Chapter 22 First Impressions, Lasting Impact

 This was Sierra, the self-appointed leader of the 'flashy girls' group. To Sierra, a newcomer sitting in 'her' seat without asking permission was the ultimate offense. But Aria sat without evening coming up and saying hello ignoring her. That outraged her, which only made things worse.

Sierra sauntered over, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. She looked at Aria with a smile that was all teeth, resting a hand on her hip as she leaned in close. When there was no reaction, she lifted her leg slightly and gave the table a sharp kick. The whole thing rattled, and Aria’s earpieces fell out.

With a sigh, Aria paused her audio and picked up the earpiece, finally looking up at Sierra with an expression that hovered between bored and annoyed.

“Do you mind?” Aria said flatly, keeping her voice calm.

“Oh, I do mind,” Sierra said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. 

“You might be new here, but you should know that’s my seat.”

Aria stared at her blankly for a moment, as if mocking her.

 “Well, consider it... borrowed,” she said, leaning back and putting her earpiece back in.

That was the last straw for Sierra. Her eyes narrowed, and she let out a little laugh that was more scornful than amused.

 “Do you even know who you’re talking to?” 

Aria paused her audio again, now fully annoyed. 

“Not a damn clue. And frankly, I don’t care.” She gave Sierra a slow, once-over look.

 “Is there a reason you’re still here? Shoo! Shoo! Go back to your little girl group and talk about nails or something.”

Sierra’s friends were gathered behind her, egging her on with whispers and giggles. A few more students had looked up from their conversations, sensing that things were about to escalate. The room had quieted, and all eyes were now on the standoff.

Sierra’s jaw clenched.

 “Look, new girl, you might think you’re something special, but around here, respect matters. People who don’t show it usually end up regretting it. Isn't that right, wimp!” She violently kicked the chair a young man was sitting on, rattling him nearly forcing him to fall on the ground. 

The young man flinched, his eyes wide as he scrambled to steady himself, clutching the edges of his chair.

“Uh-uh, y-yeah, totally!” he stammered, forcing a shaky laugh that died off quickly.

 “R-respect, for sure… just like Sierra said…” He glanced nervously between Sierra and Aria, clearly hoping that his agreement would let him off the hook.

Sierra rolled her eyes at the young man’s feeble attempt to back her up, looking unimpressed.

"Ugh, you’re pathetic as always," she mocked, flicking her gaze dismissively over him before snapping her attention back to Aria. 

"See, new girl, this is what happens when people don’t know their place. They end up spineless and useless."

Aria let out a short, mocking laugh as she pulled out one of her earpieces, finally giving Sierra her attention.

“Oh, you’re actually right about one thing,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

 “When people don’t know their place, they do end up spineless and useless.” She shot a glance at the guy Sierra had just kicked. 

Then, she looked Sierra up and down with a smirk.

 “But here’s the thing - I’m not exactly planning on blending in with the spineless crowd.”

 Her tone was flat, unbothered.

 “So if you’re done throwing tantrums and kicking chairs, maybe you could find a hobby. I’m sure your friends would love to see you do something other than bark orders.”

She leaned back in her chair, casually popping her earpiece back in as if dismissing the entire conversation.

"Excuse me! Hello? Are you ignoring me or just being rude?” the girl huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder with a dramatic flip.

Aria took out an earpiece slowly, clicking her tongue.

 “Tsk! You're annoying. What’s your problem?”

The girl, clearly not used to being dismissed, looked shocked.

 “My problem? I said you’re sitting in my spot,” she spat, her gaze shifting to her group, who were whispering and egging her on from across the room.

Aria glanced at the empty seats around her, then back to the girl. 

“Plenty of other seats. Take your pick,” she replied calmly, already reaching for her earpiece.

But the girl wasn’t going to let it go that easily. She grabbed Aria’s hand just as she was about to put the earpiece back in, forcing her to look up again.

 “Look, maybe you didn’t hear me right, but we don’t like when newbies come in here thinking they can sit wherever they please,” she sneered, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

Aria looked at the girl’s grip on her hand, her expression turning cold.

 “I’m only going to say this once: take your hand off me.” Her voice was soft but carried a weight that made the girl flinch.

But, emboldened by her friends, she tightened her grip, and with a small shove, nudged Aria backward in her seat.

 “Or what? You’re going to fight me?” The girl let out a laugh that was half-nervous, half-defiant.

Without missing a beat, Aria rose, towering over the girl.

 “If you want to find out what happens next, keep going.” She didn’t raise her voice, but the calm confidence in her tone was enough to make the other girl take a small step back.

A few seats over, the musclehead group, who’d been laughing and boasting moments before, watched with mild interest. One of the guys nudged his friend, nodding toward Aria. 

“Think she’s got what it takes to back that up?” he muttered, half-joking. But another, with a more thoughtful expression, responded, “Maybe. She’s got the look of someone who’s seen a fight or two. Seems like the new girl ain't no pushover, that's for sure.”

The leader of their group said, "Yeah, you're right, she's not just another pretty face. She is wearing the uniform but I can see her well-trained muscles bulging, fighting to be released into the open, crying to be shown, to be flexed. Someone with bulk like that is not ordinary. We probably should keep an eye on her."

The scene also disrupted the smart students' group. Their leader cast a glance over his tablet, assessing Aria with interest. 

 “New girl doesn’t mess around, does she? Unfortunately, she seems to be just another meathead who throws fists first and then asks questions. Unfortunate, truly, I would liked a few more people with intellect in our group.” For them, Aria was a mystery - a new outsider who might just be worth getting to know, if she was to prove her smarts.

The chatty girl group that thought they ruled the social scene was left a bit rattled. They exchanged shocked glances, whispering in disbelief. One leaned over and murmured to the others, “Did you see her face? She wasn’t even fazed!” 

Another, a little shaken, whispered, “She probably just thinks she’s some big-shot rebel. Newbies always try too hard to act tough.” But beneath their scoffing, the group couldn’t hide their unease; no one had ever dismissed them so casually on the first day.