CHAPTER 1: Circle Repeat Itself.

Present day….

Zzzzz… Rhonchi… rhonchi…. zzz.. Her chest rose and fell, and she rumbled like a mountain as she slept like a dog. The sun was beaming through her blinds. She let out a brief and loud snort when her grandma called out, scratching her bum and rolling in the sheets. She covered the blanket even more cradling a pillow to her chest. It feels safe when she's in her bed.

"Mae! Mae Li!!" Nana called again.

She groaned when the first beam of light hit her face.

"Urgh.. I hate morning" she cursed.

Crawling out of her cozy bed, with her palm pressed against her lower abdomen, she rushed to the bathroom to empty her bladder. She had been holding it through out the night as not to interrupt her sweet sleep.

She opened the faucet to allow water to flow as she held out her toothbrush to brush her teeth.

"Mae…"

She interrupted before Nana could say her last name. With her toothbrush in the side of her mouth "I'm up Nana" she managed to respond.

"Oh sweetie, come have breakfast." Nana spoke with relief.

Mae spat out when she heard the horn of the school bus. She quickly rinsed her mouth with tap water and hurriedly fled the bathroom without taking her bath knowing she was late for school.

Honk! Honk! The school bus horned again.

She immediately got dressed in her uniform and ran to the dining table with her feet trying to fit into her shoes. She took a slice of bread in her mouth and bent down to tie her shoelace.

"You have to chew your food properly, honey." Nana said as she walked around the room with her white cane scanning for obstacles.

"Sorry Nana, I gotta go! Muah!" She threw a kiss in the air and dashed out of the living room, shutting the door behind her.

The school bus was already in motion for it was her morning routine to catch up with the bus as a perpetual latecomer.

"Wait up!! Wait for me!!" She hollered, waving her hand as she chased after the bus.

The driver accelerated, adjusting his side mirror.

At a point he slowed down when she couldn't keep up her pace. She stopped to catch her breath, holding onto her knees and panting. Then she stood erect, adjusting the backpack hung on her shoulders. She was breathing in excitement when the tires rolling on the tarred road finally came to a stop.

She was walking towards the parked bus when a young boy in a black hoodie deliberately bumped her shoulder to shove her out of the way.

"Excuse me." he said in a husky voice, walking away with both hands in his pockets.

She turned her head to look behind her but could only catch a glimpse of his back. "Tsk! Excuse you." She flicked her tongue loud, murmuring.

She hopped into the bus and threw a salute at the driver, who chuckled in fulfillment.

"Morning sir!" She greeted.

She had a smiling face on which died down when she turned around to the students sitting on the bus.

There was awkward silence as she passed through them. She bowed her head as their eyes traced her steps.

Saleem, the school bully stretched out his leg causing her to trip and fall. She landed on a senior's lap and he aggressively pushed her away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." she bowed multiple times pleading.

He held his nose tightly as he shook his head, clicking his tongue "Tsk.. tsk. Pathetic!" he said with a hostile glare.

She sited a vacant sit at the back of the bus and walked towards it, adjusting her skirt to sit when the queen bee of the school, Jade Qing placed her bag there, with a pitiful expression on her face, she said to Mae in mockery "Sorry ugly duckling, but this sit is taken."

Her friends and her laughed sarcastically.

"Forgive me." Mae bowed in apology.

She had no option but to stand all through the journey. She plugged her headphone into her ears that has been dangling from her neck. With firm grip, she held unto the pole as the bus swayed all the way to school.

It was a typical day in her classroom. Some group of boys was playing a loud match of Rock-paper-scissors. Another group of boys was busy having a water bottle war. Water splashed everywhere. Meanwhile, a certain group of girls was chattering animatedly.

Paper planes zoomed past Mae as paper balls rained down everywhere. The noise, unbearably loud, gave a headache. Mae sat by herself, looking out the window as she increased the music volume on her headphone.

Jade walked up to her and banged on her desk. Mae did not notice her as she was lost in thought and the music brings good vibes and melody.

Suddenly she could hear the rowdy noise again. One of Jade Qing clique of friends had taken off her headphone.

"Tsk!" Mae clicked her tongue with a sour expression on her face.

"Hey you!" Jade pointed her index finger at Mae's forehead accidentally squishing a pimple.

"Ew, ew, ew.." the two minions screamed along with her. They brought out a hand sanitizer and applied it on Jade's hand.

Turning back to Mae with a death stare "You! Do you want to die?" She angrily raised her hand, with her palm stretched out to hit Mae Li's face.

Mae tightened her eye lids expecting a slap. Then she opened her eyes gradually to see Jade's hand suspended in the air. She had held back, afraid she might get her hands filthy again.

A teacher walked into the class with a journal in his hand. The class went from a market place to as silent as a graveyard. Everyone comported themselves, sitting appropriately.

"Ahem-hem.." the teacher cleared his throat, adjusting the knotted tie around his neck.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jade uttered inaudible words as she caught a glimpse of Mae, right after she had been accompanied to her seat by her clique of friends.

Phew! Mae sighed in relief for she got lucky this time.

The teacher opened his journal to give a brief announcement. He flipped the pages as he acknowledged the presence of the student.

"Good-morning class…"

"Good morning Mr. Muyi" The students grumbled, scrubbing their feet on the ground.

"Ahem!" He clears his throat again, adjusting the knot on his tie. "Decorum please.." he continued.

"Today… your history teacher is absent due to…"

There was a loud cheer from the class and the next moment the class had dissolved into a chaotic mass of shrieking students.

"Decorum! Decorum!" He ordered with his fist banged on the table.

The class deafened as the students settled down.

"I'd be your substitute teacher for today"

"Awwww" the students censure in opinion.

"Okay! Let us start with the project given. Come up front and tell us about your role model being a hero. Who will go first? And lest I forget, submit your project report after the presentation". Mr Muyi licked his lower lips as he jammed his palm, rubbing it together, making eye contact with the students. "Now who is going first?"

Jade Qing grandiosely lifted her right hand.

"Okay, you are up!" the teacher responded pointing at her.

The whole class applauded, chanting her name in praise as she sophisticatedly walked in style to the front, facing the class with her project report in her hands.

She holds up a fist and the chants faded out.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat, holding up the paper with her head high and shoulder erect, she continued with a smile on her face as she flips back her hair.

"My Dad is my hero. My dad is your hero.

He runs this town and keeps it in order.

Without my dad, I can't stand.

He crawls so I can walk.

He runs so I can fly.

Now I'm soaring but not sorry to be his daughter.

He is the breadwinner and also a winner.

He buys me expensive things, he knows my every need.

He isn't Sun Yat-sen but he is the father of my nation.

He is not Mahatma Gandhi but he comes with peace.

My Dad is the Mayor. My Dad is my hero."

She took a classic bow and the class chanted her name, beating on their desks. "Queen Jade! Queen Jade!"

She turned to the teacher with a cheeky smile but it seemed he wasn't so impressed with her report as she could not figure out the blank expression on his face. She masked on a long face, strenuously dumping the sheet on his table and cat-walked to her seat. "Hmph!"

"Next person? Uhh… who should go next?" The teacher thought out loud, trying to pick one person from the number of hands raised. He had a glance at Mae Li for a while for she has been calm all this time.

"You there!" He pointed sharply at her.

"Me??" She pointed her fingers to her nose, then she looked back but there was no one behind her and all eyes were on her so it was that obvious the teacher was talking to her.

She got up timidly, looking around the classroom.

"Quickly come up here with your report. We have so much to do today. Hurry." Mr. Muyi exhorted.

She dumped her backpack on her desk and unzipped it, moving her hands strongly in the bag as she searched for her report sheet. She paused for a moment and hasten her hand movement in her bag.

"Oh no.. Where is it? Where is it? I thought I had it" Her mind troubled.

"Is there a problem Miss Li?" Mr. Muyi was intrigued, lifting an eyebrow with folded arms.

The entire class busted into laughter.

Scratching her hair, "Sir... I.. I..." She bits her lips with tightened eyelids.

She bent her head and talked in a low but shy tone. "I.. I… left my report at home".

"What?!" Mr. Muyi yelled.

The class busted into laughter again.

"Well, if you really did the report then you should be able to present it without looking at…"

"Go duckling! Go duckling!" The class interrupted Mr. Muyi, chanting, as they drummed on their desk.

Mae walked sluggishly to the front of the class. She hunched her back as she stood still, looking down at her shoes with her fingers fidgeting. It took her a while to summon the courage to speak. She started;

"My hero is…"

"Speak up! We can't hear you" Jade cut in.

She looked up at Jade who had a contemptuous look on her face and lost eye contact immediately.

"My hero is my father…." She said audibly.

"Boo!!!!" The class chorused.

Mae became more nervous, her hands vibrating as she shuddered in her shoes.

"Decorum! Decorum!" The teacher continuously smacked his palm on his table until the noise died down.

"Go on Mae" he turned his focus on her.

There was awkward silence for a while, she looked around but did not have the confidence to lift her head as she was avoiding eye contact with the students. Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"My hero is my fa-father.

Although I didn't get to meet him, I've heard tremendous stories about him.

Father was a selfless leader. He was a born leader.

He slayed a thousand army with his sword, he is a warrior.

I wish father could hear this, I miss him and hope to see him one day…"

"Cry me a river!" a boy behind said in mockery causing the whole class to laugh hysterically.

Mae's eyes turned red, she bit her lower lips hard until she tasted her salty blood. Tears blurred vision but she tried to control it from heavy waterfall.

Mr. Muyi saw how they picked on her and he punished the offenders. This got the students more hostile toward her.

At lunch, she walked with her back hunched and a trey of steamed buns and dumplings in her hands. She surveyed the cafeteria for a vacant seat. With the scornful look her classmates gave, she doubts anyone would let her sit at their table. She had a knot in her stomach even as some whispered amongst themselves.

She was called back when she walked passed the queen bee and her clique of friends.

"Come sit with us, ugly duckling" Jade Qing invited Mae, wearing a fake smile on her face.

"Uh.. I t-think I'm g-good.." Mae responded shyly.

"I insist." Jade said boldly with a serious face.

"O-okay.." Mae stuttered as she agreed to sit with them. She struggled to chew on her food as she was not comfortable sitting in the midst of mean girls.

Using the chopsticks to play with her food, Jade broke the silence "Um.. i think I'm done eating this." She pushed her trey to Mae's side of the table "Here, you can have the leftovers".

She had just finished three spicy chicken wings, leaving the bones and noodle soup for Mae.

"Uh.. uh.. I.. I t-think I'm okay with what I ha-have here" Mae stuttered.

Jade performed a dramatic act, shedding crocodile tears and being the drama queen she is, she put on a great show attracting attention to herself as all eyes in the cafeteria turned to her direction. "Oh no.. She rejected my food.., I was just being nice to her. Why are you so mean Mae?" she sobbed, blowing into the handkerchief her minion friends handed to her as they continuously pat her on her back, consoling her to stop crying.

"Yea, why so mean Mae? Look what you've done" One of the girls said softly.

Mae quickly got on her knees, bowing and rubbing her palm together as she pleaded for mercy "I'm sorry my queen. Punish me! I deserve to die my queen". She begged, bowing endlessly.

"Punish you.. Punish you.." that word intrigued Jade compelling her to cease her dramatic act. She smirked, thinking of what to do to Mae then she used one finger to lift Mae's chin.

"Mmm.. Will you do whatever I ask you to do from now on?" Jade asked in curiosity with an evil smile masked on her face.

"Yes, yes my queen.. Anything" Mae eagerly answered.

Jade took up her bowl of noodle soup and spat in it. She gave to her two minion friends who also spat in it. She then used the bones of the chicken to stir and dumped the bones inside the bowl of noodles.

"Ummm... Smells yummy" she teased sniffing the bowl.

"Drink up!" She said to Mae, offering her the bowl of noodle soup with both hands, still leaving that evil smile on.

Mae gulped in her saliva as she slowly took the bowl from Jade's hands, trembling, hoping she might reconsider. She looked inside the bowl and gagged at the sight of it. She looked up at Jade with sad eyes and retch each time she swallowed the soup.

"Good girl!" Jade patted her on her head as she finished the bowl of soup.

Mae was emotionally and physiologically downcast. She prayed for the day to be over but nah, nature was not on her side for it was the longest day in history.

At all point, she encountered bullies in school. It was a circle that repeated itself each day. That was more of the reason she hated to get up early in the morning and prepare for school but she had to, for Nana's sake.

Alas, it was closing. She got picked on in the bus again. When she arrived at her house, she shut the door of her room and did not say a word to Nana.

Nana kept on knocking on her door, begging her to come out and have dinner but she was too busy bawling her eyes out. She pressed her face against her pillow to muffle the sound of her weeping, soaking her pillow with tears and mucus.

As she threw herself in despair, she recalled the suicide note she had written the previous night.

"Oh no!" she jumped out of her mattress.

She began to search everywhere for it, scattering every corner of her room, she emptied her bags but could not find it anywhere.

"Could this day get any worst?" She brooded, sobbing even more in her bedroom.