"You got your stuff, Minnie?" My mother, Amahle, said when our newly bought BMW made its way into the new school that I prayed to get into, West Bridge Academy. A school that was designed for the talented children of the most wealthiest people of South Africa. It was heard that all of the president's children attended the school amongst the many other billionaires that worked very closely to him.
I believe that my acceptance to this school was just pure luck. West Bridge Academy was a very prestigious school that had students that were the heirs to the many different businesses that kept this country afloat and it was shocking to hear that I, a daughter of a kindergarten teacher and a philosophy lecturer was accepted into the school with a bursary that would cover any need and want for the rest of my school years.
"Yes, ma," I said as I fixed the tie of my uniform that was beginning to become nuisance since it never looked like how its supposed to even when I copied every step in the YouTube video that I checked before I left the house. "Can you help me, ma?" She quickly turned and untangled the jumbled tie.
"I want you to have a great day. Although you're a bit different, I want you to try and make some friends, okay?" My mother was a kindergarten teacher and it showed with the way she spoke to everyone or how she acted. She was an awkward lady around her peers but a social butterfly when she was surrounded by children.
"I wouldn't say she's different," my father said as he looked at his pocket watch that was supposedly in his bloodline for generations but we all knew that he got it from an antique shop a few months ago. "You're mother's still right, Minnie," he said when he felt my mother's harsh stare on him since he spoke against her, "but make sure you keep your eyes open for anything out of the norm."
"What could be out of the norm? They're just children. Just enjoy your day, sweetheart," my mother said and shooed me out of the car. I straightened the uniform skirt and walked towards the entrance where a young girl stood. She was dressed the exact same as me, a navy blue skirt, a white shirt, and a tie around her neck. The only thing that made her stand out was the oversized blazer covered with the many academic badges that she had accumulated over the past few years. "Welcome, Minenhle."
"I prefer Minnie." My name was always difficult to pronounce so I have always told others to call me by my nickname since it was simple. "Nice to meet you," I smiled politely and walked slowly towards the school doors.
She followed me soon after and continued to show me around the school, the different classes I had to be in, the lunchroom area where lunch were sold and the many afterschool activities that were available. After an hour of showing me around, explaining the school principles and the many achievements that they got from many tournaments and competitions, I was finally lead to my classroom where I would start my day.
I took a few deep breathes and opened the door which led to the teacher who was discussing the lesson to stop and focus on me. "You must be Minenhle," I nodded at the teacher, looking down at my feet and hoping that the teacher wouldn't suddenly want me to introduce myself to the few learners in the class. "I want all of you to welcome, Minenhle, here and let her in your groups. Be kind to her, please. Go take a seat by that seat over there." He pointed towards the seat by the back of the class. Just when I walked towards it, a hand gripped onto mines and I turned towards the girl in shock.
"Sit here," she said and pointed towards a seat beside her where a girl slept peacefully with her stationery spread across her desk. Just when I was about to decline the offer, she raised her boot and kicked the desk until she woke up with a start. "She wants that seat, go to the back." The girl immediately packed all of her stuff and rushed towards the vacant seat that was supposed to be mines. "Now you can sit," she said more politely and gave a small smile that looked like it pained her to do so.
"Thanks," I pulled my own pained smile and sat in the seat that she wanted for me. It was quite odd that the teacher hadn't reprimanded her for her rudeness or her bullying the poor girl who hadn't done anything to her. It was more odd that everyone turned away from the encounter like she was some girl they wouldn't want to mess with. Maybe she was the daughter to a very important person in society and nobody wanted to mess with her because of her family's influence and other people's need to be in good graces with her.
"I'm Mia," she turned towards me again and I was finally able to see her face. She was a very beautiful girl who had extremely pale skin and features that would be suitable for a fashion magazine. Her hair was in a messy bun with her bangs covering her eyes. I hadn't realised until now that she wore a denim jumpsuit that was obviously not the uniform. "I think we're gonna be great friends, don't you agree?"
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"Yes,"
~~~~~~
Mia had a very odd personality. I have been around her for 5 hours and I was already ready to go home. It's been a tough couple of hours since she never let me out of her sight, always following me to every class even when she hadn't done most of those subjects.
I was a new girl so it was normal for students to approach me since they wanted to make me feel welcome but Mia hadn't allowed any of that. Whenever a person approached me, she would immediately swear them off or shoo them when she saw them make their way near us.
Other than her weird possessive nature, she was a very cool person to be around. Cracking jokes that were sometimes questionable and explained work that I found confusing. We even exchanged numbers and she would constantly send me messages that would make me giggle in the middle of class.
"My brother is coming to pick me up. Walk with me," she said as she stood up in the middle of class and pulled me towards the door.
"But school isn't done yet."
"I have family issues to tend to. The school understands so don't worry." She said as she ran towards the school parkinglot. Just when we stepped out of the building, a black Mercedes-Benz W180 was parked right infront of us. "Come and meet my brother, Minnie."
I hated meeting other people, I walways acted weird. I either greeted the person with a pitch that was way too high or stumbled on simple words. It was my worst nightmare but before I could even respond, I was harshly pulled towards the beautiful car. "Hwan, this is my friend, Minenhle. She's new," she said enthusiastically as she pushed me to look at her brother through the window.
"Hi," my eyes widened when he turned towards me. He was a very handsome man, a sharp jawline and features that were model like. His wet hair stuck onto his face like second skin, showing that he came straight out of the shower to school.
"Pleasure," he said with a forced smile and turned towards his sister who was watching this encounter with a large smile. "Get in."
