The school canteen was flooded in uniform colours of grey and blue. She got her tray filled with pasta and salad and followed the lanky frame of her best friend Benny. They sat down in their usual modest corner where they had the whole view the school's central nervous system. Her eyes landed on the same boy who stepped on her, gathered around a table with some newfound friends. The guys he was with were mostly the school's football team, the popular crowd. He didn't look as miserable as he had this morning, but sat sprawled on a chair, oozing confidence in front of the self-entitled 'it' girls. It was hard not to notice him. With his good looks and the air of confidence and smugness around him, he was the object of observation of the entire school.

Norah had shared most of her lessons with Benny last year. This year however they were separated for their English class but at least they had History together. Benjamin, or Benny as he was known to most people was a quiet A star student with a slight slouch, a side fringe, and a blasé attitude. His character suited her just fine, as he was equally calm, collected, and prioritised studying above all else. They were both a bit of outsiders when they came to this school so the friendship was easily formed.

Taking a seat in their usual corner of the cafeteria, they fervently began to discuss this year's syllabus. There was so much to learn, materials to analyse, themes to grasp, essay topics to write. Then of course there were the university applications.

"The idea of uni application is making me queasy. Excited, but queasy. I've already drawn up my top five list, with some back-ups," Benny said wriggling in his chair. "I really hope we'll both be in London." He crossed his thin, long fingers.

Norah gave him a smile. "It's not that great. London I mean."

"London will be different this time because you'll have me," Benny pressed a hand to his chest like he was the gift of the gods.

Norah grinned. "Yes, I suppose."

"I swear you are the only teenage who likes being stuck in this small boring town," Benny said.

Norah, having lived most of her life in London and moving to Berkshire only two years ago, couldn't deny her soft spot for Berkshire. "London is loud and full of tourists-"

"It's diverse, cultural and beautiful," Benny cut through.

"-the traffic and noise pollution is out of this world-"

"The choice of bars, museums and restaurants-"

"Are insanely expensive," Norah said and Benny couldn't argue with that. They both have been saving for their life in London. They had already began looking for apartments to live together.

"So the rumours are true. We have the infamous Rafe Ferreira in school," Benny said. "He is all people can talk about this morning. Seriously, there hasn't been this much hype in school since Jonah took a shit on the tennis courts."

It was sad how little excitement there was in school. Jonah Parkinson made the local news for taking a dump on the brand new tennis courts in retaliation to school's decision to close basketball courts, cancel curry on Friday's and ban hoodies. He was suspended for three days but came back a hero. It was weird how high school branded you as a hero or a total moron depending on who you hung out with. And it was not hard to guess that Johan was part of the football team.

"Yeah. He's in my English Lit class. And he obliterated my foot," she complained, showing him the dirty patch on the stark white material. She filled in the details of their brief but unpleasant encounter this morning before class.

"Oh my god, you didn't," Benny said, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline when she recounted this morning's encounter.

"I did. Who the heck does he think he is," Norah said, becoming annoyed all over again. "And I didn't get to step on his foot and now it's just killing me."

"Oh shit your OCD is playing up again."

"Not OCD. Superstition."

"Right, superstition..." Benny said with sarcasm. "So I take it you didn't return the favour?"

Norah sighed with frustration. Her right foot felt crumpled and uncomfortable. She had a superstition. Well several of them. One of them was that if someone steps on her foot, she must do the same to the other person or her luck will be jinxed. How could she possibly had done that without looking like a child? She couldn't help but have a set of superstitions, especially before exams.

"I didn't, and it's really killing me. What if because of that, I won't get into uni?"

"You'll be fine," Benny said.

"I don't get what's the big deal about him. Yes okay he's good looking but he's also an asshole."

"Most good looking people are asshole," Benny said with a shrug, and went on, "He's the heir to the Ferreira Company. You know the conglomerate that owns the cars? Whisky? Several fashion labels? Ring any bells?"

"Not until today to be honest," Norah said with an uninterested shrug, more concerned about her foot. "Look, he even managed to crinkle the leather on my shoes. They're new," Norah muttered.

"Why didn't you just tell him about your OC- habits, sorry, habits" he corrected after a glare, "and asked if you could step on his foot?"

"You know how weird that would look and sound?"

Benny shrugged. "Didn't stop you from doing a tap dance on Fred's foot last year."

"That was a totally different situation..." Norah defended, because Fred knowing about these...quirks, tried to get on Norah's nerves on purpose. "Anyway, this Rafe boy looked kind of pissed of. And arrogant."

"Yes and I'm sure sending him to the janitor's closet really cheered him up."

Norah looked proud of herself. "No but I hope it humbled him."

"Well what do you expect? He's hot, he's rich, and he's a teenager. Of course he'll be arrogant. And annoyed. He kind of got banished from London. He's the closest thing we'll have to a celebrity in this town."

"And here I thought Jonah is the closest thing we'll have to a celebrity," she said drily.

Forking the remains of her pasta she let out a noise of frustration. "What kind of an idiot with that much money and influence ends up here anyway?"

Norah who dreamed everyday of making a six figure salary, to travel the world, to make a change, couldn't fathom that person can have that much disregard for what privilege they had.

Benny shrugged. "I've read in some tabloid he's banished because he got into a fight in a nightclub and apparently his dad is teaching him a lesson. Don't know which is true—oh my god he's looking this way. Quick, pretend you're telling me something funny otherwise he'll think we're talking about him," Benny got flustered and began scarfing down his lunch, hiding his eyes behind his long bangs.

"But we are talking about him," Norah said, unfazed.

She turned around and sure enough, Rafe looked directly at her, his stare sending bad vibes. She held his gaze, and, with nonchalance, went back to eating her food.

"I think they're talking about us," Benny said nervously, looking down at his own food.

"Let them talk. It's not like it's the first or the last time they do it."

Norah couldn't stop Benny from being self conscious. She genuinely didn't give a crap about not being in the popular crowd or not being invited to their parties or being liked. But she wished Benny wouldn't be so hung up it. She wished she could tell him what she had to go through to make her realise it, but couldn't bring herself to do it.