Rule Breaker (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 01

"All students are required to stay on campus until five o'clock in the afternoon. Wearing a complete uniform is also mandatory..."

I rolled my eyes as the principal droned on through his endless list of rules. What was the point of making them if everyone was just going to break them by the end of the day anyway?

"Boo!"

I closed my eyes in annoyance before turning toward the person who had just tried to jump-scare me.

"Try harder, Adhaya," I said flatly, shoving my hands into the pockets of my blazer.

She giggled and linked her arm through mine. "So, what do you think of the new school?"

I shrugged. "It's fine. Not as big as my old place, but it's tolerable. It passes."

I scanned our surroundings. The deafening noise of the student body echoed through the entire gymnasium—and I hated every second of it.

"Is it always this loud here?" I grimaced as a group of guys in front of us started shouting over each other, completely ignoring the speaker on stage.

"What did you expect? This is a normal high school, Dri. It's co-ed, unlike your old school—which means loud, rebellious guys. Ugh, men! They're such a headache," she complained.

"I'm going to go grab my books. Meet me at the cafeteria, okay?" Without waiting for her response, I stood up. I could hear her protesting behind me, but I tuned her out.

I wasn't actually getting any books. Please, since when do I like reading? I just needed some fresh air. The chaos inside the gym was giving me a massive headache.

I decided to head toward the music room. It was probably empty, right? Since there was an assembly going on, the hallways were deserted. Adhaya had pointed out the music room on our way to the gym earlier, so I knew where to go.

"Are you sure no one's going to catch us here?"

I leaned my ear against the music room door the moment I arrived. What on earth?

"Yes, don't leave me hanging now. We've already started."

I raised an eyebrow at his voice. Slowly, I pushed the door open—and there they were. A half-naked guy... with a teacher? What the hell?

I let out a fake cough, making them both snap their heads toward me. Panic instantly washed over their faces when they saw me leaning casually against the doorframe.

"Don't mind me. I was just curious to see what kind of idiots make out without locking the door." I crossed my arms over my chest, smirking. "Anyway, I'll be taking my leave. I'm really not interested in watching a live show. Enjoy."

I turned to leave, but then remembered something the principal had mentioned earlier during his speech. Even though I hadn't been paying full attention, a few rules had managed to stick.

"In case you forgot, dating a teacher is strictly prohibited, handsome." I turned back around to face them. They were frantically trying to fix their clothes. The guy froze mid-buttoning when he realized I hadn't left yet.

He turned toward me, his wide eyes locking onto mine as he took me in. I cleared my throat. "But hey, whatever. Rules are meant to be broken."

He looked away and resumed buttoning his shirt. I let out a sharp sigh. "Next time, be more careful. Not everyone is as nice as I am," I deadpanned.

A mischievous smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I pulled the door shut, calling out through the crack, "If you can't afford a hotel room, feel free to keep using this one!"

Serves them right.

"Hey, Andriette! Where were you?" Adhaya yelled from down the hall, jogging over to catch up with me. "You said you were going to get your books. Where are they?" she asked, glancing at my empty hands.

I shook my head and smiled. "I changed my mind. By the way, what time do classes actually start?"

"Tsk, you really weren't listening earlier, were you?" She sighed. "Not until tomorrow. Today is just free time for the transfers to take a tour. So, you ready?"

Before I could answer, a loud rustling sound came from inside the music room. I smirked. It seemed like they were panicking and couldn't figure out how to get out quietly.

"What's going on in there?" Adhaya asked, looking confused. She reached for the doorknob, but I quickly yanked her away.

"What kind of trouble did you cause this time, Andriette?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips once we were a safe distance away.

"You know me, Adhaya. My name doesn't mean fearless for nothing." I grinned and patted her shoulder. She just shook her head, knowing better than to argue.

"Honestly, I just want to go home. It's boring here, and way too noisy."

"We're not allowed to leave until the final bell rings, Dri," she reminded me.

I rolled my eyes. What is this, elementary school? We need a bell now? "That's just a rule, Adhaya. Catch you later!" I called out, leaving her behind.

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration when I saw the security guard standing near the front entrance. How was I supposed to get out of here now? Damn it.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Adhaya. I needed a backup plan.

"Hello?"

I exhaled sharply. "Ugh, thank God you picked up!"

"What's wrong? I thought you were going home."

"Isn't it obvious? I'm stuck!" I snapped. She just chuckled softly on the other end.

I glanced around to make sure no one was watching me. The last thing I needed was to get caught trying to escape. "Hey! Stop laughing!"

"Fine, fine. You're lucky you're my best friend," she surrendered.

A small smile touched my lips. "How do I get out?"

"Where are you right now?"

"A few yards away from the main gate."

"Okay. From there, take a left. Keep walking straight until you see a huge oak tree. The wall right next to it is pretty low, so you can easily climb over."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Got it. I'll call you later," I said, hanging up. I immediately set off to find the tree.

I smirked when I finally spotted the oak tree. I thought Adhaya was pulling my leg, but she actually came through.

"Hey!"

I was just about to approach the wall when a voice called out behind me. Ugh, seriously?

I turned around and crossed my arms. "What?"

"Transfer student?" he asked, studying me.

I nodded. "What do you want?"

"You can't leave yet. Orientation isn't over."

I clicked my tongue and let out a sarcastic laugh. As I laughed, I took a good look at him. His slicked-back black hair perfectly framed his handsome, mischievous face. He had this annoying smirk that made me want to punch him right then and there. So irritating!

I stopped laughing, raised an eyebrow, and threw him a cold glare. "Why do you care?"

He chuckled, taking a step closer. I didn't back down, holding his gaze. "You're... interesting," he remarked.

I frowned. "Meaning?"

"Nothing," he answered playfully.

I heaved a sigh and turned my back on him. Whatever. He could talk to the tree.

"Hey, Miss!"

Another voice stopped me in my tracks. Damn it! Why is everyone in this school so nosey?

"Can you people just leave me alone and let me—You?!" I cut myself off, stunned when I recognized the newcomer.

"You know him?" the first guy asked.

"Shut up, Morris," the newcomer snapped.

He turned to face me, and I almost burst out laughing when I noticed his shirt was still hastily buttoned wrong. He had clearly rushed out of that room.

"And you," he cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "You can't leave."

I let out a fake laugh. "I can't?"

He nodded firmly. I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes.

"There are still two hours left before school ends," he added.

"Hey, Moore, I was talking to her first," the first guy complained, clearly annoyed.

Moore? Morris? What kind of names are those? Awful.

"I said shut the hell up, Morris," the guy named Moore barked.

"Look, I don't have time for your drama. Just let me leave so we can all get on with our day," I negotiated.

Moore sighed, then finally gave me a subtle nod. Thank God. At least one of them is reasonable.

"Hey! A rule is a rule, Moore! She can't just leave," Morris protested.

I pressed my lips together, trying to keep my temper in check.

"You're good to go, Miss Whoever-You-Are," Moore instructed me.

I shrugged and nodded. Easy enough.

"You're such a coward, Claude Moore," I heard Morris mutter behind me. I shook my head and started walking toward the wall. They could fight it out for all I cared.

I was suddenly cut off when a heavy arm draped over my shoulder. "What the hell?!"

I spun around to see Morris grinning down at me. I instantly shoved his arm off. "What is wrong with you?!"

"So, you know Moore's little secret, huh? I think you and I are going to get along just fine. I want to be friends," he said with a smirk.

"Whatever," I muttered before hoisting myself up onto the wall. Luckily, I was fairly tall. Though honestly, what kind of security wall was this? It looked like it was practically built for students to sneak out.

I was just about to jump down to the other side when his voice called out once more.

"Hey, rule breaker!"

I glanced back over my shoulder. "What?"

"Who are you?"

I let a slow smirk spread across my face before giving him my answer.

"Andriette."