School Issue
by Lu Choi
*DING DONG DAENG DONG* the school bell rang, but no one except the new student, Jenny, was sitting down on her own seat. Maybe because it was hot inside the class, Jenny’s palms were soaked in sweat. She felt nervous and so she was shivering. She was looking around the class. One group of girls were talking and laughing and the other group of people sounded like they were speaking in another language. Well because this school was a foreign national school in Korea, there were more Koreans than foreigners. She looked around the class one more time, and she made eye contact with a girl who was putting on make-up. As soon as Jenny made eye contact with her, she looked away and she shrank. She smiled, and came up to her;
“Hi, my name is Jane. What is your name? I’m half Chinese and half Korean. Where are you from?” said Jane smiling.
“Um… my name is Jenny and I am from Canada,” said Jenny still shrinking and looking down.
“Why do you keep looking down? Shouldn’t you look at people’s eyes when they are talking? Or are you trying to ignore me? Answer me!” screamed Jane still smiling.
Jane was holding onto Jenny’s shoulders very hard, Jenny wanted to scream out for help but because of the noise level in the classroom she thought no one would hear her. Her face was twisted with pain.
“Hi Jenny! How are you? It’s been such a long time since we met Jenny! I missed you so much!” said Julia hugging Jenny.
Then, Jane rolled her eyes and just walked away and started to talk to the boys around her.
“I am so sorry! Did I hurt you? My name is Julia! Nice to meet you! Oh and by the way, you might not want to talk to her… she is kind of scary,” whispered Julia smiling, but her smile seemed different than Jane’s. It was much warmer.
Jenny felt this warmness and she fainted. When she woke up, she saw Julia with worried face. She looked like she was about to cry. Jenny smiled and so Julia did.
“Are you okay?” asked Julia.
“How did I get here?” Jenny asked back.
“Oh my god, yes! This boy named Tom lifted you as soon as you fell and he ran down here, to the office,” cried Julia with an excited voice.
They went back to class into the first class but still the teacher wasn’t there. When they went back Julia introduced Jenny to her friends. Their names were Elly and Ellie who were twins. Julia, Elly and Ellie walked around with Jenny to introduce the school. When they came back to class their new teacher, Mr. Oh was there waiting for them to come.
“Hi everyone! Welcome back from winter vacation! Things have changed a little bit, which is because we are the eldest students in our school. The principle said we have to do this thing called a leadership campaign in which in partners you need to do something to show your leadership at school. So, here are the partners you’ll have to choose a job with your partner and you’ll have to do this job for the whole year! Good luck everyone!” said Mr. Oh with bright voice with a big smile.
Ellie and Elly were partners, Julia and Peter were partners, and Julia was with Tom. Jenny felt like someone in the back glaring at her. Jenny and Tom jobs were to organize and clean the PE equipment room. The PE equipment room was in this small room outside of the school beside a monkey bar. Jenny was wondering who Tom was since she had never seen him. She looked around the classroom and she suddenly stopped and started to look at this boy whose ears were plugged in with earphones and who was sitting down on the window, staring outside. Then the bell rang.
It was lunch time so Jenny had to go to the PE equipment room. She first went down to the cafeteria to get food then she ran outside to go to the PE equipment room. She was carrying her tray with today’s lunch: soup with rice and bread. As she ran, the soup spilled but she didn’t notice. Suddenly, someone took her tray and said, “Be careful, it’s spilling.” Jenny felt like her cheeks were red. She thought it was because of the hotness outside since it was summer. They went into the PE equipment room. It was very warm and cozy but very dusty. Without talking to each other they started to clean up the room. Jenny was sweeping up away the floor, and Tom was polishing the windows. About 10 minutes later, they both finished whatever they were doing. Still in silence, they both started to eat their lunch. *DING DONG DANG DONG* the bell rang, and without talking, they both headed up to the next class.
Things have been happening the same. Tom and Jenny cleaned and organized the PE equipment room everyday, and other students were also doing their own leadership project. Even though it has already passed 3 months since the school started, they both still haven’t got to talk to each other. They have not even greeted since the first day of school. It looked like Jenny has adjusted to school and she got new friends.
One day after school, they still needed to go to the PE equipment room even though it was winter. Jenny looked around the classroom, and she found that Tom wasn’t in the classroom. She wanted to go with him since it was kind of dark outside and all of her friends already have gone, but because he wasn’t there she just decided to go by herself. When she headed to the PE equipment room Jane stopped her.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” said Jane dragging Jenny to the third floor girls’ bathroom and she slapped her and said, “I’ve heard that you’ve been flirting with Tom. Is that true? Well, if it is then you might want to stop. If you don’t, then prepare for annihilation, you pitiful little earth female.”
She left, and Jenny was alone in the bathroom. She stared out the window, Jane giggling with her friends. She stood there for about 2 more minutes and she ran up to the PE equipment room. When she went into the PE equipment room, the lights were off and everything looked like it just got straightened.
“You are late,” said Tom closing the door, “What is this bruise on your neck?”
“It’s nothing…” said Jenny walking away.
Then, Tom held her hands and hugged her and asked, “I like you… Will you go out with me?”
Jenny suddenly felt something pounding in her heart. She felt like her face was red and it felt the room was getting hot. She was happy but then she remembered what Jane had said. She was worried and she didn’t know what to do. She was scared of Jane but also she didn’t have the heart to shake his hand off. Then, she nodded.
The next day morning, Tom stood in the mirror checking his hair style. He was smiling and was holding a pack of bandage. As he entered the classroom, he looked around but Jenny wasn’t here.
“Hi, Tom! What are you searching? There’s a new movie that just came out today, do you want to go and watch it with me?” giggled Jane touching Tom’s hair.
“Where is Jenny?” shouted Tom seizing her by the collar.
“Wh… Why are you asking me? I… I didn’t do anything!” screamed back Jane shaking off his grip.
Tom ran outside running and it was raining. He ran to Jenny’s house he ran and ran. He called her, but she didn’t pick up her phone. Tom finally found Jenny’s house. He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again, still no answer. Then suddenly the door opened.
“Who are you?” asked a women peeking out.
“I am here to meet Jenny. Is she here? I am her friend,” told Tom.
“Oh, sorry she is not here can you please go back?” she said as she slammed the door glaring at him.
Tom sighed. He knew it was her house. Then he decided to go back home but he suddenly heard someone screaming. He opened the door again and went into the house. He went upstairs and opened every door. Then he heard a scream from the end of the hall. He walked slowly to the end of the hall and peeked inside of the room through the door, which was a little opened. He saw Jenny lying on her bed, crying. She was messing up her hair. The window was covered with newspapers. She was hiding in her blanket. She looked terrified and exhausted. Tom looked at her face, and she looked like she got scalded. Then they had eye contact.
“Don’t come any closer to me!” cried Jenny covering herself in the blanket.
“What happened? Who made you like this?” asked Tom stepping one more step toward her.
Then, Jenny threw a glass of orange juice at him which was beside her and screamed, “Go away! Get out of my house now!”
Tom stepped two more steps and he said softly, “It is okay,” and he hugged her. Jenny cried and cried. Tom did not ask what happened. She slowly stopped crying and then she pushed him away.
“I’m sorry Tom… You can go back now…” said Jenny softly.
Tom knew he had to go back so he kissed on her forehead and let her lie down on her bed. Before he walked away, he made Jenny wear a ring that he was wearing. It was a green shiny ring. Jenny just looked at Tom, and she gave him a necklace which looked like a green skull to him and she smiled. He smiled back, and walked away. When he came back to school, it was lunch time. He climbed over the wall and walked into his classroom. He was heading up into the PE equipment room where someone stopped him.
“Here,” said this girl quietly and she ran back into the school.
It was Jenny’s phone. On her phone there was a sticky note saying ‘check the videos’. He turned on her phone and went into her videos. He clicked on that one video to see. As soon as he started the video, he ran back into his classroom. As he entered, everyone looked at him. He walked to Jane and her friends who were boys. He kicked the desk and threw a chair toward them. Then, Tom seized one of the boys by the collar and started to hit him. He was punching him and flung him to the ground. He kicked all the boys and punched them. Then he walked away whispering at Jane, “You are the worst and dirtiest girl I have ever met.”
From the next day on, both Tom and Jenny didn’t come to school. Someone heard that Tom had been expelled after that fight and someone have heard that Jenny committed suicide. No one knew what really have happened to them.
......
The leaves were falling out of the trees. It was a little bit cold day. People were walking fast as usual, students running to go to school, adults walking to work…
“Sorry!” said a woman who has bumped into this man.
“I am okay, are you okay?” asked the man.
“Yes, thank you,” and she walked away.
“Wait, you dropped this,” said the man handing her a green skull necklace.
“This is not my…” she couldn’t continue and she just plumped down onto the floor.
“It has been such as long time,” whispered a man smiling at her. He helped her up and tucked her hair behind her ear. She was smiling but crying. He stroked away her tears and kissed her.
“Hi, my name is Jane. What is your name? I’m half Chinese and half Korean. Where are you from?” said Jane smiling.
“Um… my name is Jenny and I am from Canada,” said Jenny still shrinking and looking down.
“Why do you keep looking down? Shouldn’t you look at people’s eyes when they are talking? Or are you trying to ignore me? Answer me!” screamed Jane still smiling.
Jane was holding onto Jenny’s shoulders very hard, Jenny wanted to scream out for help but because of the noise level in the classroom she thought no one would hear her. Her face was twisted with pain.
“Hi Jenny! How are you? It’s been such a long time since we met Jenny! I missed you so much!” said Julia hugging Jenny.
Then, Jane rolled her eyes and just walked away and started to talk to the boys around her.
“I am so sorry! Did I hurt you? My name is Julia! Nice to meet you! Oh and by the way, you might not want to talk to her… she is kind of scary,” whispered Julia smiling, but her smile seemed different than Jane’s. It was much warmer.
Jenny felt this warmness and she fainted. When she woke up, she saw Julia with worried face. She looked like she was about to cry. Jenny smiled and so Julia did.
“Are you okay?” asked Julia.
“How did I get here?” Jenny asked back.
“Oh my god, yes! This boy named Tom lifted you as soon as you fell and he ran down here, to the office,” cried Julia with an excited voice.
They went back to class into the first class but still the teacher wasn’t there. When they went back Julia introduced Jenny to her friends. Their names were Elly and Ellie who were twins. Julia, Elly and Ellie walked around with Jenny to introduce the school. When they came back to class their new teacher, Mr. Oh was there waiting for them to come.
“Hi everyone! Welcome back from winter vacation! Things have changed a little bit, which is because we are the eldest students in our school. The principle said we have to do this thing called a leadership campaign in which in partners you need to do something to show your leadership at school. So, here are the partners you’ll have to choose a job with your partner and you’ll have to do this job for the whole year! Good luck everyone!” said Mr. Oh with bright voice with a big smile.
Ellie and Elly were partners, Julia and Peter were partners, and Julia was with Tom. Jenny felt like someone in the back glaring at her. Jenny and Tom jobs were to organize and clean the PE equipment room. The PE equipment room was in this small room outside of the school beside a monkey bar. Jenny was wondering who Tom was since she had never seen him. She looked around the classroom and she suddenly stopped and started to look at this boy whose ears were plugged in with earphones and who was sitting down on the window, staring outside. Then the bell rang.
It was lunch time so Jenny had to go to the PE equipment room. She first went down to the cafeteria to get food then she ran outside to go to the PE equipment room. She was carrying her tray with today’s lunch: soup with rice and bread. As she ran, the soup spilled but she didn’t notice. Suddenly, someone took her tray and said, “Be careful, it’s spilling.” Jenny felt like her cheeks were red. She thought it was because of the hotness outside since it was summer. They went into the PE equipment room. It was very warm and cozy but very dusty. Without talking to each other they started to clean up the room. Jenny was sweeping up away the floor, and Tom was polishing the windows. About 10 minutes later, they both finished whatever they were doing. Still in silence, they both started to eat their lunch. *DING DONG DANG DONG* the bell rang, and without talking, they both headed up to the next class.
Things have been happening the same. Tom and Jenny cleaned and organized the PE equipment room everyday, and other students were also doing their own leadership project. Even though it has already passed 3 months since the school started, they both still haven’t got to talk to each other. They have not even greeted since the first day of school. It looked like Jenny has adjusted to school and she got new friends.
One day after school, they still needed to go to the PE equipment room even though it was winter. Jenny looked around the classroom, and she found that Tom wasn’t in the classroom. She wanted to go with him since it was kind of dark outside and all of her friends already have gone, but because he wasn’t there she just decided to go by herself. When she headed to the PE equipment room Jane stopped her.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” said Jane dragging Jenny to the third floor girls’ bathroom and she slapped her and said, “I’ve heard that you’ve been flirting with Tom. Is that true? Well, if it is then you might want to stop. If you don’t, then prepare for annihilation, you pitiful little earth female.”
She left, and Jenny was alone in the bathroom. She stared out the window, Jane giggling with her friends. She stood there for about 2 more minutes and she ran up to the PE equipment room. When she went into the PE equipment room, the lights were off and everything looked like it just got straightened.
“You are late,” said Tom closing the door, “What is this bruise on your neck?”
“It’s nothing…” said Jenny walking away.
Then, Tom held her hands and hugged her and asked, “I like you… Will you go out with me?”
Jenny suddenly felt something pounding in her heart. She felt like her face was red and it felt the room was getting hot. She was happy but then she remembered what Jane had said. She was worried and she didn’t know what to do. She was scared of Jane but also she didn’t have the heart to shake his hand off. Then, she nodded.
The next day morning, Tom stood in the mirror checking his hair style. He was smiling and was holding a pack of bandage. As he entered the classroom, he looked around but Jenny wasn’t here.
“Hi, Tom! What are you searching? There’s a new movie that just came out today, do you want to go and watch it with me?” giggled Jane touching Tom’s hair.
“Where is Jenny?” shouted Tom seizing her by the collar.
“Wh… Why are you asking me? I… I didn’t do anything!” screamed back Jane shaking off his grip.
Tom ran outside running and it was raining. He ran to Jenny’s house he ran and ran. He called her, but she didn’t pick up her phone. Tom finally found Jenny’s house. He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again, still no answer. Then suddenly the door opened.
“Who are you?” asked a women peeking out.
“I am here to meet Jenny. Is she here? I am her friend,” told Tom.
“Oh, sorry she is not here can you please go back?” she said as she slammed the door glaring at him.
Tom sighed. He knew it was her house. Then he decided to go back home but he suddenly heard someone screaming. He opened the door again and went into the house. He went upstairs and opened every door. Then he heard a scream from the end of the hall. He walked slowly to the end of the hall and peeked inside of the room through the door, which was a little opened. He saw Jenny lying on her bed, crying. She was messing up her hair. The window was covered with newspapers. She was hiding in her blanket. She looked terrified and exhausted. Tom looked at her face, and she looked like she got scalded. Then they had eye contact.
“Don’t come any closer to me!” cried Jenny covering herself in the blanket.
“What happened? Who made you like this?” asked Tom stepping one more step toward her.
Then, Jenny threw a glass of orange juice at him which was beside her and screamed, “Go away! Get out of my house now!”
Tom stepped two more steps and he said softly, “It is okay,” and he hugged her. Jenny cried and cried. Tom did not ask what happened. She slowly stopped crying and then she pushed him away.
“I’m sorry Tom… You can go back now…” said Jenny softly.
Tom knew he had to go back so he kissed on her forehead and let her lie down on her bed. Before he walked away, he made Jenny wear a ring that he was wearing. It was a green shiny ring. Jenny just looked at Tom, and she gave him a necklace which looked like a green skull to him and she smiled. He smiled back, and walked away. When he came back to school, it was lunch time. He climbed over the wall and walked into his classroom. He was heading up into the PE equipment room where someone stopped him.
“Here,” said this girl quietly and she ran back into the school.
It was Jenny’s phone. On her phone there was a sticky note saying ‘check the videos’. He turned on her phone and went into her videos. He clicked on that one video to see. As soon as he started the video, he ran back into his classroom. As he entered, everyone looked at him. He walked to Jane and her friends who were boys. He kicked the desk and threw a chair toward them. Then, Tom seized one of the boys by the collar and started to hit him. He was punching him and flung him to the ground. He kicked all the boys and punched them. Then he walked away whispering at Jane, “You are the worst and dirtiest girl I have ever met.”
From the next day on, both Tom and Jenny didn’t come to school. Someone heard that Tom had been expelled after that fight and someone have heard that Jenny committed suicide. No one knew what really have happened to them.
......
The leaves were falling out of the trees. It was a little bit cold day. People were walking fast as usual, students running to go to school, adults walking to work…
“Sorry!” said a woman who has bumped into this man.
“I am okay, are you okay?” asked the man.
“Yes, thank you,” and she walked away.
“Wait, you dropped this,” said the man handing her a green skull necklace.
“This is not my…” she couldn’t continue and she just plumped down onto the floor.
“It has been such as long time,” whispered a man smiling at her. He helped her up and tucked her hair behind her ear. She was smiling but crying. He stroked away her tears and kissed her.