Shorter than chair: Taller than hair

Clary could sense the heads turned to her, with gaping mouths like she was a rare unicorn spotted in the wild.

"It started sooner than I expected, RiRi," Rick said, counting the heads turned to Clary starting from the first row. This place always reminds him of the day he met Clary, transporting his thoughts to the first day of college. Bored of the Principal's welcome speech, he was playing a Greek mytho game on his mobile when he heard whispers from the students. Following the commotion, his mouth dropped open like all, seeing an eternal cutie searching for her name on the seats, not bothered by people's stares. He prayed to Zeus if he would let this beauty sit next to him, he would buy the thunderbolt with the coins in the Olympus Gods game, and it happened literally.

"This is better compared to what we witnessed on the first day of college. At least students this year are gwaking at her from a distance. You were literally flirting with her, not giving her a chance to breathe." Candy recalled the day the senior year boys made Rick crawl into a dusty attic because they were upset that Rick was flirting with Clary starting from day one, not giving them a chance. The poor boy had a bad cold for a week.

"Beauty must be admired, Candy." Rick winked and turned to Clary, who was sitting beside him in the chair. She was busy browsing on her phone, uninterested in the conversation. "Look at you. People are waging wars to get a glimpse of you, and you are not even bothered. You better get a boyfriend, a potential and powerful one. It's hard to control these pests."

"And who could be that potential and powerful one?" Clary asked, turning to his friend. She already knew his impudent reply. She had never met a man interesting to think of as boyfriend or husband material. Besides, she has hidden secrets which will complicate more if she lets someone share her space. Her dad once told her he had already found a husband for her, but a certain astrologer suggested they should see each other only after she turned twenty-one. So technically, she will meet that mysterious husband next year. Like hell, she will comply with her father. She doesn't know why a man like her father believes in pseudo-science.

"Me." He cheekily replied. "I am that powerful man."

Candy smacked his shoulder, earning a loud yelp from him. "You better go, and try your flirting skills with the freshmen."

"They are not even average," Rick grumbled under his breath, scanning the crowd.

The Principal gave all the professors a chance to speak, which was becoming tiresome. So, they left for the cafeteria. Post lunch, Allen and Rick went to meet their friends from the other departments since it's been a month. Ariel also joined them.

Clary and Candy went to the amphitheatre to spend time in silence under the shade of trees, but they were in for a surprise. The place was filled with students, especially a mortal enemy.

Gwen was interacting with a couple of first-year students suggesting how to top the exams in the first semester. Her cheating boyfriend was sitting beside her, flirting with a bio student. Just then, she heard whispers causing Gwen to look around. Her hands fisted into a knot upon seeing the woman.

"Long time no see. Gwen." Clary winked, sitting on a stone bench. Candy sat beside her. Clary had the urge to puke, witnessing Gwen's boyfriend staring at a student's breasts. What can she expect from this horny, cheating couple?

"Oh! Your suspension ended already?" Gwen scorned. Her voice was louder than intended for the freshers to hear. "Looks like you have no shame in coming to the college even after the suspension."

"What's more shameful than failing in all the subjects, yet talk about how to top in the exams." Clary countered, picking a twig from the ground to play with it.

"You!" Gwen went red in anger.

How dare she openly talks about the subjects I failed.

"I will screw you. Wait and watch." The humiliation Gwen felt in the cafeteria was still evident in her memory. Although she was happy that the Principal suspended Clary, Gwen was not over with the humiliation of her hair being pulled by this mad fruit while the whole university watched.

Gwen stood up, pulling the students' attention towards her. ''Dear freshmen. Take a good look at the girl in the floral dress.'' She pointed her eyes towards Clary.

Eyes snapped, and heads turned.

''Gwen! no. Stop. You will regret it.'' Gwen's boyfriend tried to stop her, but the woman shooed his hand away, hell-bent on getting revenge.

"Our dear Principal has suspended her for hitting an innocent girl. She goes around and beats students for fun. You better avoid her unless you want to be the next."

''Why don't you also tell that the innocent girl I hit and pulled the hair from the roots was you?'' Throwing the twig, Clary walked towards Gwen. The latter took a step back in fear until Clary cornered her to a tree.

"W_hat are you doing?" Gwen gulped, bending her body to the side in fear. She saw a menacing aura around Clary, which frightened her.

"Checking your big nasty pores," Clary chuckled. ''You see, I don't like troubles, but troubles are bound to find me wherever I go. I already lost one month of attendance due to your involvement. I can't afford another suspension by pulling your remaining hair. You will have to go for hair transplantation."

Gwen's eyes widened. Her body shuddered, recalling the memory.

"Don't worry. Unless you don't step into my zone, you are safe. I want this year to end peacefully. So, don't make me a bad bitch who wants to suck your life, Gwen. Am I clear?"

Gwen slowly nodded her head. Her pulse was beating in her ears, blocking out all the voices except Clary.

"Good girl." Clary smiled, patting her head. "Take care of your hair. I have recently made a protein serum sample which works for bald patches. I will give you a ten per cent discount if you buy a bottle before this month's end. The offer ends soon. So, Come, and meet me in my class soon." Having said that, Clary left, leaving Gwen speechless.

Gwen: " "

What is she? One second she is a raging fruit, and the next moment, she is concerned about her.

.....

Candy and Clary made their way to the office upon receiving a text from the Principal's assistant.

Bald baby called Candy, Rick, Allen, and Ariel together, leaving Clary alone in the corridor. Unlike her, he didnot demand her friends bring their parents.

"Biased principal." Clary stood in the corridor, chatting with the Principal's assistant, fishing out information about bald baby.

Five minutes later, her friends came out, and at last, it was Clary's turn, but her grandmother in question was nowhere. She didnot reply to her texts either, which concerned Clary. "What happened to Granny pie? Did she forget about the meeting?" Looking back and forth, Clary hesitantly entered the Principal's office.

A man shorter than the chair and taller than the hair on his head was sitting on a high levelled chair, his short legs dangled above the floor. His bald head was shining like a solar panel built for a sex machine.

Gone was the rebel, Clary. Crossing her arms, she stood at the corner of the room, feigning innocence. He was playing the Bubble shooter game on his laptop, but Clary knew better. The game is for portraying his innocence in the open doors; behind closed doors, bald baby is quite open. The incognito mode is always available in the tab for his kinky desires.

"Did you bring your father?" Bald baby asked, lifting his head.

"He is on the way, sir," Clary softly spoke up. Granny pie, where are you? She internally screamed.

''Don't pull that innocent facade before me." The Principal snorted angrily. "I am going to tell your father all the deeds you did in these three years."

Clary pursed her lips, remaining silent. 'Like hell, I will allow my father to meet you.' Clary told herself.

Clary watched her Principal fish out a pocket comb from his back pocket. Taking off his cat-eyed glasses, he neatly combed the few strands of hair she could count on her fingers.

''How long? Why hasn't he come here yet?" Bald baby asked, losing his patience. "I will give you another suspension if you had called your grandmother this time."

"No...sir... its my_my father. He might be stuck in the traffic."

Clary was sweating in fear, imagining the worst. What if her grandmother had other plans or, worse, forgotten? While she was contemplating calling the land phone or waiting for another ten minutes, the door opened. Clary snapped to the door in excitement, but boy...she could hear her own heart drumming. It was not her grandmother. A tall, imposing man entered the room.

In a blink of an eye, another tall figure appeared. This time, her heart stopped beating.