The ugly duckling

Raluca dismounted the motorbike. The girls were gathered at the entrance again, screaming as though they were at a concert.

They created an opening as he made his way to them, at the same time bowing low. Halfway through the entrance, a girl fell on her knees in front of him, forcing him to a stop.

'Hi, Bai Lai. My name is Ruo Xuan, your number one crush and first president of the Bai Wangzi club which will loyally follow you for the rest of our high school year.' The girl said in one breath.

Only one thing from the girl's words stuck him.

Bai Lai.

Raluca looked at the girl as she held up a flier with his image on it and the characters 'Bai Wangzi' on the top of the page. He kept looking at the girl without saying anything, while she happily smiled up at him.

There was a commotion in front of him and without looking up, Raluca was able to see a guy walking towards him. He seemed well known as well, judging from the way that the girls made way for him.

'Le Qi said make way for him to pass.' The guy said.

There were whispers among the girls as Ruo Xuan got to her feet and stood aside.

Whoever Le Qi was, and whoever this guy was. Without a glance at anyone, Raluca made his way to the locker rooms. Just more girls there, smiling behind their palms and looking at him through lashes with flushed faces.

She was not at her locker.

Raluca stood next to his locker and stared at his phone. She was probably running late, as expected of her. He would wait for her, and hopefully, that was the last time he waited for her.

A couple of minutes of standing there and a girl approached him. She kept her face lowered and her hands were fidgeting behind her. 'Bai... Wangzi, do you need help with the... with the locker?' she looked up. 'I can help you enter your password.'

Another girl arrived. 'I can be carrying your bag for you.'

'I'll be getting you lunch...'

In a flash there were about a dozen of girls offering their service. He would have liked it if he was there by his will.

But he was not.

He was there because of something he had carried with him from his past life. More yet, the initiator of his transfer wasn't someone he would be glad to think about.

Once again, the girls quickly withdrew. From the corner of his eye, he could see why. It was only his second day at the new school but Raluca had managed to make out nearly all the power and fame distribution among the students.

Jia Li, the girl that seemed to be dominant over all the girls and nearly half of the school boys, stopped in front of him.

'Hi, Raluca.' Her voice was smooth and sweet, and she wore a kind, sweet smile on her face. The face which was definitely fully concealed behind layers of make-up.

Everything about her screamed smooth sweetness in a way that gave his mind the feeling of chocking on oil.

'You're in my class, so I can help you out. And since you're new, I'll show you around, then we'll be hanging out from now on.' The girl smiled and lifted her hand.

A red light went on in his mind and he stepped away before her hand could connect with his arm.

Jia Li paused mid air and smiled at him gently. 'Don't be scared, I won't hurt you.'

Raluca looked up and his heart faltered.

Lily...

Pushing the thought aside, he felt his chest relax.

She was finally here.

The girl went straight to opening her locker without a glance at the people next to the lockers. Not even a glance at him. She always seemed to be in her own world, unperturbed by her surroundings.

It was as though she were at a wrong place, which made her stand out in the crowd. It made him think about the story of the ugly duckling.

'Chouxiaoya,' he said out loud. Xing Xing made no movement. Raluca closed her locker, which automatically locked itself.

'What...' she looked up and froze. It was as though she was noticing his presence for the first time there. Exactly why he thought she was always living in her own world. She breathed, pasted an insincere smile on her face and continued, '...do you want?'

'Don't bother,' Jia Li stepped next to Raluca and smiled down at Xing Xing who was a few centimeters shorter. 'I'll help him with whatever he needs.'

Without removing her obviously fake smile, she turned back to her locker and tried reopening the door. He could see that she was hiding her irritation behind the smile, and it thrilled him.

Definitely someone that was used to being in her own world without interference. His own world was also interrupted, hence Raluca had no qualms with interrupting her world.

Raluca's hand didn't move. Xing Xing turned back to him; her eyebrows raised in question.

'My locker.' Raluca said.

'Your locker?' Xing Xing looked up at him, as though wondering what on earth he was talking about.

She didn't appear capable of working out what he meant on her own so he added, 'Open it.'

Her eyes slightly widened. 'You want me to open your locker? Why? Haven't I written down the password for you in your notebook?'

Jia Li's smiley face once more appeared in front of him. 'She's rude and bad, everyone knows that so don't mind her.' She said, 'I'll help you with your locker. We'll change the password and I'll be opening for you every time you need it opened, okay?'

Taking her by the arm, Raluca pulled Xing Xing to the front of his locker.

'You...' she started.

'Open.' He told her again.

After glaring at him as though searching for a better way to tear him into pieces, the girl exhaled. 'Fine,'

She turned to the locker and started working on the password. Raluca stalled her hand with his. When she looked at him, he asked. 'What are you doing?'

'I just remembered that I accidentally put in my password yesterday. I'm changing it.'

'No.'

'What do you mean by 'no'?'

Raluca looked at her.

'I can't share a password with you, it was a mistake. I have to change it or you'll think I want to steal your nonexistent diamonds.' Xing Xing stubbornly turned back to the locker. 'Plus, I think it's too hard for you. Still unable to memorize it.'

Stepping aside, Raluca entered the password and opened her locker.

Xing Xing's eyes widened. 'You can... if you can open my locker, why did you have to wait for me to open yours? You're so bossy.' She left his locker and went to hers all the while murmuring. 'I'm sure his previous school mates are relieved by his transfer...'

Raluca opened his locker. She looked highly irritated. That was enough to give his day a good start.

She was gone when he closed his locker, but Jia Li was patiently waiting for him.

'Raluca, lets walk to class together, okay?' Jia Li smiled at him.

'No.' He walked away.