Before Lily knew it, the morning had slipped by, and it was time for lunch. There was a special kind of chaos in a school cafeteria, with bodies bustling and trays clattering and conversations buzzing. To Lily, it felt like watching a group of ants discovering a dropped ice cream cone, only less organized.

The food on offer looked suspicious - soggy vegetables, mystery meat, and something that may or may not have been mac and cheese. But when hunger calls, one must answer. With a brave heart and a growling stomach, Lily joined the queue. Just as she was grabbing a tray, Zoey appeared at her side.

"Welcome to the jungle, new girl," she said, smirking. "In this place, the law of the land is simple: eat or be eaten."

"What does that even mean?" Lily asked.

"It means," Zoey said, "you have to know how to navigate the territory if you want to survive around here. Pick your battles wisely, grab the food you need, and stay out of Jessica's way."

"I'm not afraid of her."

"Good for you," Zoey said. "But take it from me: Jessica isn't someone you want to mess with."

"Like you did?"

"Hey, it was an accident, okay?" Zoey said. "By the way, do you think you could lend me some cash? I kind of owe someone."

"No way," Lily said. "And even if I had money, I wouldn't give it to you just so you can pay off a bully. You should go talk to a teacher about this."

"Are you serious?" Zoey said. "What world do you live in? You can't just snitch on people like that. And I'm pretty sure the teachers won't be too happy if they find out why I owe the money in the first place."

"Maybe you should've thought about that before."

"Whatever. Let's just get some food."

They sat together. And though Lily was glad not to be alone, Zoey's company was like receiving a backhanded compliment—it was hard to know if it was really a good thing. Still, they engaged in some chit-chat, which was mostly Zoey schooling Lily on the who's who and what's what of the school's social scene.

It was in the middle of this enlightening conversation that Lily witnessed something quite shocking.

A few tables away, Jessica's foot casually found its way into the path of a poor girl, sending her and her tray of food tumbling to the ground. Jessica's laughter spread contagiously, first through her minions and then, like ripples, to a few bystanders. But Lily was not amused.

"Looks like someone should've been more careful," Zoey said nonchalantly.

"What are you talking about?!" Lily exclaimed. "Jessica tripped her! It was on purpose."

"Eh, it happens," Zoey shrugged. "You better get used to it."

Help came in the form of the lunch lady, though her frown suggested more 'what now?' than 'how can I help?'

"What's going on here?" She asked.

"Nothing," the girl said, picking up her tray. "I just slipped."

The injustice of it all was too much for Lily. With her sense of fairness triggered, she felt it was high time to raise her voice. She stood up and pointed a finger at Jessica.

"Excuse me, but I saw what happened," she said. "That girl didn't slip. Jessica here purposely put her foot out to trip her. It's not fair, and it's not right!"

Lily's words hung in the air, and suddenly all eyes were on her, wearing a look that was half admiration, half 'did she really just say that?' Meanwhile, Jessica's face turned a shade of red and her lips were twisted into a grimace.

"Oh, yeah?" she said. "That's not true. She's just making stuff up!"

"I'm not!" Lily said.

"Yeah, right..." Jessica scoffed. "Why don't you prove it?"

"I don't have to. You know it's true, and it's not right."

"That's enough!" the lunch lady interjected. "Jessica, tell me right now: did you trip her?"

"Of course not. Like she said, she just slipped."

"Well then, that's it, everyone," the lunch lady sighed. "Back to your lunch now."

With that, she walked away, and Jessica shot Lily a glare that promised payback at the earliest opportunity.

"Are you crazy?" Zoey told Lily.

"No, I just did the right thing."

"Right, because 'doing the right thing' always goes over so well in middle school," Zoey said. "Just wait, you'll see."

Lily didn't have to wait for long. Next up was PE, and, as luck would have it, Jessica and her clique were in the same class as her and Zoey. Jessica and her friends looked at Lily with the kind of knowing smirks that said they were cooking up something, and it wasn't a batch of cookies.

"They're definitely plotting something," Zoey whispered to Lily. "Looks like you've landed yourself in the eye of the storm."

The teacher then divided the class into two teams for today's game of volleyball. Naturally, Lily and Zoey found themselves on one team, while Jessica and her posse took their positions on the other.

"Um, do you know how to play?" Zoey asked Lily.

"No, not really,"

"Great," Zoey said, "Well, try not to get hit in the face. I have a feeling they've marked you as their primary target."

And target her, they did. As soon as the whistle blew, Jessica sent a powerful serve hurtling towards Lily's face. But just as the ball was about to make contact, Lily twisted her body in a fluid motion, causing the ball to whiz past her and land out of bounds with a loud thud.

"Whoa, nice dodge!" Zoey exclaimed.

Undeterred, Jessica and her gang launched a relentless barrage of service at Lily, each one more aggressive and precise than the last. But Lily's body moved with a grace and agility that seemed almost inhuman. She leaped, ducked, and twirled in a whirlwind of movement, evading every single one of their attacks.

"Seriously though, where does that come from?" Zoey said.

"Years of martial arts training with my grandpa."

"Ah, the plot thickens," Zoey said. "Looks like we have a badass on our team."

With renewed energy, Zoey sent the next serve flying over the net. The ball rebounded off Jessica's hands, rocketing upwards in a high arc.

As it reached its peak, Lily sprang into action. Her body transformed into a blur of motion as she launched herself into the air, spinning around before slamming the ball back across the net with a powerful smash.

There was a collective gasp, each face mirroring the same wide-eyed, open-mouthed astonishment, as if the laws of physics had just been politely ignored.

"Okay," Zoey said. "Now I'm really impressed."

The game continued, each side exchanging serves, spikes, and blocks.

But Lily was the real star of the game, turning each play into a spectacular display of acrobatics and athleticism that seemed to defy logic.

By the end of the class, a small crowd had gathered around Lily, showering her with praise and gushing about her incredible skills. Meanwhile, a not-so-pleased Jessica and her crew stood off to the side. Lily could practically see the steam whistling out of Jessica's ears, like a kettle pushed beyond its boiling point.

"Better watch out for Jessica after school," Zoey warned Lily as they headed to their next class. "Can't wait to see how you handle her. Maybe some of that kung fu you learned from your grandpa?"

"I'm not planning on fighting her," Lily said.

"Um, pretty sure it's not up to you at this point," Zoey said. "Not like she's gonna give you a choice."

"There is always a choice. Real martial art isn't about punching or kicking. It's about being calm and finding balance in yourself. My grandpa said it best: 'There is no point in fighting if you can avoid it.' That's the way of the warrior."

"Yeah, well, I don't think Jessica is going to take the 'high road', if you know what I mean," Zoey said. "Not when you've embarrassed her in front of the whole class."

"I didn't mean to embarrass anyone."

"Doesn't matter," Zoey said. "If Jessica is looking for a fight, you might as well give her one. Make her think twice before starting something with anyone else. It'd be good for everyone."

"Don't think that's the answer."

"What's the point of all that martial arts stuff if you never use it?"

"That's not how it works."

"Whatever it is," Zoey said. "It'd better be ready by after school."