The Rivalry (Discontinued)

Chapter 1: Meeting New Friends

Mom suddenly switched the radio station where 60’s music was played.

We were in the car, heading to Crystal Blue University, taking the shortcut to school. The road was bumpy because of the small edgy stones and twigs. It had just rained yesterday, so there was mud all over the old and rocky asphalt road, making them splash across the windows of the car whenever the screeching wheels pass them.

I groaned and rolled my eyes toward the back of mom’s head. She looked at me through the rear-view mirror, and I could see that she was grinning by the way her cheekbones rose and how the edge of her eyes crinkled because of the wrinkles. “Mom, stop making fun of me.” I said through a sigh.

“What?” I saw her frown. “What did I do?”

I scratched the back of my neck and let my hand fall down my lap, making a slapping sound. “Get the radio back to my station now and stop smiling at me creepily.” I said, still staring at her reflection in the mirror.

She glanced at me and back at the road. I could see she was holding back a smile. God. What was so funny, anyway? “I just want some soothing music to calm my mind. Besides, you’re not even listening.” she said and glanced back at me. She was right. I was holding my phone, my cheap and local phone, waiting for Julia’s reply. I don’t even know why mom wasn’t buying me any good stuff. I know we have money, she was just hiding it. If we were poor, then she shouldn’t have afforded designer bags and crap-ton of clothes like she was some kind of fashionista.

Oh, I know. It’s because of Ruff-Ruff―I mean, Ralph Woof. Well, I’m sorry. It’s not my fault why his name sounds a little like a dog’s bark, and much more his surname. It’s not also my fault why he looks like a bulldog―no, let me make it a little bit lighter―he looks like a pug; the cute one. I’m not insulting him. Being a cute pug is a compliment, okay?

Anyways, back to the dog. I think it was his fault. He was the kind of guy who likes to save money for the future that he was letting us starve to death because wasting money was not his forte. No, I’m just kidding. Mom was the only one whom he gives tons of money, and he always tells her to save it. But well, she does, but only for me and Jamie. When it comes to herself, saving was not in her dictionary.

“Well, maybe I’m not listening,” I started. “But I’m hearing. I don’t want to hear a dead person―probably had decayed right now, or had already arrived at their destination in the afterlife―singing a left-in-the-first-century music.” I answered back in a joking way.

“She’s dead? How did you know she’s already dead?” she asked with wide eyes. She was acting like she was surprised, I know that. “Have you been reincarnated?”

“Shut up, mom.” I smiled. “I was just kidding.”

~•✿•~

And so we were here. We stopped right in front of CB University. I pulled the handle and slowly opened the door of the car using my elbow. I was looking intently at the school. It looked really old. Just standing outside the school, you could already see the untended trees and withered plants; the deep cracks of the old buildings and the dusty brick pathways and pavements. No matter how unwell it looked, somehow it managed to catch my attention in the better way. I liked the place, although it didn’t actually meet my expectations.

I got out from the car, stretched my back, and took a deep breath. A new day in a new place means a new life and new opportunities and possibilities. I had to start all over again. I need to get my grades going up as high as I can, since I’m not very smart that my parents kept scolding me for sometimes getting low grades, and I also had to find friends. Ugh. I wish Mizuki and Julia are here with me right now.