Chapter one | "Look the part"

Conway PV

I open my eyes and immediately squint them, groaning when the sunlight that seeps through the curtains blinds me.

"Fuck!" I curse as I sit up on my bed, blinking a few times to adjust to the light. I reach for my phone on the bedside table and check the time.

It's six fifteen. This means I won't be going for my morning run today. School starts in about an hour or so but I still have time for a quick work out session though.

I pull my messy morning hair to the top of my head into a messy bun and head out of my room. I grab my thirty two-kilogram barbells in the hallway next to my stepsister, Kachi's room and start doing my routine exercises.

By seven fifteen I'm done, so I put the barbells back on the floor in the hallway. I usually put them there so I don't have to go downstairs to the garage. I take a shower and prepare myself for school.

I wear a gray flannel trouser with a white shirt neatly tucked in. I throw a maroon blazer over the navy blue pullover jersey, with a maroon tie. And to complete the South Aliwal high uniform, I wear black polished oxfords.

My hair is still wet. I don't have time to dry it so I pull it into a neat ponytail and let it air dry. I grab my backpack and make my way to the kitchen.

Mom is placing two plates on the dining table. Bacon, cheese and toast on one plate and scrambled eggs, bacon and toast on the other.

She usually puts three more plates, for my stepfather; Jonathan and his two fraternal twins; Kachi and Alroy, when they're here. Jonathan is currently out of town with work but he'll be back in a few weeks.

Kachi and Alroy are only two years older than me and they live in West Londern. They moved there right after graduating high school but they still visit though.

They graduate from college in spring, about five months from now, just in time for my prom. The last time they were here Kachi insisted on designing my outfit since she studies fashion . Alroy studies law at the same college as her about a two hour drive from South Aliwal.

I come up to my mom and kiss her cheek. She gives me a warm smile and gestures for me to sit. She's about two feet shorter than me buy she's medium sized, not too fat also not too thin.

I eat my bacon, cheese and toast quietly as she rumbles on about some troubled kids at work.

She's a teacher at Alheit Van Dir Merwe Middle School. She's been visibly happy these past five years she's been free from dad. She divorced him after his arrest, to be with Jonathan.

He represented her at the time and after a year of dating, they got engaged then later got married. We moved from our old house soon after the wedding. He bought a house and brought his kids too, and we all live here together.

Mom goes on about how she thinks the kid is being bullied. I personally don't like her topic so I kiss her forehead and head out of the house.

I arrive at school, ten minutes early, thanks to the new Harley V-Rod Jonathan bought me. He got it for my eighteenth birthday a month ago.

As the school head boy, I'm supposed to arrive a little early to set a good example to my fellow school mates. I don't really dig being head boy but I didn't exactly have a choice in the choosing.

The decision was made looking at my "grades and behavior" as Meneer (Mr in Afrikaans) Van Tonder had said.

Meneer Van Tonder; our principal, thinks my personality should match my good grades. Since I'm a straight A-student, he thinks that I should be less arrogant, self-centered and ill-mannered.

I honestly don't know what he's on about because I'm not all those things he says I am. He doesn't know shit about me. Now all that crap will only happen if I have people who look up to me.

If I look after other people and care about their feelings, "in a way my personality will change", he said.

Why in the world would I care for people I have no business with? People I don't even know?

I hate the fact that I had no say in all this crap about unity and partnership.

Meneer Van Tonder just had to fucking ruin my senior year and make me fucking head boy. Well done bald head.

I take the scheduled books for my class from my locker and close it.

"Yo! Conway wait up.", I turn around at the call of my name. I see my best friend heading my way with a stupid smirk.

Oh god, that can't be good.

"Man, I still can't get used to you without your piercings. Why the fuck do have your hair up in a ponytail like some bitch? Why don't you just let it loose bro?" Aurileo teases.

He finds my dilemma funny because he knows too damn well that I hate taking orders. That's exactly why I started having piercings and keeping long hair. I stopped cutting my hair in sophomore year, got my first piercing as well.

I despise being told what to do, so I just decided to keep both my hair and peircings, since no one can stop me.

Now that I'm head boy, I must keep my hair neat here at school otherwise I'll be forced to cut it. My piercings are forbidden too since I must "look the part and look like a true leader."

My hair and piercings are the only things my parents don't have a say in. It's my body so I'll do whatever the hell I wanna do with and to it and they can do nothing about it.

I haven't a slightest rebellious streak in me, I just like being in control of things other people think they're entitled to.

I've been doing everything my mom wanted me to do all my life but my hair and piercings are the only things I don't need her permission to keep.

So I playfully punch Aurileo on the shoulder as we make our way to class. He gets to keep his piercings on at school, so do the other learners just not at tournaments and important events. I don't get to keep mine period ,courtesy of Meneer Van Tonder.

"Bro, you know I gotta look the part to be a good leader. " I roll my eyes, air quoting with my fingers as I mimick Meneer Van Tonder's weird accent.

Aurileo laughs so hard like I just made the funniest joke ever. We get to the class my poker face in place.

The noise in the class ceases as all attention falls to us. I walk to my seat with a blank expression on my face and ignore all the eyes on us. It's a norm for us, we're used to it.

"Hi Conway.", Anathi Mathiso purrs as she waves at me.

She's considered the hottest girl in this school and she knows it. I've tapped that ass and I ain't doing it again. I just never do repeats. Wish she could just get that.

I give an acknowledgment nod and walk past her to our usual spot in every class.

We sit at the back of the class and almost immediately Aurileo starts flirting with a brunette sitting in front of us. I mentally roll my eyes at how cheesy he's being.

The skank starts batting her eyes at me instead of Aurileo. I frown at her and she instantly looks away from me. Class started a few minutes ago but the teacher is not here yet.

I'm scrolling through my phone when the class suddenly quietens. I tuck my phone away in my pocket, thinking the teacher has arrived. I sit up straight and look ahead.

In front of the class stands a sweaty and a panting mess. Her eyes roam the class. I suppose she's scanning for a seat and at that moment, our teacher; Miss Jansen enters the class too. I open my book and prepare for class.

The girl looks somewhat familiar. Like I know her or something.

I ditch my thoughts and flip through the pages of my book.