Is Two Better Than One?

INTRODUCTION:

My heart rate picked up in extreme exhaustion, and my clothes were drenched in perspiration as I sprinted to catch up with the school bus. I collected the chunk of my silky brown hair that was being blown inexorably by the wind on one side using my hand. This was my consequence for staying up late last night. My knees eventually enfeebled and that's when I knew it was time to give up. I gasped for air. My chest heaved.

"Cool. How can my first day of school possibly get any worse?," I annoyingly said, fixing my dishevelled hair with my fingers. I gripped onto the two straps of my bag that hung on the crook of my shoulders and started walking to school. A soft sigh escaped from my mouth. 

I crossed the main city road through the stop lights. The shops and restaurants rose along the streets, enveloped by the soaring skyscrapers, and the streets were crammed with pedestrians. This was one of the reasons why I never wanted to walk to school in the morning. Rush Hour. There are too many people and it's so hard to breathe. But really, what stood out the most among the seething mass of people, were the posh businesswomen in their high heels and businessmen in their black suits rushing off to work; coffee gripped tightly in their hands. 

Just a meter in front of me stood a crowd of people striding towards my direction. No way. I groaned. My eyes stayed on the ground as I pushed myself through the crowd. I was so glad I had friends who introduced me to city shortcuts. I made my way through the street popularly known as the 'Restaurant Street'. It was a street occupied by famous restaurants and bars and it was also the easiest and most accessible way to school without people crashing into me. Strolling past the city restaurants made my stomach whirl. The delightful aroma of the served foods which hovered in the air lingered under my nose. Just the smell of them was satisfaction.

It wasn't long before my feet set on the school ground. A crowd of students trod their way to the hall to get their timetables. My eyes were quick enough to spot the popular guys at the corner of the hall, under the tall Cider tree, flirtatiously playing around with the cheerleaders. My face grimaced. Why can't these people just have a life?

Before I could even enter the automatic sliding doors of the school hall, an arm hooked inside mine and clung to me comfortably. I snapped my head to the side and found my best friend, Amy, looking ecstatic.

"Hey, there, Coco," she greeted me with a beam.

"Have I ever told you to stop calling me Coco, Amy?" I grunted, turning away.

A smirk curled in the corner of Amy's lips. She placed one arm over my shoulders and dragged me close next to her side. "But I love the nickname I gave you, Coco," she said, stressing my nickname aloud, rubbing it more, trying to annoy me.

I pulled an irritated look on my face and glared at her.

"Fine. Fine. I won't call you Coco anymore, Coco." She teasingly grinned at me and distanced herself away, anticipating a smack.

"You just made me feel so much better, Amy. Come here, you weirdo. Let's get this day started," I said sarcastically, forgiving my ever crazy friend, not wanting to mess up my already messed up first day of school.

My tutor teacher, Mr. Reynolds, from last year called out to me, beckoning me to come towards him. I ambled to his direction. "Hey there, Mr. Reynolds! How did your holidays go?" I cheerfully asked my favourite tutor teacher.

"It was good. I went out of the country with my family. Thanks for asking. How about you, my favourite student?" He answered enthusiastically.