บท 2: Suspended for a month

Thousands of years later...

In a room full of people, a girl straddled the shooting line. Hearing the single whistle sound from her coach, she breathed in, clenched her abdominal walls, and then relaxed. With a skilled hand and razor-sharp focus, she notched the arrow, drawing the bowstring back. A gentle pluck on the flicker, the arrow freed itself from the grip and launched into the smallest gold circle in the center of the boss. Once, twice, thrice. Every time she released the arrow, the arrows flew off and hit the golden circle.

''Well done, Clary!''

Clary spun around and smiled at the man sporting a blue jersey. Her nebulous green eyes, filled to perfection, matched her furbished complexion. A sculptor could not have fashioned her sharp-pointed nose and her velvety eyelashes any better. Her long hair was braided down her back not to let her silky hair put off her focus.

''Thank you, Master.'' Voice like a sweet cello, Clary broke into a smile, liting the entire room. Clary looked up to her Master, Alder, like a proud student. There is a saying when a student is ready, the Master appears. When she decided to learn Archery at age five, her master showed up. She didnot get the need to look for another coach.

''Clary!'' Alder patted her head. ''I don't praise my students. Pretend that you_''

Clary interrupted. ''Pretend that you never heard. You are a gifted archer like the Greek Goddess Artemis. Never stop practising Archery. This is what you wanted to tell, isn't it, Master?'' Clary repeated the typical gassing she hears from her Master every day. Listening to his praises from age ten, she has byhearted his words. ''Can't you come up with something unique to this outlandish student?"

"Nothing less I expect from a brat! No one has_''

''No one has talked back to me except for you.'' Clary blew his air again. Seeing her Master's face go red in anger, Clary pressed her lips together to restrain her laughter. Busted!

Alder sighed. "I can't win you over with words. No wonder your father and uncle have a headache dealing with your troublesome hobbies."

''Actually, I am a peacemaker, Master. The problem is people find me at the wrong times.'' Just like her bald baby principal, Clary thought, remembering the day he called her to the office room on his birthday; his face went as red as turkey-cock upon seeing her. He pointed his pint-sized shaky finger at the painting on the desk; the cute teddy bear's gift wrapper was crumpled and thrown on the floor. Clary looked at the wrapper in disappointment.

It was a portrait of a lilliputian, his eyes sensually staring at a tall woman, tongue sticking out, and the saliva drooling down the lips and running across his double chin. 'What is this?' He barked, sprawling his saliva particles on Clary's face. She was careful enough to step back in time before he painted her face with his dew drops.

'A painting, sir?' Clary nervously gulped.

'And I don't know it's a painting?' He craned his neck to look at her, eyes seething in anger. 'Do you think I became the principal of this college without knowing what a painting is? I am asking, who painted this?'

'H_ how I would know, Sir.' Clary played the safe game. 'But well painted. Must be a professional artist. If you called me to ask this, you got your answer. Can I leave? I am in the middle of the fluid and particle mechanics lab, experimenting_'

'Don't pull that innocent card face in front of me. I know it's your stunts. You drew my painting and parcelled it to my office on my BIRTHDAY to mock my height.' He snarled. 'And you call this painting a work of a professional artist? A pre-KG kid can do better."

Clary clenched her fists. She can tolerate anything except someone mocking her paintings. She painted his portrait and gave it as a birthday present. He dared to compare my paintings to a pre-KG kid? 'Artists should be encouraged, sir.' Clary deadpanned.

'Very well. I will convey the same to your father. Let him dump you in an arts college.' He said. 'Bring your father to my office tomorrow. I will deal neck to neck with him.'

Clary shivered at the mention of her father, as scared as a man buried alive. Anyone except her father. She tried to prove to the bald baby that it was not her. Nonetheless, his mind strongly fixed that she was the culprit, and he was hell-bent on meeting her father. Clary regretted not painting him naked and delivered it to the bald baby's wife so his wife could mock him. Bringing her father to the university is not a good idea. So, Clary convinced her grandmother and brought her to the college.

....

Clary was suddenly pulled back to the present when she heard her master's words.

''Clary, a peacemaker? Well, it's all broadcasted in the news,'' He laughed, shaking his head. ''Coming back to the topic, you could not participate in the last Olympic games due to the federation rules and politics. Zeus university students always capture the three places from our country without giving other citizens a chance. This time, your father and uncle fought with the government, and I am glad they agreed to play a fair game. We are keeping all hopes on you, Clary."

Clary smiled, hearing Alder praise her father. Although her eyes welled up a little, she held back. Big girls don't cry, her father told her.

"I will give my best, master." Zeus university is busted this year? The creepy college is as old as the Himalayan mountains with its own rules. They don't pick students based on entrance exams or past academic records. The students are picked based on...she doesn't know...that's why Clary calls it a creepy university.

When she wanted to opt for Chemical engineering, Clary asked her father if Zeus University was a good catch. Oh boy! How much she regretted it. Never has Clary seen her father go berserk. He acted like a possessed demon. Clary never brought up the topic again. She has an inkling that the university was filled with alcoholics and drug addicts. Hence her father's rage.

Breaking her thoughts, Clary looked at her Master. ''Did we get the official schedule?''

''Not yet!''

''Any strong opponent to think of?'' Clary casually asked, putting the arrows into the quiver.

''Astraea, representing Spain,'' Alder said. ''Like you, it's her first debut in the Olympic games. A powerful opponent.''

Whatever! She is not bothered. Gold is hers. Clary decided that long back. She had promised her dad to prepare a wall of honour in her house to hang the medal.

''Don't overthink, Clary. I know you will give your best.'' Alder comforted, patting her head. ''Go to college, and come back in the evening. We will practice again.''

Clary gave him a sheepish nod. The word college sounded foreign to her. Picking her things, Clary bade him goodbye and dashed out of the academy.

''Clary baby, here!'' The chauffeur waiting for her waved at Clary.

Clary waved a hi and rushed to the car. ''Hey, uncle Ross.'' She greeted him. Placing the quiver into the back seat, she got inside. As the car moved, Clary began chatting with uncle Ross to ease her boredom. ''I have good news for you, uncle."

''Did you put a bomb under your principal's seat?'' Ross calmly asked. He wouldn't wonder if she did that. Through the front mirror, he watched Clary's eye twinkle as if she was considering the idea.

"No", Clary shook her head sadly. ''How can I do that when he suspended me for a month?''

So, is she ready to implement the idea? Ross internally prayed for the principal. That baldie better runs off to a safe place before she graduates. ''So, what's that good news then?"

''My one-month suspension ended. I am going back to the university today,'' Clary proudly added. ''Thanks for keeping the secret from my dad, uncle Ross.''

Then definitely, it's terrible news for the university. Ross didnot voice his thoughts. He had a hard time keeping a secret from his boss about his daughter's suspension. He would pick her up in the morning, pretending to drop her at the university. He takes her to the park near the college, where she meets her four friends. Those four buddies are on par with this crazy nut.

God knows where they would wander till the evening. ''If your father knows the truth, he will straight away send me to Hade's underworld.''

''You don't need to worry anymore, uncle. We managed it well. Thank you so much.'' Clary said. "As a reward, I will give you a foot care moisturizer sample I made last week. You also get an exclusive painting which I am working on as the added bonus."

Ross shivered. Her paintings are eye-sore, and her skincare products are oil gasm. Can he skip both? It would reach his boss's ears if he said no straight away. Ross played safe, saying yes.

Clary smiled and closed her eyes, recalling the events of her suspension day.

Ariel, Candy, Allen, Rick, and Clary are best friends. During the last semester, Allen began dating a girl from the Architecture department. Our boy was serious, though. But he didnot know that his girlfriend, Gwen was only after his money. She used him for a year, and she started ignoring him when she found a new sugar daddy.

Throughout the summer break, she ignored his calls and refused to meet him. On the first day of the University reopening, Allen saw his girlfriend wandering with another boy. His little heart broke. When he confronted her, she told him he was not worthy. After a big fight between the three, Allen came to the class injured. His forehead was bleeding profusely.

Enraged, Clary pulled Gwen's hair. Gwen hit on Clary's face and ran away. Clary chased her around the campus and eventually caught her in the cafeteria. She grabbed her by the hair and knocked her up until she pulled a fistful of hair from the root.

When the matter worsened, Gwen's sugar daddy came to the rescue. So, her friends rescue Clary. Ariel, Candy, and Clary knocked Gwen while Rick and Allen pounced on the cheating boyfriend.

By sheer bad luck, her bald principal showed up in the cafeteria. Clary has an inkling that he was there on purpose. Bald baby must have had many grudges against Clary, and he strongly believed it was her fault.

'You are suspended for a month' He barked, gritting his crooked teeth. He didnot even ask why and kicked her out of the university for a month. Clary didnot mind he kicked her out, but he demanded she brings her father. And that's the nightmare she can ever have.

....

Clary's pronunciation: Clay-RI