Cheating For Your Heart

(1) Ikehara's Impossible Mission

       For Izalia Ikehara, Ichikara High School International Division was like a strange place, full of people that spoke a different language, a different accent, and raised in a whole different class of society that she herself had come from. It was like she was an alien amidst a school for perfect, born and bred dolls.

Everyone in the hallways, in the entrance, swarming through the courtyard, was so neatly dressed up and so prim and proper. Their bags were all branded and they wore expensive accessories. She felt like a dork wearing her old black shoes and her ratty schoolbag, which had holes mended with colourful pieces of cloth, making it look like a patchwork quilt. Embarrassing to say it was eight years old. She had no accessories except the black rubber band keeping her loose light gray and red hair together, and she stuck out like...well...like that one rusty spoon in the spoon drawer.

Ikehara walked into class 1A nervously, eyeing the cliques that already formed. It's only day one, and people are already grouping themselves... Hot guys in one corner, hot girls in one corner, the nerd-like pupils over there, the artistic-looking ones by the window...nowhere at all was there a spot for poor commoners. It felt as if all eyes were on her and mocking her. Instead of walking over to a humble-looking group to say hi, Ikehara just dumped her bag in the furthest empty corner of the room, and sat down, covering her head with her scarf against the blinding rays of sunlight filtering in from the windows on the other side of the classroom.

The bell rang. Ikehara was drifting in and out while the teacher, who introduced herself as Miss Miyuki, was talking.

"This is your schedule...these are the rules...attire, conduct, schoolwork, coursework blah, blah blah..." Ikehara could feel herself drifting off and slowly falling asleep. Suddenly, a sharp finger with nails in a shocking neon green poked Ikehara's side. She hissed violently.

"Who do you think you—hey!"

She turned to her side to snap, only to pause. The girl beside her was staring at her with wide eyes. She had cream coloured hair that cascaded down her shoulders that reminded Ikehara of a waterfall of pale but souring milk, and looked quite—quite is an understatement—VERY clueless, blinking blankly at Ikehara. In her hands she clutched a brown notebook, and Ikehara couldn't help but notice how GREEN her eyes were. And how deep they stared into her soul.

"Uh...do you need something..."

The weird cream girl held up a notebook. You're gonna fall asleep. I heard Miyuki hates sleepers, so you'd better stay awake. AWAKE.

Ikehara stared. "It's a school. Students can sleep if they don't get caught."

Milk Hair Girl shook her head, and scrawled on the paper some more.

Ikehara stared, whisper confused. "Uh...are you writing to be quiet?? Should I write too?"

Milk Hair Girl held up her notebook again. Why aren't you concerned? I know cheating is allowed but sleeping's not. What barbaric school did you transfer from?

Ikehara stared blankly. "Mirai City Elementary?"

Milk Hair Girl's eyes widened. Oh. You're the commoner.

"What do you mean I'm the commoner? Is that bad? And why are you writing?"

The girl's eyes were so wide that Ikehara could see herself reflected in it. There was a rumour that a commoner on a scholarship made it into Ichikara this year. She ignored the writing question. And it's true, because the rest of us came from Ichikara Middle School!! That's so exciting! A real commoner! And I'm talking to her!