Whatever had happened, happened and here I was standing in front of my next class.
It was a chaos. With the teacher not in the class, the students were everywhere but at their benches.
And then suddenly my eyes landed on him, the one whose locker I was trying to break in...I mean mistook as mine.
He looked up and saw me. I had not seen him since that time. I was stuck at the entrance as people pushed past me to get inside.
"You can come in now..."
The voice took me out of my daze state. That was when I noticed that the teacher was already in the class, and it was just me outside whereas everyone else had taken their positions.
My cheeks turned scarlet for messing up yet another period when it was still my first day in this elite school.
"Sorry...Mr. Maxwell."
I absent-mindedly spoke out, checking out my period routine. It was the class of Political Science.
The distant murmurs did not go unheard by me as I made my entry inside, looking for a seat to sit on.
All the other three periods, I had the company of Viviana and it was of immense help, having someone known while navigating the first few hours of the new school.
"Vance get the fuck away from here."
Right in front of me, the guy was pushed away. I stopped on my track.
It was him. He smirked at me. Did he just push off Vance to make space for me beside him?
"Ms. Johnson, can you hurry and take a place?"
I heard the teacher and although before I hesitated in accepting the place beside him, but then I did.
Keeping my books on the table, I tried to concentrate, all the time feeling his crude gazes on me.
When I tilted my neck to steal a glance at him, his eyes still would be on me, staring at me without an ounce of shame. I was caught off guard and immediately looked away.
His soft nonchalant snicker did not go unheard. I tried to maintain my posture. All of these were new to me and I had no idea or a clue how to deal with it.
"So who can tell me more about what Aristotle meant by 'zoon politikon'?"
The teacher asked and since I was distracted by the person beside me, I lost my chance to raise my hand before answering.
"Yes, Mr. Smith...go ahead."
And he voiced out. I did not know he went by Smith. Naturally, my head turned around to see him.
Very confidently he answered Mr. Maxwell's question, making me wonder how did he focus at the same time messing with me or that it was all in my head.
"Anyone wants to input more into what he said?"
I raised my hand without a second thought that it could make him think that I found his answer incomplete or lacking for all that was running in my head, the zeal to create an impression.
'First impression mattered a lot.'
I was only trying to put one for Mr. Maxwell, unknown to the fact that he was also there, staring right at me as I was done.
His scrutinizing gazes made me self-conscious. I felt like being anywhere but near him, impatiently waiting for the class to get over.
When it was over, I gathered my books and notes ready to rush out, and so did others. It was lunch break. Viviana said she would wait for me and I did not want to make her wait for too long.
"Someone waiting for you?"
It made me turn around and look at him, still sitting in his place.
I did not know how to respond. It was not really a complicated question.
'What is wrong with me?'
I mentally scoff at myself. He spoke up again.
"From trying to break into my locker..."
"It was a mistake."
I was fast to retort back, making him halt in the middle. It was the truth.
"Then going to challenge my answer?"
"I was not."
I really was not. And then he stood up, towering over me, making me tilt my head up to maintain eyes with him.
"So you were not satisfied with it?"
I shook my head. I was only adding a bit more to what he had already said. My intentions were very clear.
Before I could defend myself, he picked up his bag, ready to leave.
"All the while I was being nice enough to offer you a seat...kicked Vance out for God's sake!"
He let out, running a hand over his black hair. I was caught off guard by that remark, leaving me wordless.
"See you later then, little girl."
He said smirking, shrugging his shoulders off, turning around, walking out of the bench, and out of the class, making me full of thoughts to which I was not going to find answers anytime soon.
So I packed up my bag and headed out of the door quickly towards the cafeteria all the while thinking if I was rude to him by answering to Mr. Maxwell when he was nice to me.
"There she is..."
Viviana's voice pulled me back to reality as I saw her by the corner, waving at me with a guy beside her.
I made my way towards them, trying not to knock against others as the cafeteria was flooded with students.
I had not seen him but then I heard them, making me turn to my side. He was there with a bunch of others at the biggest table. I did not know more than half of them, just a few from that locker incident.
"Look the girl who tried to break into your locker..."
I did not stop and kept walking forward, thinking if I would be known for that all of the year.
"Hey!"
"Hey! I hope you had no problem in the last period?"
Viviana asked, even though it took me back to the encounter I had with him, making me look his way. He did not realize, chilling out with his friends.
I smiled and shook my head.
"Well great then I want you to meet Cole."
She pointed to the guy beside her all this time. I forwarded my hand for a shake, and he obliged.
"Hey! I'm Janet."
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The story will begin with a soft and static note before all the drama unfolds. It will transition between the past and the present.
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