Jung was pacing his room, frustration practically radiating off him. I sat at his desk, trying to help him with his homework, but my mind kept wandering to the new girl, Veronica.
I didn’t know her last name, or what classes she was taking, or why she transferred in our final year. But honestly, I didn’t care. I was more preoccupied with the incident between her and Elliot. The memory kept replaying in my mind until I dropped my eraser with a sigh.
“Ace, Elliot’s never going to change. We should report him to the dean,” Jung said, his voice hoarse with irritation.
“You should see a doctor. Your voice sounds rough,” I suggested, but he just shrugged.
“Probably just a cold,” he replied.
I hummed in agreement, picked up my eraser, and tried to refocus on the work in front of me.
“But who is that girl?” Jung asked, sitting down next to me. He was clearly curious about Veronica.
“I don’t know much about her. But after what happened today, I think she’s probably in trouble. We should steer clear of her if we don’t want to get on Elliot’s bad side,” I advised. Jung scoffed at my caution.
“We’re already on Elliot’s hit list, Ace. What more can he do? You know what I think?” he asked.
I paused my work to look at him. “What?”
“We should team up against Elliot. Teach him a lesson,” he suggested.
I scoffed right back. “No way.” I shook my head at his ridiculous idea.
Sure, Elliot bullied half the school, but no one had the guts to stand up to him. The last guy who did, Jeffrey, ended up transferring schools because of Elliot’s influential father. After that, everyone decided it was safer to focus on their studies than to challenge Elliot.
As for Veronica, I assumed she must have passed the entrance exam too. Even transfer students had to go through the same process to get in.
“Ace, not everyone thinks like you. I know you hate violence, but letting a bully walk all over you isn’t right either. I’m with Veronica. She stood up to Elliot, and I think she’ll keep standing her ground. We should support her,” Jung declared, before flopping down on his bed.
I watched him, considering his words. “We only have one more year here. Then we can forget all about this,” I muttered. Jung heard me and clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“You’re so stubborn,” he grumbled, before storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him.
It was seven o’clock on a Sunday evening when I finished Jung’s homework and left his room. We lived in the school dorms. The boys’ dorm had five wings, with Jung’s room on the second floor of the second wing, and mine on the third floor of the fifth wing.
The girls’ dorm was located behind the school, with six wings. To get to school, they had to cross the main road in front of our dorm. My room in the fifth wing was near this road, and I often sat on my balcony to study or people-watch.
The dorms had rooms for two to three students, but I opted for a single room, which was only available in the fifth wing. So, I found myself walking back to my wing as the evening turned to dusk.
As I neared my wing, I noticed a figure under the streetlight. It was Veronica. She was sitting on the curb, engrossed in her phone, oblivious to her surroundings. Behind her was the first wing, where Elliot lived. He also had a balcony room, and if he saw her there, he’d probably confront her about their earlier altercation.
I looked over to see the security guards at the entrance of the first wing. They were already watching her. Adjusting my glasses, I decided it was best to mind my own business and keep walking.
As I strolled past her, our eyes met for a fleeting moment. She was engrossed in her phone, and it seemed like she didn’t recognize me. She was the one to break our gaze, her attention returning to the screen in her hand.
I kept my eyes forward, heading back to my wing with the intention of tackling the assignment I hadn’t even begun. I knew it would be a long night of work, but for some reason, my thoughts kept drifting back to Veronica, sitting alone in the darkness.
I found myself drawn to my balcony, checking on her not once, not twice, but three times. Each time, she was in the same spot, her attention still glued to her phone. But by the fourth time I checked, she was gone.
Eight o’clock rolled around, and there was no sign of her near the boys’ dorms or anywhere else in sight.
