It flabbergasted Samantha to be beaten again by a boy. The score on her paper was 94% and the score just announced as the highest in the class was 98%.
"Mr. Collins, has the ice queen finally been dethroned from the top?" Said a boy in the back of the class with his hand raised.
"What did I say about name-calling in my class, Phil. I'll subtract 20% of your 15% score."
"Hey! How's that even possible?!" He objected.
"Try and do the maths and see what score you'll find."
The class laughed as Samantha looked at her maths teacher for answers. She could not hide her dismay, and Mr. Collins looked at her with a smile.
"And so those that failed to reach the cut-off point will have to take summer classes."
The class was disgruntled in unison. It seemed that the entire class had failed to pass the test.
"Well, you can get lessons from our top two students in the test, Samantha and Klaus. I'm sure they'll be glad to help."
His expression gave Samantha a clear idea of how sadistic this tall, slender man could be when in times of beating. Mr. Collins was a South Asian man in his mid-30s with long black hair tied into a ponytail, whose personality gave bipolar indicators.
Samantha frowned at him with a look saying, 'Really, Greg? This is how you throw me to the wolves again?' And his sadistic smile gave the reply, 'Oh yes, my dear, I have salsa classes to attend.' She knew that her classmates would not dare approach her. To them, she was the introverted ice queen revered for her beauty and intelligence. She never talked to anyone unless necessary and never had any friends in her class. She was a focused girl who only thought of her dream to escape this world.
She looked back to see her partner in this impossible mission and the new nemesis in her academic life, Klaus Muller. His expression to the whole announcement was flat, as if he knew that he did not care. He was another introvert who oozed mystery since his transfer to Miles Kraber High School in the fall. He was a 6'0" blonde boy with blue eyes and a face that made all the girls in school blush, but not Samantha. Ever since he transferred in the fall, he had made her feel inferior to him, as if all her hard work was for nothing.
"What's his deal? What a weirdo." She thought. "Who happens to be cute?" She admitted as she rolled her eyes away.
The school bell rang, and summer vacation had finally begun. Samantha thought of all the books she was going to read. She loved to read because it gave her an escape from the noise the world offered. Her imagination was so vast in her books that she never felt lonely, just alone.
"Hey Sam!" A tomboyish girl with a short bob cut and piercings shouted. Everyone moved to the sides of the hallway as the menacing girl, who looked ready to body slam whoever got in her way, walked. Samantha looked unfazed by the approaching girl as she exited the school building.
"I thought I told you to wait for me by your door. I hate walking alone." Said the tomboyish girl.
"Hey Bridge, sorry I just got distracted." She said with a warm, apologetic smile. Bridgette Levit, also known as Bridge, was Samantha's one and only friend in school. Their appearances were opposites, but their personalities could not have been more similar. Bridge was in a grade below Samantha, but was two inches taller than her, making her look older.
"Wanna get some ice cream from Josee's?" Bridge asked. "They're selling this new flavour called double dip triple deluxe. The heck that is, but I wanna try it!"
Bridge was excited to try the new flavour. "Another time. I need to study." Samantha declined.
"Your brain will fry you, you know?"
"No, it won't."
"My uncle got brain damage from studying too much for his exam,s and now he's at the graveyard."
"He died?" Samantha asked, concerned.
"No…" Bridge replied. "He just works there because of the brain damage!"
"Oh my gosh, Bridge." Samantha chuckled. "I thought he died."
Bridge shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, I'm still going. I'll catch you later then. Bye."
"See ya!" Samantha shouted as Bridge briskly walked away with a menacing look on her face. Samantha thought of how food seemed to give her friend a sinister look as she walked down the sloping sidewalk.
"Ouch! Come here, you!"
The voice woke Samantha from her trance, and she focused on the hill across the road, near a traffic stop. She saw a dog being pulled out of a manhole by a group of people, and at the centre was Klaus.
"Is that Klaus, or am I seeing a mirage?" She muttered.
The crowd praised Klaus for his deed, and he looked different. He put the dog on his shoulder, and he looked so animated, happy, and charming. She continued to walk down the sidewalk, hoping to be ignored by any other bystander who might recognise her. The crowd began to disperse as she crossed the road, until she heard a voice calling for her.
"Hey, miss!"
She ignored it and continued walking. The voice continued to shout her name and became louder and closer until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, ready to blast the person for shouting 'girly' repeatedly.
"Listen! My name is Samantha Diaz, not 'miss', okay? And I'm not interested in whatever you hav-." She gasped before she could finish her sentence.
In front of her was the mysterious classmate, Klaus Muller, whom she hoped to ignore. His gaze was piercing, and his height towered over her, making her feel even more inferior to him. However, he had a dog on his shoulder, which made him less intimidating with each passing second.
"Okay? Sorry about the name-calling, however, are you crazy? You can clearly see I need some help here. How could you ignore me so feverishly? " Klaus replied with a Golden Retriever resting on his shoulder as it wiggled its tail in his face.