best idea.” I told her, smiling.

Mom always made me have breakfast before I got dressed as I always used to take too much time getting ready and had to run to school without having breakfast.

“OK, I will be there in 15 minutes," she said and disconnected the call.

My house was ten minutes walk from hers and perhaps, it was just a two minutes ride. She was the girl I loved the most and someone I never wanted to lose because she was kind, generous, helpful, and very good to everyone. All and all, she loved me and she was the only one who was close to me and trustworthy.

And to be honest, she was the only friend I had not because no one befriended me but because she was the only companion I longed for, not anyone other than her.

She was so beautiful that any boy could fall at her feet and she could go out with anyone if she wanted to, but it wasn't what she preferred. Every year a queue of boys used to come after her but she always acted as if they were invisible. Let him be so cute and striking and funny and absurd, she never gave attention to them. In grade eight, a boy called James always used to follow her to her home after school but the day her father threatened and warned him, he never followed her nor looked towards her. It was funny, literally.

I wore my new school uniform, a red skirt with a pair of thick leggings and a white shirt. The skirt flared out down my waist and reached above my knee.

Over the white shirt, I wore a dark blue blazer that I buttoned to keep myself warm.

I stood in front of my dressing mirror and looked at myself- with my thick black hair tied neatly into a ponytail, my eyelashes curled thick and black with mascara, my fair lean cheeks shined with little blush, and my lips painted pink gave me a fine look.

"Something is missing, Amelia.”

I turned my head back to see Isabella, standing in the doorway with a huge smile on her face.

"Smile is missing, my darling," She added with a wink, making me smile.

She looked so pretty and mesmerizing in her new uniform that my heart fluttered with love and happiness. Her dark brown shoulder-length hair flung on her shoulder, and the little make-up on her face glowed her like a bright sun.

“You are looking so pretty,” I uttered.

“Let’s see who would be that unlucky boy to fall under your mercy," I added grinning.

“You are looking gorgeous," she pinched my cheeks, ignoring my comment related to boys.

“Let's hurry. I don’t think you want to be late on your first day at your dream school. Do you?” she asked me with a playful smile.

We always used to get late in our previous school and detention was our favourite under compulsion. But then I wanted to shun being late and be punctual in any work because I was going to the school I always dreamed of going to.

Snow was flickering and it was foggy with white snow covering everything making the weather some sort of romantic for the lovers to make promises.

My mother drove me and Ella to school. When I got out of the car in the parking lot of my dream school, a flock of butterflies swooped in my tummy, making me nervous. I could bet that something was happening to my best friend who was walking beside me. It had stopped snowing but the weather was still cloudy.

So many smart buildings stood tall and huge and the surroundings were clean or maybe it looked clean because it was covered with snow. The Cypress trees along the footpath looked beautiful like Christmas tree as it was filled with shimmering crystal snow.

I could see new faces everywhere giving me a vague feeling that everyone was looking at us and it was true, everyone was looking at us as it was only me and Ella who was walking along the footpath that paved towards the huge and long building where it was boldly written on the wall as 'Academic block'.

Chill ran down my spine, color flushed on my face and my heart throbbed frantically in my chest because I realized why it was only us walking through the path. The footpath had iced and was slippery, which made me feel that I may slip in front of the students who were gawking at us like they were waiting for us to slip off so that we would be a laughing stock. Ella and I looked at each other with anxiety tingling in our eyes as we could hardly drag our feet but when we did we were very careful.

"Be careful…"

Screech!!!

Before Ella could complete her sentence, my legs slipped and I fell, thudding my butt on the iced footpath, sending a tinge of pain up my butt to my brain, making me clench my teeth. A stock of hot blood rushed through my veins, flushing me red and I heard roars of laughter from those students walking around, playing with the snow, and those I suppose were waiting for me to slip so that they could laugh.

"Are you alright?" Ella asked me, kneeling towards me.

"Give me your hand."

I instantly lift my head to see a boy standing tall, stretching his hand towards me, asking for my hand. He wore a dark blue school uniform that looked like a suit. I had neither seen him before nor had seen someone like him. He was tall with a lean tanned face, brown messy hair, and light brown eyes giving him a striking look that would melt anyone's heart.

I looked at him with something strange running down my chest, shuddering my heart with nervousness and burning my face.

'Should I grab his hand and wake up?'

It was all that was running in my head and for a moment I was seized by his glance that I forgot that I was lying on the icy footpath.

The sudden loud laughter took me back from my thoughts, making me blink my eyes and lower my head.

I ignored him though my heart wanted to keep on staring at him and stood up cautiously in silence, struggling to grip my feet hard on the iced floor and trying to balance myself.

He slowly lowered his hand and looked at me like he was the one to feel the pain.

"Are you fine?"

My mouth dried up and my chest ached to see someone so adorable like him talking to me.

"Yeah, thanks," I mumbled in a low voice while my heart thumped furiously in my chest.

The roar of laughter from all directions made me swallow a lump in my throat and I walked away from him in silence, blushing red.

'Shit! Shit! Shit!'

I was chanting it like a mantra in silence. It wasn't the thing I was anticipating on the first day of high school.

Damn! Why did this handsome boy see me falling? Why? Why?

With my head bent, I slowly walked with Ella beside me, struggling to not concentrate on students who were talking about me, and laughing. Yet, I could feel eyes staring at me, penetrating holes in my face.