The morning came too early.
My alarm went off like it had something personal against me, buzzing loudly beside my ear. I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head, hoping praying it would just stop existing.
It didn't.
"Mira!" my mum's voice called from outside my room. "Wake up, you're going to be late on your first day!"
I didn't answer.
A second later, her footsteps got closer.
"Mira! Don't start this morning, get up!"
I sighed heavily, finally forcing my eyes open. The room was too bright, like even the sun had decided today was important. Birds outside kept chirping like they were celebrating something, and honestly, it made me more irritated.
"First day of school…" I muttered under my breath as I sat up slowly. "Why does it feel like I'm going to war?"
My head was already pounding before I even stood up.
That heavy, annoying headache that makes everything feel slower than it should be.
From the kitchen, my mum called again.
"Mira! Breakfast is ready!"
"I'm coming!" I shouted back, dragging myself out of bed.
Today wasn't just any school.
Today was Floral High.
The name alone sounded expensive.
Everyone knew it even people who didn't go there.
Floral High wasn't just a school. It was the school.
Children of politicians. Business moguls. Celebrities. Families that didn't just have money they had influence.
People said even the gate looked like it had a security guard for every secret in the country.
And somehow… I was supposed to belong there now.
I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment.
"Yeah," I said dryly. "Totally my world."
After getting ready, I walked into the kitchen where my mum was already setting food on the table.
She looked at me properly this time.
"You look nervous," she said.
"I look tired," I corrected.
"That too," she smiled slightly. "But today is important, Mira. Floral High is a big opportunity."
I didn't respond.
Opportunity.
That word always sounded easier when people weren't the ones stepping into it.
After a few forced bites of breakfast and my mum repeating reminders like "be confident" and "make friends with the right people," I finally left the house.
The moment I stepped outside, the heat hit me instantly.
I began the short journey to school, my earbuds in but no music playing. Just something to block out reality.
The closer I got, the more the atmosphere changed.
Luxury cars started appearing on the road. Not just normal cars sleek black ones with tinted windows and shiny plates. Drivers looked like they belonged in meetings, not traffic.
Then I saw it.
Floral High.
The gates were massive—black iron with golden floral designs woven into them like art. The walls weren't just walls; they looked like they were designed to remind you that you didn't belong unless you were meant to.
Security stood at every corner, scanning students as they entered.
And the students…
They didn't walk like normal teenagers.
They walked like they owned the world.
Designer bags. Perfect uniforms. Confidence that looked inherited, not learned.
I swallowed slightly.
"Okay…" I whispered to myself. "Just survive."
I stepped closer to the gate, my grip tightening on my bag.
Inside, everything was even worse.
The courtyard looked like something out of a private university brochure,clean marble floors, glass buildings reflecting the sunlight, fountains running softly in the middle like the school had money to waste on beauty.
People were gathered in groups already.
Laughter. Quiet conversations. Side glances.
And I knew immediately, they could tell I didn't belong.
I kept my head down and walked faster, trying to find my way through the crowd of polished perfection.
All I needed was a class. A seat. Silence.
That's it.
But of course… nothing ever goes the way I want it to.
As if the day couldn't get any worse, I walked straight into someone's chest.
Hard.
My bag slipped slightly off my shoulder as I stumbled back, already irritated and ready to explode.
I didn't even care who it was, I just wanted to lash out.
But before I could speak, a cold, sharp, stern voice cut through me.
"Watch where you're going."
I froze.
That voice wasn't just annoyed.
It was controlled. Dangerous in a quiet way.
Slowly, I looked up.
He was tall. Calm. Expensively dressed in the simplest way possible—like even his uniform didn't need to try hard.
His expression didn't change when he looked at me.
Like I was just… an interruption.
Not important enough to matter.
I swallowed my words.
"Sorry," I muttered, quickly stepping aside.
He didn't respond.
Just looked at me once more… then walked past like I wasn't worth holding up his day for.
I exhaled sharply, adjusting my bag.
"First day at Floral High," I whispered bitterly. "And I already hate this place."
I kept walking through the grand hallway, marble floors reflecting footsteps, students whispering in groups that felt untouchable.
That's when I saw him.
Leaning against the hallway wall like he owned the space.
Different from the first.
Messy hair. Easy posture. A smile that looked too relaxed for a place like this.
His eyes landed on me.
And for a second too long… he didn't look away.
I didn't stop walking.
But something about Floral High just made me feel like....this wasn't going to be a normal year.