Chapter 3: Chapter 3: You're Too Poor I'm Out of Your League

I got inside the gym... Ugh... I'm late on the first day of school. Can't I at least have a pass or something... I mean it's the first day but I guess... it's because they are prestigious or something... that I'm in trouble... I mean it's not my fault that the guy bumped onto me. I guess there's no use to complaining.

The gym was filled with students and everyone was neatly lined up. I quickly sneaked at the back so I can line up anywhere. There shouldn't be like a proper line right or did they say it during orientation and I didn't know...

As I quickly struggled to look for the line I belong I looked as I saw students with the white uniform and red blazers in front carrying a sign of the room number... Damn it... where is my room number?

"Hello! Are you Grace Baltazar? You are in line with us." Someone tapped behind me and saw a blonde-haired guy giving me a big smile with a hair clip on his head.

"Oh! How did you recognize me?" I asked him.

"I saw you during orientation. Silly. I memorized the names of all my classmates and I recognized you since you weren't in the line." He said as he pats me to go to my line.

"Thank you. It's a big help." I nodded as I hid behind the group of people. I noticed everyone talking and chatting like typically teenagers while I remained silent. Well, I don't know how they do... I guess some of them are from the same school but none of my friends at my old school are here so...

"Good morning students." I hear a soft-spoken voice in the speaker. As everyone heard they all went silent.

I guess that's the principal. She looks really sophisticated, wearing her purple dress and pants. Very formal for an opening ceremony.

"Good morning students. You are all the cream of the crop of your schools and I hope you exhibit this by to our three core values! What are our core values!" The woman shouted in the mic.

"Excellence! Discipline! Good Taste!" The students responded while I remained quiet... honestly, I actually don't know so I'm just remaining silent.

"Excellent! Good job students! Please go to your corresponding lines if you are still not there. You will all start your homeroom class and finally meet your advisers!" The principal smiled at everyone as they started to walk to their classrooms.

It's a good thing we have a guide. I would have been lost if I went myself. I'm not very good at directions... I sigh to myself as I followed the crowd. I saw them already interacting with each other.

"Why the long face?" The guy with the hair clip from earlier talked to me.

"Oh, I guess I'm just not really very sociable with people. A few people backstabbed me before. So ya I'm not the best with people." I responded awkwardly.

"If you don't mind me asking. What happened to you exactly? How were you betrayed." He got closer to me as everyone continued to walk in a uniform direction.

"Well.. maybe tell me your name first and I might answer you." I squinted at him for trying to pry. "I mean I'm not against sharing it with someone but maybe you can tell me your name first will you?"

"Oh.. sorry! My name is Greg Paolontonio! A pleasure to meet you!" He gave me a wide grin a pure innocent smile like a cute dog.

"Grace Baltazar. Well, you already know my name so no need to tell you or anything."

"Anyways! Tell me what happened! Sorry, I'm just really curious about these types of things especially since you told me. You're just really interesting!" He asked me like a puppy dog asking for a bone.

"Ugh. Fine. Also, you do look like a large puppy you know?" I laughed as he looked at me with his sad puppy dog eyes.

"You see.. being in a poor financial status. I decided that instead of wasting my time learning school facts that I'm probably not going to use in my lifetime. I'll just do something productive and helpful to my father. So I decided to sell lollipops. The school was quite small so I didn't earn anything more than 1k." I sighed.

"1K! AND YOU ARE STILL SAYING THAT'S LITTLE! NO ONE CAN JUST PICK UP 1K FROM THE FLOOR YOU KNOW!" he shouted.

"Anyways I had this friend. He got really jealous that I was selling my lollipops that were very rare. Like none of the stores sell this type of lollipop so it was popular but he sold like regular old candy so I mostly got his customers. He got mad and told me off at the principal. Which was not fond of me, to begin with so the principal banned me from selling because apparently I should just be studying."

"Wow.. what a jerk... I didn't know people were that jealous. Jealous enough to try to get you banned from selling."

"Alright! Everyone please line up and get inside!" The line leader tells us all to go inside the room.

Shoot! I didn't notice we were already in the room!

We all got inside the classroom as we walked in Greg the puppy dog asked me to sit next to him. I nodded and we both sat together.

As I schemed around to classroom I see him! That tall, dark handsome boy from before! I can't believe it! We are classmates! But he's sitting so far away damn it! Well, I guess sitting with a puppy boy would be better anyway.

"Hello, students. My name is Ms. Valentine! I'll be your homeroom teacher and your advisor for this grade year. I hope we can get along with another." The teacher bowed as a sign of respect.

We all stood up and said, "Thank you miss I hope we get along." We also bowed down and sat

down.

"Anyways then. Do you all know what that means since you are all new! Why don't you all introduce yourself!" The teacher suggested.

A moment of silence until all hell broke loose... "WHAT NO!" "NO WAY!" "I HATE to INTRODUCE YOURSELF!" It was the introvert's worst nightmare. Introducing yourself in front of a crowd... what a total nightmare...

I could see everyone panicking, screaming, crying, basically anything you can think of them doing showing their displeasure from this they are doing...

And I don't choose to remember this memory... Honestly, it was the worst...

"Hey! Come on tell us! While we eat!" Sungah giggled as she ate her food.

"I didn't know you thought of me like a dog back then." Greg giggled as he ate the fries.

"No offense you were so cute back then Greg especially with the hair clip but now you are so tall and muscular... You aren't nice to hug anymore." Sungah snickered. "Also in other questions. So you bumped into Louie at the first flag ceremony which got you late when I asked you at the entrance. If that was the reason why didn't you write that?"

"Like I can write. I bumped into a guy at the front and I fell in love at first sight because of how I'm ogling at him I got late... CAN'T EXACTLY WRITE THAT.." I said sarcastically

"I mean you couldn't have just written down there was an accident at the front so you got a little late. I would have probably let you in at that time you know?" Sungah answered.

"Well, you looked intimidating at the flag ceremony so I couldn't okay? Geez." I responded.

"By the way... what made you hate him so much? I mean I'm not really close with Louie so I'm not sure why you hate him." Greg asked.

"Wow! I'm surprised, Greg. You were a social butterfly during highschool teaching self-defense to everyone I'm surprised you aren't close to Louie he was an athlete you know?" Sungah laughed.

Your family is poor... why would I want to be with you... I still remember those words... when I confessed to him after he kept ghosting me..

"Grace! Are you okay! Why are you crying!" Greg pointed out as I start to tear up.

"I.. I guess I remembered it again... what he said to me...

It was the end of graduation as everyone left and I saw him going away as well... that's when I got the courage to confront him and tell him my feelings... I've been hiding it in my heart for so long and I wanted him to be my boyfriend.

"Louie!" I shouted at him as he was about to go out.

"What do you want. Can't you see I'm going out now." He turned at me in a semi-aggressive manner.

"Oh, it won't take long! I just wanted to give you this handmade candy I made myself with the bottom of my heart. It took a long time to do and I just wanted to say.. I like you. I love you as a lover... not as a friend."

He stood there.. shocked before I heard it. His laughter.. laughing at me... looking down at me like I was some pest.

"Hahaha. You do realize that you are just a poor high school student. I'm an heir to a huge company. I'm totally out of your league. You know we are friends on all of that but honestly, I think you are just confessing to me for the money, aren't you? So fuck off cause I'm not interested. I'm not interested in gold diggers who go close to rich people. Why don't you make yourself something before " He turned his back away from me walking away..

"No wait I-" I couldn't speak and my heart was at my stomach...

"This candy is probably poison. Fucking disgusting." He threw the candy I made with all my heart into the trash can. "Trash," he muttered under his breath as he walked out of the room.

I... I guess I was just tricking myself... to think that I thought that if I confess to him I would date him.. I. My heartfelt heavier as the tears start to drip from the cheek. His anger gaze remained in my mind... I'm really just out of his league... I'm a poor high school student... I'm a nobody...

No. I won't let anything as trivial as this ruin me. I have my father to rescue from debts.. and love is one thing but I needed to get stronger, I need to be better for my father.... he needs me...

So I worked hard. I slapped myself from this delusion of being with him for once and used my anger for him as fuel to get even better.

"What a jerk," Greg said as I start wiping my tears.

"So that's why you were so focused on getting a high position and getting rich because of what happened right?" Sungah comforts me.

"He told me I was a nobody and I was out of his league... so what I did instead of cry... I turned my sadness into rage and determination. I worked hard and now... I have one thing in my mind. Make him regret and grovel in his feet for what he did to me." I said sternly, as my eyes were full of fire and anger.

Although I am in a high position...

HE IS THE REASON WHY I FEEL BAD ABOUT MYSELF AND WHY I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I WAS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH! HE MADE ME DOUBT MYSELF AND MY ABILITIES FOREVER TORTURING MY SOUL...

"And now... all I want is for his business to be ruined... I'll do anything to see it fall down... I HATE EVERY PART OF HIM. I'LL NEVER FORGIVE HIM FOR WHAT HE DID TO ME. I NEED TO SEE HIM GROVEL AT MY FEET BEFORE I CAN MOVE ON FROM THIS." I screamed much like a lunatic.

"Actually if you want to see him.. I can set up a reunion to be held for the students of our batch. Maybe you can get to see him and show how much bigger you are than him." Sungah suggested.

"How are you going to make the school set up a reunion out of the blue like that?" Greg asked.

"Oh not to worry! I have my ways... I'm a fairly clever girl. Anyways I can set the reunion up on the weekend and you'll be able to see him again." Sungah snickered.

"Hmm, I am a little bit curious about his net worth... since I haven't really checked it," I said as I got into a search engine on my phone.

"Not gonna lie to the degree of obsession I would have assumed you knew his net worth." Sungah giggled teasing me.

I searched for his name... Louie Quinones... the CEO of Quinones Food Enterprises... My eyes widen as I saw... HIS NET WORTH. IT'S HIGHER THAN MINE...

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW.