Disclaimer: The G-boys aren't mine, just borrowing them, yada yada
yada...Original characters belongs to me, myself & I.
AN: The G-boys don't make their appearance in this chapter yet. Patience is a virtue...
Chapter 1
Moving across the room, Jess sank down onto a couch. "How did things turn out like THIS???" she wailed, breathing hard as she sat down.
Jess is a simple Chinese-looking 17-year-old girl. Height around 1.6 meters, with long shoulder length hair usually tied in a ponytail. In other words, a plain-looking, ordinary girl. The kind of girl that ONLY normal things happen to.
'This hardly qualifies as normal or ordinary, that's for certain,' Jess thought, taking in the scenery of her room cum prison. 'And why am I here? Let me see. It all had to start with that DAMN school trip.'
The school trip had turned out to be a disaster, not to mention a nightmare that led on to another without her ever seemingly to wake up from. She had joined the school's trip group going for Japan to relax and enjoy the change of atmosphere after a stressed and tiring month of intensive studying and exams. She hadn't counted on the appearance of Johnson and his group mates tagging along. The group of 'gorillas' had to brilliantly come along and ruin the rest of her vacation with their non- stop teasing and bullying.
After enduring their teasing and bullying for one year, making her life as MISERABLE as possible, adding a few days more with them was a torture camp. She had tried to ignore them at the start of the journey but the stupid bunch of 'monkeys' just didn't seem to get the idea. Her luggage was 'accidentally' lost at the airport, holding her back from joining the rest for a sight-seeing tour of Tokyo's airport compound (which they later found it on a basis of luck, in a deserted corner of the far end lost luggage- collection compartment, buried under a pile of old suitcases). Not only that, she kept losing things and finding them in the most embarrassing places.
'Places I would rather not think about, thank you!' Jess thought, sighing and burying her face in her hands.
If it wasn't bad enough, the BABOONS actually had girl admirers. 'Talk about bad taste if you ask me.' Thus coming to the situation that Jess had to contend with fire from BOTH sides of the gender. Whether it was the guys' or girls' fault that such torture came about, both sides were guilty parties. The males having fun making a fool out of her, and the females spitting like she-cats from the sidelines.
'So what if Johnson and gang are a tiny, weenie bit popular?' Jess thought sulkily, 'Don't I count as a human being too? Besides, it's the teachers' fault as well.'
Jess's year in Katman College would have been fine and out of the spotlight if the teachers didn't have a habit of pairing her up with Johnson in the same group so frequently. Once or twice was ok. BUT this going on the whole year seemed too much of a coincidence. Thus the teasing started. However, along the way, things began to get a little out of hand.
What was worst, in the whole entire situation, was when asked on his feelings towards her, he kept quiet. Thus, fuelling gossip, female rivalry and backstabbing towards her direction from interested females.
'Stupid guy has no ounce of sense! If only he had rejected it.'
The female betrayal, backstabbing, the lies. you name it, she went through it. And now this.
'When is my life going to STOP being such mayhem?' Jess thought, tucking her face into the hollow that her arm made, propped up on both knees as she hugged them close to her body.
Part of the trip consisted of visiting the comic buildings where artists drew original prints of the comic books to be sent for printing. She was excited, as she would be able to see how comics were drawn, inked and printed. Not to mention the possibility of meeting the creators behind Ranma ½, Inuyasha, Gundam Wing, Angel Sanctuary, Sabre Marionette, etc. Only this excitement was dampened by the presence of Johnson and his gang early in the morning. They started ruining her day with name calling, pulling her hair when her back was turned and generally making a fool out of her in front of the rest of the group.
'Where is my shining knight in armour when I need him??' Jess thought grumpily. 'Obviously hiding.'
A coach was arranged to take them to a high-rise building made of glass and concrete. Inside, the interior was beautifully decorated with marble and crystal, giving the air of importance and formality. Walking through the door, even Johnson and gang were silenced by the impression of the chic and classy outlook the building gave. But that was only a while.
The floor was tilted with marble of the lightest brown with black streaks running from one end to the other, coming together to form a pattern in the middle. Posters of Amine posters placed in glass casing, adorn the sides of the walls, forming a beeline towards the elevators situated at the other end of the hall. A crystal fountain occupied a corner of the entrance while to the other side, small crystal statuettes lined the bottom end, only to build up to a pretty lady sitting among flowers, looking at ease with the world and the situation around her. (1)
In the middle of the hall, throwing a soft light around, a crystal chandelier hanged suspended from the ceiling, giving the finishing touch of elegance, chic and class to the hall. Where facets of light bounced off the crystal onto floor, it made the pattern imbedded in the floor, seem to come alive and dance before their very eyes as the light gently moved from the tiny gust of wind created by the air-conditioning in the room.
Upon entering the hall, Jess longed to move closer to the walls to take a good look at the posters hanging there. However, the guide was already leading the group towards the elevators, his voice drowned out by the sudden burst of chatter from the excited students as they made their way through the hall. Jess cast one longing look at the posters hanging there and hurried after the group towards the elevators.
There were three elevators waiting at the end of the hall, each equipped with their own bellboy to take the students up to the required floor. Jess tried to rush into one of the elevators, as Johnson and his gorillas didn't seem too keen on getting squashed. Unfortunately, the elevators were filled with people not on Jess side, especially with the bunch of silly admirers, pushing Jess out in the hope that the space made would induce one of the boys to join them.
However they ignored them; Greg and Nick chatting away, Aaron and Josh turning their attention to the posters at the side while Johnson pretended to admire the ceiling. Before Jess could make another attempt at dashing into elevator in front of her, all 3 elevators' doors closed, with the stupid guide promising to send down an elevator for them while waiting with the others on the above floors. Jess could distinctively hear the moans of the disappointment from the 'clinging ivy' in the lifts going up, and started to dread the onslaught of glares and spitfire she would get once she reached her destination.
Back then; it looked like a situation out of the comic book. Right now, it was really happening to her. She was left alone with Johnson again, this time gang included with no charge.
Whatever noise Nick and Greg were making had stopped, indicating trouble wasn't too far behind. Jess slowly turned her head, her eye twitching with unease. Five pairs of eyes were now glaring intensely at her, Johnson looking her the most intensely. Jess could feeling the hair on her arms rise. The silence that fell between them was so thick that Jess was certain she could hear the gentle gurgle of water coming from the fountain at the far end of the hall.
Nick opened his mouth first. He was the bigmouth of the group. "How can a toad like you always end up in the same group as us? Aren't you tired of chasing Johnson? Girls these days really have no pride!" Jess eyes widened then narrowed with anger.
'How dare they!' she thought, feeling her anger raged through her head. 'Just because they have wealth, status and looks doesn't mean they can accuse me of. of.OF such untrue things! I do NOT act like those girls!'
Jess opened her mouth to defend herself, however, she was cut-short by Nick's continuation of his sharp remarks. Only this time, his remarks took a different twist, addressed to Johnson instead of her. "She's easy! Pretending to be different from those girls but we all know she's really a SLUT like them!"
Jess felt her argument catch in her throat. She was really weak against attacks made to decide another's person idea of her personality. Johnson took one look at her and looked away, keeping silent to Nick's comments, while a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Jess felt a new surge of anger; she saw red. Before she could stop herself, she heard herself shouting: "I AM NOT! NOT! NOT! NOT! YOU GORILLAS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME OR MY PREFERENCES, SO YOU CAN'T JUDGE ME!" Silence reigned again as Jess finished shouting those words. No one said a thing.
' Oh great Jess! Like that'll help! I'm sure they can read you brain and become a group of Mr Sensitives' she thought, spinning on her heel to face the lifts again. She could feel her eyes pickle with unfallen tears while she clutched her hands, as the first strains of thunderous laughter came drifting from behind her back. Aaron and Josh had started singing childishly: "Jess is such a child, Jess is such a child.."
Luckily, her tears were saved from falling as the elevator in front of her gave a small 'ting!' before the door slid open to reveal the empty interior. This sudden change startled her and she entered the elevator with growing excitement.
Johnson and his gang trudge in after her like a herd of elephants to her irritation.
The bellboy smiled pleasantly at her before introducing himself. "Hi! I'm Zarth! Your tour guide instructed me to take you all to the highest floor," he said, smiling at her.
Jess smiled back at him in gratitude and greeting before the hairs on her back began to pickle again. Turning around, she caught Johnson giving her a frown from his end of the elevator. However, in a spilt second, he was able to erase it and feign indifference. At times like this, Jess desperately wished she had a camera with her, since she seemed to be the only one catching him in such acts. She really hated these kinds of moments; it made her feel like she had just imagined it.
Strangely, the elevator journey proceeded smoothly without any interruptions from the 'gorillas' standing behind her. However, it was still as nerve-wreaking as ever, not knowing whether or when they were up to something. Jess breathed a sigh of relief when the doors of the elevators finally opened. Stepping out of the elevator revealed a huge room with windows lining a whole wall and sunlight pouring in, illuminating the room for the people working on stacks of paper, some of which are piled high on their desks, while a bustle of activity filled the room, shifting from one end to the other, and then back again.
A few steps ahead of the elevator stood the group, with most girls showing black faces directed at Jess's direction as they stepped out. Jess ignored those faces; she had learnt that things ignored were sometimes the best solution. It also meant less stress and worries for her.
Johnson and gang moved ahead to join the group while Jess loitered at the back. Time and time again had proven female rivalry to be quite painful and vicious. Plus, she didn't need any trodden feet on her vacation
The guide gave them a small tour around the room, explaining and introducing different artists drawing for different authors of comic books. Jess paid attention to every little word the guide translated but Johnson and gang basically yawned, monkeyed around and generally made fools out of themselves. In the midst of the talking and interruptions, Jess noticed a poster on the wall of Gundam Wing, to the side of her. The poster was surrounded by soft blue light penetrating from the circumference around it, softly, as if beckoning Jess to come take a closer look.
'Back then, I thought it was some neon blue light someone put behind it. Now I can finally understand the phase: Curiosity killed the cat.'
As Jess started to take a step towards the picture for a closer inspection, Johnson received a shove from Greg, causing him to stumble into her path. At the same time, Nick had already snuck up behind her and gave her a shove, causing her to go stumbling headlong into Johnson. She didn't know who was more shocked, she or Johnson. However, one thing kept occurring in her mind. 'Move away from him.'
Jess summoned all her strength upon contact and pushed away from him, sending Johnson stumbling backwards into Greg, while losing her own balance, causing herself to go stumbling backwards towards the picture.
The last thing she saw was Johnson shocked face; Greg opening his mouth and Nick looking like he was going to burst into laughter. The next thing she knew was blue light bursting forth from behind her, momentary blinding her for a few seconds and when she regained her sight, she was looking at a metal wall.
Authoress' Proclamation:
(1) The idea of the comic building is purely my fantasy if you haven't already figured THAT out!
AN: The G-boys don't make their appearance in this chapter yet. Patience is a virtue...
Chapter 1
Moving across the room, Jess sank down onto a couch. "How did things turn out like THIS???" she wailed, breathing hard as she sat down.
Jess is a simple Chinese-looking 17-year-old girl. Height around 1.6 meters, with long shoulder length hair usually tied in a ponytail. In other words, a plain-looking, ordinary girl. The kind of girl that ONLY normal things happen to.
'This hardly qualifies as normal or ordinary, that's for certain,' Jess thought, taking in the scenery of her room cum prison. 'And why am I here? Let me see. It all had to start with that DAMN school trip.'
The school trip had turned out to be a disaster, not to mention a nightmare that led on to another without her ever seemingly to wake up from. She had joined the school's trip group going for Japan to relax and enjoy the change of atmosphere after a stressed and tiring month of intensive studying and exams. She hadn't counted on the appearance of Johnson and his group mates tagging along. The group of 'gorillas' had to brilliantly come along and ruin the rest of her vacation with their non- stop teasing and bullying.
After enduring their teasing and bullying for one year, making her life as MISERABLE as possible, adding a few days more with them was a torture camp. She had tried to ignore them at the start of the journey but the stupid bunch of 'monkeys' just didn't seem to get the idea. Her luggage was 'accidentally' lost at the airport, holding her back from joining the rest for a sight-seeing tour of Tokyo's airport compound (which they later found it on a basis of luck, in a deserted corner of the far end lost luggage- collection compartment, buried under a pile of old suitcases). Not only that, she kept losing things and finding them in the most embarrassing places.
'Places I would rather not think about, thank you!' Jess thought, sighing and burying her face in her hands.
If it wasn't bad enough, the BABOONS actually had girl admirers. 'Talk about bad taste if you ask me.' Thus coming to the situation that Jess had to contend with fire from BOTH sides of the gender. Whether it was the guys' or girls' fault that such torture came about, both sides were guilty parties. The males having fun making a fool out of her, and the females spitting like she-cats from the sidelines.
'So what if Johnson and gang are a tiny, weenie bit popular?' Jess thought sulkily, 'Don't I count as a human being too? Besides, it's the teachers' fault as well.'
Jess's year in Katman College would have been fine and out of the spotlight if the teachers didn't have a habit of pairing her up with Johnson in the same group so frequently. Once or twice was ok. BUT this going on the whole year seemed too much of a coincidence. Thus the teasing started. However, along the way, things began to get a little out of hand.
What was worst, in the whole entire situation, was when asked on his feelings towards her, he kept quiet. Thus, fuelling gossip, female rivalry and backstabbing towards her direction from interested females.
'Stupid guy has no ounce of sense! If only he had rejected it.'
The female betrayal, backstabbing, the lies. you name it, she went through it. And now this.
'When is my life going to STOP being such mayhem?' Jess thought, tucking her face into the hollow that her arm made, propped up on both knees as she hugged them close to her body.
Part of the trip consisted of visiting the comic buildings where artists drew original prints of the comic books to be sent for printing. She was excited, as she would be able to see how comics were drawn, inked and printed. Not to mention the possibility of meeting the creators behind Ranma ½, Inuyasha, Gundam Wing, Angel Sanctuary, Sabre Marionette, etc. Only this excitement was dampened by the presence of Johnson and his gang early in the morning. They started ruining her day with name calling, pulling her hair when her back was turned and generally making a fool out of her in front of the rest of the group.
'Where is my shining knight in armour when I need him??' Jess thought grumpily. 'Obviously hiding.'
A coach was arranged to take them to a high-rise building made of glass and concrete. Inside, the interior was beautifully decorated with marble and crystal, giving the air of importance and formality. Walking through the door, even Johnson and gang were silenced by the impression of the chic and classy outlook the building gave. But that was only a while.
The floor was tilted with marble of the lightest brown with black streaks running from one end to the other, coming together to form a pattern in the middle. Posters of Amine posters placed in glass casing, adorn the sides of the walls, forming a beeline towards the elevators situated at the other end of the hall. A crystal fountain occupied a corner of the entrance while to the other side, small crystal statuettes lined the bottom end, only to build up to a pretty lady sitting among flowers, looking at ease with the world and the situation around her. (1)
In the middle of the hall, throwing a soft light around, a crystal chandelier hanged suspended from the ceiling, giving the finishing touch of elegance, chic and class to the hall. Where facets of light bounced off the crystal onto floor, it made the pattern imbedded in the floor, seem to come alive and dance before their very eyes as the light gently moved from the tiny gust of wind created by the air-conditioning in the room.
Upon entering the hall, Jess longed to move closer to the walls to take a good look at the posters hanging there. However, the guide was already leading the group towards the elevators, his voice drowned out by the sudden burst of chatter from the excited students as they made their way through the hall. Jess cast one longing look at the posters hanging there and hurried after the group towards the elevators.
There were three elevators waiting at the end of the hall, each equipped with their own bellboy to take the students up to the required floor. Jess tried to rush into one of the elevators, as Johnson and his gorillas didn't seem too keen on getting squashed. Unfortunately, the elevators were filled with people not on Jess side, especially with the bunch of silly admirers, pushing Jess out in the hope that the space made would induce one of the boys to join them.
However they ignored them; Greg and Nick chatting away, Aaron and Josh turning their attention to the posters at the side while Johnson pretended to admire the ceiling. Before Jess could make another attempt at dashing into elevator in front of her, all 3 elevators' doors closed, with the stupid guide promising to send down an elevator for them while waiting with the others on the above floors. Jess could distinctively hear the moans of the disappointment from the 'clinging ivy' in the lifts going up, and started to dread the onslaught of glares and spitfire she would get once she reached her destination.
Back then; it looked like a situation out of the comic book. Right now, it was really happening to her. She was left alone with Johnson again, this time gang included with no charge.
Whatever noise Nick and Greg were making had stopped, indicating trouble wasn't too far behind. Jess slowly turned her head, her eye twitching with unease. Five pairs of eyes were now glaring intensely at her, Johnson looking her the most intensely. Jess could feeling the hair on her arms rise. The silence that fell between them was so thick that Jess was certain she could hear the gentle gurgle of water coming from the fountain at the far end of the hall.
Nick opened his mouth first. He was the bigmouth of the group. "How can a toad like you always end up in the same group as us? Aren't you tired of chasing Johnson? Girls these days really have no pride!" Jess eyes widened then narrowed with anger.
'How dare they!' she thought, feeling her anger raged through her head. 'Just because they have wealth, status and looks doesn't mean they can accuse me of. of.OF such untrue things! I do NOT act like those girls!'
Jess opened her mouth to defend herself, however, she was cut-short by Nick's continuation of his sharp remarks. Only this time, his remarks took a different twist, addressed to Johnson instead of her. "She's easy! Pretending to be different from those girls but we all know she's really a SLUT like them!"
Jess felt her argument catch in her throat. She was really weak against attacks made to decide another's person idea of her personality. Johnson took one look at her and looked away, keeping silent to Nick's comments, while a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Jess felt a new surge of anger; she saw red. Before she could stop herself, she heard herself shouting: "I AM NOT! NOT! NOT! NOT! YOU GORILLAS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME OR MY PREFERENCES, SO YOU CAN'T JUDGE ME!" Silence reigned again as Jess finished shouting those words. No one said a thing.
' Oh great Jess! Like that'll help! I'm sure they can read you brain and become a group of Mr Sensitives' she thought, spinning on her heel to face the lifts again. She could feel her eyes pickle with unfallen tears while she clutched her hands, as the first strains of thunderous laughter came drifting from behind her back. Aaron and Josh had started singing childishly: "Jess is such a child, Jess is such a child.."
Luckily, her tears were saved from falling as the elevator in front of her gave a small 'ting!' before the door slid open to reveal the empty interior. This sudden change startled her and she entered the elevator with growing excitement.
Johnson and his gang trudge in after her like a herd of elephants to her irritation.
The bellboy smiled pleasantly at her before introducing himself. "Hi! I'm Zarth! Your tour guide instructed me to take you all to the highest floor," he said, smiling at her.
Jess smiled back at him in gratitude and greeting before the hairs on her back began to pickle again. Turning around, she caught Johnson giving her a frown from his end of the elevator. However, in a spilt second, he was able to erase it and feign indifference. At times like this, Jess desperately wished she had a camera with her, since she seemed to be the only one catching him in such acts. She really hated these kinds of moments; it made her feel like she had just imagined it.
Strangely, the elevator journey proceeded smoothly without any interruptions from the 'gorillas' standing behind her. However, it was still as nerve-wreaking as ever, not knowing whether or when they were up to something. Jess breathed a sigh of relief when the doors of the elevators finally opened. Stepping out of the elevator revealed a huge room with windows lining a whole wall and sunlight pouring in, illuminating the room for the people working on stacks of paper, some of which are piled high on their desks, while a bustle of activity filled the room, shifting from one end to the other, and then back again.
A few steps ahead of the elevator stood the group, with most girls showing black faces directed at Jess's direction as they stepped out. Jess ignored those faces; she had learnt that things ignored were sometimes the best solution. It also meant less stress and worries for her.
Johnson and gang moved ahead to join the group while Jess loitered at the back. Time and time again had proven female rivalry to be quite painful and vicious. Plus, she didn't need any trodden feet on her vacation
The guide gave them a small tour around the room, explaining and introducing different artists drawing for different authors of comic books. Jess paid attention to every little word the guide translated but Johnson and gang basically yawned, monkeyed around and generally made fools out of themselves. In the midst of the talking and interruptions, Jess noticed a poster on the wall of Gundam Wing, to the side of her. The poster was surrounded by soft blue light penetrating from the circumference around it, softly, as if beckoning Jess to come take a closer look.
'Back then, I thought it was some neon blue light someone put behind it. Now I can finally understand the phase: Curiosity killed the cat.'
As Jess started to take a step towards the picture for a closer inspection, Johnson received a shove from Greg, causing him to stumble into her path. At the same time, Nick had already snuck up behind her and gave her a shove, causing her to go stumbling headlong into Johnson. She didn't know who was more shocked, she or Johnson. However, one thing kept occurring in her mind. 'Move away from him.'
Jess summoned all her strength upon contact and pushed away from him, sending Johnson stumbling backwards into Greg, while losing her own balance, causing herself to go stumbling backwards towards the picture.
The last thing she saw was Johnson shocked face; Greg opening his mouth and Nick looking like he was going to burst into laughter. The next thing she knew was blue light bursting forth from behind her, momentary blinding her for a few seconds and when she regained her sight, she was looking at a metal wall.
Authoress' Proclamation:
(1) The idea of the comic building is purely my fantasy if you haven't already figured THAT out!