New Faces and Old Habits

Mariza walked through the metal doors of Kingston High, her purple streaks catching the fluorescent lights. Her sneakers squeaked against the polished floor as students rushed past with their phones buzzing.

"Great, another new school," she muttered, adjusting her navy blazer.

Near the lockers, a crowd of students laughed loudly. Mariza saw a girl with messy blue hair sitting on the floor, covered in bright yellow paint. Pink eyes filled with tears as the girl tried to wipe the mess from her white shirt.

"Look at Yamada the weirdo!" someone shouted.

The girl named Yamada looked up desperately as more students pointed their phones at her. Mariza noticed how the popular girl with perfectly styled blonde hair, who must be Emery, just walked past without helping.

Mariza's hands clenched into fists. She'd seen enough bullying at her last three schools. But this time, maybe she could try something different than fighting.

Unexpected Alliances

Mariza stepped forward, her sneakers squeaking against the hallway floor. She pulled out tissues from her backpack and knelt beside Yamada.

"Here, let me help," Mariza said, gently wiping yellow paint from Yamada's cheek.

Yamada's pink eyes widened. "You don't have to. Everyone thinks I'm weird."

"I've been to three schools," Mariza said, cleaning paint from Yamada's blue hair. "Trust me, weird isn't always bad."

The crowd slowly dispersed as Mariza helped Yamada to her feet. She noticed Yamada's nervous fidgeting and how she kept glancing toward Emery's group across the hall.

"You want to be like them, don't you?" Mariza asked.

Yamada nodded sadly. "Emery's so perfect. Everyone wants to be her friend."

Mariza studied the popular girl surrounded by admirers. At her last school, she'd learned fighting only made things worse. Maybe this time she could try something different.

"What if I taught you how to be popular?" Mariza offered.

Yamada's face lit up. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Why not? But we'll need to practice somewhere private first."

Outside, dark clouds gathered overhead as the first drops of rain began to fall.