NEW LIFE : A SECOND CHANCE

Liam posted the notice about the interview session and it created quite a havoc in the school. The notice board was actually a small The notice had the bold big words:

20** STUDENT COUNCIL INTERVIEW

Congratulations on the shortlisted candidates. Kindly attend the interview session that will be held:

Day: TODAY

Time: 2.30pm

Venue: Student Council Room"

There were ten names listed right below the announcement. Everyone eagerly crowded behind Liam to try and look at the list of 10 names. There were many people who wailed at it when they saw that their names were not listed. Janice was among them and she gritted her teeth.

She had not given up hope in trying to get Kyle to notice her, even though her last scheme failed. This was another attempt at her getting to work next to him but instead, she wasn't even shortlisted!

"This is NOT FAIR!" complained Janice loudly as Liam was putting up the notice, "Why aren't there any first or second years short-listed? I have plenty of experience!!"

To be fair, she did. She was a secretary in several clubs during her Primary School days, so she had been convinced that she would have been shortlisted. What happened?

Liam just shrugged as he closed the sliding door of the notice board, and locking it up. "I'm just the messenger. You're going to have to ask the President about that."

"Oh, I will!" muttered Janice as she turned around. Belinda quickly hurried after her, not wanting to be left behind.

When class ended at 1.30pm, Janice went straight to the Student Council room and barged in. She was too caught up in her indignant fury to realise how rude she was being. Hank and Claude were already there, as they had a free period earlier. Both jumped a little when the door banged open but they hardly showed any expression.

Claude's hand twitched and held on tightly to the book next to him when he saw this she-demon baby walking in, her feet almost stomping on the floor. Hank just looked up at the girl who walked in and went back to reading the documents in front of him.

Janice stood at the front of the table, huffing and slammed her hand on the table.

"Why aren't there any first or second years shortlisted for the interview?" Janice demanded, "I am sure some of us qualified. Like me!"

Hank calmly put down the document he was holding, looked around except at Janice then scratched his head. He turned to Claude and asked, "Did you hear something?"

Claude grinned, tapping his fingers on the book beside him as he replied, "Hear what?"

"I thought so," Hank said and picked up the documents in front of him to read again, "Must be my imagination."

Indignant, Janice pounded on the table repeatedly, "HEY! DON'T IGNORE ME!"

At that moment, Kyle walked in and Janice suddenly stopped. Hank saw her furious face turning into a demure one and he nearly dropped the document he was holding. Claude didn't bother hiding his amazement as he stared at Janice.

"Oh, hi Kyle," Janice said sweetly.

Kyle took in the scene of two shell-shocked men looking at the back of an extremely innocent looking girl and immediately guessed that she suddenly became a genteel girl when he came in. He pretended not to have noticed their expression and gave his famous dazzling Colgate Smile to Janice.

"Hi Janice," he said and Janice nearly fainted. Her heart was palpitating to hear her name com out of those lips. He actually remembered her name! He smiled at her! He obviously thinks well of her. Luckily she decided to come and ask. All of this must have been a misunderstanding and it was the President that cut them all out.

"About the short-listed candidates," Janice began, with her face looking worried.

Kyle snapped his fingers and went, "Ah-hah! Yes! Liam put up the notice this morning, didn't he?"

Janice nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes he did. I was wondering if there was some mistake?"

"Mistake?" Kyle asked as he looked at her in innocent puzzlement.

"Erm, well, you see ..." Janice began, wondering how to phrase the words without sounding like she was desperate or whiny.

"She's probably wondering why her name is not listed," Beatrice helpfully supplied.

Janice glared at Beatrice, her face flushed with either anger or embarrassment, Kyle couldn't tell. He opted that it was more likely the former as she was trying hard to look demure.

He, on the other hand, was trying very hard to contain the smirk that was threatening to come out so instead, he turned to look at Hank to mask his expression and asked, "Is that true, Mr. President? She wanted to ask about her name not being listed?"

Hank shrugged as he looked at Kyle, "I wouldn't know. I was just sitting here, minding my own business and doing work when I *thought* I heard something but nope. No one said anything."

Claude grinned then helpfully carried on, "There was this rather loud screeching sound earlier though. Like a banshee. It couldn't have been you, could it?"

Janice stood there, unable to say a word as she felt her brain freeze. She couldn't think of what to say when the President and Vice-President didn't seem to even acknowledge her presence. Worse, they hinted that she was so horrible earlier! It wasn't her, but them! How could they be so rude as to ignore her completely like that? But how was she going to explain this to Kyle?

She turned to look at Kyle imploringly, making the most innocent expression that she could, "I - I guess I entered too quiet earlier so they didn't realise that I had come in ..."

Claude laughed out loud at that and Janice stumbled over her words. Claude thought he was bad, but he never realised that there could be someone that was so shameless! It was so obvious that she was trying to wheedle her way into Kyle's good graces. He had to admit, the way she looked right now, one would think she was pure and innocent. This was the first time Claude actually managed to witness the infamous White Lotus Act.

It was funny.

Beatrice watched it all with a curious gaze. She could tell quite clearly how much the flirtatious girl was trying to ensnare Kyle with her cutesy-helpless look and coquettish smile. She wondered if Kyle would get caught in it.

Upon one glance at Kyle's wide-eyed innocent look, however, Beatrice knew the truth. If Janice was a white lotus, Kyle was a ... scheming snake? No, he looked too innocent to be described as a snake.

Suddenly, the phrase from Macbeth came into her mind : 'Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent underneath it'.* Yes, that described Kyle to a T.

"Ah yes, that's a pity," Kyle lamented, his face appearing sad, "When someone with such presence such as yourself was not seen."

Beatrice smirked inwardly as Janice appeared elated as she nodded. Didn't the silly girl realise Kyle had just insulted her, albeit in a very subtle manner? One could either take it as meaning that she was a person who demanded attention yet was ignored or someone who had too high an opinion of herself yet hardly gave any impression to anyone around.

"As for the shortlisted candidates, then I'm glad to tell you that there are no mistakes," Kyle said with a flourish of his hands, "Only those shortlisted candidates made the cut."

"But why aren't there anyone from the first or second years?" insisted Janice.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kyle asked with a raised eyebrow, "We only chose the top 10. It just so happened that no one from the first or second year was good enough."

"But -" Janice began, but when she looked at Kyle gazing at her intently, she gulped. His handsome face, smiling at her with that cute dimple appearing, and his gaze is so expectant like she was a good, innocent girl that she was trying to show herself to be ... she just couldn't say it. The words died in her throat. If she persisted, then wouldn't she appear to be whiny? She didn't want him to think she was whiny.

So she swallowed her original words then gave a rather depressed look, "I understand. I'm sorry to have bothered you. I will try again next year."

"That would be great!" Kyle said, dazzling her with a million-watt smile that was bigger than his usual dazzling Colgate smile.

Janice was momentarily blinded and she walked out in a daze, her earlier displeasure vanishing after having been bathed in the brilliant light of Kyle's smile.

"I'll be waiting!" Kyle said cheerfully as Janice walked out the door. As the door closed behind her, Kyle looked at Beatrice, who just stared at him.

"What? It got rid of her with minimum fuss, didn't it?" Kyle responded innocently.

Beatrice just shook her head, knowing that she would have to put up with this for the next year or so. She wondered briefly if it would get worse as the years go by, as Kyle grew up. Right now, it was unlikely that the seniors would pay much attention to him due to his age but later on? Beatrice was actually glad that she was a third year then. She wouldn't be around during the worst drama then.

"SO!!" Kyle said, clapping his hands together, "All ready to do the interview?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Beatrice answered, "Are you sure you're not going to sit in as well?"

Kyle grinned.