Chapter 29 - Despair And Pity

It was just the second week of school. There are a lot of faces, some things an elite student can do. Talk to friends, join clubs and read books in the library. They can also use their time to roam around the University. With a high maintenance school, for sure you couldn't help it. However, some things still remained hidden in the dark.

"You stupid bitch! We already told you to stop acting close to the homeroom teacher!"

"She deserves a beating. She even told the principal that I'm smoking on the rooftop."

"Brains won't always work here, do you understand?"

A bunch of first years were gathered at the back of the old stock room. It was in the corner of the University, where students wouldn't even be tempted to go.

In the muddy ground was a student with black hair. Her face didn't have any bruises, but her stomach was throbbing from the kicks she's been receiving since earlier.

This group of girls was her classmates. They dragged her to the back of the old stockroom and pushed her down. Is it because she's always standing in class? The teachers favor her too.

She thought that her life would change when she entered highschool. She wanted to make some friends and lived like a normal kid. It was her first time in this elite University. Her family wasn't even that popular. They just own some convenience store branches.

"Hey!"

A kick landed on her stomach again, making her cough. She tried to lift her hand and blocked the kicks, though she didn't succeed.

"Answer me! Apologize!" the girl who's grabbing her hair yelled.

Laughter echoed in her ears.

"She's not gonna apologize to you."

"I don't care. Even though she apologized, I will still beat her. My cigarettes were expensive and that damn teacher just took it from me!"

"Is it from your dad? The one he got from abroad?"

"Yes! This bitch right here doesn't know how expensive it was!"

The three girls surround the pitiful girl again, with their judgemental eyes. Seeing their bully crawling in the mud wasn't enough for them.

"Hey, get me the broom over there."

Hearing this, the other girl jolted. "What are you gonna do to her? I thought we would just scare her?"

"Move bitch! I need to knock some sense into her. I need to mark her!" She's the one who took the old broom stick. The other girls tried to stop her.

"Hey, I thought we wouldn't hurt her face? The teachers will notice it!"

The girl with the broom stick pushed her, "Get out of my way! Know your place! She'll never tell them what I will do." With a sinister laugh, she raised her hand.

Julie put her hand on her head and closed her eyes. She's already trembling just by imagining herself with a cracked head. She couldn't even run away, she couldn't even lift herself. Tears formed in her eyes and she cried.

However, the broomstick landed on the ground beside her head. Everyone screamed, and they shuddered.

With her blurry eyes, Julie tried to peek in the side of her arms.

The three girls who's bullying her were now frozen into their stance. And the one who was supposed to hit her was on the ground, leaning on the wall of the old stockroom with bleeding ears. An arrow was stuck in her hair.

That arrow was the one from the archery club. A shadow approached her.

Everything was blurry and the only thing Julie recognized was the blonde strands of hair.

"P-Please let me go!" The girl leaning on the wall shuddered, her voice cracked. "I-I.." she turned around and found out that she was left behind by her friends. "Please let me go!!"

The one who struck the arrow beside her ears chuckled. She laughed as if mocking the fear of the girl. She put the bow down and clenched the girl's chin. "This is my practice ground. I don't want any pest running freely here, do you understand?" her voice sent chills.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I-I w-will not l-loiter here anymore!" And after that, she pushed the blonde girl and ran away.

The wind blew, and it rolled on Julie's skin. She tried to fight the pain throbbing from her stomach and lifted herself. She almost puked.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The blonde girl took her arrow from the wall and put it on her bow. She angled it up into the sky. "I really wanted to hit her eyes," she mumbled.

Julie shuddered from this. She pushed herself and leaned on the wall, holding her stomach. One of her eyes was still wincing from pain, but she still managed to familiarize the girl.

She had blonde hair and green eyes with dark bags under. Taller than her with the uniform of the archery club. Some patches on her arms and scars. On her right chest was a plate name. AMBER was the name.

"Amber," Julie mumbled the name unconsciously.

Amber lowered her bow and arrow and gazed at the girl. "Who told you to call me by my name? Do you want to get bullied more?" her voice was stern.

Julie brushed it off and looked Amber in the eyes. "Thank you."

Amber was quite startled. She didn't even order her to speak. Her brows knitted. "Don't talk to me!" she exclaimed. "How dare you, a pushover, talk to me? If you want to thank me, then show your worth."

Julie can clearly tell that she's being looked down on. However, she didn't feel any fear from Amber.

"Pick yourself up. I will not help you. You look disgusting right now," Amber snarled at her.

Instead of processing it as an insult, it made Julie smile. She supported herself and stood up. After that, she gasped for air. It's still lunchtime, and she has a spare uniform in her locker. She watched the young lady walk away from her.

The gloomy atmosphere around her disappeared, and she found peace in it. If she's an enemy or an ally in her story, it doesn't matter because for Julie. Amber was her hero.

And that's how the two of them met.