BEWITCHED HEART

The first evidence of helium was observed on August 18, 1868, as a bright yellow line with a wavelength of 587.49 nanometers in the spectrum of the chromosphere of the Sun. The line was detected by French astronomer Jules Janssen during a total solar eclipse in Guntur, India. This line was initially assumed to be sodium...

My eyes scanned through the encyclopedia wanting to know more about the gas, Helium. It had been fourteen days since I'm stuck in the subject and the more I knew about it, the more fascinated I became and it was why I ended up sitting in the library, reading through the encyclopedia and noting the points down in my notebook.

"Ace?"

I looked up to find Jung-Hwa walking up with his hands full of drawing sheets as he kept them over the table and took a seat before me.

"What's this?" I asked as I took one of the drawing sheet and rolled it open to find cell diagrams of all living beings.

"Assignment!" he said in his Korean accent.

"Alright!" I said as I rolled it back and looked back into my notes. "Did you finish your assignments?" he asked which made me look up at him "Not yet, " was my simple reply as I continued looking through the encyclopedia, "I have been busy."

"Busy? Tomorrow is the last day to submit the assignment Ace, you know Mr. Acton very well and to top of that, he gave twenty assignments to finish and submit in two weeks. Half of the students are running here and there, searching for the study materials and here you are! Man you will be in trouble!" he exclaimed as he looked up and rubbed his hair.

"Deadline is tomorrow. Till then, we have so many time in our hand to complete it, " I said as I took the highlighter and used it over a certain line in my notebook.

"Of course! I forgot with whom I'm talking to, " he laughed and I looked at him and signalled him to lower his voice. He bit his tongue as he looked here and there, checking if he disturbed anyone in the library.

"The almighty genius, Mr. Ace Knights, " he whispered and that made me grin at him.

"I don't really like that name, " I remarked and all he did was pick his drawing sheets up and shrug at me.

"Really?" he chuckled "But your smile tells the vice versa, and moreover, everyone knows you by this name only, " he winked at me and that made me sigh.

"I know that you can finish up your assignment in a single night but just help me with mine. I have more five assignments left to finish. Could you please come to my room after you are done with your..." he looked at my notebook and the encyclopedia "Work?"

"I am almost done man! Head up to your room, I will be there in an hour, " I said as I got up and closed all my books and stuffs and put the pens and highlighters back in my bag.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he eyed my bag.

"To eat..." I grinned and he nodded his head and both of us walked out of the library.

It's been six years, since I came to London away from my house, away from family. My mother wasn't really happy with me going abroad but thankfully my dad supported me and it is how I ended up transferring at a young age to London School of Science for further studies. Life in London, is really hard for me as I miss my mother the most and her food.

Sometimes, she would give me a surprise visit along with my sister, Amelia, but other than that we would facetime each other every single night and it turned out to be a habit of both of us much to my father's annoyance. Because the call lasts three to four hours, with my mom avoiding him and ignoring him every single day.

But then they were like every other parents, caring and worried for me and I knew my father had assigned the guard at the school's door to keep tabs on me and report him whenever possible. My father did things secretively, but it was always obvious to me and I didn't really ever mind.

"Can I have some more of this mild Caribbean chicken please?" I asked the lady who was serving and she smiled "Of course my dear!" and she added more of the pieces and handed me the tray "Here you go!" she chirped and I smiled at her "Thank you, " I replied as I searched for a place to sit in the canteen.

Finally, I got one in the corner, near to the window and took my seat keeping my bag on the chair next to mine, as I began eating in peace. The canteen was crowded and students were in group enjoying their meal gossiping and laughing.

As always I was alone, sitting away from them, isolating myself. Most of the times, I had Jung with me who gave me company but other times, I was always alone. It wasn't as if I wasn't invited by any other groups or something, it was always me. I liked being alone and I concentrated more in eating my food in peace rather than talking about people or socialising.

"Look who's here, " I heard a familiar annoying voice and didn't even bother to look up.

"The almighty genius, Ace Knights, " Elliot Abram mocked me in a girly tone as I continued eating my food.

Just why does he always shows up whenever am eating my food?

He is going to through my food now, better hurry up and eat as much as I can to save myself from hunger.

"Hey! Nerd! I'm talking to you!" he sneered as he slammed his hands on my table making the curry in my plate, splash on my glasses.

Great!

They laughed like a hyena enjoying my state as I got rid of my glasses and wiped away the curry using a tissue. What a normal day!

It was actually a normal day for me, because since the day I had joined London school of Science, Elliot Abram, the son of the school's trustee made his life's goal to bully me until my end. He disliked me from the beginning and made his goal to take away my peaceful leisure time, just every single day. I have been immunized to his acts from a long time and whatever he did, didn't really had any effects on me.

I have spent my six years, closed in the bathroom, sometimes I would find my toothbrush in the toilet, my notes torn and thrown away in the dustbin, my glasses broken, food being thrown over my face, and everything chaotic, and eventually it turned out with me being immunized to such acts that I didn't really care. It was like a normal routine to me now.

I could always complain about him and I was sure my father could easily solve his matter and throw his father out of the country but as I was away from home, I didn't have any wish to worry my family and especially my mother or she would end up severely hurting herself if she comes to know about this.

Only one more year left, before we graduate and we will all be in our way to pursue our dreams and I made up my mind to endure this a little longer because I knew I wouldn't have to face him ever in my life.

Elliot was a year older than me and taller than me. He had red curly hair and was already well built and looked like mini sumo wrestler. He would usually pull me by my collar and thrash me around or pick me up from the ground by my collar and throw me somewhere or most of the times, into the dustbin...