ISABELLA•POV

While my mother set off to her office, I started walking down to the school gate, everyone looked good and warm. Some of my schoolmates and I were briskly exchanging pleasantries, some were ignoring me while I was ignoring some.

High school like Onyx academy, had a lot of rivalries among the students, especially we the girls. For all I cared, I would be good once I meet my best friends.

Walking on the narrow concrete walkway, I smiled as I saw Jerry, a hairy, light-skinned guy with blue eyes, sitting on one of the concrete benches, wearing an headphone.

Moving closed to him, I teased. "Hey jerk! You must be waiting for someone else."

Jerry who was pressing his phone, took off his headphone and raised his head. Staring at me, he shrugged. "Sure!"

Smiling, he stretched his hand for a handshake and I shook his hand, then sat beside him. We have seen each other most times in summer holiday so I couldn't even notice if he looked good too. Yeah, we have spent summer together with Dennis and Mary at the beaches, cinemas and so on. But trust me, he was always handsome.

Jerry was an athlete, the best footballer in our set and the game prefect boy. He was tall and he had developed muscles and already sprouting beard. He so loved sports that our school gym trainer, Bob, used to train him after school hours. He and we his close friends had also formed a friendship with Bob.

Girls were also attracted to Jerry for being handsome, every girl always wanted him. Lover boy I would tease him. Everyone loved him for being nice, jovial and playful though he could act weird and tough sometimes, not fearing anyone.

"I called you." Jerry started. "Why didn't you return it?"

I brought out my phone and checked it. He was the one who called when Chloe was bullying me.

"Because, I didn't just want to return it." I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"Really?" Jerry smiled. "Well, I wanted to come over, and pick you up."

Jerry, sometimes, used to come to school in one of his parents' cars. Being from a rich family, people thought he didn't have any problem he was dealing with but I knew how he was still grieving his late mother and battling with his step mother.

"Mum dropped me off at school!" I replied.

"Oh! I thought she is off today." Jerry shrugged, I shook my head, gesturing no.

"Well, she got a call from her office, so she decided to go."

"So tell me, why didn't you pick up my call?" Jerry intently asked.

"Gosh! I don't want to talk about it now." I frowned, staring into nothingness.

"Really?" Jerry stared at me, reading my face. "Chloe again?"

I stared back at Jerry who was still staring at me, I couldn't believe Jerry could get what exactly was wrong with me, his blue eyes did tell me that he cared about me in my imagination. I gently nodded, gesturing yes.

"Shit!" Jerry muttered. "Well, I think she doesn't want you. You better come and be my side chick." That was one thing about him, he might care about you but would still joke.

I gave him a punch. "Must you always be a jerk?" I frowned and Jerry laughed a little.

I had told my best friends about Chloe and Lucy and they had tried to convince me to inform my mother but I insisted I wouldn't tell her. I was really scared of how mom would deal with it. It's better for her to know herself.

Jerry put his hand around my shoulder and stated. "Will you be okay?" Our schoolmates who were passing by were staring at us. "Berry again!" Some of them said.

Berry was the ship name given to us by those who thought we were dating. Though we guys had made it clear to them that we were just friends, some still didn't believe it.

Sometimes they would call us strawBERRY, raspBERRY, blueBERRY and so on but with this, I was still lucky to have Jerry as my best friend. Everyone would love it. We did silly and crazy things together with our other friends Mary and Dennis, we felt special around ourselves. What other things could best friends do or feel?

Some of the girls in our class like Emma, the head prefect girl and Golden, the press club president had got a rivalry with me, envying me for being best friends with the lover boy Jerry.

I laughed a little as I glanced at him. "Huh! You sound serious."

"Cause, I'm serious." He shrugged.

"Of course, I will be fine." I responded.

Jerry smiled, whispered and growled to my ear. "You better do or I kick your ass."

With his reply, I started punching him on the shoulder, until a familiar voice spoke.

"Hey guys!" It was Mary, the musician among the crew. She was a bit shorter, fairer and fatter than me.

She so loved music that she wished to attend school of rock and form a band, but her strict father wouldn't allow her to go into music career, he wanted her to go to college and study medicine which she hated.

"Hey! My bitch." I greeted, grinning. Mary gave me a fist bump and also gave Jerry then sat between us. Her perfume always smelled good on her.

"Seeing Bella punching you," Mary said to Jerry. "I knew you must have troubled her."

"Of course, she deserves to be troubled." Jerry replied and Mary laughed.

"Don't mind him, he is crazy" I stated and Jerry winked at me while Mary smiled.

"And speaking of Dennis." I continued. "Have you guys seen him?"

"He must definitely be sleeping by now." Mary guessed and we all burst into laugh.

"I just chat with him. He is in school, in the classroom." Jerry said.

"Really, doing what?"' I asked, smiling and there came my rivals, Emma and Golden.

"Hi Jerry!" They greeted Jerry while Mary and I were just staring at them.

"Hi girls." Jerry replied them, smiling.

"We have been looking for you." Golden stated.

"Yeah, Bob(gym trainer) want to see you." Emma, a light-skinned girl with large eyes, added.

"Oh! Okay." Jerry got up and followed them. Turning his head, he stock out his tongue at us. Mary and I rolled our eyes as we shook our heads while he laughed and turned back.

"Wait Bella, did those girls came here and couldn't even say hi to us?" Mary wondered.

"I told you, those bitches lack manners." I answered her. "They are just beautiful, no manners."

"Spare me that beauty. They are not!" Mary rolled her eyes, with courage and I laughed a little.

"Have you forgotten Emma won the most beautiful girl in our class last session while Jerry won the guy's?" I said, raising my eyebrows.

"And have you forgotten beauty without brain equals zero. They didn't judge it well." Mary insisted.

"And have you forgotten that both of you are the most ugliest girls I have ever met before?" A familiar voice spoken. It was Dennis, who has been behind us for some moments while we were unaware.

Dennis was a scholarship student who stayed with her aunty and uncle in the town. He was a dark skinned guy who had the same height as me.

Mary and I smirked at his outburst and he laughed a bit.

"And have you forgotten you and Jerry are still uglier than us?" Mary said.

"And how long have you been here?" I added.

"Not long." Dennis answered. "Where is Jerry? He was the one who told me that you guys are here."

"He went to see Bob." I replied.

"Oh! And you just sit here, you don't even try to get your schedules." Dennis stated and glanced at his wristwatch. "We are all having Biology in the next few minutes."

"What? Biology? What the shit!" Mary exclaimed. She hated Biology so much. Dennis and I laughed at her.

"Bad Monday." Mary muttered.

"And the principal want to see us after the first class." Dennis stated.

"The Principal? I hope it's something good as we start our senior year." I said.

"I think so. He wanna see all the students, Let's go." Dennis replied and we got up, heading to our classroom.

★★★

JERRY•POV

As Emma, Golden and I got to the school gym, I greeted Bob, our gym trainer. Bob, a tall jacked man was hired by the school to assist our PE teacher during our gym class, he was more friendlier and younger than our PE teacher.

"So Jerry," Bob sitting on one of the stationary bicycles, started, while we stood in front of him. "Emma want to start a private training class."

"Private training class?" Being surprised, I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah Jerry, and I want you and Bob." Emma answered with a smile. I stared at her wondering why she needed a private training class and why she wanted me also to be training her when it's only Bob's job.

"Yeah." Bob added. "So You and I will be training her after school, agree?"

"Sure!" I responded as I nodded.

"Great! You girls can go." Said Bob. "I will get back to you."

"Alright!" Emma replied and she and Golden left the gym.

Still flabbergasted, I said to Bob. "I can't believe, Emma want to start a private gym training."

"Well, I guess she likes it and it's her choice." Bob replied me.

"She's gonna pay you?" I asked with a smile.

"Sure! It's like enrolling in a private coaching or lesson." Bob shrugged.

Both grinning, I shook hands with him and said. "I trust you dude."