Emotional Pressure

"Sweety, you need to wake up. You're going to be late." Mrs Alfred said as she tapped Blue on the lap continuously.

"I'm up, stop it, mom," Blue murmured, stretching her limbs while a yawn escaped her mouth. "Wait, late for what?" She immediately asked with a confused look on her face.

"For your internship! Now get your butt off the bed." Mrs Alfred let out, looking slightly irritated.

"Internship?" Blue stared at her questioningly. Then it suddenly dawned to her that she's supposed to be preparing for work. Instantly, she rushed into the bathroom, almost falling over in the process.

"Don't stay too long in there!" Mrs Alfred warned then strolled out of the room.

Today was Blue's first day of music internship at Westride High School, which was commencing on the third week of the last term of the school year. After graduating and achieving a first-class degree in music at Breekles College some months back, she decided to go into the world of music tutoring. But first, she needed to experience basic training.

Soon as she had finished cleaning up, she rushed out of the bathroom. She took a glance at the wall clock and it was already seven-thirty.

"I need to get an alarm clock or something," she murmured.

Rushing to the closet, she snatched her wears for the day and within the next twenty minutes, she was ready. Checking herself in the mirror, she made a few adjustments to her hair and placed her phone inside her bag.

She felt nervous about how the day was going to turn out. It hadn't really started well but she hoped it would end well. With one last check at her appearance in the mirror, she went out of the room.

"Aren't you going to have breakfast before you go?" Mrs Alfred asked Blue soon as she saw her rushing down the stairs.

"No mom, I'll grab something when I get there... I love you, wish me luck," Blue replied, walking out the door.

"I love you too sweety, good luck." Mrs Alfred quickly called out to her before she got out.

She dipped her hand into her bag and brought out the remote smart key to her Mini Porsche. Clicking on the button to unlock the car, she opened the door to the driver's seat and got in. After dropping her bag on the passenger's seat, she ignited the engine and drove off.

The ride to the school wasn't much of a smooth one, but she eventually got there after twenty minutes in between a light traffic.

Westride High School was one of the most respected schools in the city of Flaminda*. It was also one of the few schools in the city that offered an internship program for graduates.

Blue has always been a lover of the school, though she didn't have an opportunity to go through the school as a student. As she wanted to be a music tutor and found out the school was open for an internship program, she promised herself that she would make sure to go for an internship there.

Arriving at the school, she drove in after the gatekeeper opened the gate, and headed straight to the parking lot which was near a large field in the school compound. Picking up her belongings, she exited after switching the engine off.

"Do I even know where the principal's office is?" she asked herself as she approached the 'H' type school building with one storey atop.

She had only been to the school once and she wasn't the type to keep directions in mind. She saw students wandering the hall and so she asked two of them walking together for directions to the office.

"Just move down that path Miss." one of them told her, pointing down the far end.

"Thank you," she told them and started to move down the path which she was directed to.

* * * * * *

"We are not going over this issue anymore... and the team wouldn't like it if you were taken off. I'm watching you, Gary. I repeat, I'm watching you." Mr. Thomas, the principal, said and waved his hand signaling him to leave.

Gary sighed and left his office feeling dejected. His English test results were out the day before and he failed, again.

And as he feared, he might be taken off the basketball team despite being the captain, a position he just obtained after guiding his school to victory in the recent Flaminda city interschool competitions.

'If only I could do better than this,' he thought to himself.

A final year student of Westride High School expected to write his final exams to college in a few months, Gary was one hell of a school hater. At 18, he still didn't buy the idea of going to school to get good grades, and the only thing that still pushed him to school was his love for basketball. His height, which was 6'2, was an advantage for the sport aside from his great skills.

About nine months ago, in his promotion exams to Grade 12, he had scored a pitiful 38%, one of the worst grades ever received in the history of Westride High School. Intervention from his parents saved him from repeating the class but he still hasn't improved.

"I can't be taken off the team, they need me," he mumbled to himself but he knew he shouldn't be bothered about the team— No, he should. It was definitely the only thing that makes him happy.

"Ouch!"

He felt his body bang into someone as he then heard a lady's voice exclaim in annoyance. Realizing he had bumped into someone, he looked up with the intent of apologizing.

But all of a sudden, his lips seemed to have zipped up. He couldn't utter anything at all as he stared at the lady standing in front of him. The lady looked at him with a slight irritated expression but he didn't even notice it. Instead, he discerned her facial features which got him glued.

She had a set of sky blue iris which rounded the pupils in her narrow eyes, directly below a pair of presently arched eyebrows. Her face, which was rather small and round, had a little pointed nose and a thin rosebud lips. A black hair, which was spread down to her shoulder length, accompanied her creamy face and brought out the best feminine appearance he has ever seen.

God! This is an angel in disguise!, he exclaimed in his mind.

"...you don't just bump into someone and end up in a daze,"

He noticed her mouth move and managed to hear the few words she uttered. Wait! He was truly in a daze, and... he still hasn't apologized.

"I'm sorry," he quickly told the lady and made an attempt to leave so as to avoid staring at the stunner any longer.

"Wait!" the lady immediately stopped him. "Is the principal in?" she asked.

He nodded his head in affirmation and left in a haste. As he walked away, the lady watched his retreating back and snickered.

"What's wrong with him?"