1917 words, all done within… wait, I forgot to time myself. Dedicated to myself, for working hard in between goofing around and to Amirah ‘Lawliet’ Progidy [misspelling on purpose :P] currently sitting for her PMR.

Inspired by the Japanese drama ‘Nobuta wo Produce’. Indulge, people. This is my ‘draft’ for the upcoming SPM, lol.

On with ‘The Ruined Blazer’. [Any chivalrous being can help me come up with a better and catchier title, pretty please?]

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Just when I thought it was all over, they treated me like craps again. Fate must be laughing at me right now. First, Ai Ling, Noreen and Tania pushed me into the puddle on the muddy field during Physical Education class. And because of my aching ankle, I had to ran slower than everyone else and I was punished by the strict PE teacher.

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Now this? What have I done to deserve them painting my school blazer with the word ‘ugly monster’?

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I felt water welling up in my dark chocolate eyes. Holding back tears, I ignored several snigger and a lot more staring, grabbed my blazer from the locker and ran towards the Ladies. Paints are very stubborn stain and no matter how hard I scrubbed them under the running tap of the school washroom, the words still would not wash off.

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Though I know it was those troublesome threesome bullies who did this unethical deed on my one and only blazer, what could I do? I cried silently.

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Later that day, I could be found sitting alone in the playground at the neighbourhood where I lived in. I sat there in silent, still crying, thinking hard of what to do now that my school blazer is ruined. My mother would kill me if I return home like this.

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Suddenly, two spike-haired heads scared the daylight out of me by popping out of nowhere. “Hey, Hannah!” The somewhat serious tune of Xiao Yin broke the stillness of the air. “You okay?” He stared at me clutching my heart with those piercing ebony eyes which was filled with genuine concern.

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“We heard what happened.” Ram Prakesh added and took a seat next to me. “Yin here looked all over the place for you!” I merely kept quiet at the ramblings of my childhood friends. Ram, the most talkative among us three, continued his worrying over me and my ruined blazer while passing me pieces of tissue.

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Staring at my sobbing form, Yin picked up my slightly wet blazer and held it up for him and Ram to see. “Hell, you can’t go to school in this!” he remarked with an angry glint in his ebony eyes. Turning towards me, he and Ram had an equally devilish look on their face. “Worry not, Hannah. We’ll get those three thugs back for you!” 

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The two boys literally dragged me into the nearest café and laid out their retaliating plan as I sat there sipping my hot chocolate in silent.

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Yin, Ram and I had been attending the same school since kindergarten and we knew each other like the back of our hand. They always stood up for me and cared for me as if I am their little sister. No one knew of this fact for we made a pact to keep our friendship secret from the prying world. The two boys were the most popular boys at school with top grades and the most cunning practical jokes ever, while me, Hannah Saufi, had been bullied around for as long as I can remember.

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Yin pulled out his student guide book and read it out loud to me and Ram. Though it is compulsory for students to wear their own complete uniform to school every day, he explained, if the circumstances arise where they can no longer wear their uniform, they are allowed to wear their own clothes only with the Headmaster’s slip of approval. “Like what happened to you,” Ram pointed out with his mouth full with beef dumplings.

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After that, I was dragged towards the school office and the boys waited for me outside as I held out my blazer and timidly begged the Headmaster for her approval. She, of course, wanted to know who was the culprit but I remained silent.

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The just Headmaster then beamed encouragingly at me and patted my back with enthusiasm. “Wear your best and most smashing attires tomorrow, and stuck your tongue out at the person who did this to you!” I smiled weakly. Once granted, I was unwillingly dragged towards the shopping mall by those two overly enthusiastic boys.

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The next day before heading for school, I stood in front of Xiao Yin and Ram as they eyed me from head to toe. I stood there feeling extremely uncomfortable since I disliked the attention-grabbing attires they had forced me into buying.

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Satisfied with the classy crimson Guess top with pink petals of cherry blossom embroidered on the hem, the khaki long Chanel skirt, and the dark lavender B.U.M sling bag, they gave me two thumbs up, flashed a bright smile and encouraged me to greet everyone at school a good morning.

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I frowned. What if they got jealous of me and their hatred for me tenfolds? I voiced out my concern, only to be beaten down by Ram’s wink and Yin’s smirk. “Don’t worry, Hannah. Just enjoy your day at school!”   

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I walked towards the school with my heart drumming like mad and dancing to a frightened tune. I timidly greeted every person I met good morning and they smiled and greeted me back happily. Some even complimented my attires and praised my sudden audacity.

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I met the Headmaster as she waltzed towards her office and greeted her. She blinked and realized it was me, the usually shy girl turning over a new leaf. My smile unconsciously grew bigger along with my usually deflated confidence. Suddenly I felt I was worthy of something. Suddenly I felt happy to be at school. Yin and Ram kept giving me secret glances and grins of victory at me; their supports were never-ending.

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But good things always come to an end. Ai Ling, Noreen and Tania were not happy of the sudden attention I had received. Even when I gathered up all the wills in me and greeted them a hasty good morning, they stared at my clothes, sneered and scrunched up their noses as if I was disgusting. Taking a leaf out of my only two friends’ books, I ignored them and enjoyed the attention I had been acknowledged of.

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Two days later, there was an uncontrolled commotion in class that the Headmaster had to intervene. Ai Ling, Noreen and Tania had somehow had their blazers painted with pictures of raccoons, Hello Kitty and heart shapes that they denied as their own doing. They demanded for the Headmaster to allow them to wear their own clothes to school but the stern 56-year-old lady was adamant in her decision not to approve.

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“It is not fair!” Ai Ling slammed the table and gestured wildly at me. “Hannah gets to wear her own clothes, but why can’t we? We simply couldn’t wear ours to school!” Students were on her side and nearly everyone was giving me angry stares.

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“Hannah is different.” The Headmaster replied coolly. “People sabotaged her blazer, unlike some of us in here who clearly did it on purpose.”

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“But Mrs. Chan,” Tania piped out. “How did you know she didn’t do it herself?” I was shocked at those words and was saddened when several students were cheering for Tania and agreed with her. 

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Then out of the blue, I remembered the newspaper cutting I had kept in my pocket for the past two days. I found it while spring cleaning my room and the shock it gave me was unnerving. As I gathered my wills and stood up slowly, the whole class ceased their riot and focused their attention at me. “I’ll wear my uniform tomorrow.” I said softly and sat down as soon as I finished, keeping my head hung all throughout the day.

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There was a long pause until the Headmaster gave her nod of approval and left the classroom. I could feel everyone boring their glares at me and whispers buzzing behind my back. Oh, how I wanted so much to run away from that spot!

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After school that day, Ram and Yin cornered me and I could do nothing but to follow them to our usual hang out place, the school roof. As I sat hugging my knees on the floor, they hovered around me with grim looks and sober spark in their eyes.

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Ram was unusually quiet as Yin asked whether my decision was final. I glanced at them and handed them the newspaper cutting I had in my jacket pocket.

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Both of them stared at the picture of a happily smiling Nigerian orphan wearing a clean white shirt with long green sleeves. Across the shirt was the word ‘ugly monster’ written in bold black ink. “I found that picture two days back.” I explained to those two boys. “That boy was wearing my shirt I had thrown away five years ago after the school bullies scribbled those words on it.”

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I stood up and gave the unusually silent boys a small smile. “Somehow, the shirt ended in Nigeria and he is not even affected by those nasty words.” We stood in a pregnant silent until I continued softly. “I suppose we can continue smiling no matter what others say about us.”

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The next day, I braced myself for a whole new chapter of my life. I walked pass the school guard clad in my complete uniform and kept my eyes to the ground. Once I step into the school compound, I could almost immediately feel everyone staring and laughing at me.

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Though I wanted to be brave, I simply could not bare to watch others laughing at the words written on my back. I walked at a hurried pace towards my classroom, tears already forming in my eyes.

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Merely a metre from the classroom door, I could hear Ram and Yin calling my name out loud from miles away. Those boys, what are they up to right now? I stood motionless and waited for them to catch up with me. As they ran around the whole school, entering classroom after classroom, I could hear them greeting everyone a very good morning with enthusiasm and people laughing.

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My two great friends finally whiz pass me. Yin waved at me and ran off towards the staircases with Ram running by his side. As both of them had their back towards me, I could clearly see the bold yellow-painted words written on the bottom of their pitch black school trousers.

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On Yin’s pants were the word ‘Stupid’ and on Ram’s the word ‘Show-off’. My round eyes bulged open the size of a ping pong ball as I stared in disbelief. Now I know why the others were laughing at those two unashamed boys.

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As Yin made a beeline for the staircase to continue their tour around the school that morning, Ram stopped running four metres in front of me and turned around his shoulder to look at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Good-" With his left hand on his hips, Ram swayed his hips to the left, an action to emphasis the writing on his pants. "-mor-" The swaying continued to the right. "-ning!" He swayed to the left, gave me a short salute and an encouraging smile and ran off to join Xiao Yin in their latest endeavour.

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My lips stretched into a genuine smile. How foolish they are, I muttered under my breath. But then again, it pays to have great friends like them. I wiped out the happy tears from the corner of my eyes and set my foot towards the classroom, ready to start another day at school with a renewed spirit.

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