1 An Outcast at Kindergarten

[Cathedra POV]

"And they all lived happily ever after!"

Those words never ceased to haunt me. It was like the magic words to a potent curse that would rob me of my hope at a normal life.

It all started back in kindergarten.

Most of the kids already made their own friends and were exchanging stories and catching up on their vacations. Some showed off their extravagant clothes or shiny new shoes. A kid or two paraded their bags bearing the faces of their favorite cartoon characters and displayed their brightly-colored lunch boxes to anyone who would give them a single glance.

On the other hand, I was an orphan in my shabby hand-me-down clothes that were two sizes bigger than me. My soiled, tattered shoes were barely held up together by some kind of glue put together by the orphanage staff.

I knew a poor kid like me, orphaned at such an early age, had no place among these rich people. I was the outsider in their pack, so I huddled at the corner of the room, consoling myself by incessantly repeating in my mind how privileged I was to be the only child in the orphanage the school was willing to offer a scholarship.

The teacher was a pretty woman in her late twenties. She had soft, bouncy brown curls and a gentle smile. We call her Miss Yumi.

"Okay, kids! Gather around! Today, I will tell you a story!"

The kids didn't pay her a single heed. They all pretended like they didn't hear her. Feeling bad for the pretty teacher, I silently moved from my space in the corner and sat down on the floor in front of her.

She gave me a thankful smile and clapped her hands. "Now, now, gather around like Cathedra over here!"

Everyone whipped their heads around to glare at the goody-two shoes who had the audacity to show herself up as the teacher's pet on the first day. All eyes were trained on me, threatening that my life wasn't going to be easy inside this school. Whispers erupted like wildfire among the children.

"It's the new student, just look at her, trying to act all good and obedient."

"Look at her shabby clothes. She looked like she stole them from her father's closet."

"She doesn't have a father. She's an orphan."

"No wonder she looks so filthy. Ew, I don't want to sit there, I might get her germs."

I ducked my head, hoping desperately to disappear. I don't want to come back here again. It's just the first day and it was already worst than I imagine it to be.

Miss Yumi, realizing that she has to distract the students to put an end to the bullying, held up a big storybook with a beautiful princess and an ugly beast dancing together as the cover. There was a red rose in the princess' hand and a huge smile on her face. There were words printed at the top part of the storybook but I could not make out what it said since I do not know how to read yet.

"This is the story of a beautiful girl named Belle, and how she met her prince who was transformed into a hideous, ugly beast!"

The children gasped at the Miss Yumi's narration. It caught everyone's attention and all the children decided to settle down and sit to listen. They sat far away from me, like there was a gaping hole around me that they couldn't cross.

I tried to hold in my tears and sobs at their harsh treatment, and forced myself to listen to Miss Yumi's story.

Now that she got the children's attention, Miss Yumi smiled gleefully and began.

"Once upon a time . . ."