With yet another typically stressful day at one of Singapore's top junior colleges, young 19-year old Michelle had gone to the school's running track for a relaxing jog. It helped to clear her mind of all the things that worried her; from her boyfriend problems to her slipping grades, she needed an escape from it all. The only daughter of a wealthy local businessman who worked in the telecoms industry, she had lived a life of privilege, with the recent setbacks being the worst that she had ever experienced.
The run itself had been relatively uneventful. Six laps round the JC's regulation track had left her with a slight burning ache in her muscles; a good ache, the type that meant that indicated that you had gone through a solid exhaustive workout. As she walked away from the track, she stopped by the side to pick up her duffle bag and towel, using the latter to wipe a streak of sweat off her forehead as she walked towards the main building.
Michelle's thirst diverted her to the canteen. The open-air place was mostly empty, with only a few students hanging around after the various CCAs held in the afternoon. Dropping her bag on a wooden bench near the side, she walked across the room to buy a chilled can of 100 Plus from the drinks auntie. She popped open the can and poured a stream of icy isotonic drink down her throat. It felt heavenly after the long run had left her throat feeling parched.
She returned to her table and sat down, slowly sipping away at her drink. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a trio of guys sitting at an adjacent table peering at her. Michelle tugged at the collar of her sweat-soaked PE shirt, realising for the first time that it had been a bad idea to have worn a black sports bra underneath, for its outlines were quite apparent under the clinging white shirt. She felt uneasy, nervously tucking a few strands of her shoulder-length black hair behind her right ear as she hurriedly finished her drink.
