The World Of Greed

2. Noel Ellison

2. Petty Games And Pettier Heartbreak

Competing with Jourdaine Yang was arduous and facile at best. My parents might not have cared about how I performed in school, yet I did exceptionally well every year. Or more like. . . every alternate year.

As the saying goes, no matter how well you do, there's always an Asian one step ahead of you. The said Asian here would be Jourdaine Yang, the kind of guy who excelled in school because of the stereotypical pressure and expectations from his parents. I remembered pitying his misfortune in the parent department but instead, it turned into envy. His parents cared, something I never had the pleasure of experiencing since mine were rarely home, always working or traveling across the world.

One would think my parents are inseparable because of their repetitive trips, that they are madly and hopelessly in love with each other. But that was not true. Their marriage was all a facade to keep and maintain their perfect image intact for the whole world to see. In the eyes of everyone, they were the perfect husband and perfect wife to each other. Together, they were a perfect lie.

My father couldn't care less about his children's whereabouts. Nevertheless, my mother made sure she was a part of all important life events involving my brother and in this picture, I wasn’t really the favorite child.

Therefore, I didn't have anyone rooting and cheering for me. I could have let the rivalry go. I could have stepped down the grade ladder and let him devour the fruition of success. I was almost stupid enough to do it.

Almost.

Because the first day of school after a winter break, on a bright morning, resplendent in his royal blue uniform, Jourdaine ambled down the campus as the crowd parted to clear his pathway, stopped, and hovered above me with his brash smile. I had done a double take because I had not recognized him. Little Nerdie Jourdie had turned into Jourdaine fūcking Yang.

He was no longer the short boy who I used to annoy every day. Surely, puberty doesn't change a person in such a short period or I hadn't studied my books hard enough. The look of astonishment on my face only made his smile turn into a cocky grin. That cheeky little bāstard returned to school looking like he aimed to not just compete for the best in academics but also take my popularity throne.

I'd had to leave school early that day to recover from my mortifying image setback. After that encounter, the rivaling had gotten progressively worse to the point where we had ended up breaking each others' desks.

The school counsellor once advised us that healthy competition inspires kids to do their best. But what we had was far from healthy. It was malignant and borderline pernicious.

It was all I had ever looked forward to in our private school. Which was years ago. Now we are all grown-ups, and grown-ups are supposed to be mature and civil. Now the competition was switched to petty, childish games of torture. Clearly, puberty was the last thing to ever hit Jourdaine Yang.

"I know what you did."

Judging by his gravelly tone coming from behind me, I believe he was referring to the little accident that occurred whilst I was adjusting my uncomfortably tight corset which my mother compelled me to wear. Because according to her, my waist had grown undesirably wider and designers wouldn't want their clothes represented by me on the runways.

"You are doing that thing," there's a hint of knowingness in his voice.

"What thing?"

"The thing you do where you avoid facing me and pretend you do not acknowledge my presence."