24

                                    

                                          
THERE WAS NOTHING wrong with a bit of plastic surgery. Everyone did it. Celebrities, Korean folk and rich people like Elias. 
                          
But in a place like Richmond Park Academy where status was built upon physical attractiveness, it came to no one's surprise that someone like Elias would tumble to the fucking bottom of the social hierarchy. I thought there wasn't a 'social hierarchy' in this place too. Alas it was only heavily disguised as an egalitarian (lowkey totalitarian) system. 
                          
Even two days after the Revelation™️, I was still in shock. 
                          
"Are you listening?" My Calculus tutor snapped his fingers in my face. I jumped out of my reverie. 
                          
Had to remind myself that I was in an empty classroom (library didn't facilitate discussion and cafeteria was too far). I was in the presence of Jaxon Ortega, my dutiful Calculus tutor who had been nothing but professional thus far. It was a Wednesday night. I had an hour left of this. I was learning about indefinite integrals.  I inhaled and I exhaled. 
                          
"Sorry." 
                          
"What's troubling you?" He finally asked. 
                          
"Nothing." 
                          
"No, really," he closed the textbook. "You'll focus better if you let it out." 
                          
"I just," I wasn't even sure how to express my thoughts in words. Felt like bedlam in my head. "I just need a while to get used to the idea that nothing is ever the way they seem." 
                          
"I will judge you if you bring up Elias DuPont." 
                          
I fixated my gaze on him. With unblinking eyes, I sized Jaxon up. Most people my age with leader positions and responsibilities exuded superficial charm to cancel out a more sinister side to them. But Jaxon rose to his position with casual confidence and level headedness. He was just a no-bullshit rational soul didn't seem to concern himself with that superficial charm that I was beginning to hate. 
                          
So I pursed my lips and told him the real issue. 
                          
"There's something wrong with this place." 
                          
He raised an eyebrow. 
                          
"The system, I mean. It's vestigial and basically a popularity contest." 
                          
"As someone with a high position in the system, I feel inclined to question your political view." Jaxon said calmly. 
                          
"So you admit the system is overly politicized!" 
                          
He shot me a measured look. 
                          
"Its just a toxic system. I'm going to bring up Elias here because he's a good example of why the system has holes. But before I bring him up, I would first like to say that the factions are good examples of human personality. As you are aware, some factions are larger than others. The largest ones, as you are also aware, comprises a certain shallow and superficial demographic." 
                          
Jaxon's expression was unreadable. 
                          
"As you are also aware, but you probably wouldn't admit this aloud, the students with high positions in the student council along with faction heads all meet this certain physical attractiveness criteria." 
                          
"Cut the jargon, just say we're hot." 
                          
I laughed for some reason. 
                          
"Okay so I know if I say this system is stupid, you're going to say it's democratic and all of you were voted into position anonymously by students." 
                          
Jaxon nodded, urging me to continue. 
                          
"Naturally... the shallow people who dominate this place are going to vote for the attractive people who also happen to be popular. Hence why it is a popularity contest."