1 Chapter 1

She stood in front of the mirror, stroking her long, wavy kohl-black hair. She was wearing a red and blue stripped shirt with a blue denim pants. A pair of red sneakers graced her feet.

"Hurray! First day in a new school"

She got out of the room and went into the kitchen. Behind the kitchen counter was a woman making an omelette.

"Sweetheart, good morning".

"Morning, baby. How are you?"

The woman turned around and smiled at her. Kira dropped her backpack carefully on the floor and ran into the kitchen to hug her mother.

"Sweetheart, how was your your night?"

Kira Logan preferred to call her mother 'sweetheart' in private while her mother called her 'baby'.

Her mother, Chu Hua [1] was an Asian woman, an oriental beauty. She was a single parent. Kira never asked about her dad because she felt it was her mom's secret.

"Baby, I've packed your lunch for you. Make sure you be a good girl in school", Chu Hua said, as she packed her daughter's long flowing hair into a ponytail.

"Okay, Sweetheart".

"Wait for me. Let me get the car key"

"Don't worry, Sweetie", Kira called out, stretching forth her her right palm. On it laid the car key of a SUV vehicle.

"Alright," Chu Hua removed her apron as she walked to the door.

Kira locked the door behind them and the mother and daughter duo walked to the car park.

Along the way to school, Chu Hua kept nagging on how Kira was to behave in school. Tried of hearing the same thing repeatedly, Kira gave an exclamation, "Mom!"

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Kira walked side by side with her mother into the school's administrative block. She felt very uncomfortable been stared at by the students.

"Mom", she whined quietly.

Her mother ignored her as she knocked on the door of the principal's office. Kira pursed her lips because she knew that her mother didn't feel shy. Well, her mother was once in the entertainment industry and was used to be stared at.

"Come in", a voice said.

-----

After finishing some procedures, she was to be given a class. The five class teachers of Grade 12 were called to the principal's office.

"Kira Logan is a new grade 12 student. Which of you will let her stay in your class?" Mr Jacques said. The reason he did this was simply. It was to prevent Kira been disdained by a class teacher. He knew that some of them disliked students sent to their class in the middle of a session.

"Mr. Jacques, I won't accept her. The performance of my class students are already poor. I don't need an extra load". The first to speak was the class teacher of Grade 12, class 5. She was an arrogant lady by name An Na [2]. An Na was a short but fair lady with Asian looks. Her class was deemed the worst class of the school.

The principal gave An Na an annoyed look. A thought was running through his mind.

'Woman, who wants her to be in your class?'

The remaining there teachers gave a polite rejection.

The last man standing [3] gave Kira a smile as she said, "I'll will accept her into my class".

"Okay. Thanks, Ms. Moore". The principal was relieved to send Kira to a good class. Ms. Moore was the class teacher of class 1, the most outstanding class in Grade 12.

One would have thought Ms. Moore would be arrogant but she wasn't. She had a calm personality and was liked by all.

"This is Kira's file. She was the best student in Ziego High School into her previous class. She left due to personal reasons".

Ziego High School was a popular school located in City K in the southern part of Europe. It was known to produce people who would have positive influence in the society and the world at large. It was also known that the students were highly competitive in their academics and extra curricular activities.

The five class teachers were visible surprised. Four of them were filled with regrets.

Alas! There was no medicine for regret.

-----

Kira walked along the long corridor with her new class teacher. Her mother was late for work so she had excused herself before Kira was given a class

"Kira Logan, right?" her teacher inquired.

"Yes, ma"

A chortle escaped from Ms. Moore throat. "Kira Moore".

"Uh?!" Kira Logan was surprised. Her class teacher was her namesake.

Ms. Moore said nothing more as she smiled and pushed open the door to the class.

-----

"I heard there is a new student."

"Yeah, there is. She's beautiful."

"A she?! Hope she has a brain."

"Even if she has no brain, there is a class for her in class 5 where she will be tinted with sharp rock's ugliness''.

Sharp Rock or SR was a nickname for An Na given by the students.

On hearing the last person's comment, the class bursted into laughter.

"Steph, you are quite funny"

The laughter came to a stop suddenly on hearing the sound of the door opening.

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[1]. Chu Hua is a Chinese female name meaning chrysanthemum.

[2]. An Na is a Chinese female name meaning peace.

[3]. Last man standing is not necessarily talking about a man. It can either refer to a man or a woman.