Magnolia and her friends strutted across campus like they owned it, their heels clicking in sync. They'd planned to "accidentally" run into Kingston in some movie-like moment, but reality didn't seem to care about Magnolia's timing. After half an hour of wandering and pretending not to be looking, they ended up in the dining hall instead.
"Sophie, Jem! Get me a black coffee—fast. I need energy to find my King," Magnolia sighed dramatically. Sophie pulled a chair for her while Jem headed for the machine.
The dining hall buzzed with life. Warm light spilled over polished tables, laughter echoed, and the smell of grilled food mixed with the sweetness of desserts. But Magnolia barely noticed. She'd been searching for Kingston for nearly two hours and hadn't caught so much as a glimpse. He was nowhere.
"I'm so stressed," she groaned, massaging her temples. "And my makeup is melting. What if he sees me like this?"
Jem returned with the steaming cup. Magnolia sipped, murmuring, "Just the way I like it," before leaving it on the corner of the table. "Come on, let's fix our faces," she said, already getting up.
At the same time, Jujube walked in quietly, her tray in hand. She scanned the room for an empty table, wanting to stay as far away from the crowd as possible. The only free spot was near the corner, where a cup sat forgotten. She didn't think twice before sitting down.
She had barely taken two bites when a sharp voice cut through the chatter."What the hell?!" Magnolia's screech turned every head. "You sat at my table?"
Jujube froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. "I… I'm sorry," she said softly, standing up.
Magnolia folded her arms, her glare icy. "Sorry? You think that fixes it?"
"I didn't know," Jujube's tried to explain but the words never formed more then three causing her to stop , clutching her plate.
"That's the point, you didn't see. You people never do," Magnolia sneered, her words slicing through the low hum of gossip that spread across the hall. The other students were whispering, waiting for a show.
"I'll go," Jujube murmured, stepping back, her voice barely above a whisper.
But Magnolia wasn't done. "Go? Who told you to even come here? You've probably infected this table with your filthy germs. I'll have to replace everything now."
Before Jujube could respond, the cafeteria doors swung open. Kingston walked in, tall and confident, the noise around them shifting instantly. Magnolia's face transformed in a heartbeat—her anger melted into a sugary smile.
"Kingston!" she called, rushing to him with a pitiful whine. "Where have you been? I was so worried."
He smirked. "You were looking for me?"
"Of course," she pouted, touching her forehead. "I was so stressed I got wrinkles!"
Kingston laughed, tracing a finger over her brow. "You better stop frowning then. Wrinkles don't suit you." But his grin faded when his gaze caught Jujube standing nearby.
His tone shifted instantly. "What is she doing here?" he muttered, his voice low but cutting. He stepped closer until he stood right in front of her.
Jujube met his stare, unflinching. He gaze Kingston couldn;t figure out why was too annoying to him. "You've got some nerve talking to me like that," he said coldly. "Do you know who you're speaking to? I could get you kicked out of here in minutes."
"You can try," Jujube replied, setting her tray down with quiet defiance about to turn around to leave.
The entire cafeteria went silent. Then the whispers started. "Did she just say that to Kingston?" "She's insane." "The scholarship girl's asking for it."
Magnolia stepped forward, her fury boiling over she grabbed Jujube's arm pulling her back. Jujube's teeth tightened at her hand touchign her arm but before before anything could be done Magnolia's palm met with her cheek. "Watch your mouth," she hissed, her palm flashing out before anyone could stop her. The slap echoed.
Jujube hit the floor hard, too stunned to react. Her cheek stung, but her expression stayed empty—almost detached—as she stared up at Magnolia.
Magnolia stood over her, chest heaving. "Dirty little charity case." She kicked the edge of the table, sending Jujube's tray clattering to the floor.
For a moment, no one moved. Then Kingston spoke, his voice cruelly calm."From now on," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "she's fair game."
The crowd erupted with murmurs, a sick excitement spreading like fire. Jujube lifted her gaze slowly, scanning the faces around her—the ones already deciding how they'd make her life hell.
And Kingston watched her, his smirk returning when he saw she didn't flinch. That blank calm of hers—it burned more than any insult could.
"Let's see who saves you inside the Academy," he muttered, grabbing a nearby water bottle. He twisted the cap and tilted it over her head, letting the cold stream run down her hair and face. The sound of it splattering against the floor was the only noise in the room.
"Welcome to hell, Strawberry," he said under his breath, his voice low and sharp, before stepping over her like she wasn't even there.
The moment he walked past, the others seemed to come alive. Students surrounded Jujube with twisted grins and whispering mouths, each eager to add their share to the mess she'd been thrown into. Some laughed, others took pictures, a few just stared with disgust written all over their faces.
Jujube stayed still for a long moment, water dripping down her chin and onto the floor.
-
No matter how much she washed, the stench of dish soap clung to her hair. Jujube scrubbed until her scalp burned, yet the smell refused to fade. Her reflection in the mirror looked back at her with a crumpled frown. New bruises were starting to bloom on her arms and shins where people had kicked her as they tossed their lunches at her.
She took a slow, shaky breath, whispering to herself, "It will pass…"The same words she'd repeated through too many bad days before.
Her cheek still burned from Magnolia's slap, and a thin cut on her lower lip had dried to a faint line of blood. She changed into clean clothes and stepped out of the washroom, only to freeze at the sight of her dorm room.
Her mattress had been ripped open, white stuffing spilling out like entrails. Her quilt hung halfway out the window, soaked by the rain. She swallowed hard, her eyes tracing the words scrawled across the wall in bold red paint: Go back, charity case.
The doorknob was gone, just a jagged hole left behind.
She stepped inside quietly, her shoes sinking into a puddle from the open window. The silence in the room felt heavy, like the air itself was watching her. Her clothes lay scattered and torn, her few belongings smashed beyond use.
Jujube sat down carefully on the edge of the ruined bed. Her hands rested on her knees as she stared at the mess around her. Her eyes shimmered, growing wet, but no tears fell. She just sat there—breathing through the ache, refusing to cry.
Then she heard a faint ting from the drawer beside her bed.Her phone.
She had forgotten it there before going to the bathroom. For a moment she just stared, surprised it hadn't been smashed like everything else. Standing up, she pulled open the drawer and picked it up.
A single notification blinked on the cracked screen. She unlocked it, skimmed the message, and exhaled softly.
"What a relief," she muttered with a half-sarcastic, half-resigned chuckle. Her eyes drifted back to the wrecked room around her.
She slipped the phone into her pocket before it could meet the same fate as the rest of her things.