— Tap, Tap, Tap
Walking down the hall way towards my classroom, I replayed the events unfolding from yesterday's in my head.
From provoking Evan to dominating the basketball court—Thomas, what was his motive? Was it simply to establish his presence at the new school? Quite likely. Perhaps he aimed to gather a following, or even to vie for a position in the student council.
But why? Was he seeking a higher position within the school hierarchy? Maybe eyeing the student council presidency?
If so, it would mean he possessed insider information, as the details of the student council elections are not widely known. There are two elections each year for student council precedency.
Which, as far as I know, is not public knowledge. Only students attending for at least for a few months would know that.
People usually pay little attention to internal school affairs unless the standards fall short of expectations.
So Thomas must be aiming for the school council precedency form the very beginning— which is fine by me.
The way he gathered such a fame and following in a single day is very impressive to say the least.
If I for some reason wanted to gather a massive following within the shortest time possible, I would most definitely consider Thomas's way of doing it.
However, there was a flaw in his methods. By deliberately stirring up drama with the school's top basketball player, he not only needed to demonstrate some proficiency in the sport but also risked losing his newfound popularity without stirring up further drama.
But if he did became student council precedent, coupled with his charming looks, confidence and social skills, this was undoubtedly a good strategy.
"Hmmmm... I am definitely missing something." I muttered and than pulled out my phone to check the time— 8:06 Am.
I realized I'd be late for class. If I run I could probably reach class under a minute, but decided against rushing. Three more minutes wouldn't make much difference anyway.
Something still gnawed at me. Reflecting on how Thomas thwarted Evan's victory in the first round left me intrigued.
The only reason I intervened to help Evan's team win was to assess Thomas's capabilities. In my six months here, no one—not teachers, coaches, or even professional athletes—had demonstrated what Thomas did today
Thinking back at the last round again... I was a bit disappointed to say the least. When Thomas saw us working as a team trying to score a point, he let us or no, should I say he had already achieved his purpose, therefore he didn't even bother to stop Evan from scoring.
I knew I was too late trying to test him and definitely also knew that he'll not show me more than what he already displayed.
Despite knowing he'll let us win last round, the reason I still tried to push him further because I somehow got onto this nerves, it was evident in the third round. I thought he'd want to put me in my place, show me what he truly was capable of.
That didn't happen but,
I knew he was holding back by a lot. He dashed from his half of the court to our half, he also faced Evan, Ryan and me multiple time but he never broke a sweat, compared to Evan and Ryan who were gasping for breath in the last round.
Well I can wait. There will be more opportunities for me to find out what he truly is capable of...Both he and Valentina Rose. I am 99% certain they are related in someway.
***
As I reached my classroom and opened the door, there she was. Valentina—blue eyes, fair skin, just like Thomas's and that unmistakable fiery red hair.
She possessed a short stature, with curves that seemed to accentuate all the right places.
Valentina stared at me with an inscrutable expression, and I returned the look just as Miss Brooklyn spoke up.
"Where were you, Mr. Edward? You're nine minutes late."
"Oh, sorry, Miss. I was just doing some cardio and lost track of time."
"Well, it was quite the show," Miss Brooklyn commented, surprising me with her interest in sports. I had assumed otherwise.
"Ah... Thank you?" I replied, feeling slightly bemused. Miss Brooklyn nodded and instructed me to take my seat, gesturing toward Valentina, who had apparently finished introducing herself.
"This is Valentina Rose, as I mentioned earlier. Say hello."
I glanced at Valentina and offered a tentative, "Uh, hello?"
There was no response from her, only a slight chuckle from Miss Brooklyn, who then directed everyone back to their seats. I noticed a few empty desks as I settled into mine.
Miss Brooklyn turned to Valentina. "Where would you like to sit?"
Without hesitation, Valentina pointed to the desk in front of me.
"Oh, are you sure? Can you see the board from here?" Miss Brooklyn asked.
Valentina simply nodded and replied, "I have good eyesight, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"Okay, make yourself comfortable, and don't hesitate to ask if you need anything."
Valentina nodded and took her seat in front of me. Glancing around, I noticed several male students glaring daggers in my direction.
'It's not my fault she chose this seat,' I thought to myself, observing that all the available seats nearby were next to other male students. The one in front of me was the only one between me and another girl.
It made sense why she chose that particular seat, after all.