Zara took a step towards Ryan and stood an inch away from him. She had meant to pull a tight slap across his face, but now she realized how close they were standing. She could feel his breath on her cheeks as he was a good two inches taller than her. Suddenly her resolve melted. She meant to speak in her most commanding voice, but her voice came out as a croak, "Leave me alone," Ryan inched closer and whispered, "Or what?"
Zara backed away and dragged Veronica with her, who was waving her hands at Ryan. Zara turned around to look at Ryan, who was smiling with a mischievous look in his eyes. Zara gave him a cold stare and hurried to the class. Zara and Veronica settled in their desks, and a little later, their teacher, the supremely strict Mrs. Norris, arrived. She had short hair, and wore rings on all her fingers. As she was about to start, Ryan appeared at the door. "Good Morning, Mrs. Norris. I am Ryan; Principal Wood must have told you about my late admission."
"Oh, yes, yes! Please come."
Zara and Veronica looked at their teacher, looked at each other, and again looked at Mrs. Norris with their mouths hanging open. Mrs. Norris was notoriously famous for punishments and absolutely hated late-comers. In fact, the whole class was staring, not at the teacher but the entrant. Almost every girl started gushing about him, and boys eyed him warily. Mrs. Norris, oblivious to everything, introduced him to the class.
"Class, this is Ryan Jackson, son of the business tycoon, Mr. William Jackson."
Zara immediately understood why Mrs. Norris wasn't angry at him. What she didn't understand was the sheepish looks on the faces of all girls, including Veronica. Yes, he looked good, but there was no need to go all gaga over him.
Mrs. Norris turned to Ryan, "I am not sure if you have met anyone from school. Do you have any friends in the city?"
Ryan turned to Zara, "Oh, yes! I made friends today, Veronica and Zara." He pointed at the two girls.
The whole class gasped. Veronica and Zara were the boring girls in the school that nobody wanted to be friends with. However, Veronica believed that it was they who hated everybody else at school. Veronica's face brightened at being mentioned while Zara tried to sink in her desk.
"Very well, Veronica and Zara, please make sure Ryan enjoys his time here. In fact, Ryan, you can sit with Zara for the next semester and take her help catching on the syllabus. She is a bright student." Zara couldn't offend her teacher and nod meekly. Ryan sat on the desk beside her and smiled.
"Enjoy my foot," mumbled Zara. "With pleasure, Z," whispered Ryan. He had a single eyebrow raised up, daring her to say something smart. Zara turned to reply but saw that the whole class was watching them. Furious, she buried her nose in the book.
Mrs. Norris cleared her voice, "So before we begin today's class, please hand over your assignments."
Zara began searching for her book, but she couldn't find it. Everybody else and to her surprise, even Veronica and Ryan had completed theirs. Panicked, she asked Ryan and Veronica, "Hey, did you see my notebook?"
Veronica shook her head while Ryan took out a book from his jacket. "This?"
Zara recognized her book immediately. "Give it to me now!"
"Hey, Ms. Drama Queen, look at the first page. What does it say? Ryan Jackson. This is mine."
"How did you? That is my book and my handwriting."
"Sssh!" He put his finger on her lips. "This is my book. I got up at 5 am today to complete this assignment. We do not have the same classes; hence you may not have seen me, but I have been coming to school since you were busy helping your mom tallying balance sheets of her bosses for a week."
Zara was startled at how Ryan knew the things only she and her mom knew. She had told others that she was visiting a cousin who stayed in New York. She was also aware of how her body was tingling from head to toe at his touch, her lips quivering despite her brain screaming at her body to get a grip on herself. She pushed his hand away with another book and asked, "What are you? A stalker? How did you change my name to yours?"
Ryan replied, "Your name has always been mine." The way he said that line made tiny goosebumps rise on her arms. Zara blushed despite herself. She knew her brain was having a tough time functioning properly with him so close to her. She pulled herself away and stood up. "I am sorry, Mrs. Norris, I don't have the assignment."
Mrs. Norris, who didn't like to waste a single opportunity of shouting, barraged, "I don't expect such reckless behavior from you, Zara. You have always paid attention to studies. Now is not the time to fool around. You don't want your grades slipping."
Zara had seldom received criticism from a teacher. Mrs. Norris was the strictest of them all, and nobody wanted to get in her bad books. Zara was close to crying when Ryan's hand shot up. "I believe there is a mistake Mrs. Norris. I accidentally picked up Zara's book and submitted it as mine. That is her assignment. I think I forgot to bring mine."
Mrs. Norris checked the front page, and it was indeed titled, Zara Gray. "Very well, Zara, you can help him in completing his assignment." Zara was shocked to see that he wasn't even subjected to Mrs. Norris' glare while she received a scolding. Mrs. Norris seemed to have cooled down after shouting and glanced through Zara's essay, apparently pleased with her ideas. "So Zara, can you please enlighten the class on your thoughts on the seven sins." Zara fumbled a bit before replying, "Well, I thought that Arrog, the devil of pride, could be countered with the only thing he doesn't know."
"And what is that?"
"Love… The archangels can outdo him by using the power of love." Mrs. Norris mulled on the thought, "Well, that's an established fact. But as you all are aware, sins are easier to put into effect than deeds of virtue."
Zara continued feverishly, "Yes, but that's why God gifted us with brains."
Ryan jumped in, "Good point Zara, but the heart doesn't understand logic. What if you fall in love with a sinner?"
The class was absorbed in the witty banter between the two, and Zara, who had failed yet again to see how the entire class was observing both of them, said to him through gritted teeth, "I am not going to fall in love with anyone."
The class was beginning to feel drowsy, given that the bickering was now over. Zara felt mutinous. She didn't look at him, and angrily took her stuff and walked out at the end of the class. Ryan ran behind her in the corridor while she wiped her eyes. "Hey, Z, wait!"
Zara continued walking to the library while Ryan followed her. "I am sorry, Z." Every other student was watching as the most handsome guy was running behind the most awkward girl on campus.
Zara stopped and turned around. A thin ray of sunlight crept through the window illuminating his face, and his blue eyes shone as they looked directly into hers, and for the second time of the day, she felt her knees going weak. She ignored her bodily sensations and said through gritted teeth, "Get this thing in your head. I am not Z, not at least for you. My name is Zara, Z-A-R-A" she spelled out the letters for him.
"Okay, Z, I mean Zara," said Ryan, who was still smiling. The way he smiled made her temper flare up.
"Is this a joke to you? School? Studies? Not everyone is born to rich parents, and not everyone drives a black Porsche to school. You are privileged, but that doesn't give you the liberty to make fun of others. Your father may have loads of money, but it can't buy everything. You have to earn some things."
Ryan looked as if someone had punched him in the gut. He looked crestfallen and only said, "I know" before leaving.