1 001 | queen of hearts

Natasha Lee unlocked her school locker and opened it. She wasn't surprised that there was another letter, not just any ordinary letter, but a love letter. Oh, singular wasn't appropriate to describe the love letter, but plural was. She got 12 love letters in her school locker, but to her, it looked countless love letters.

She didn't just get love letters, but she also got foods, chocolates, flowers, and even a bouquet of flowers on her desk or her school locker or from someone who had the guts to give it directly. She would throw the love letters while she would give the foods, chocolates, and flowers to some random kids that she passed by in the park when she went home.

She didn't want to get used to these situations all over again because she was sick of breaking the hearts of someone else. Sure, she appreciated those who admired her, but she didn't want to be in a romantic relationship with someone because she wanted her future to do well, in order to do that, she must focus on her studies. She couldn't afford to let her parents down when she was given a chance, a chance that could be once in a lifetime. And it was also because she didn't want to get herself too immersed in the word called love because she heard countless stories from the internet or around her how people got their hearts broken or couldn't focus at all etc.

She didn't want to hurt her admirers, but not being honest with them would hurt even more. She would rather be called a villain than a liar.

She got what she needed for today's morning classes, so she closed and then locked her school locker. She didn't want to hold the love letters any longer, so she threw it away in the nearest trash bin around where she was.

"I hope all of you will find someone who likes you back," she said as she looked at the thrown love letters in the trash bin.

**

Her father cooked packed lunch for her, so she didn't need to grab lunch in the school canteen. She didn't want to eat her packed lunch in the school canteen either. She wanted to eat her lunch on the school roof, so she would go there.

She stood up from her seat to go out of her classroom. As she slid the door open, she saw Lawrence Price, a senior student from the other school building. She wanted to avoid him as much as possible, but it was too late for that.

"Natasha!" Lawrence was delighted that he managed to time himself to see her.

She had a feeling of what Lawrence was going to ask, but it was better to ask him than assuming things. "What is it, Senior?"

"Eat lunch with me! I heard the canteen lunch today has some great stuff!" Lawrence hoped that she would eat with him this time around.

Just as she suspected, she calculated accurately that Lawrence would invite her to eat lunch with him. Lawrence did it multiple times, but she also refused multiple times.

"You know the answer to that, Senior."

"But I want to hear your answer, so it will become clear."

She tried her best to become patient although the answer was too obvious. "No, I will not eat with you. How's that? It became clear, isn't it?"

"How dare you refuse Senior Lawrence, Natasha!?" Charlotte Jeans, her classmate stepped in between Lawrence and her. "Senior Lawrence is always making an effort! Why can't you accept it!?"

"Because I don't want to. If you like Senior then go ahead and do whatever you like," she answered.

Charlotte didn't realize that her face was red as a tomato. "W-What!? W-Who said th-that I l-like Senior Lawrence!?"

She didn't want to waste her time since the next teacher wouldn't wait if a student was late, and besides, she was starving, so she needed to eat food to fill her stomach. She ignored Charlotte's call as she walked away from them.

**

She would praise her father once she got back home because she ate something delicious. She proceeded to go to the nearest female restroom to wash her lunchbox at least and once she got home, she would wash them with dishwashing liquid. She wiped her wet lunchbox to make them dry.

She entered the first cubicle to do her business. Once she was done, she pressed the flush function of the toilet. She was about to go out of the cubicle when someone entered.

She calculated that there were two people who entered the female restroom.

"I can't believe that bitch!" she heard Charlotte spoke like she was mad at someone.

"Easy, Charlotte," she heard Sophia Hundreds spoke.

"How can I, Sophia?" Charlotte asked, "That bitch just straight out refused Senior Lawrence's invitation! What's so special about her? She only has the looks! But if you stripped off that looks from her, she's nothing!"

"I also don't know what's so special about Natasha. I mean there's a lot of girls to pick like Senior Emma, but Natasha, really?" Sophia didn't get it.

"She's not a Queen of Hearts! She's a Queen of Ice— wait, no!" something came on Charlotte's mind, "She's a Witch!"

Sophia cackled. "I agree with the Witch part. I mean there's a lot who gets whipped for Natasha. Can she lend us a potion or something to charm the others?"

It hurt her to hear such hurtful words from her classmates. She heard Charlotte and Sophia left the female restroom, so she went out of the cubicle. She looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"I didn't ask for this attention as well, you know?"