Descending the stairs from the rooftop, Daniel and I opened a door to reveal the bustling hallway. For some reason, everything felt more overwhelming, as if the crowds were pressing in on me. The sheer volume of students moving in every direction made me feel smaller and more crushed.
As we made our way through the crowd, a loud "Hey!" made me jump. I turned around quickly and found Ava standing just in front of me, towering over me and looking down with an assertive but not unfriendly expression.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked.
A jolt of fear ran through me. Ava was intimidating, not just because of her height and athletic build, but because she exuded a confidence that I envied. She led me away from the crowded corridor to a quieter area near the lockers.
"You're Diana, right?" she began, her blue eyes locking onto mine.
I nodded quickly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Y-Yeah, that's me."
Ava seemed to study me for a moment, then smiled. "I heard you were new here. Is that true?"
I swallowed hard, the lie I had been living making my throat tight. "Uh, yeah. I'm new. Just… trying to figure things out."
She raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Really? That's interesting. So, you and Daniel... you guys seem pretty close."
I glanced away, fidgeting with the strap of my bag. "Um, yeah. We've, uh, known each other for a bit. He's been really nice."
Ava's confident demeanor wavered slightly, and she seemed more jittery. "Oh, that's cool. I mean, Daniel's a nice guy. It's just… I didn't know he had a close friend like you."
I felt a knot forming in my stomach, unsure of what she was getting at. "Uh, yeah. He's great. Why, um, why do you ask?"
She shrugged, her attempt at casualness coming off as forced. "No reason, just curious. It's always interesting to see new dynamics in our little school world, you know?"
"Right," I mumbled, not entirely convinced by her explanation.
Ava patted my shoulder awkwardly. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Diana. See you around."
With that, she walked away, leaving me feeling both relieved and puzzled. There was something about the way she asked about Daniel that didn't sit right with me. Shaking off the uneasy feeling, I made my way back to class.
When I returned, I noticed that the students were no longer whispering and were instead engaged in their own conversations. The tension from earlier seemed to have dissipated, and I felt a wave of relief. There were still a few glances thrown my way, but they felt less intense.
I slid into my seat next to Daniel, who looked at me with a mix of concern and curiosity. "Everything okay?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah," I replied, trying to sound casual. "Just talked to Ava. She had some questions."
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Ava? What did she want?"
"Just... curious about me, I guess," I said, shrugging. "It was a bit weird, but nothing major."
He nodded, though his eyes lingered on me for a moment longer, as if trying to read between the lines. We settled into our seats, and I tried to focus on the lesson ahead, though my mind kept drifting back to Ava and her questions.
As the teacher started the math lesson, I felt my nerves ease slightly. Mr. Christopher was a young man, not much older than a college student, with an easygoing demeanor that made his classes enjoyable. Today, he was dressed in his usual sharp attire: a crisp white shirt tucked into neatly pressed navy trousers, a dark tie, and a leather belt that completed the look. His way of teaching was always relaxing and fun, and I had always liked that about him.
Mr. Christopher smiled at the class, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. "Alright, everyone, today we're going to do something a little different. We're going to have a group project." The students immediately buzzed with excitement, chatting among themselves about potential groupings.
However, Mr. Christopher quickly raised a hand to quiet the room. "Hold on, hold on. Since it isn't quite the end of the school year, I'll be deciding the groups to keep things organized." A collective groan of disappointment echoed through the classroom.
"Alright, let's get started," Mr. Christopher continued, reading from a list. "Group one: Greg, Olivia, David." Friends in the room cheered and hugged each other, clearly happy to be grouped together.
"Group two: Emily, Sarah, Samantha." More joyful reactions as another set of friends celebrated their luck.
Ava's friends were put into a group together, and they reacted with typical teenage glee—smiles, hugs, and animated chatter. However, when they realized Ava wasn't with them, their expressions fell. Ava, ever the confident one, gave them a reassuring smile. "It's okay," she said.
Mr. Christopher continued with the list, pairing off more students into groups. Finally, he said, "And the final group: Daniel, Ben, Ava." Ava froze for a second, glancing quickly towards Daniel before looking back forward. She gathered her things and made her way towards Daniel's table, her movements more subdued than usual.
Mr. Christopher scanned the room once more. "It looks like we have a new face today. Diana? Where are you?"
I raised my hand, and he nodded with a warm smile. "Since you're new here, Diana, why don't you choose which group you'd like to join?"
I looked around the room, taking in the different groups. My eyes settled on Daniel, Ava, and Ben. "I think I'll join this group," I said, moving towards Daniel's group.
As I walked over, I couldn't help but notice the mix of emotions on everyone's faces. Ava seemed to be trying to hide her surprise, while Daniel looked relieved to have me in his group. Ben gave me a friendly nod as I sat down.
"Welcome to the group, Diana," Mr. Christopher said, smiling approvingly. "Now let's get started on the project. Each group will be working on different math problems, and you'll present your solutions at the end of the class."