We live in this world, trudging our burdened feet to the places of our destination. Every day is the same: boring, tiring, and uneventful. We maybe a free nation but freedom is just a label. We are all slaves. Slaves of our work, slaves of money, slaves of our past.
Maybe this is why rebels stir up trouble— to make us realize that our lives are but a passing flicker of light that, if not taken care of, might just snuff out like a burnt out candle. So we could at least put value to our lives. So we could at least have something to look out for in this boring and gloomy place.
Sure, there are a lot of forms of entertainment scattered around the globe but who really thinks those things can put meanings to our worthless lives? Arcades? Cinemas? Entertainment halls? Amusement parks? Those places are but temporary places that give us temporary happiness and satisfaction. At the end of the day, people still leave these places.
But amidst this chaotic and gloomy planet, there still are people who try to live the best of their lives. They "seize every opportunity" because they know that "you only live once". Haha— how laughable that you only get one chance to live this life. Yet you make countless mistakes.
I have mentioned that there are people who try to live positively, to live and experience live at its fullest. This is especially true to those adolescent youngsters who only want to explore and enjoy, even if they have to break a few rules. Ah, to be young.
What? You say I sound like a depressed old geezer who only rambles about his youth that's not even worth mentioning?! How rude! Well— maybe you're not far from the truth.
But enough about me. This story is not about me but about a young lass who, even though surrounded by toxic and negativity, lived her life with a cheerful smile on her lips and a warm glow on her face. Sounds unrealistic, right? I thought so too. But that's just her— the picture perfect girl.
In a small island, in the town of Anpan, in the Asian country, there lived a young lady full of life and joy.
Almost everyone in the village she lived in loved her. She was kind. She was always thoughtful. She was ever helpful. But most of all, she was beautiful. No wonder why everyone called her 'goddess Lee'. She was like an angel who descended directly from heaven.
Ah, she's the sweetest. But even though everyone from her village loved her, there will always be someone out there who wants to try and silence these kinds of people. I won't be saying yet who it was but there definitely is someone furious enough to get Lee out of the equation.
Can't say when this all started. This year? Last year? But this person had been harboring negative—and I daresay, dangerous— feelings towards Lee.
It was a bright, Thursday morning. There were a few clouds and the wind was blowing softly from the woods behind Lee's house.
She woke early, at precisely 5:00 am, and steadily went about her morning chores. She's not from a well-off family but they are still able to get by. Her family consisted of her mother who works at a bakery, her father who works as a manager of the security firm responsible for the security of the shopping district, her brother who was about to graduate from Senior Highschool in the next month, she who was a highschool student about to graduate from tenth grade, and her little sister who was about to graduate from third grade.
After putting the pot of rice on the stove, sweeping the front yard, cooking the breakfast of fried egg and bread, taking the pot full of cooked rice, and eating her breakfast, she finally took a bath, changed into her school uniform: a top of white blouse along with a checkered navy blue necktie, and a checkered navy blue skirt.
She stood infront of the full-length mirror at the living room and checked herself to see if there was any ruffle on her uniform or if there were any stray locks of her hair. She always wanted to look presentable and neat.
As she was preparing her lunch box at the dining table, she heard her parents talking as they approached the kitchen. Slowly, the family gathered around the table.
"My, you're awfully early today. A bit earlier than your usual time. I wonder what has gotten our girl so excited?" her mother remarked after she had swallowed her first spoonful. She was in a hurry because the bakery she works at always opens as 7:00 in the morning. She was in charge of preparing the doughs this morning so she had to get there fast.
"It's nothing special, Mother. Our adviser will only announce the Top 10 rankers of this quarter." Lee said nonchalantly as she tied a knot on the cloth she used to cover her lunch box. It might open accidentally and pour the contents on her things inside her bag and she didn't want that to happen.
Her father raised an eyebrow at Lee's remark and grunted. "I'm sure she'll get at least the second or third slots. She's smart like me after all."
Older brother looked at his father in mock surprise. "What...? Am I not smart too?" he said with a dramatic look on his face as if he was hurt by his father's words.
"Yeah, you're smart— a smart-ass, that is." father replied.
The teasing and laughing continued even after Lee and her mother went out of the door. Mother did remind them that they'll be late if they still dilly-dally but I guess boys will be boys.
Lee, her mother, and little sister boarded their mother's car and they sped down the road. Mother dropped them at school at exactly 6:45 am so her students still had time to go wherever they wanted to but it was not the case for Lee.
She made a beeline towards her building and headed straight to her classroom.
As she was approaching her classroom, she could hear the loud voices of three boys and the chatter of a few girls. It sounded like the shopping district in full blast. However, the moment she stepped inside and greeted everyone 'good morning' with her bright smile, they all stopped quiet.
The girls greeted her 'good morning' and the boys said 'hey' or 'morning' while their eyes followed Lee to her seat.
As Lee was about to take out her science notebook, being their subject for first period and the fact that there would be a long quiz, an arm suddenly dropped on her nape and a hand dangled on her left side.
"Heya! You're early today. You're that excited for the announcement?" the owner of the arm greeted her. It was Risa, her bestfriend.
These two are what you would call an unexpected match. Risa was a self-proclaimed 'Campus Queen' for three years in a row. She is still known as one this year but ever since Lee came to town things have been different for her. Surprisingly, Risa was cool with that. There were a few bumps in the first month or so but they became friends in the end.
If there was one thing these two have in common, it was that they were overachievers. From seventh grade to ninth grade, Risa had always been the Top 1. She was also the Student Council President.
And even though Lee was only a transferee, she got in the top 5 on the first quarter of the school year! And she was steadily climbing the ranks every quarter. Some thought that Risa would feel threatened by this but she would always brush off those comments with a laugh.
"Come on, Risa. Quit teasing me. And your arm is so heavy!" Lee laughed. Risa laughed along. She then sat back on her seat which was, unsurprisingly, the seat next to Lee. Well, what can I say? You can never underestimate the bond friendship has.
At the ring of the bell their ever punctual adviser, Sir Martinez, stepped inside the room.
Ugh, it's so freaky how he's always on time.
Yiesh! He's on time again. Is he an alien?
Dude! That's so cool! It's like he just teleported here the moment the bell rang! Hahaha! Talk about creepy.
A few whispers floated around the room but it was immediately silenced the moment Sir Martinez turned to face the class.
He inhaled deeply and exhaled in one short breath. "I will be having the roll call. Say present if you're here."
He then proceeded to call his students one by one in an alphabetical order. After he checked off the last present student, he then went on to announce a few things regarding the upcoming Prom and then the Graduation.
Then he finally took out a stack of papers. It seems to be the report cards. "These are your report cards for this quarter." Sir Martinez said in his tired and monologued voice.
He called each student in alphabetical order, again, and they stood to take their cards.
"Riana Sailor Gonzalez."
When Risa's name was called, she proudly walked towards the front and received her report card. She looked at her adviser's face and he gave her a nod, though a second late, but she wasn't bothered so she happily went back to her seat.
Coincidentally, Risa and Lee were just one person between in the list so after the girl before Lee took her report card, Lee was called next.
"Lee Jasmine Hart." Her father was a foreigner so it's no surprise that her surname is different from her classmates.
She pursed her lips nervously and stood. While walking toward the front, Risa's eyes followed her like a hawk staring at her prey. When she saw that Sir Martinez didn't nod at Lee like he would to her, she relaxed.
'Right. There's no way she'd beat me to the top. She's just a transferee after all. Not that it bothers me.' she thought as she saw Lee walking back to her seat, her report card nervously clenched to her chest. 'Looks like she haven't looked at it yet. It would look the same anyway. Ugh, why did I even bother to feel threatened by her?' her mind scoffed.
Lee was only two steps away from her seat when she heard Sir. Martinez clear his throat.
"Oh, by the way, Miss Hart. Congratulations. You got the highest marks this quarter which makes you the Valedictorian. Please prepare a Valedictorian Speech for the upcoming Graduation."
Lee stopped short on her tracks. She quickly turned to her advisor and said with a bewildered face. "Sir?"