And so... Before Nene stood a brick building, painfully familiar. The weight of her backpack on her shoulders reminded her of her responsibilities. Nene didn’t want to go forward. She recognized this building—it was just like the American school from the TV show she’d recently watched. Yet, she had no choice but to blend into the flow of students heading inside.

Nene didn’t know anyone here. Or anything, for that matter. She just observed the long hallways filled with students in casual clothes and rows of lockers. It didn’t take long for Nene to notice the school hierarchy: “nerds” dressed neatly, many wearing glasses, usually either alone or in small groups. Considering how much Nene played video games and her introverted nature, she figured she’d probably fall into that category too. Then there were the odd ones—those who called themselves “individual.” The goths, scenes, members of creative clubs, and others. They stood out, but not enough to be considered popular. The guys from sports teams looked attractive, but Nene felt a wave of disgust just looking at them. And, of course, there was the “queen bee” and her cheerleader clique. They’re supposed to be the prettiest and the most popular, aren’t they?

“Hey, what are you staring at, freak?” snapped the queen bee, stepping closer to Nene. The girls behind her snickered.

Her chest tightened, “S-sorry...” Nene stammered, though she didn’t actually feel guilty. Girls like this just wanted to inflate their egos. Nene only felt deeply uncomfortable under all those stares. She could feel her hands trembling.