28| New friend

"Undergraduate students accepted to Catholic University are matriculated into the Conway School of Nursing." Mrs Olaf explained as she walked through the aisle. "Following successes in several academic reviews, they will then graduate into the upper levels of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program."

Wait, does this means we aren't in the nursing school yet?

I thought nursing was what I volunteered.

Mrs Olaf stopped beside my desk. I looked up at her, she smile down at me. "Do you have any questions, sweetheart?"

Of course I do but not ready to ask right now. There are fifty people who will throw more mocks on me if they find out bout the real me.

I shook my head.

"Okay," Mrs Olaf nodded and continued explaining whilst walking down the aisle.

**

It's obvious first period of the day is over and I didn't wanted it to finish.

Mrs Olaf's class is really interesting.

Now, we're on a five minutes break before the next professor comes in.

The class is a little bit noisy with all the students interacting and laughing loudly. Some are busy with their phones. Chatting and Disturbing my little peace with notification sounds.

I took a deep breath. Nobody wants to talk to me or be with me. I believe each one of them already had a talk-mate before now.

My earphones!

Damn me!

That could have be the only friend to keep me company right now and I left it at home. Alongside with my phone.

Well, battery shut down.

My phone died this morning and I had to power it before leaving.

I guess it must be waiting to be unplugged after a long while of being abandoned by me.

The only thing left in my backpack right now, is my drawing book.

I'm pretty good at drawing diagrams and labelling them off-head.

NB: only diagrams from biology textbooks.

It has been one of my fav subjects since highschool. Infact, it motivated me to buckle up for health courses. And here I am. A nurse in the making.

I placed my writing kit on the table like I'm in kindergarten class. I overheard a random girl mocked at me with one chuckle, and then, she whispered something to the other girls next to her and they merry in laughter.

What is it?

Is my writing kit too old?

I don't think so.

Aunt Jin-joo got them for me a day before I left L.A.

These are sure too expensive and you guys can't afford it. I wrote on my drawing book and showed it right in their faces.

Next time, stay at your limits. Girls.

I was expecting them to stay shut from the insult but instead, they burst into a deadly laughter.

Wiping the tears off her eyes, one of them pointed her polished nails at me. I believe that's the same b*tch I saw earlier who could share with me a seat. "She doesn't have a tongue."

Who? Me?

This girl is stepping more toes into my yard. I wish I could break her head but I don't have the strength to.

I'm frail and very fragile. Someone can easily break me before I break someone.

Besides, it's first day in college. Anyone could piss anybody off just to make them get expelled.

I still stick to my promise. Not until it's fulfilled, I won't disappoint Aunt Jin-joo and grandma.

"Crazy b*tches." A guy waffled before settling on an empty seat beside me.

Who's it?

I turned.

It's Max Oliver.

He reached for my drawing book, taking it like he owns it. I didn't stop him, I let him take it.

It's so nice to have someone touching my things even though I never liked it. But it's Max Oliver. My soon-to-be-friend?

Oft!

Maybe not really.

He flipped the pages over slowly, one after the other as he examined closely on each of my past diagrams.

His brows raised. I'll take that as a-

"Lovely." He shook his head. Fixing his glasses properly, he stared intently on the next diagram. The alimentary canal of a bird. "Wow, you're such a great artist!" He exclaimed.

The other girls he had addressed as crazy b*tches, and more of the rest students in our class, chimed in from behind us. Infact, they circled us just to sneak peak on my drawing book.

"Whoa!" They gasped.

A girl pointed her finger at the diagram, "Did you labelled this using a textbook? Because this is so awesome." She squealed.

"I never knew we had a great artist in our class." One of the b*tches complimented. "It's well drawn like a textbook."

"Do you mind drawing and labelling the alimentary canal of a lizard?" A guy handed me a black marker.

Some laughed. Thinking it's funny.

"No, I'm serious." The guy told them.

I stare at the marker in his hand.

Should I take it or just leave it?

I'm still contemplating. What if they make gest of my drawings after?

I don't want to but when Max Oliver's voice come whispering into my ears again, "It's fine. Go on and prove to them that you're way more than a scientist than they think they are." I smirked and grabbed the marker from the guy.

Max is right.

I'm gonna prove to these b*tches that I do have a tongue even if it's not working for some cases.

In less than two minutes, I'm done. Meanwhile our next professor is already by the doorpost.

Is it five minutes yet?

Too short timing.

I overheard the class gasped in amusement behind me. I guess they love what they see...

I moved out of the way. I'm done with the so called diagram.

The first person to run up to me with a hug was the same girl who never spared me a seat. "I'm sorry for the attitude earlier." She pulled back and grinned with puppy eyes. "Do you mind if we become friends?"

Wow! Just like that? No need for application letter before joining your gang of hotties?

My eyes choked open.

The girls surrounded me in no time whilst the boys hailed and praised me from behind. Chanting my name like am a new queen of the jungle. Lady Mowgli.

I saw Max behind all the other students. Smiling at me. Job well done.

"Ahem ahem." The male professor cleared his throat as he adjusted his neat tie.

Everyone dismissed and retrieved back to their various seat.

But before they left, they introduced themselves to me.

It's a big rush. I can't even capture one's person's name before another one spoke.

It's confusing but exciting to see that I'm loved by many. I'd thought Max was the only nice person I met but a fifty of them.

A whole class.

Now I know that I'm no longer unknown but well-known.

Some are battling on who to put my bag beside them so I could sit next to them but Max?

He snapped it outta their hands with a dark look.

They had no choice but to let go of my innocent backpack in peace.

Oops!

I think I'm the only one still standing right in front of the class, backing the white board.

The professor raised an eyebrow at me. I don't need his verbal words. I gave the marker back to the owner and sat on my seat beside Max.

"Nice one." Max whispered to me.

Why does he have to always whisper?

Except that, I understood his tongue language. He speaks more like an English man than an American.

From the look of his appearance, he's sure an English person.

"I am Mr Wright." The professor wrote his name boldly on the white board.

"Ah, Mr right. Were is Mr wrong?" Someone made a silent mockery of the professor's name at the back row.

Believe me when I said everyone including me fell into laughter for it.

Mr Wright turned around with a scowl on his face. "Did anyone said anything?"

The class remained silent. Only a flying bird singing in the air answered.

"I'll be your surgical teacher." He clipped the marker's lid to its body. "And erm..." He opened his briefcase which he had placed on someone's table and took out a textbook. "This is gonna be the textbook for the semester even after the semester."

Mrs Olaf was right after all. I remember her adding that book to my new textbooks.

Mr Wright faced the textbook to the class like a trophy. "Medical & Surgical Nursing Textbooks ; by Janice L. Hinkle and Kerry H. Cheever · ISBN13: 978-1451146660. 13th Edition."

How the f*ck did he.....did he quotes the ISBN numbers?

He placed it down and wrote on the board, 'Clotting disorders.'

Everyone started taking out the same textbook like Mr wright's, outta their bags. Including Max.

Sh*t! Gotta be kidding me.

Why didn't I view this coming... somebody please get me Dr Fate.

I believe those books has been paid off by Aunt Jin-joo and now, am in a class were I need the textbook.

Why the hell did Mrs Olaf had to postpone my books for later when I need it now?

Uhh...couple of students are poking my arm. They want me to share their textbooks with them but...

Oft!

Too late.

Max slapped their hands off and pushed his textbook to my front.

Is he jealous someone might take over his seatmate? New friend.

We all sat quietly, relaxed and paid attention to Mr Wright as he carried on with the topic.