Chapter 2: First Day II

"My name is JiJing Devin." Jay introduced herself to the class. "But you can call me Jay."

"Devin?" The teacher's voice mumbled. "Sounds familiar."

Jay's seat is right in front of his desk, she made sure to choose a seat which will help with her success in buttering up to teachers.

"You might have met my brother." Jay smiled slightly. "He's in senior year now."

"Jake Devin." Mr. Zallik clicked his tongue, his fingers tapping on his chin where his beard seems to be thickest. He's close enough for her to see the timer on his watch, but she didn't mention that. "I see. Next."

A girl sitting behind her stood up, she's quite tall. Her bleached hair, which contradicts beautifully with her tanned skin, is neatly tied into a ponytail. Her eyes are a familiar shade of dark blue-almost-black, and Jay immediately recognized it as the same ones as her brother's huge friend whom she bumped into this morning.

"Elyra Patrikovsky." Her voice is soft but demands attention.

"Patrikovsky?" The math teacher smiled at the girl. "You also have an older brother here. Jay is such a trouble maker. I hope you won't be like him, Elyra."

Jay?

The tall girl nodded with a small smile of her own. "You can check my previous GPA and records. I won't disappoint you, sir."

Mr. Zallik grinned back. "Good."

After the tall girl behind her sat down, Jay looked at the next person who had to introduce themself. Yet, she could feel those dark blue eyes looking at her.

She's about to call Elyra out on her staring, but then a classmate's name caught both of their attention.

"Alexandria Mystikov." The girl — guy? — person has a cat-like grin on their lips, their hair is a messy mop of black. They're wearing the academy's trousers and tie for boys, but their shirt suggested that they're not flat.

Mr. Zallik paused a bit at the introduction. Anybody would. The Mystikov family has been around for decades, and saying their name sparks controversies. Just being related to the family is enough to get anyone out of trouble with the law.

"Alex Myst, for short." They sat back down and pulled out a bottle of coke.

According to the rules, eating and drinking anything that's not water is prohibited in class. But, what can their homeroom teacher do in the face of a Mystikov? Like any other teacher who taught any Mystikovs that came before her, the teachers could do nothing. Getting said misbehaving Mystikov to the principal would only get the teacher in trouble, and not the students themselves.

It's a little messed up, but some people are more fortunate than others in terms of birthrights.

Befriending Mystikov would be good for her, but if it doesn't work out, one must always watch their own back at all times. Who knows when said Mystikov decided you're upsetting them and they tell the principal to kick you out?

To Jay, the risk far outweighs the advantage, so she rather keeps her distance and does not get in their way.

As soon as the lunch bell rings, the hallway is crowded with students from all ages. Jay navigated her way to the cafeteria and found a seat near the giant glass window overlooking the school courtyard. She laid her lunch tray on the table and sat down by herself.

She's not the best when it comes to social interactions, but usually she survived. In the friendship department? She never approached anyone unless they approached her first, and from her experience, her friends always drift away once the school year is over, leaving her alone again. So, what's the point of making friends if they're gonna leave her anyway?

"Jay is a trouble maker. Every teacher made peace with that." A girl said to her friend as they passed by Jay's table to their seat at the next table, close enough for her to hear their conversation in the crowded cafeteria.

"Still, it doesn't excuse him from punching Mr. Archerson." The other girl said back. "I thought you said 'trouble maker' as in 'he's a troll' and not 'he beats the fuck out of teachers'."

The first girl chuckled a little and looked out the window. "I heard from Bella that Jay is also on the student council's blacklist for picking a fight with the vice president."

Okay, what else did this other Jay do?

Jay regrets introducing herself as Jay. She couldn't have known that there's already another Jay who goes around punching teachers.

"Oh my god, shut up, Rae." The second girl squealed. "Jake is coming this way."

"Speaking of the devil." The first girl mumbled.

Jay looked up from her food to see her brother and his gang walking towards her table. She internally groaned.

What do they want now?

The table she's sitting on has three other unoccupied chairs — no two unoccupied chairs because one is for her backpack. It didn't stop Jake from dropping his own backpack on the table and picking up her backpack to put next to his so that he can have a seat next to her.

Across from them, his two friends each took a seat. The big guy in front of Jay and the slender blond in front of her brother.

"Go away." Jay weakly protested. There's no point in kicking her brother out when he decided to stay.

"Come on, hamster." Jake smiled and showed her his lunch tray. "You can have my egg."

"You can't bribe me with food." She huffed. "Can I eat by myself in peace?"

"You looked so lonely, though!" The slender blond boy chimed in. "I'm Rody, by the way."

"Jay." The big guy, who she bumped into that morning, said in a monotonous voice.

"What do you want?" Jay looked at him.

He lifted a thick eyebrow at her. "Nothing? Just saying my name is Jay."

Is this the infamous Jay who punches teachers? Her brother needs new friends.

"Big Jay," Her brother grinned and pointed at his friend. Then, he patted Jay on her back. "And little Jay."

Splendid.