Love's Challenge

Chapter 1 - The New Arrival

17 year old Rika Clarke sits patiently at her desk. The lessons of this morning had been a pain, only heightened by the rumours flying around about a new transfer student. Why was everyone so excited about that?

He's just a man after all, and all men are scary.

Perhaps these were not the thoughts of an average second year high school student, but nonetheless she couldn't help feeling as if the arrival of this new student was already affecting her life. "Oh...Rika!" A familiar voice called from the doorway, it was Rika's best friend Julie, "Aren't you coming outside?" Julie asked with a worried expression Rika had seen far too often.

"Maybe a little later, i've got some work i want to finish off" Rika lied, in fact she couldn't bear to leave the classroom. There were too many guys outside, but at least here, in a state of desolation, the classroom was her only sanctuary.

"Oh..ok..." Julie's face turned from worried to disappointed. Rika had made it her objective to always suppress her emotions in front of friends, however Julies feelings were written all over her face.

As Julie turned to leave, her face turned serious and she whispered calmly "You can't hide forever". Upon hearing this, Rika bolted upright. They were only words, and yet it felt as if an electric shock had gone through her body. She knew Julie's intentions were honest, however sometime she felt as if she was pushing to hard. As an Androphobiac what else could she do? Men are scary.

When met with something scary, isn't it best to hide?

Looking at the doorway once more, she could see that Julie had already left. I guess i'm alone again, she thought to herself.

This is how it should be.

Rika turned to face the window. The girl looking back at her was a stranger. With beautiful light blue eyes and stunning red hair stretching from the top of her head to just below the nape of her neck. She could easily be described as one of the great beauties of Dorum academy. However, no guy has ever gotten close to her. This in turn caused her to be bestowed the title of "Ice Queen" due to her cold attitude towards men. Often running away from those confessing feelings for her.

Why do i feel like a stranger in my own body?

Rika thought to herself. What she was like on the outside and what she was like on the inside never did seem to match up. Even as a child, she often wondered why she could never be happy with herself. Perhaps she already knew the answer to that, but was too afraid to be digging back old memories.

Rika sighed; looking past her reflection onto the courtyard of Dorum Academy. As a prestigious private school, the courtyard featured a elegant water fountain, cobblestone paths leading to many different areas of the school and two huge wrought iron gates overshadowing it all.

Even though it was break, she couldn't see anyone enjoying the courtyard as per usual. The only hint of a presence was a lone boy walking down one of the cobblestone pathways, bag slung over his shoulders, long, rough looking hair covering one of his eyes. He could be described as the very definition of 'cool'.

"Must be the new student" Rika muttered under her breath, paying no heed to the recent arrival.

As she began to rest her head against her desk, something caught her eye outside. The boy was being approached by Miss Morrison, the home room teacher for class 2A. However, this wasn't what initially caught her eye. The expression the boy had as the teacher approached him was interesting. An act? The smile the boy had shown was not sincere. More so it seemed to be a façade. The fake smile, Rika knew it all too well. It was the same face many a family member had given her before. But, what could the boy be hiding? So much so that he has to put on an act even here.

As Rika pondered this, the school bell rang. It's piercing shrills sending echo's throughout the school. Students began to pour in through the doorway, most of the guys averting their gaze from Rika as the took their seats. Yet overlooking this, all she could think was;

Time for the nightmare to begin again.