The New Girl

2.

THE NEW GIRL

∞≠∞

It was the first day of school at Libangon National High, a public school located in one of the provinces in Southern Isla.

The school had been living for decades, shedding light on those students who cannot afford to go to expensive private schools in the city. As expected, enrolment for this year skyrocketed and the number of students doubled.

"Okay, settle down," teacher Greg instructed his new students.

He was a man in his thirties, charming, intelligent, and possessed a charismatic appeal. He was wearing his Monday uniform and his hair was fixed in a clean cut. The teacher wrote his name on the board then smiled to himself as he heard the students exchanged whispers among them.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. As you can see on the board, my name is Gregor Lopez, but you can just call me Teacher Greg or Sir Greg. I am your new adviser."

The students looked at him with eager eyes. He even noticed a couple of girls batting their lashes at him. With his chiseled jaw, long nose, and a pair of thick eyebrows, one cannot help but admire his masculinity.

Skimming through his list, he called their names one by one. Each student raised a hand as he checked their attendance.

"Quinto, Charlotte."

"That's me, Sir."

The teacher looked up and glanced at her. Charlotte stood up, flipped her hair, and blew him a kiss. But the teacher only flashed her a grim expression, discouraging the young lady. Slowly, she retreated to her seat and was gravely embarrassed and rejected.

"For our first activity—"

A knock on the door stopped Teacher Greg from speaking.

"Good morning, Sir,” greeted a middle-aged woman who was standing by the door. By the looks of it, the woman came from a well-to-do family, judging from the coat and the pair of earing she was wearing. In this area, it was not hard to identify those who had the money given that the place was just a small town. Everybody knew everybody.

"Good morning. What can I do for you, Ma'am?" Teacher Greg asked politely as he strode towards her. The room immediately erupted into a murmur.

"I'm Mrs. Rivera and this is my daughter. We were told that she's under your advisory."

Just then, a tall girl with pixie-cut hair emerged behind the lady. She was already wearing the school uniform of Libangon National High. Teacher Greg glanced at the girl, then they both stared at each other for a moment. The teacher was quite awestruck by the girl's demeanor. She didn’t flinch when he tried to burn her with his inviting glances.

'Funny how my heart flutters when I saw her,' he said in his mind. He immediately shook the idea away.

"So, you are the new student," he said. "It's good that you're finally here. I was informed beforehand."

The student pressed her lips together as she flashed a knowing look at her new teacher. Then her mother embraced her lightly.

"See you later, honey," said Mrs. Rivera as she kissed the girl on the forehead. Then she curtly extended her hand to the teacher. "I'll get going now. What may I call you, sir?"

"Sir Greg," he replied meekly, shaking Mrs. Rivera's hand. It felt soft and delicate under his grasp.

The new girl stared at her mom's back who’s already walking away from them. He, on the other hand, was still absentmindedly gawking at his new student. When she turned to look at him, she was flustered as to the way he is behaving. The rest of the students behind them were already getting restless as well as they talked in whispers, but Teacher Greg seemed to have lost his composure.

"S—Sir Shall I go inside now?" she squeaked, snapping him back to reality.

"Oh, of course. Come in," he said with a sense of embarrassment in his tone.

The girl followed as the teacher had led her in front. The students looked at her. Some of them flashed a smile while others gazed at her with disregard. Greg nodded at her and she nodded back. She politely stepped in front and immediately scanned the room with a friendly face.

"Hello everyone," she said in a small but clear voice.

The boys leaned on their desks as they stared at her. Teacher Greg guessed what’s on their minds. Perhaps they were thinking that this girl was one of the cutest girls they have ever seen in their entire lives. Her small round face complemented her blonde pixie cut and her school uniform emphasized her slender fire. Teacher Greg was thinking the same way.

"I'm Steffy Rivera, and I'm from Manila. I'm half Filipino and half Spanish. It's nice to meet y'all."

"She's half Spanish!" the boys remarked, still whispering among themselves. Just then, another boy who was taller than the rest raised his hand with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Yes?"

"I'm Brandon,” he said almost shyly. “You look so pretty."

The students erupted into hooting and giggling. Steffy flashed them a heart-melting smile.

"I'm just curious about why have you transferred here," Brandon continued.

"Well, my parents are assigned to this area and I have to go with them since I'm an only child."

"What are your parents' jobs?" another one asked.

"My dad and mom work as—"

"Are you smart enough?" the girl named Charlotte interjected. "Transferees like you shouldn't be in this section. This is Special Science Class. You need to take an exam to be admitted here."

Steffy's expression turned sour, and yet she politely replied, "I don't need to take the exam."

Charlotte scoffed, "Really? And do you think you’ve got what it takes to become a member of this elite section?”

Teacher Greg raised his eyebrow. 'What elite section is she talking about? There is no such thing as an elite section!'

The room was suddenly silent now. The teacher let them continue to see what the new girl would do.

"The school principal placed me in this section. I think, with that alone, you already know the answer."

Almost instantly, the room erupted into another loud cheering. Teacher Greg was not able to suppress his smirk.

"Who do you think you are?" Charlotte asked angrily.

"I told you I'm Steffy. And as you all know; I am a transferee."

"You're making it sound like I'm dumb!"

The teacher finally decided to step forward. "Okay, everyone, cat fight’s over. Charlotte, take your seat now, and Steffy, you sit beside—"

Upon scanning the room, he realized that there was no vacant seat anymore. Just then, two boys who were sitting at the back immediately volunteered to get Steffy a chair. Their kindness was returned with another sweet smile from her. Charlotte, on the other hand, sat back on her chair and was fuming with bitterness and anger.

∞≠∞

As Steffy stepped out of the school gate, she noticed the dark patches of clouds that were just forming above her. "Shit. It's going to rain," she mumbled as she lazily walked through the narrow pathway.

Her hands were tucked inside her pockets and her small leather bag dangled to her side. Just then, the ringing of her phone immediately caught her attention. She hastily fished it from her bag and brought the speaker to her ear.

"Hola, Papa. Yes. I'm finally here. I've already met the target. I’ve made an investigation earlier during lunch break and I found out that he was one of the most respected teachers in this school. I still had to get his schedule so I could—alright, I’ll stop talking now. I'll just send you an update soon. Yo también te quiero, Papá."

She constantly told him her 'I love yous' but her father was one cold-hearted man. Heaving a sigh, she dropped the call without getting an 'I love you too' from her father. She started walking again; the soles of her black school shoes created a sound on the cemented path.

"Fucking hell," she cursed under her breath as tiny droplets of rain poured onto her skin.

"Language, Miss Rivera."

Steffy was startled when a deep voice rang her ears. Teacher Greg was already walking towards her, carrying a black umbrella. Steffy stared at him with her mouth slightly opened. Her heart thumped wildly inside her chest. She didn’t want to admit it but the sight of Teacher Greg suddenly left her breathless. Before she knew it, he was already standing beside her.

"What are you doing, Sir?" the curious girl asked in a soft voice.

“It’s raining. I can see that you don't have an umbrella with you."

"I—I didn't expect for a rain, Sir."

"Neither did I,” the teacher replied with a lopsided grin. “But we should always be prepared. We don’t know what the future brings. Anyway, let me just walk you to that waiting shed as we wait for your—?”

“Dad,” she said. “I’m waiting for him.”

“Okay.”

They walked side by side as the rain started to pour heavily. Both of them were not saying a word, and yet, Steffy was fully aware of Teacher Greg's hand around her small shoulder. She felt uncomfortable, but the teacher seemed to think the opposite way.

“How long have you been standing behind me, Teacher Greg? Did you hear anything from the call I made?”

The teacher flashed her a side glance before answering. “No. Why do you ask? Are you afraid that I might hear what you and your boyfriend talked about on the phone?”

Steffy blushed at his straightforward remarks. “I don’t have a boyfriend,” she grumpily replied.

The teacher only laughed at her. “I was just teasing you, Miss Rivera.”

Steffy rolled her eyes. Then both of them fell silent.

"I've heard that your parents work as engineers," the teacher asked after a while. "They're building the new mall in the next town, aren't they?"

Steffy smirked. "For a teacher, Sir Greg. You sure know a lot."

"It's normal for an adviser to get curious about his or her students, especially the new ones," he retaliated.

"But sometimes, it's better not to meddle on someone's affair, Sir," countered Steffy.

"I'm not meddling. I'm just merely telling you what I know about you."

‘That’s not necessary!’ Steffy replied in her mind. She started to feel irritated with this encounter. "I didn't say you're meddling, Sir."

She heard him laugh again. It was clear that Mr. Lopez was becoming more amused by her every minute. She can’t stop herself from rolling her eyes. Upon reaching the waiting shed, Teacher Greg carefully closed his umbrella while Steffy dried her wet arms with a hanky.

"Thank you, Sir," she murmured politely.

"Don't mention it."

They stood underneath the roof of that small waiting shed as they stared at the pouring rain before them. Steffy looked around and noticed how the ground turned brownish and muddy. She cringed when she realized that not all parts of the school were cemented. Most of them were now swimming in mud and dirt.

Being raised by a billionaire father, she was not used to such an environment. As much as she wanted to complain about the mud that was sticking to her newly polished shoes, she cannot do that. No one should know her real identity, not even her teachers.

"So, your records tell me that you are 17 years old."

Steffy glanced at him and nodded. "Yes, I am."

Just a few nights ago, she celebrated her 18th birthday in the presence of the Alphas. But of course, she wasn’t telling him that. Her father was able to pull some strings to weave a new identity for her thus changing her name and her profile. It’s amazing how her father did that in just a flick of his fingers. Indeed, being a daughter of a multi-billionaire had its perks.

Just then, a fancy car pulled in front of them. The window rolled down and the face of a huge man emerged by the window. Steffy felt relieved.

"My dad is here,” she squealed as she sprinted towards the car. Steffy was already wet when she finally got inside.

"Thank you, Sir Greg. See you tomorrow," Steffy exclaimed from inside the car. The teacher smiled then nodded at Mr. Rivera. The latter closed the tinted window before the man drove away. Both of them watched Teacher Greg who was left standing underneath his umbrella, smiling to himself.

"That man likes you, señorita."

"Oh, come on, George. Shut up," she replied, rolling her eyes. George only chuckled.

"Stop chuckling, George. It's not funny."

Grunting, the big man beside her said in a now serious voice, "I'm sorry, señorita."

Feeling suddenly grumpy, she pushed a button in front of her, and almost instantly, the chair reclined on itself, transforming it into a comfortable bed. "Long day, George. Long day," she muttered underneath her breath as the huge man, who presented himself as her father, drove silently through the rain.