‘’ Now the welcoming ceremony will start. The new students are requested to arrive at the hall. Please hurry, the ceremony will start in no more than ten minutes.’’

‘’M’lady, please come,’’ said the driver opening the door for her to come out.

From the car, a young woman of seventeen or eighteen came out with blond and straight hair with catlike blue eyes.

‘’ Have a nice day,’’ said the driver with a bow.

The girl swept away from her hair which was coming into her view away replying,’’ Come to get me on time, or else daddy will be angry.’’

‘’ Sure M’lady, don’t worry about anything.’’

The students were all walking past her. She also started walking after taking a look back at her sides.

She went to see the list where her name was supposed to be. It was crowded as it was the middle of the hall. The sight was enough to make her feel uncomfortable. When she was about to turn away she heard a loud voice.

‘’ Ah, why are you bothering me?’’.

The crowd was not letting her have the chance to see the face of the young man who was causing a ruckus there.

Having no care for that scene she went away from there.

‘’ I need to go to the hall right? Now, where is it? Searching randomly would be a problem. I should ask someone.’’

She searched for anyone to tell her where the hall is.

Some group of girls walked past her. Seeing this she reached out to one,’’ Excuse me, I’m-‘’ before she could complete the sentence they stared at her with a surprised face.

She furrowed her eyes in response. ‘’ Is anything the matter? Why are you-‘’.

Before she could complete her sentence they walked past by her side.

‘’ Strange, why did they leave without answering anything?’’.

By then everyone had left before she could ask them about the location of the hall.

She rolled her eyes over the window glass, watching her reflection in it.

She had worn a plain emotionless expression, with her hair all down. Her thick eyelashes made her blue eyes look pretty like amber.

As a girl, she had a good figure, good enough to be a model, but her height made her look like a doll which one could be kept in the showcase for view.

Yes, she was a doll, which could be manipulated by anyone as they liked.

Something flashes into her view when she stared at her eyes.

‘’ Be a good student. You have to rank at the top no matter what happens. You are my girl after all right?’’.

The loud noises of the announcement break into her attention.

She walked away from there towards the hall. It was on the back. All the new students gather along with the senior ones.

The hall was much crowded. Among this one girl stood at the stage who was in front of the mic yelling,’’ Welcome.’’

She glanced back at her sideways to see another row of students.

The doors closed and she stood at the corner with her head low.

One young man took over the mic. ‘’I welcome you all for gathering here today. On such a good occasion….’’.

The speech went on for longer than she thought.

‘’ And now, we will ask the one who had the highest marks among the new students to come and give us a speech. Please welcome, Tom Bradford, who has the highest grades in the entrance examination.’’

A loud cheer followed. But no one came up. Seeing this the man called again.

‘’ Tom Bradford, Tom? Please come up. Everyone’s waiting for you to come.’’

But no matter how much he called no one came upon the stage.

‘’ This is ridiculous, doesn’t this guy have any sense of time does he? Even though he scored the highest. How foolish isn’t it?’’.

‘’ I don’t feel like watching this anymore. This place is too suffocating. I should get some fresh air.’’

Getting out of the hall she headed towards an empty place less crowded by people.

All of a sudden she came across an empty backyard.

Hardly anyone was there, so walked towards it, dragging her feet, only to hear someone yelling. She became curious hearing that noise so she walked towards it.

Just the moment she crossed the corner, she spotted something.

‘’ Why did you spit at me huh? Who do you think you are getting on my nerves?’’ yelled a guy backing one guy onto the wall, grabbing hold of his uniform collar roughly.

The one being beaten up had black hair with a military cut, he had small eyes like an Asian.

‘’ You get what you deserve. Why did you pick on my girlfriend? She was so scared of you so I paid you back the way you were meant to. Don’t blame it on me.’’

‘’ What? And when did I do that? She was the one who came crying to me trying to hug me. Why are you blaming me?’’ the one who was beating yelled back. She was able to recognize that voice.

It was the same one she had heard on among the chaos near the room chart.

Without her realizing she stepped in there to see the fight.

‘’ How dare you say that about my girlfriend? She’s not the way you think she is. My girlfriend-‘’.

‘’ Stop yapping about her. I don’t like the way you talk. You piss me off. Now get out of my sight. I don’t want to see you.’’

‘’ I won’t leave without beating you to a pulp. Take this,’’ the one being beaten was about to punch that boy.

But before his punch was able to reach him, the other one held it.

‘’ You crossed the line. Now no one can butt in between us. Take this you shit,’’ he yelled punching at the boy in front of him.

His nose started bleeding right away. The boy again punched him, this time in the eye.

She couldn’t stop herself from interrupting in between them and called out,’’ S-Stop, don’t do this.’’

Hearing her voice, both the boys stared at her.

The one who was beating looked more surprised than ever. But more than that, his eyes were holding malice and hatred. More than that, loneliness and isolation.

Her voice went dry thinking about what she has done. The culprit and the victim both are in front of her and she interrupted.

She never used to do these, then why did she raise her voice against this now?.

‘’ Is this because I was once a victim to this?’’.

The memory of a group of girls cornering her and bullying her flashed into her mind. All she could be bear them without saying anything back in response.

‘’ What are you doing here?’’ shouted the boy, who was the culprit.

He had reddish-brown hair, wavy with the strands falling over his eyebrows. His greenish eyes had a piercing gaze in them, making him look fierce as a lion, without a mane.

He had a good height over six inches, with fair skin and a pair of small lips with thick eyebrows.

The way he growled at her, made it seem like he’s used to fighting because of his good built muscles.

‘’ I-I….’’ she couldn’t gather her words into her mouth. She had lost her voice without her realizing it.

‘’ Can’t you hear me? I asked you what are you doing here?’’ that boy shouted again leaving the other boy alone.

Taking this chance, that boy ran past them.

‘’ Hey, don’t run, I’ll catch you,’’ that boy yelled after the one who escaped from there.

She just stood still watching everything. Her fists were clenched, and her eyes stuck to the boy in front of her.

That boy clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes over the figure in front of him, who stood like a doll.

Then grabbed hold of her hand roughly,’’ Come with me.’’

He pressed her back onto the wall where he was beating up that boy.

‘’ Because of you, he managed to escape. How will you pay that huh?’’ he growled, placing his one hand on the wall and using the other to hold onto her hand.

She was taken aback by his loud voice. The way he was yelling at her like she is the one who’s blackmailing him.

‘’ Why aren’t you talking? Can’t you talk? Why did you let that guy get away from my hands? How will you pay with that?’’.

His intense stare was enough to intimidate anyone. The distance between them was enough for her to hear his breathing.

Silence followed in between them. This may be the first time she had to face a situation like this.

‘’ Why are you silent? Can’t you talk? Speak up will you?’’.

She lowered her eyes, not wanting to meet his glare.

‘’ Look up at me will you?’’ he asked lifting her face with his hand.

What surprised him. Her empty gaze, made it seem like she was lifeless, who can feel nothing, speak nothing, or can do nothing, just like a doll on display.

‘’ W-why are you staring at me like that huh? Are you trying to make me afraid of you? I am much brave than that. I won’t be frightened by your eyes,’’ he yelled.

Again she was silent, but this time she lifted her face, meeting his gaze.

She rolled her eyes over him. Then replied,’’ Let me go.’’