8 years ago….

2006

Pressing the lead of the pencil on the paper in front of me, I drew a circle next to the letter "c", forming the word "co". As I looked at the word "co", in front of me, pain and soreness erupt within me like having thousands of daggers being stab into my heart.

Suddenly, waters battle to be escaped from my swirling dark brown chocolate eyes that struggle to not do the action of the word we all called, "cry". Currently, I am experiencing and suffering the emotions that I would normally describes as weepy and would use toward those who I call and describe as losers, feeling and sensing it arouse within me. I scrunched my thin black eyebrows together and closed my eyes fighting the urge to shed tears. Running and searching my right hand through my long black hair, I looked up and turned to face the seat to the right of me - empty seat, that is.

It had been empty and deserted for a week, after my best friend had moved away to the U.S, leaving me all alone in China. After the departure of Jessica Hsuan, I had lost my co-partner, co-captain, and co-friend. Now, without my best friend, I feel so empty and lonely inside like a dog that has been deserted by its master.

Without Jessica, nothing is the same anymore. Now, there isn't anyone out there to be by my side, there isn't anyone there that I could share everything within me to, and evermore, there isn't another soul or heart that I could trust with everything. Jessica is like a sister to me, even though she is only a friend. She is like another me, someone who would know me more than I would myself. I love Jessica like another member in my family and without her it feel so difficult to survive.

I give out a loud sigh and accidentally bang my forehead on the desk before me. Bad move! Everyone within the class shook their attention at me including my fat belly-shaking teacher, Mrs. Met.

Embarrassingly, I gave my classmates and teacher a fake sweet smile. Evilly, a sweet smile isn't enough for my teacher, is it? She just has to stand up from her seat, showing her large, fat belly. She frowned at me with her enormous fat lip like it was swollen (but it isn't- it is always fat like that). She tried to scrunch up her eyebrows, which she didn't really succeed, but in contrast what she created was making her tiny eyes smaller that what it already is. Looking at that, I just felt like laughing out loud. I bit my lip trying to control my manner.

"Gigi! What is the problem?" she asked, moving her fat lip.

I try giving her another fake sweet smile. She still just stood there frowning evilly at me. Think that she is so cool, huh? Oh gosh! It is the last that there is of her. I wonder how did her husband survive? I feel so sorry for him. Thinking about it…oh wow! He must be really squished when they were sleeping at night. Oh well, I guess he could always have a divorce… Who wouldn't? Well, it is none of my business…

"Gigi!" she called out, and did I mention, loudly?

Hey lady! I am not deaf, okay? Geez! Control your volume!

In respond, I just give her pretend confusing look.

"Who do you think you are, Ms. Lai?" she talked again.

Oh and that remind me…Hi there! Laugh out loud…I forgot to introduce myself. Silly me. Well, any way I am Gigi Lai, the one and only. But I believe that you notice that because my annoying teacher won't stop calling out my name…from my first name to my last… Anyway, I am proudly 15 years old (turning 16 in October! Yeah! Sweet sixteen! ). There are more about me, but I'll tell you on the way. As for right now, I have to deal with my overweight teacher.

"Ahem!" she tries to talk, again, with this wannabe attitude of hers.

For heaven's sake! When will she stop trying to be all highly and cool?

"Yes, Mrs. Met?" I finally answered her, giving her this really innocent look.

I think that she is really annoyed when I wasn't answering. Ha! That suites her! She so deserves that, since she is being so evil to me, The Gigi Lai.

"Mrs. Lai, who do you think you are to disturb my class like that?" she asked, with this lecturing voice.

Blablablablabla…well who do she think she is giving a lecture like that? Only my parents are allowed to give me lecture and no one else-especially not her. She think that she can out win me? Well I'll show her! If it is a game she wants to play, I'll play her a game, alright!

"Well, I believe that I am Gigi Lai who else, Mrs. Met? And I also so believe that I am a Ms. not a Mrs. Am I right, Mrs. Met? I didn't mean to disturb your class. I honestly didn't mean to do so. It is just an accident. My head got a little tired so it wanted to rest. I honestly told it to not to sleep but it just won't listen to me," I told her sarcastically, with a fake innocent frown.

The class broke down laughing. Proudly, I secretly pat myself.

I think that that also got her upset.

"Silence!" she roared at the class.

Oh, and did I ever mention that her roar is like a screeching sound. If she doesn't want to cause people to become deaf she gotta stop with those roars of hers. It is not only loud, but it is annoying too!

Well, guess what was my respond to that? To make matter worse I added.

"Mrs. Met, I honestly have to say that when something is funny one can't control their laughter. The class found it funny so they laughed. You can't expect them to be quiet when their body told them to laugh," I told her.

Oh, I believe that got her so mad! I just feel like laughing right now. I, Gigi Lai, had once again succeeded! Looking at her face I just feel like cracking up. Her face is fuming with boiling anger. It looks like a basketball but instead of orange, it is redder than that.

She opened her round and fat mouth but sadly for her, Gods are with me. Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnggggg…………………..! The phone rang. Hahahahahahahaha…..she can't even have a chance of scolding at me. She, grumpily, walked to the phone, shaking her belly from side to side. Maybe being fat isn't so bad… It makes people laugh….no…….. maybe it is bad….hahahahahahahaha………

Taking their chance, my classmates all sneakily give me thumbs ups or mouth a "good job" to me. I smiled at them and return them thumbs ups signs. Oh, I am so proud at myself. Once again, Gigi Lai had made another record! Go Gigi! Go Gigi! Go Gigi!

How I wish Jessica is with me right now… sigh I remember the times when we were in class together…I remember like it was yesterday…Maybe Jessica is a goody good girl so she wouldn't be saying these things to Mrs. Met, but when I do these things and get in trouble, Jessica would always be with me and defended me. I remember those time…it was all good…all good!

Well here my teacher is, returning to us from the talk on the phone. She opened her mouth…maybe to state something…or maybe to scold at me some more…I don't know and I am prepare for any outcome…

"Class, be good! I'll be in the office for a while and just work on the assignment that I had assigned," she said and walked out of the classroom.

Hmmm…. I wonder what that was about… One phone call and she is off to the office. Well lets just hope that she will be in trouble…that way the principle will be dealing with her instead of me and I will have less work to do! Yeah! Lets just keep it at that!

Well, do you think that I am the only one that dislikes her? If you did, oh you are so wrong… My whole classmates all dislike her. She is this stinky old hag that won't stop eating in class. She can't even teach. Not to say that I am this bright or smarty girl or anything but I am a straight A's student and would always get A's until I got to this class… Humph! I swear! Ever since I got in this class, I had learned nothing new in History! History used to be my most favorite class but now…Ugh! This teacher is messing up with my record and if I failed high school…Oh she is gonna pay! I am gonna choke her! I am gonna strangle her! I am gonna make her SUFFER! Hahahahahahahaha! Muhuahuahuahahahahahahaha! I'll show her to not to mess with Gigi Lai!

"Hey Gigi!" someone called out my name, loudly, to be heard of the chaos in the classroom right now.

Oh yes, it is chaos. If you think that everyone obediently listens and worked on the stupid assigned project, you are so wrong again. Like I said, everyone in this class dislike her and if they get a chance they will disobey her anytime…the only reason you find me the only one being able to argue with her because I am the only one brave enough to do so… Trust me… it is all chaos right now…paper airplane flew across the room. Guys singing off tune in the center of the class – well maybe it is only Ryan singing but still. Girls dancing. And of course how could we miss… alike in every high school classroom…guys and gals flirting with each other.

Well anyway, I lazily turned around to see who in the world would be calling out my name. Surprisingly, it is the new student girl, Tavia Yeung. It seems like she is the kind that barely talks and I hadn't heard a word from her before beside that first day in school when she just came in class and introduce herself. I like this girl though, very sweet and cute, even though I barely know her.

She walked to me and tuck in her shiny black hair behind her right ear. She smiled at me as she walked. Strange…I, confusingly, have no clue on what is going on. All of a sudden, I find her bending down next to me and opened her mouth.

"Great job," she complimented.

It took me awhile to comprehend what she was saying. Then I realized, and returned her a smile. What else could it be? I had successfully handle Mrs. Met.

"Well, thanks," I responded, still wondering why would she be talking to me.

She returns me with a very cute smile of hers. And no, she is not faking it because I could sense that it was a true and honest smile. Now, that I realized her smile is pretty cute! I am starting to like this girl very much - even though it is just now that I am starting to know her.

I think that we could become very good friends and even if she can't replace Jessica in my heart, she might take the same amount of love from me. After all, my heart is very big and I would always welcome a new friend.

"Umm… Gigi," she began and I gave her encourage look to go on. "I was wondering if you…well you know that I am a new student…well I just came yesterday right?" she said and I nodded.

Oh yeah…I forgot to tell you…the day that she just came was yesterday… So I believe that it makes sense that I don't really know her…silly me…

"Well… I don't really have any friends and…" she tried.

Oh okay. So I see where this conversation was going. Wow! This girl is really straight! But I like it that way. I would rather to be friends with someone who is open than someone who barely say anything.

"Great! It would definitely be an honor to have you as a friend," I cut her off. Seriously, I had been having a really good impression of her since she came in the school and been looking forward to meet a new friend (even though Jessica will still and forever be in my heart). "Can you come over my house after school?" she nodded. "Great! You could come over to my house!"

She smiled brightly at me and I returned it. Well, there it is. I had met a new friend.

Just then Alex shouted out.

"Class! Quiet!" he yelled. And no. It's not because he is a goody good guy or anything. It's because he had heard the teacher coming our way. Trust me. This guy has good ears. "Mrs. Met is coming!"

With that everyone rushed back to their desk and pretend working on their assignment. Hahahahahaha… just like magic, huh?

Well at that moment, my fat teacher walked in the classroom and of course is shaking her belly. She walked to her desk and sat on her chair breathing in and out. I think that she must be so tired of all those walking from the office to here! Laugh out loud!

Finally she got her breath back and began to open her mouth.

"Class! Listen up!" she called out to catch the class's attention. "I know that we just have a new student yesterday, but Mr. Leigh had told me that we will having another new student tomorrow."

With that everyone mumble something under his or her breaths. I too was surprise. Wow! Another student?