Chapter 2-First Day Funk? Not!
Leia arrived at the school gate of the Alderaanian Imperial Academy, and was elated when she found out that classes haven't started yet, for many students were still gathering in groups at the entrance. Joyful chatter and loud whispers could be heard all around, and she realized that it was in the school's culture not to start out early on the first day of classes. She hopped down her swoop bike and parked it nearby along with the other bikes, and ran excitedly. She hoped that she would meet her friends, and maybe, they will be classmates again, just like last year.
Upon entering the circular hall of the school, she spotted a crowd of students gathered around the bulletin board. At the other side was another bulletin board, on which were posted the different class schedules. Leia decided to go first to the first board to see what section she belonged to, and tried to force her way among the crowd. When she got there in front, she started looking for her name in the list of the third year sections, when she felt a hand placed on her shoulder.
"Your highness-ness!" A voice shouted behind her. Leia turned around and saw her friend, Xandara Pratt, who suddenly gave her a huge embrace. She was shocked with her, but nevertheless, she felt happy to see her again.
"Oh, Lelila, I'm so happy to see you again!" She gushed, all the while keeping her grip tighter while jumping as she embraced her.
"Ow, Xandara, I'm getting strangled!" Leia joked. "And please don't call me like that," she reminded her, as she didn't want people to think that she was given special treatment because of her royal status. In school, Leia was treated the same as anybody would treat an ordinary student.
"Sorry, friendship! But anyways, it's good to see you!"
"And so do you!" Both started to gush excitedly as they jumped, holding each other's hands. "It's been a while! How was your vacation?" Leia asked her.
"Nah, nothing exciting so far," Xandara said, sounding very bored. "I didn't traveled that much, and stayed at home most of the time to help my mom baby sit my younger brother. He's such a pain in the neck!"
"I feel sorry for you," Leia said sympathetically. "But Yuri's so cute, and I think he's adorable," she added. Leia thought of wanting a sibling, but with her mother dead for seven years and her father having no plans to marry again, it was less likely to happen.
"Just wait 'til he starts to become bratty!" Xandara exclaimed in apprehension. "By the way, Lelila, did you get to space-travel last summer?" she asked curiously. She knew Leia was rich enough to travel anytime she wanted to.
Leia shook her head and said, "Not that much, since dad was always attending some senatorial conference in Naboo, and he was always out. Except for one time, I was given a chance to visit Hoth and watch the rebels' training." At an early age, she was already being trained in handling the affairs of the Rebel Alliance, a group that fights against the Empire and its atrocities. She knew in her heart that one day, she too, would take the task of ruling it and having to deal with the Empire. It was her goal to fulfill the life long dream of her mothers'-both her adoptive and real mother- to liberate the galaxy from the Empire's clutches. And she made sure she would succeed in it.
"So, what did you see there?" Her friend asked her.
"Nothing, except some hailstorms and snow blowing all the time. And rebels always in combat." Leia paused for a moment and said, "What's your section this year, Xandy?" she asked.
"I'm in Section 3-B along with Roxie and Rhye! We get to be with each other again!" she gushed happily. Roxie Cabott and Rhye Xenon were their other friends. "What about you, Leia, are you with us?"
Leia turned to the list of names in the third year sections and patiently scanned for her name among the surnames starting with letter "O". "I'm not in section 3-B", she told Xandy.
"Let me search it for you, then," Xandy offered. She went beside her and looked for her name. "Organa, Leia..." she muttered while she slid her finger on the other section list. Leia crossed her fingers and secretly hoped that she would be in a good section this year.
Xandy then proceeded to search the list of 3-A. She immediately shifted her sights to the surnames beginning with the letter "O". Sure enough, she found it: Organa, Leia.
"Leia! You're in 3-A!" She exclaimed, and urged Leia to look at the list. Leia kind of zoomed in it and said sadly, "Oh great, another "star section". I'll have to work harder this year," she trailed off, and walked away from the bulletin board. Xandy followed her lead and said, "It's okay Leia. You're smart, so you can make it! And besides, even if we're not together, we can still hang out with each other at lunch."
"If we have the same schedule." She replied, her head down. She was filled with foreboding again, now that she's in a section without having any friends at all. "Come on, Xandy, let's get our schedules at the registrar's office."
Both walked and lined up in front of the registry, and after they announced which section they belonged to, the lady at the counter handed them a piece of card. Written on it were the schedules of classes.
"Hey!" Xandy said as she slapped Leia playfully on the back. "We have trigonometry and chemistry this year. Crap, I hate numbers and computations!" she exclaimed vehemently.
"And here's the nice part. We'll be studying Clone War History and Clone War Literature," Leia said, trying to sound unaffected with the thought of having to enter the classroom later on with a sea of unfamiliar faces in front of her.
"How come we're not going to study about the Republic and the Jedi Order?" Xandy whispered. "It seems pretty interesting."
"Have you forgotten the new rule that we're not supposed to learn those things because the Emperor said so?" Alderaanian Imperial Academy was a school run by the Empire, so anything that has to do with the Old Republic and Jedi Order were forbidden. In fact, students here are taught of things, which are more like Empire propaganda. This sucks for Leia, but she kept her true loyalties a secret.
"Hi Leia! Hi Xandy!" three female voices called out to them, which jolted them both out of their thoughts. They turned around and found Roxie, Rhye, and Winter, Leia's best friend, who waved at them energetically. The two girls met up with them in the hallway.
"So nice to meet you, guys!" All exclaimed at the same time.
"Leia, I've read that you're going to be in 3-A," Roxie told her.
"Yeah, right, and I don't have any friends with me at all," she answered.
"You're in 3-A?" Winter asked her, wide-eyed. "I'm in there too!"
"Really?" Leia asked her excitedly. The thought of having one friend with her made her feel less nervous.
"You won't be alone from now on, 'cause I'm going to be with you during lunch break!" Winter said excitedly.
"I forgot, 3-B's lunch break is third period, 11:30-12:30. After that comes 3-A, for one hour too," Rhye muses. "Too bad, we won't be sitting together in one table at the caf."
"That's what Lelila's so sad about," Xandy told her. She looked at the school clock, which was ten minutes before eight, and said, "Maybe we should be off by now."
"I guess you're right," Leia said, feeling bad that they won't be talking for a longer period of time. Before they separated ways, they told each other, "Good luck for this year!" and group-hugged.
Leia and Winter watched Xandy, Roxie, and Rhye go up the second floor to where the rooms were located, and soon, they too, started to follow suit.
"See you around," Rhye waved her hand before the three of them entered 3-B's classroom.
The two girls lingered for a while in the hall and waited for the bell to ring. Winter told Leia about something she'd been dying to tell her. "Leia," she whispered. "Don't be shocked, but the Tormentor's going to be in our class this year."
"What?" Leia asked, confused, as Winter's voice was drowned out by the noisy sound of students who chattered in the rooms and along the hallway.
"I said..." her voice was cut off by the shrill sound of the bell ringing, which signaled the start of classes. The students entered the classroom, and when they got inside, Leia found a place where she and Winter could talk discreetly without attracting too much attention.
As they sat down, Winter continued what she said. "The Tormentor's our classmate this year, Lelila. Bearwin Krugg."
"Bearwin Krugg?" Leia said under her breath in surprise. Bearwin Krugg was the much feared class bully in their batch. All who messed up with him were at the mercy of his feet, along with his cronies.
Leia gulped and said, "I'm sure he won't be noticing us," she assured Winter, even though she knew, deep down, she had something inside her that she knew would pique up his curiosity and bullying skills on her, that is, her princess status. But I won't allow that to happen, she told herself.
The class suddenly grew quiet, when they felt somebody's presence enter the room. To Leia's surprise, it was him. A tall, muscular, good-looking boy with half-shaved blonde hair and blue eyes marched inside the room, and the students sitting in their desks were silenced. Like a snake spotting its prey, Bearwin gazed at Leia and said in a loud voice, "Well, look who's here!" He cried out sarcastically. "Ms. Perfect Princess Leia is my classmate! Isn't it exciting to have a bratty princess for a classmate?" He asked aloud. The students gazed at him, some whispering to their seatmates, in fear. They sensed who'll be his next victim this year.
Leia was about to stand up to get back at him, but Winter prevented her from doing so. "Don't do that. Or else you'll get into trouble with him," she warned.
Bearwin walked towards her and said, "I'm so excited to be with you, Princess," he said obnoxiously while he pinched her cheek before he sat on his seat. Leia glared at him when his back was turned. She closed her fist in anger. Even the thought of Bearwin, just the thought of him, makes her blood boil, and she thought of all the mean things he and his friends did to those who messed up with him.
"Ignore him," Winter advised her, upon seeing Leia bury her face in her hands in agony. She lifted her head up and looked at Bearwin, who was standing nearby and tormenting a skinny, nerdy-looking boy with thick glasses.
"This will be my worst year ever," she said. "I'm his next victim."
"Be confident with yourself and act as if he doesn't exist."
"How could I, when I get to be with him everyday? Don't you know the things he does to girls? He hates girls, Winter! Especially a royal brat like me." At that moment, she felt resentful that she was born a princess. She knew how much Bearwin hated rich girls.
"If he fights you, I'll defend you," Winter said.
"Thanks, friend, I know you'll be there for me," Leia smiled weakly, as both locked their pinky fingers with each other as a gesture of friendship.
No first day funk for me this year, Leia thought in despair and anguish.
Will Leia survive junior year? Find out in the next chapters to come! RR please! Thank you!