Gorgeous Geek Chapter XXXIII: The Jin Song Phenomenon

Chapter XXXIII: The Jin Song Phenomenon

Early that morning, Tiffany went to the journalism room to continue her work. She was not the only person who decided to come extra early today. Grim was busy with a red pen with his article. Out of everyone on the team, Tiffany considered Grim the most valuable of the seniors. He was the only one with his own column in the Hitching Post after all. Everyone loves anything he write about from satire to gossip. Good morning Grim. Good morning, Chief. Sitting down in her seat, Tiffany took out all her paperwork and placed them neatly on her table. Then, she placed them into piles of what she considered finished or unfinished work. She drank her tea while she checked over the unfinished work to see what she needed to do. Grim sighed loudly, which gained her attention. How did it go with Roselle yesterday? asked Tiffany, not removing her eyes from her papers. Okay I suppose? said Grim, shrugging. He smiled at Tiffany's concerned face. Actually, it turned out to be very bizarre. Bizarre? repeated Tiffany with wide eyes. Not the best adjective around. Roselle seems to be more popular than I imagine her to be, said Grim, chuckling weakly and throwing his head back. Your neighbor and the most popular boy in school were at her house, doing who knows what! Jin? asked Tiffany in complete surprise. He's not really a friend of hers... Not like he'll tell you who he meets up, said Grim, grimacing. Did he tell you about the Frida incident? Tiffany was speechless as she lowered her eyes. I don't think so. I saw him there with my own eyes so- I get it, said Tiffany, annoyed. You don't have to be so defensive, Grim. I am only refuting your words with logic. Okay then, said Tiffany, lifting a brow. Then at least tell me why it's bizarre. You really like information don't you? asked Grim, amused. He picked up his head and stared at her. At least this time, I want to tell you the whole scoop. Listen closely, Tiffany. Grim smiled pleasantly. Roselle is dating Jordan Greene. You're happy now aren't you? You have better eyes than me at catching these things. Wow, said Tiffany, stunned. Then, she remembered something. Why are you so happy then? Shouldn't you be depressed? I'm not happy, said Grim, gasping. I'm delighted. Delighted? asked Tiffany, confused. My God. Why?

I've always wanted Roselle to date Jordan, said Grim, taking off his glasses and wiping them quickly. Once she's done with him, it's time for me to make my move. I was beginning to think that he'll never date her and that my plan will never be put into motion before graduation. I am so thankful for Jordan right now. Interesting, said Tiffany, stacking a couple of papers on the completed pile now. Is it really love when you calculate how you can be with someone? It is not about being love or not, said Grim, narrowing his eyes at her. It is about being smart. Do you ask someone out when they're dating someone else? No. Do you ask someone out when they're about to take SAT's or AP's? No. You have to time these kinds of things, Tiffany. Don't you know that getting a boyfriend or girlfriend is half timing and half luck? That is why you have to make careful calculations because seconds chances are almost unheard of. You make it sound so complicated, said Tiffany, shaking her head. You don't have to worry about it because your chances are zero right now. Tiffany glared at Grim. Thanks for that. I'm done with my Jin article, said Grim happily, holding up his papers. Tiffany refused to move from her spot. Curiously, Grim placed his glasses back on and went up to her, placing the paper on top of the completed pile. Jin is the hottest thing right now. Even the Hitching Post must make use of his publicity. Tiffany waited until Grim left the room before she said, I... don't like it. ****************************************** That morning, when Rin left the house on her way to Jazz Band, she noticed that Kristian was busy checking his cell phone while leaning against his car like always. Already, there was something about him that felt different than usual. Rin frowned. How should she face him today after what happened last night? He practically played her to sleep since she woke up in the early hours of the morning with the cell phone still across from her. Of course then, she went back to studying. Good morning, greeted Kristian first. Morning, said Rin awkwardly. Since I'm going to die by your hands today, said Kristian in a solemn voice, surprising Rin. At least allow me to tell you that the past week or so have been fun. I know we have our fights but we always manage to stick together by the end of the day. Rin gaped at him. What are you talking about? I also prefer a painless method of dying, said Kristian in a serious tone with his eyes gazing at her. Tell my parents I love them too. I'm not going to kill you Kristian, said Rin, sighing. Then I prepared my will and my death speech for nothing? At Kristian's question, Rin allowed a quick laugh. Dead people can't walk me to Jazz Band can they? Happy now, Kristian embraced Rin tight after she came up to him. He

brushed her hair before he helped her carry her instrument and books to the Jazz Band room. Because of their morning chat, they came later than usual so they hurried inside the storage room where Rin had to ready her instrument and grab her sheet music. Kristian watched her fumbled for a bit before he reached up for his. Then, he noticed that she was about to leave the room in a hurry with her music so he grabbed her arm. Hold your horses, Rin-chan, said Kristian, licking his lips at her. Where is my kiss of the day? What kiss of the day? asked Rin, annoyed that even though they came late, Kristian was still as carefree as ever. We never agreed on this! There's a need for an agreement when we're dating? We have an agreement about sleeping over at my house remember? It's the same. About that, you need to sleep over at my house this weekend, said Kristian, forcing Rin against the nearest wall with that smirk still on his face. Since I don't want to stay away from my parents this weekend. They're leaving after next week so... Rin reddened. Definitely not! That's not part of the deal! What's the matter? asked Kristian, making a puppy face. You slept over once. I was stupid then, said Rin, flushing even more. What will your parents think of me if I sleep over at your house? My parents are cool. They won't judge you. That's not the point! Suddenly, the door bang open to reveal Edwin with glaring eyes. Rin quickly pushed Kristian off her because it looked like he was holding her up against the wall. However, Edwin had already saw and was now furious at them. Kristian tried to give Edwin the most innocent look possible. What the hell are you two doing? cried Edwin, coming up to them. Rin Hamada, why are you so stupid for our valedictorian? Rin glared at Edwin now. Isn't it obvious that Kristian doesn't need to go in this storage room in the first place? He already memorized all his music sheets! Captain Obvious indeed, said Kristian back to Edwin. Obviously, I'm using this precious five minute time in the storage room with Rin-chan to have sex. With my skills, there's no need for more than five minutes. Kristian! shrieked Rin, hitting him with her music folder. Edwin reddened and turned his back on them. You're so stupid, Rin Hamada! Dating someone like that! Man, said Kristian once Edwin slammed the door behind him. That boy has a serious case with you. He can't take a joke at all when it comes to you. And- Kristian grabbed Rin's arm and lifted it up high. Would you stop hitting me now? You're awful! said Rin tearfully, smacking him with her other free hand instead. And why do you keep insisting that Edwin likes me? It's a horrible joke! Sadly, it's not a joke, said Kristian, sighing. Why do I have to take on

all these boys? It's annoying as fuck. Then, Kristian paused and looked at Rin curiously. Hey Rin-chan, how about we make a bet to prove that I'm right then? About what? asked Rin, annoyed. Whether Edwin likes you or not. Thinking about it, Rin shook her head. Impossible. Then you have nothing to lose, said Kristian with a playful smile on his lips. Fine, I don't care anymore, said Rin, wrapping her arms in front of her chest. What is the bet, Mister Know-It-All? You just need to straight out tell Edwin that you like him, said Kristian, looking down at his music folder in interest. If he reacts violently, he obviously likes you. He'll probably blush and run off in denial. If he thinks you're stupid for even saying that to him and is calm about it, he doesn't like you. How about it? If I win, said Rin, determined. You are never ever allow to make perverted jokes about me or any other girl in the proximity of me. Cool. As for me, said Kristian, licking his lips. You have to wear a skirt or a dress at least three days a week, two of which has to be school days. Hesitant at first, Rin grabbed his hand and shook it. You got yourself a bet. ************************************** "Wake up sleepyhead!" At the sound of a girl, Jordan groaned in his sleep and stretched. He felt the sunlight in his eyes as he struggled to wake up from his slumber. The first thought that entered his mind of course was someone was sitting on top of him and that person didn't weigh very much. Sleepily, Jordan wished to go back to his dream land. "Wake up! Wake up already!" Smiling smugly, Jordan muttered, "Only if you kiss me-" Jordan's eyes widened as he bolted up to a sitting position and touched his lips. Roselle glared at him. She was still on top of him. "What did you do Roselle?" Roselle held up the history book that Jordan never touched. "This." "Yuck," said Jordan, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. "What the fuck?" "You are such a baby," said Roselle, jumping off his stomach and standing up straight. "You said you'll help me with my writing so you better wake up and get dressed already Jordan! I don't have all day you know!" Groaning, Jordan threw his head back and collapsed back on the bed. "Fine... what time is it though?" "Six o'clock." "Six?" Roselle laughed as Jordan checked his alarm clock to make sure. Indeed, it was five minutes after six o'clock. Jordan had never woke up this early in his life. He felt slightly dizzy. Still, he noticed the grumpy yet dangerous look on Roselle's face so he sighed and sat up straight. It was best not to upset her this

early. Watching him carefully, Roselle placed her hands on her hips and nodded as he slouched to his dresser to wear clothes. He had been walking around in his boxers. "How did you manage to get in anyways?" asked Jordan with a yawn. "Your mom let me in through the front door." Jordan shook his head slowly. "My mom doesn't live with me." "Then who was that redhead?" Wearing a shirt on, Jordan sat down on his bed and answered, "My sister." "Your sister?" asked Roselle in complete surprise. "She's so old though!" "Yeah," said Jordan, pulling up a pair of jeans. "She's fifteen years older than me." "No way," said Roselle, coming up to Jordan with wide eyes. "No way!" "My mom was actually forty-five when she had me," said Jordan in a careless tone. Roselle blinked curiously at this. "Both my parents retire early so they're going on this cruise around the world so I haven't seen them in two years already." "So your sister raises you?" asked Roselle, tilting her head. "Yeah," said Jordan with a firm nod. "I mean she is thirty-two after all." While Jordan went around his room to get ready, Roselle pondered on this further quietly to herself. She could hear Jordan's sister humming from downstairs. Roselle frowned and turned to Jordan who was now combing his hair. "What does your sister do?" asked Roselle out of curiosity. Jordan gazed at her. "She's an English teacher at a different high school." "An English teacher?" asked Roselle in amazement. "That explains a lot of things." "It does, doesn't it?" asked Jordan after a quick chuckle. "She's married too. But he's not home right now so yeah, that's basically it. Any more questions, Roselle?" "Why do you suck so much at English then?" asked Roselle mercilessly. Jordan frowned at her. "I don't know." "No, you do know," said Roselle, pouting. "You sleep through in-class essays that's why. You shouldn't do that. You're barely passing the class as it is." "It's only been two weeks," said Jordan in a whiny voice. "I know but it's been like this for two years already," said Roselle sternly and defensively. "You're actually pretty good at English, Jordan. Maybe you should try harder." "And look like a nerd? No thank you." Rolling her eyes, Roselle walked around his room. Jordan was not a very clean person she noticed. He had a lot of random magazines all over the floor and he had piles of dirty clothes thrown in the corner of his room. She noticed that he had a dictionary on the dresser near his bed. On his desk, he had a gray laptop and a lot of old newspapers stacked up. Checking the newspapers, Roselle noticed that he filled in crossword puzzles and highlighted various words.

"Why don't you go to the high school your sister works at?" asked Roselle suddenly, placing down the newspapers. "No one does that," said Jordan, indicating at the bathroom in his bedroom. They went to it together. "Would you go to the same high school your mom works at?" "No! That would suck!" cried Roselle bluntly. "Exactly," said Jordan, entering the bathroom and leaving the door halfopen. "It's no different with a way older sister." "Your sister doesn't look like you," said Roselle, leaning against the wall. "Thanks for the reminder," said Jordan before he started brushing his teeth. Roselle checked the watch. He was taking too long. "And I thought girls are supposed to be slow at this. I guess pretty boys take as much time to dress for school." After brushing and flossing his teeth, Jordan took his time with washing his face and adding sunscreen on his white skin. He could hear Roselle crying out loud how she was bored waiting for him. He simply shook his head and went on with his daily routine. At last, he left the bathroom with her and headed downstairs to eat breakfast. Since Roselle already ate, she simply sat there and watched him pour himself cereal. "Your sister's gone," said Roselle, observing the sparkling white kitchen. "On time as always," said Jordan, removing a carton of milk from the refrigerator. "She's probably surprised to see you seeking me out this early in the morning." "Why?" asked Roselle innocently. "I don't usually invite girlfriends over to my house." Wriggling her nose, Roselle thought about it and said, "That's unusual for a popular pretty boy like you." "Thanks," said Jordan wearily. "I don't want them to talk to my family that's all." "I see," said Roselle, playing with a funny-looking spoon she found. "Just letting you know, I don't really know what couples are supposed to do on dates or anything." Roselle narrowed her eyes at him when he started laughing under his breath at her. "But I do know that you have to help me out with my writing!" "I know," said Jordan, pouring the milk carefully into his bowl of cereal. "But since you're my girlfriend, it's a given that I can hold your hands and kiss you. I hope you do know that, right Roselle?" Roselle blushed. "No! I don't know! But-" Roselle shrugged. "I don't care anyways!" "Seriously," said Jordan, returning to the refrigerator with the milk. "I can always get an honest answer out of you. It's kind of... nice. Girls like to hold secrets for whatever reason. It's a girl thing to do." "Now, that's just stereotyping," said Roselle stubbornly, wrapping her arms in front of her chest. Jordan was busy stirring his cereal now. "I don't like to lie or keep secrets because I get confused! If I tell a lie, I need to keep track of it! If I keep a secret, I need to make sure I don't say anything! It's just too

much work." "Is that really your reasoning for it?" asked Jordan, lifting a brow. "That's not all," said Roselle quickly. "I have problems holding back. I have no self-control whatsoever. Whatever I think comes out of my mouth." "I can tell," said Jordan, eating his cereal quickly in between talking. "Does this apply to when you're-" Jordan grinned. He might make use of Roselle's blatant honesty. "-horny?" "Psh," said Roselle, annoyed. "I read trashy romance novels. Sue me." "You read instead of watch sex?" asked Jordan, amazed. "What's wrong with that?" asked Roselle in a demanding voice. Jordan had to finish up his cereal. "Those books have such flowery writing that it makes me laugh every time!" "So you can write it if you want to?" asked Jordan, interested. "I actually can't write it," said Roselle admittedly. "I probably need to experience it first before I can write it. I don't want to write books devoted to sex but if I ever need to write a single scene or two, I need to know how." "Kristian will be happy to know you're a virgin," said Jordan out of jest. "Forget Kristian," said Roselle, rolling her eyes. "That's what you're here for right?" Jordan was about to get up to place his bowl inside the dishwasher when he heard her question. "Hey. What is that supposed to mean?" "It's exactly what it sounds like!" said Roselle, getting up and staring at Jordan. "Kids don't date out of love nowadays! They're dating to have sex right? You don't think I know what my classmates are doing?" Jordan successfully placed his bowl down. "Not everyone is doing it though. That's just a myth." "Well, half then," said Roselle, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "You're in the guilty half aren't you?" "Are you expecting an honest response from me?" asked Jordan, turning on the facet to wash the bowl quickly. Roselle nodded firmly at him. "Yeah. I'm Jordan Greene. What do you expect? I've been with Vic for years now. What else do we do when we're bored?" "Boys are all the same," said Roselle, shrugging. Jordan ignored her and washed the soap away. "Well, at least, I can count on you when the time comes! You'll be ready then!" Jordan finished his job and dried his hands. "Why does it sound like you have everything all planned out already?" "That's what good writers do," said Roselle in a deadpan tone. Then, she beamed at him. "Let's hurry to school. I want some help with my writing today." "So early," said Jordan, complaining still. After a quick glare from Roselle, he gave in. They went back upstairs. "What time does Jin usually go to school? Do you know?" "How am I supposed to know?" asked Roselle, irritated. Jordan shrugged innocently. "However, I do recall that he takes the subway to school nowadays so he's probably there at least half an hour before the bell rings." "Maybe I can get him to keep me company," said Jordan, grabbing a hold

of his backpack and leaving the room quickly. "I don't want to just read and correct you know." "If he's there, fine," said Roselle, motioning Jordan to hurry. They went down the stairs as fast as possible. "I know you and Jin talk a lot in tennis but never this much outside of sixth period. I'm actually surprise you two even care about each other at all." "Yeah..." said Jordan lamely. "Well, he gives the best massages!" "Even better than me?" asked Roselle, pouting. "He has those strong, video game-driven hands," said Jordan when he noticed the surprise look on Roselle's face. Jordan shook his head and wore his shoes quickly. "Forget I said that! Should I drive or you?" "I'll drive," said Roselle immediately. "I don't trust your driving skills at all!" "That's what everyone says," said Jordan, shrugging it off and closing the door behind him. Roselle and he went straight to Roselle's car, which turned out to be a red, old Toyota. "Are you sure about this?" "I don't care how cool your car looks," said Roselle, glancing over at his brand new, white Lexus. "Mine is better!" "You're so lying," said Jordan, narrowing his eyes at her. Roselle wrapped her arms in front of her chest. "I'm not. Your car is too flashy." "Okay then," said Jordan, not wanting to pick a fight with Roselle about something so trivial. He sat down in the passenger's seat. "This is embarrassing. I should be driving you, not the other way around." Roselle scowled. "It doesn't matter who drives who!" "How many couples do you know where the girl drives the guy to school?" "I don't know! Let's just go already!" ******************************************************* "Way to cut someone off dickhead!" The Korean stud sitting in the passenger seat glanced sideways at his girlfriend who was trying her hardest to keep her hands on the wheel. Today was an especially foggy day so Sidney and Sherry had to stop their early hike early to head for school. Right now, they were on the freeway. Like always, Sherry was driving her monster truck with Sidney as her passenger. He was already used to her mild road rage. "The science team test is next week," said Sidney absentmindedly. Sherry nodded happily. "I can't wait!" "I don't know how the hell it happened but," said Sidney, sighing. "Our team has been reduced to this many members. Most other high school have teams of twenty students at least. How many do we have?" "There's us, the twins, Arav, Rin Hamada, Lydia, and Adrian if he can make room on his busy schedule," said Sherry, counting in her head. She managed to stop in time before another car cut her off. "Thanks for that jack ass! Learn how to drive!" "Thirteen or twelve more members," said Sidney, frowning. "This is going to be tough. Can you convince one of your friends to join the science team?"

"Maybe Odette will join if Kristian joins?" asked Sherry hopefully. Sidney lifted a brow. "And bring the drama to our club? No thanks." "I don't see why you're worried, Sid," said Sherry, concentrating on her driving and trying hard not to lose her temper. "Didn't a ton of girls show up for the first meeting?" "I realized a flaw in my plans," said Sidney, stretching. "Once those girls find out I already have a girlfriend, they'll leave the team immediately." "You should have thought of that from the beginning then," said Sherry, annoyed. "Sorry, babe," said Sidney with a sparkling smile. Sherry pouted and mentally let him off the hook. "To make up for it, I'll do everything in my power to help the science team. I won't let anything happen to our team because without it, I wouldn't have met you." Sherry used her right hand to punch him lightly in the shoulder. "Stop it stupid Sidney." She was about to drive off the freeway when another car cut her off illegally this time. "Fuck! Are you so lazy that you can't even put on your fucking blinkers, you moron?" At her words, Sidney held back his laughter. "Maybe if we can convince Jin Song to join the science team, a lot of other people will follow suit." "Huh," said Sherry at the suggestion. They were waiting for the light to turn green so she could make a left turn. "Thanks a lot, Mister Light! Can you let me go now?" "What do you think of that idea?" asked Sidney quickly before Sherry went on. "The Jin Song Phenomenon huh?" asked Sherry thoughtfully. "Yeah," said Sidney with a pleasant smile. "It seems that whatever Jin does now, people will follow suit. I wonder really. How did he do it within two days? It's a miracle." "That's easy," said Sherry, glaring at the red light with all her might. "Jin's the underdog. Everyone loves to support the underdog right?" Now, Sidney really burst out laughing. "Jin's a dog? What a funny mental image!" Right after the light turned green, Sherry finally honked her horn loudly twice. "Are these people blind or something? The fucking light turned fucking green! Move it or lose your damn bumper dumb ass!" "Oh look," said Sidney, sitting up straight and staring out the window. "I see Jin Song!" That morning, Jin and Jezebelle stood out even more than normal. Jin was dressed in a casual pink and black look from top to bottom with his hair gelled back slightly. As for Jezebelle, she was wearing shiny hot pink top with a matching black skirt. They were waiting for the cross light with everyone's eyes on them. "Hey Jin!" greeted the football team from inside the coffeehouse. "Hey," said Jin, waving back at them. "Yo Jin Song!" greeted the Hispanics who were hanging on the other corner of the street. "What's up man"

"What's up?" asked Jin, greeting them back from across the streets. "Looking fine there Jin," said the cheerleaders, passing by in order to sit with the football players. "Good morning." "Good morning to you guys too," said Jin happily. "Nice weather no?" asked a couple of girls from the soccer team, who were waiting for the light with Jin and Jezebelle. Jin noticed they were looking expectedly at him. "I like foggy weather," said Jin in response, slightly surprised they were talking to him as well. Jezebelle was busy checking her fingernails to give him any response. Instead, Jin smiled at her and indicated at her low-cut pink shirt. "Hey Fi. Don't you think that shirt is inappropriate for school?" "I don't give a fuck," said Jezebelle automatically, still checking her perfect fingernails. "It's the only pink shirt that isn't lame." "I see," said Jin, smiling weakly. "Why do you sound mad?" "I'm pissed off for many reasons," said Jezebelle through gritted teeth. "Most of which don't involve you so fuck off." "I wonder if it's really okay to leave Frida with another friend to drive her..." said Jin mindlessly, thinking of the Hispanic girl. "Why would she give up a ride to take the subway with us?" asked Jezebelle bitterly, crossing the street with Jin now. "To see you? Yeah right, cranberry juice." "You're right," said Jin with a sigh. "Frida alone decides what she wants to do." "Damn straight," said Jezebelle, rolling her eyes. "This is weird though," said Jin, glancing about to notice that everyone was staring at him. "Why is everyone talking to me today?" "Obviously, it's the Jin Song Phenomenon," said Jezebelle, checking her hair now. "Jin Song Phenomenon?" asked Jin, clueless. "Do you go on the web ever?" asked Jezebelle in dismay. "Grim wrote an article on his blog about you. He's calling you the 'Gorgeous Geek' and that the sweep that is taking over the school is called the 'Jin Song Phenomenon'." "I didn't know Grim owns a blog," said Jin, blinking. "That's because you don't think of anything besides your family and video games!" "You do have a point there," said Jin, not denying anything. "What do I do?" "Well, first of all," said Jezebelle, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. They made it to the other side of the street now. "Can you take care of your groupies first? They've been following us for two blocks now." "Groupies?" asked Jin, turning around to meet the eyes of an excited Lexi. Jin smiled weakly at her as she beamed at him. "Hey there Lexi. How are you?" "Hi Jin!" said Lexi in her usual manner. "I'm fine thank you!" "You suck," said Jezebelle, pushing Jin aside and placing her hands on her hips in front of Lexi. "You and those girls behind you. Why the hell are you

following us?" "What's with you Jezebelle?" asked Lexi, pouting. "I hate stalkers," said Jezebelle, rolling her eyes. "Explain yourself or get lost!" "It's not like we're stalking you," said Lexi in a mocking voice. Then, she smiled brightly at Jin. "We're the Geek Squad. We're like Jin's personal harem." "Told you," said Jezebelle, glaring at Jin. "They're your groupies." "You keep saying that," said Jin, frowning. "I don't even know what that is!" "You're useless," said Jezebelle through gritted teeth at Jin. "They're basically your fans, your followers. You can at least acknowledge they exist since they're obviously standing right in front of you in broad daylight, waffles." Nodding in agreement, Jin went up to Lexi and the four girls behind Lexi. The first thing Jin noticed was that two of the girls were actually on the Junior Varsity tennis team while the other two were around yesterday with Lexi cheering him on in between games. Feeling a bit nervous around these younger girls, Jin tried his hardest to smile pleasantly. "I really don't like this idea of groupies," said Jin honestly, pocketing his hands. Jezebelle rolled her eyes at him from behind. "So, let's just all be friends okay? I know Lexi's name but I don't know anyone else's." "My name is Naomi Guani," said the Filipino girl right next to Lexi. She had slightly fluffy, long hair similar to Xuan Lan's, but pulled mostly to the left. She was extremely pretty for a freshman girl and had a bright, charming smile. "Nice to meet you Jin!" Next was a Korean girl with very short, bright red hair. She was practically shaking when shaking Jin's hand. "I have a Korean name but everyone calls me Peppy!" "Peppy?" repeated Jin with sparkling eyes. "Your name is beautiful!" "Thank you!" said Peppy, blushing brightly. "Just to let you know," said Jezebelle, intervening in their happy moment. "His former PSP was named Peppy so you shouldn't rejoice yet." "Was?" stuttered Jin. "What happen to Peppy?" "Peppy is now Jezebelle the fourth," said Jezebelle proudly, laughing diabolically. "How evil," said Jin, frowning. He remembered the human Peppy so he turned back to her. "Seriously, you have an amazing name! I'm glad you picked such an awesome nickname!" Even though Peppy was about to say something, a Taiwanese girl with super straight and long hair along with bangs interrupted and introduced herself as, "Lizette Hwang. Nice to meet you, Jin Song." "Nice to meet you too," said Jin in reply. Last but not least, the timid girl in the back with short, black hair came up to Jin. She had her eyes on the ground as she said softly, "Mary Lou Martinez." "I'm glad to have met you all," said Jin, nodding. "So... er... what are you guys supposed to do?"

"We just follow you," said Lexi for the other girls. "Isn't that boring?" asked Jin, confused, scratching his head. All the girls shook their happy with smiles on their faces. Jezebelle looked like she wanted to throw up somewhere. "Different question then. Do all five of you follow me all day?" "Nope!" said Lexi, excited. She handed Jin a piece of pink paper. "We have schedules and everything! Some of us take lunch. Some of us take nutrient. Some of us take morning or after school. Some of us take Mondays. Some of us take-" "We get the idea," said Jezebelle, snatching the paper from Jin. "Scary. Truly scary." "If that's all, we'll follow you without bothering you," said Lexi happily, turning around to the other girls who all agreed quickly. Jin scratched his head still, not knowing what to do. "You won't even know we're here half the time!" "That's not good then," said Jin, upset. The girls look surprised. "No one is allowed to look invisible. If you want to talk to me, please talk to me. If you have any questions, please ask! I am an upperclassmen. There's probably a couple of things I can do to help..." "Oh my God," said Lizette, grabbing Lexi's right arm and jumping. "He's as nice as the rumors say! He's also very open-minded!" "A super duper nice guy!" cried Naomi loudly. "So they do exist." "You weren't lying to us, Lexi," said Peppy in awe and shock. Mary Lou simply nodded. "It's... nice." "Er..." said Jin, feeling awkward. Before he could say anything, he felt a hand on his shoulder so he jumped slightly, only to turn around to find Jordan. "Hey Jordan! Good morning! You're early today!" "Yes, yes," said Jordan, waving it off. "Usually, you come to school five minutes before the bell rings," said Jin, laughing. Jordan lifted a brow. "How come you know what time I come to school?" "Well, that must be why you're late half the time right?" asked Jin, feeling awkward. "Right," said Jordan, not convinced. However, he let that go as he indicated at the girls who were watching Jin's every move. "I didn't know you have groupies, my bud Jin." "How come everyone know what they are except me?" asked Jin in exasperation. "That's because you've been living under a rock with your video games," said Jordan, glancing at Jezebelle who agreed with a snort. "This is new though. You're probably the first, taken guy with groupies." "What?" asked Jin, lost. "Knowing you," said Jezebelle, giving Jordan a suspicious look. "You probably had them before am I right?" "Absolutely," said Jordan, winking. "It's marvelous!" "What happen to them?" asked Jin curiously. Shrugging, Jordan answered, "They left once I had a girlfriend and came

back occasionally when I'm single again. They still watch me during my tennis and basketball matches though." "Stupid Wendy," said Jezebelle under her breath. "She was probably in it." Jordan noticed that Jin's groupies were whispering among themselves about how good-looking Jordan was up in person, but Jordan ignored them and only kept his eyes on Jin. They finally arrived at the front of the school after some delay. Placing an arm over Jin's shoulder, Jordan said smoothly, "But seriously, you're the first guy I know who has his groupies even though you already have a given. Sweet man." "I really don't see what the appeal is," said Jin bluntly. "But okay, I'll take your word for it, Jordan. Why are you here so early anyways?" Groaning, Jordan left Jin's side and went up to Roselle, who was busy sitting at the front of the school while reading a book to herself. Jin and Jezebelle watched as Jordan went up to her and said something, only to receive a kick against his legs. Now, Jin watched as Jordan moaned and groaned about the pain. At last, Roselle noticed Jin staring at her and Jordan. "Hey Jin Song," said Roselle in greeting. "So Jordan wasn't lying after all!" "You... shouldn't... jump.. to such... conclusions..." said Jordan in between breaths. "Oh!" cried Roselle, dropping her jaw. "You have groupies Jin Song! Wow!" "How come everyone know about this but me?" asked Jin out loud, hitting his hand against his forehead. "Have I really been living under a rock?" "Yes," said Jordan, Jezebelle, Lexi, and Roselle in unison. Dropping his head, Jin sighed as they all went inside the high school together with more people greeting Jin than usual. He felt like Jordan and he couldn't decide whether it was a good or bad thing. *********************************** Nervously, Rin hurriedly dumped her music folder in its correct slot and placed her saxophone case at the end of the storage room. Kristian was busy talking to another girl in Jazz Band in which Rin ignored and left the room since Edwin had already finished packing everything up and was most likely out of the room by now. "Edwin!" called Rin after Edwin who she caught leaving the band room. Hearing Rin's voice, Edwin stopped and turned around to give her a sour look. Rin tried to hold her temper under control and approached him. Even though she made the bet with Kristian, she had no idea how she was going to do this. Should she blurt it out? Should she try to act coy first? Edwin narrowed his eyes at her but he didn't look like he was in a rush to leave. "Hi," said Rin weakly, trying to sound normal. "What do you want Rin Hamada?" asked Edwin, disgruntled. "All I said was hi!" cried Rin, losing it already. "Why do you have to get irritated at me for already? I'm not stealing your glory this time, Edwin!" "That's because you're stupid," said Edwin, wrapping his arms and scowling.

"No, you are stupid," said Rin in retort, unable to control herself. "I don't even know why I have to prove that you like me! How can someone who keeps bullying me and arguing with me possibly like me? It's absurd. It's definitely impossible!" Suddenly, Edwin stopped arguing with Rin. He froze and gawked at her. Then, furiously, he reddened and marched away with his hands in his pockets. Even after Rin screamed after him to come back, he refused to even look around as he went on his way. Sighing, Rin realized she didn't get anything done when she heard clapping noises behind her. Rin whirled around and glared at Kristian who stopped. "Good job, Rin-chan," said Kristian sarcastically. "Shut up," said Rin defensively. "Now, how are we supposed to know whether I'm right like always or you're right for once?" asked Kristian in a carefree tone, receiving a piecing look from Rin. Kristian pretended to think about it when he noticed someone heading instead of leaving the band room. "Oh! I'm pretty sure he can help us! Yo Faith!" The person who came to the band room was none other than the dark blue-haired male in long-sleeved dark clothes. At the sight of Rin and Kristian, he gave them a cool smile, forcing a couple of girls to look in his direction on their way to school from outside the fence nearby. Faith combed his spiky hair with his right hand once before he greeted the Japanese couple. "You know Edwin Gilliam right?" asked Kristian after punching hands with Faith. "He's orchestra's concertmaster and Jazz Band's best bassist right?" asked Faith, tilting his head to the side sweetly. "I talk to him sometimes." "I'll be blunt," said Kristian, pulling Rin closer to him. "Doesn't he like Rin-chan?" Faith turned his head to Rin who had a curious yet eager expression on her face. "Oh. I thought it was obvious. Why do you ask?" "Told you so," said Kristian in a sing-song voice to his girlfriend. Rin fumed. "Just shut up. You win." "That's nice," said Kristian, licking his lips and glancing away. "You trust Faith's words but not mine." "That's because you lie too much," said Rin, scowling. "And Faith is trustworthy." "Grazie," said Faith with a playful wink. At the sound of the familiar language, Kristian said in Italian automatically, "I can speak Italian too." "Third year at community college," said Faith to Kristian in Italian. "My father's Italian," said Kristian still in Italian with a firm nod. "Way to leave me out of a conversation," said Rin, stomping off ahead before she stopped and smiled back at Faith. "Thanks anyways, Faith. We better get going." "Whenever you want to start that protest in regards to that trip to Hawaii, Faith," said Kristian quickly to Faith before running after Rin. "Be sure

to call or text me." "Will do," said Faith with a firm nod before he went inside the band room. Meanwhile, Rin continued to linger on her own thoughts. "Edwin likes me... and..." Rin groaned and punched her head softly. "I'll have to wear skirts now... What a horrible day already. Can it get any worse?" "I hear that Jin Song is near the library," said a female student to her friends as they passed by Rin rapidly. "I want to see what all the hype is all about! Let's go!" Right when Kristian caught up to her, Rin muttered out loud, "Oh please no." "Do you not read Grim's blog?" asked Kristian, knowing exactly what Rin was talking about. "It's the Jin Song Phenomenon. All the people who know Jin are telling other people info and are acting proudly like they've been his best friends since forever. All the people who don't know Jin in person wants to know more about him and get closer to him." Rin growled, "I hate high school." ****************************************** During first period, Vance wanted to literally disappear in his seat because it seemed like everyone in his Spanish class was around his desk. Luckily for Vance, they were not speaking to him. They were actually talking to the boy next to him. Still, he felt like pushing Jin off a two-story building so all his annoying fans could jump out after him like the followers that they were. With that mental image, Vance managed to live long enough for the bell to ring for class. Everyone scrambled back to their seats. "Since you seem to be popular today, Jin," said Mr. Sanchez with a dark look on his face. "You can be the first to turn in your homework due today." "Er..." said Jin, glancing at Jezebelle. From across the room, Jezebelle noticed and ignored him with a look that obviously read 'if you forgot to copy my homework, that is your own damn fault so don't look at me with that stupid puppy look'. Everyone else in the room was staring at him expectedly like he was about to do something. Suddenly, something took over Jin. "I don't have it because I didn't do it and I don't want to do it either," said Jin at last. Jin noticed that the same surprise expression was written on both Kristian and Rin's face from the same table. "I'm sorry, Mr. Sanchez, but isn't this supposed to be Spanish class? How come we never practice speaking Spanish? Why do we have to do a ton of busywork? Why do we have to learn to write in Spanish when most of us will never need to write Spanish in our lives..." Mr. Sanchez gave Jin a stern look. "Not only are you going to make up that assignment, Jin, you're going to do a speech about your summer vacation in Spanish in front of the class on Monday. That'll teach you to be like Kristian." Jin didn't say anything but he could feel everyone's eyes were on him. As Mr. Sanchez went around the classroom to collect assignments, Jin sighed and groaned in his seat. He had no idea why he said that. He didn't want to sound

disrespectful but he thought this class was a waste of time overall. Much to his surprise, when he glanced back at Jezebelle, she seemed to have a content look on her face. Did he do something right? "You must be kidding me," said Rin, dropping her jaw. "You must be kidding me!" "I know right?" asked Kristian to her with a frown. "Jin copied me!" "It's all your fault," said Rin angrily. Kristian was about to say something clever in response when he noticed that she was not glaring at him. She was glaring at the boy across from her. "What did you do to Jin, Brainless?" "Blame it on me, why don't you Nerd?" asked Jordan, picking up his head from the desk. "God, I hate nerds. You people blame all your misfortune on us popular kids." "How about you jump off a cliff and die Jordan?" asked Rin, huffing and turning away. Since Rin turned away, she didn't notice Jordan's face darkened slightly at her words. However, Kristian caught it and lifted a brow. Kristian knew Rin wasn't serious when she said those words. She was impulsive with her words like that. She did it to him all the time. But it seemed like Jordan took those words to heart, judging by the look on his face. "Don't do it," said Kristian in a low, serious voice to Jordan. "Like I would," said Jordan with a weak chuckle before he placed his head back on the desk. "Like I would..." ********************************************** Much like when Jin first got together with Jezebelle, Rin could not stop thinking of Jin during second period and why he was acting like this. Even though she mentally blamed it on his friendship with Jordan for the most part, she also knew that couldn't be the only reason why. She never really understood why he left the group. Now, he was popular and he was acting like one of them. Rin bit her bottom lip in frustration. As his friend for years, she thought she knew him. He was so simple and easy to read so why couldn't she figure it out this time? "Rin Hamada?" Rin glanced sideways when she noticed Roselle beamed at her. This was when Rin realized that they were now in discussion groups and she didn't have much to add. Determined to make up for it, Rin talked about what she knew about the chapter. However, right after she was done talking, everyone slacked off and started talking about Jin instead. Tired of hearing about Jin, Rin turned to Roselle for relief. "Jin is popular isn't he?" asked Roselle much to Rin's dismay. "Yeah," said Rin lamely. "It sucks being friends with someone popular," said Roselle, shrugging. "I should know. Jordan and I have been friends in secret for years. We're dating now so we can be seen together. What's with that huh?" Rin could only smile weakly. "Roselle, is that why you're dating Jordan?" "He's hot too I suppose," said Roselle as honest as always. "But really, the only reason we're together is thanks to Jin. First, he convinced my mom to let

me date Jordan. Second, he is so popular right now that everyone is overlooking Jordan and I." "That sounds like the Jin I know..." said Rin, frowning. "Of course," said Roselle, gaping at the uncertainty in Rin's voice. "He's the same as ever. Sure, he's popular now but that doesn't mean what makes Jin Jin is gone. I can tell. I'm an observant person you know!" "Even though you're Jordan's girlfriend," said Rin slowly. "I hope we can still be friends, Roselle." "No duh, Rin Hamada," said Roselle, sticking her tongue out. "I didn't dump you even though you're with Kristian so why should I dump you now that I'm with Jordan? That makes no sense! You are so funny Rin Hamada!" "I'm just saying," said Rin, shrugging. "So Jin is really the same?" "Since last night, yes," said Roselle with a nod before she stormed after someone who was sitting at her original seat. "Hey! You're not allowed to touch my precious backpack!" After class was over, Rin was surprised when she met Jordan's eyes on her way out of the classroom. Kristian left class early today to go to the Principal's office so she had to walk alone. Jordan must be waiting patiently after class for Roselle. Before she ignored him and went on her way, Jordan stopped her way and smiled teasingly at her. Fuming, Rin only knew of one way to answer to him. "Move it or lose it Brainless!" Jordan was undeterred. "Nerd, a moment of your time please." "Being polite today?" asked Rin acidly. "Get out of here, Jordan Greene." "It's not like I want to talk to you, Rin Hamada," said Jordan, throwing his head back and looking away with a bored expression on his face. "But I promised Jin I would at least get along with you... so let's get along okay?" "And pretend that our animosity for the past two years hadn't existed Brainless?" Jordan laughed. "We can start with losing the nasty nicknames." "You started it," said Rin, snarling. "Not me." "But Nerd is such a cute nickname," said Jordan in amusement. "So is Brainless but does it matter?" asked Rin, placing a hand on her hip with a frown on her face. Roselle arrived now and stood next to Jordan, watching. "How do you suppose we 'get along' Brainless?" "First, let's find a common ground," said Jordan with a bright smile. Rin lifted a brow. "Like we have anything in common." "We do though," said Jordan insistently, moving closer to Rin. "At least now we do." "Okay, Albert Einstein," said Rin, now having both hands on her hips. "What is it?" "We're both Jin's friends," said Jordan, widening his smile. "I'm not getting the memo here," said Rin, feeling something painful in her chest. "You stole my best friend. I lost my best friend to you. There. Done. Nothing in common." "If you don't listen to that reasoning, then how about this?" asked Jordan,

gripping Roselle's shoulders with his hands. "We're both friends with Roselle and we're both friends with Kristian. We're both dating someone from the Killers. We're in Spanish and English together. Is that enough for you, Nerd?" "Nope," said Rin immediately. "They're all trivial." "I'll have to use my ace in the hole then." "You probably don't even know what that means." This sparked up something in Jordan. "I do and you'll love this last one." Rin tried to look as apathetic as possible. "Neither of us like the Jin Song phenomenon. How about that for size? As my psychology teacher always says, let's at least meet in the middle of our differences okay?" At the line, Rin's eyes widened, "You-" "I know," said Roselle automatically. "Rin Hamada, I hate to break this to you, but," Roselle ruffled Jordan's hair. "He's not as brainless as you think he is." Roselle glanced about to make sure no one was listening in on them. The hall was empty now. "He's actually a bibliophile. A pretty insane one too." Jordan flushed and glanced away. "You are way too honest sometimes." "Bibliophile?" repeated Rin in awe. She literally dropped her jaw and stared at Jordan like she had never seen him before. "You... read?" "I think if you want her to listen to what you have to say next," said Roselle to Jordan with a firm nod. "You need to prove it to her." "If I must sound like a nerd," said Jordan in exasperation. "In Ivanhoe, even though the story is named after the character Ivanhoe, I argue that Rebecca, the healer, is important enough to be the actual main character. Of course, she is Jewish so Sir Walter Scott can't allow her to end up with Ivanhoe but the man himself is a fan of the couple. In Les Miserables, Jean Valjean is a convict that is heavily watched even after being released nineteen years later until he started a new identity and later adopted Cosette. Let's see. Oh there's Crime and Punishment. It's about a man name Raskolnikov who struggles internally with his conscience, but later-" "I get it," said Rin, trying hard to wrap her mind around all this. "You do read." "Have you read Anna Karenina?" asked Roselle to Jordan suddenly. "I started but I need to wait until the summer to finish the second half of the book," said Jordan in response. Rin scowled. "Now, I feel like the one without a brain. I guess it's a good time to confess." Jordan and Roselle stared at Rin expectedly. "I'm not really a nerd either. Actually, even though I'm valedictorian, I'm not smart... at all." "Seriously?" asked Jordan with wide eyes. "I would rather read manga instead of books," said Rin, reddening. "I would rather watch anime instead of the discovery channel. I actually hate reading in general but I do so to keep my grades up. I read probably three times more than the average person because I'm such a slow reader and thinker. I can't process information after a first read." "This is sick," said Jordan, amazed. "I actually assume you do nerdy things and read five hundred words a minute." "Your assumption is incorrect," said Rin, embarrassed to admit this.

"You have to admit though," said Roselle, pouting. "You are wrong about Jordan too! He might be an idiot in math and science but he is superb in English and Social Science!" "I was wrong about Kristian before," said Rin under her breath. "I might be wrong about you too... Jordan." Rin struggled with using his first name alone in a genuine way. "Whatever," said Jordan, shrugging. "I blame the social hierarchy really." "Same," said Rin with a sigh. "I really don't want Jin to be the most popular in school," said Jordan, sighing heavily. "I really really hate the thought of it. I'm sure you do too." "I do," said Rin admittedly. "Even though I still don't like you, I guess we can agree on this for now. What can we do though?" "It's all my fault really," said Jordan, shaking his head. "I was selfish and I told Jin that I wouldn't help you and Kristian unless he joined me. I should have just helped him for free. He has done so for me in the past. Thanks to him kind of joining the Populars, he is becoming more and more popular every second and-" "Wait a second," said Rin, stunned. "Say that again." "Thanks to him joining the Populars-" "No, not that," said Rin annoyed. She stomped her foot in frustration. "The bit about Kristian and I!" "Oh," said Jordan, turning unexpectedly to Roselle. The two stared at each other. "I assumed that since Kristian knew since he thanked me the next day and all, you knew too." Rin's eyes widened. "How should I say this..." Jordan thought about it and sighed again. "Jin joined my group in exchange for a favor from me. The favor is-" Rin held her hand up suddenly. "I got it. There's no need to go on." "Rin Hamada?" asked Roselle, concerned. Suddenly, tears dripped down the corners of Rin's eyes. No matter how hard Rin tried to stop them, they kept falling down her cheeks. Her heart hurt so much she wanted to cry out in pain. At this sight, Jordan was so scared that he moved away from Rin and hid behind Roselle. Rin felt her entire body shaking from the overwhelming emotion but she suppressed her cry. Even though Jordan was too scared to stand near Rin, Roselle went up to Rin and held her tightly. "Do you want me to kick Kristian for you?" asked Roselle in a calm voice. "No, I'll murder him later," said Rin loudly in a wail. "I don't care about that!" Jordan frowned. At last, he found his voice. "I don't know why or how Jin is becoming popular but he is. There's no doubt about it. Popularity might look nice on the outside but it's shit. I should know. I don't want anything to happen to Jin. I know you care for him as much as I do so please, can't you think of something? You might not be the smartest but you're smarter than me at least." "Jordan!" shrieked Roselle at him. "Can't you talk about this another time?" "He might not look it," said Rin in a whisper. "But Bo can probably think

of something if we ask for his help." "That's a good start," said Jordan with a nod. Rin tried to wipe the tears away but her tears came faster than she could get rid of them. "And I know Tiffany can think of something... maybe..." "Tiffany Wu?" asked Roselle, blinking. "The leader of the Asian Gossip Girls?" "She's actually rank ten or something like that," added Jordan. "How do you know that?' asked Rin suspiciously before she went back to wiping her tears. Roselle patted her on the back. "Popular people know a lot of things," said Jordan plainly. "Okay, that's a good start. Now, let's talk about the nicknames." "Calling you Brainless seems inappropriate now..." said Rin, recovering slightly. "Nerd also seems weird..." said Jordan, thinking. "Let's just ditch the nicknames and go with first and last names." "Jordan Greene then," said Rin with a nod. "Rin Hamada," said Jordan in agreement. "So formal," said Roselle, giggling at the tension still between the two. "I guess two years of hostility can't be put aside so easily huh? Then again, everyone calls Rin Hamada 'Rin Hamada' except for her closest buddies." "We're only setting aside our differences momentarily," said Rin in reminder. "Yeah, it's not like we're... friends," said Jordan, scoffing at the idea. "More like allies that can backstab each other once this is over." Jordan agreed hastily. "Temporary alliance like the Russians and the Germans back in World War II. I like it." Roselle shook her head. "This is going to take some work..." **************************************** "A basket?" "Not just any basket," said Cash, leaning against the wall outside the cafeteria where Wendy was at. Xuan Lan and Juliet were watching Cash and Wendy intently, wondering who would attack who first. "It's a basket full of healthy fruits!" "A fruits basket then," said Wendy, eying the wrapped basket closely. "Yes, that's exactly what it is," said Cash, clapping his hands together. "I'm not accepting it," said Wendy, pushing it back toward Cash. "No, you must," said Cash, pushing it back toward her. "I don't even like fruits," said Wendy through gritted teeth. "But they're so nutritious!" cried Cash, upset that Wendy insulted his present. "I like meat damn it!" said Wendy, forcing the basket back into his arms. "Besides, I'm not into accepting random presents from random boys! What if you try to kill me? I'm a police officer's daughter so I know what kind of things people might put in these things!" "Why the hell would I poison the girl I like?" asked Cash, angry. "Says you," said Wendy, poking him in the chest.

"If neither of you want it," said Jezebelle, coming over and picking the basket full of fruits from Cash's hands. "I'll take it. I need to eat dinner somehow and I don't want to wait for butterscotch to make me a salad." "A fucking fruits basket?" asked the boy who was accompanying Jezebelle. It was none other than Kirk with a devious smile on his lips. "I lost all respect for you Cash. I guess the Pimp Juice is not all it's cut out to be." "Fuck off, Kirk," said Cash, narrowing his eyes. "You're no longer a jock." "Jocks suck cocks anyway," said Kirk, smirking playfully. Wendy started laughing loudly while holding onto her stomach. "Maybe you should try your fucking luck again with this young lady when you actually grow one first." "Real funny Kirk," said Cash, turning away. "Light up Kirk. I know you're bitter about falling off the top of the hierarchy and into the shitty dirt and all but Jesus." At Cash's comment, Kirk burst out laughing. "Shit. Mother fucker. I wouldn't want to be way the fuck up there anyways. Everyone can see what a sorry ass you have from below. Shit that must suck." This time, Cash didn't bother responding since he was already on his way to the student store where the Pimp Juice hung out. Kirk went up to Wendy and placed his arm across her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. At his words, Wendy started laughing loudly in her usual manner. "Kirk," said Jezebelle, gaining his immediate attention. "Stop being such a man whore for once." "But," said Kirk, throwing up his arms up innocently. "It's so much fun." "Spring, Juliet," said Jezebelle, turning to her group members. "This is Kirk." "Ashoo, he's Onii-chan's new doubles partner," said Xuan Lan in happiness. "Cute," said Kirk, patting her on the head. "I'll be meeting you in the storage." "No, you won't," said Jezebelle automatically. "My bitches, not yours." "You have so fucking many though," said Kirk, feigning a hurt look. "Learn how to share, you selfish ho." "Sharing is not my forte," said Jezebelle, rolling her eyes. "You lucked out then, Jez," said Kirk, rolling his neck. "No three-some for you." "I know he's weird," said Jezebelle, ignoring Kirk and gazing at Juliet instead. "But say hi at least Juliet." "Hello," said Juliet, bowing but keeping her distance. Kirk counted off his fingers at the sight of Juliet. "Virgin, home-schooled, never had a boyfriend, shy, and Catholic?" "Yes, yes, yes, yes, and no," said Jezebelle, smirking. "She's Buddhist." "Sweet," said Kirk, winking at Juliet. "You're not fucking retarded then." Wendy lifted a brow. "What's up Kirk? You're not here just to save me from Cash am I right?" "That was a bonus," said Kirk, sitting down with his legs spread apart in a carefree position. "I'm fucking bored out of my mind so I thought I crash with

Jez since she's such a sexy bitch." "Good enough," said Wendy in satisfaction. "I'll be right back then." Right after Wendy left, Kirk smirked, "So Jez, ready to dump your overhyped of a dick for me yet?" Juliet grabbed Xuan Lan's hand. "We... should leave them alone." Without protesting, Xuan Lan went with Juliet, leaving Jezebelle with Kirk by himself. He kept that smirk on his face while he gazed at her face. Jezebelle laughed evilly at his words and sat down next to him. "Fuck no," said Jezebelle, crossing her legs. "Don't you have a group?" "Why should I confide myself the same boring faces?" asked Kirk in disbelief. "I like to go where the shit I want to go and talk to who the fuck I want to. It just happen to be your lucky day, sweetie." Jezebelle pouted and tugged at her hair. "You should come by more often." "No can't do, Jez," said Kirk, sighing loudly. "I simply to love to share myself with everybody." Jezebelle laughed and shook her head. "So... I want to know why the fuck such a hot ass like you are with an overrated, geeky guy like Jin Song. If it's money or looks, I'm not lacking in either, doll." "It doesn't matter," said Jezebelle, rolling her eyes. She looked at Kirk from the corner of her eyes. "I'm not a ho or your ho for the matter. Just saying." "The harder the catch, the more rewarding the wait," said Kirk, shaking his right leg with his thinking face on. "Fishing requires patience and I'm a slick fisherman so..." "Fishing are for hicks," said Jezebelle in interruption. "No wonder I get all fish around here," said Kirk smugly. "You know why I brought you here," said Jezebelle to the point suddenly. "You ditched the football team for the tennis team. The jocks are one of the most popular groups in the entire school. I need some dirt and fishermen always have some dirt with their bait." "You want the bait and the dirt then," said Kirk, amused. "I was expecting as much." Kirk shook his head. "The smart bitches like you are so hard to deal with. Shit." Kirk thought about it. "The football team is crap. They're broken and stupid and weak. If you want to fuck with some group, you should pick on that Pimp Juice group." "I heard about them," said Jezebelle calmly. "Aren't they mostly basketball boys?" "Most of them at least," said Kirk with a nod. "Let's see. There are like six mother fuckers and most of which are not even that hip to begin with. They're all crackers too, the lot of them. Like most groups, they like to take advantage of the leaders' reputation and fuck around a bit to seem like they're popular and shit." "No wonder you didn't join the basketball team instead," said Jezebelle, smirking. Kirk returned the look. "And deal with retards like Cash? Fuck that shit."

"Details though," said Jezebelle, pulling a cute face. "I need to know relationships. Names. The whole deal with the Pimp Juice. The Asian Gossip Girls are no help." "Oh them?" asked Kirk, laughing. "Eddie probably paid the AGG off for that with his dough. Either that or someone is sucking someone's cock." Kirk leaned toward Jezebelle. "Here's what you need to know, hun. The Pimp Juice has two leaders- Eddie and Tristan." Kirk held up two fingers to demonstrate. "Eddie's dating Lydia from the Button Cuties and Tristan's dating Monika from the Populars. The Populars and the Pimp Juice are alliances thanks to this shit." Kirk pointed over at the Populars who only include Frida and Monika today. Next, Kirk motioned over where the cheerleaders and football players were at in the center of the cafeteria. "The Brit Zane is popular with the cheerleaders for his fucking accent but he hasn't scored with any of them yet for whatever reason. Probably has some pussy he wants first." Shrugging, Kirk sat back now. "Parker is always with some new slut since he can't make up his fucking mind what he wants in a girl. Meanwhile, Cash is a sneaky bastard who has a girlfriend somewhere else but since they're in an open relationship, he can fuck whoever he likes here... legitimately too. Now, that last dude Abe is single and a loser and no one gives a shit about him except that he's the butt of the Pimp Juice's jokes. He's just there to make fun of. But since he can stay popular, what the hell right?" "I remember everything you said but," said Jezebelle, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "I need faces with names." "Most of them are on the fucking basketball team so," said Kirk, wrapping an arm around Jezebelle. "We'll spy on them or some shit like that. I can get you out of tennis since I'm good with coaches like that." "Counting on you then," said Jezebelle, giving Kirk a genuine smile. "You know," said Kirk, eying Jezebelle warily. "For someone with such a famous boyfriend, you really don't fucking care about him do you? You're not even with him and crap. You just let him do what he likes or what?" "There's no need to be concerned about me," said Jezebelle sweetly, petting Kirk on the head like a younger brother. "You should be more worried about yourself since you totally pissed Cash off earlier." "Like I give a damn," said Kirk, shrugging. "Half the cheerleaders are out to get me and I'm sure the Beast has my name on his death list for quitting the football team. I couldn't care less about those fruits and white bread right now." Kirk laughed at the sight of the basket on the ground. "Seriously though... a fruits basket?" **************************************** "A fucking basket of fucking fruits?" Cash had to hide behind Zane while Eddie raged on about how Cash dared to give Wendy a basket full of fruits in front of Kirk of all people. At the student store, Parker was busy buying power drinks while Zane and Abe watched Eddie shout at Cash for his stupidity. Right now, Tristan was off to take care of a nerd that bumped into him earlier. Tristan claimed the lowlife did it

on purpose but the others weren't there so they all assumed that Tristan needed to find someone to bully. "I love fruits though," said Cash in a low voice. "No one else in the world needs to know that," said Eddie with a glare. "Keep your strange fetishes to your fucking self, Cash." "This is beastly," said Zane to Abe in a whisper. "Yeah..." said Abe, the only member with brown hair. "I'll take care of you with Tristan after school," said Eddie, calming down himself and his voice. Cash peeked out from behind Zane. He was safe for now at least. "I haven't actually met Jin Song personally yet. What is the deal with him?" "He's a really nice guy," said Parker, frowning. "Too nice." "Is that all?" asked Eddie, not impressed. "He's good-looking," said Cash, adding onto Parker's last comment. "He's also Jordan's current best friend. They're always together now." Eddie glared at Cash. "And that is enough to start off this Jin Song Phenomenon?" "It's simple really," said Abe suddenly, speaking up at last. All the boys turn their attention to him. "We've all seen how bitchy his girlfriend was during nutrition about the whole Frida incident and left him, but he sincerely cared for her... enough to play a tennis match with his favorite video game consoles on the line to win her back. He was willing to do anything literally. And I guess everyone felt sorry for him." All the boys stare at Abe like he was crazy for talking so much. "What?" "If I did what he did," said Parker, yawning loudly. "Everyone would call me a pussy for chasing after a girl like that." "So there must be something else," said Eddie, more to himself. "I'll see for myself." ******************************************** "Nerds like you always carry a lot of money," said a boy with golden hair with a cruel smile on his lips while he held a scrawny boy against the wall of the bungalows. "So don't give me that shit about you not having money on you." "Please..." groaned the boy, shaking his head. "I really don't have any-" "Excuse me..." The tall, blonde boy turned around furiously. "What?" At the sight of Jin smiling at him, he gave Jin a suspicious look. "You are..." "If you need money," said Jin, walking past the tall boy and helping the skinny boy down, much to the bully's dismay. "All you need to do is ask." Jin handed the blonde boy a twenty. "I'm sure your friends are more than happy to lend you money if necessary. There's no need to use force." "Hey you!" shouted the blonde boy after Jin turned around. "Who do you think you are? Do you want me to beat the shit out of you?" Jin laughed. "Sorry. I should introduce myself. I'm Jin Song!" The surprise on the boy's face was obvious. "What the?" "You don't have to pay me back," said Jin, smiling at the bully and then, going on his way to the soccer field. Three girls followed him even though they

kept a distance before thanks to the sight of the bully. After leaving the bully behind, Jin said out loud to himself, "I hope Victoria is okay..."

Author's Note
This is me ranting again. You may ignore this if you want. XD I'm on chapter 33 and somehow only finish 4 arcs and start 2 more arcs. I have around 70 arcs in all. Now, if I don't want it to get to 100 chapters, I'll have to overlap a lot of the arcs from now on. I can manage this if I introduce the beginning of their arcs sooner than I have planned. This is exactly what this chapter is for. I have semi-introduced the following arcs from this and last chapter: Edwin Gilliam (way earlier than I wanted) Kirk Kelly (about right) Sherry Lee (earlier than planned) Sydney Park (earlier than planned) Cash Grahams (about right) Lydia Jenkins (earlier than planned) Eddie Rice (earlier than planned) Grim (about right) Lexi (way earlier than I wanted) Victoria Hopkins (right on time) I've been dreading writing Kirk for this chapter because I have to write a lot of curse words but it was surprisingly easy. Maybe I'm immune to curse words now...? I'm really sorry if you hate reading cursing but it was in his character =X Oh and to Gracie, I know what Rai's character is like in the GG timeline but I don't know how I can sneak him into GG. XD I'll think of something..... hopefully... Time to edit the character chart up to Chapter 33~