It seemed that I wasn't the only one in this classroom, after all. The thought of sharing this place with someone so captivating made me want to apologize to her, just because she's stuck with me.
She walked over to her desk and began moving it away from mine. Really? We just shared a glance, and now you're doing this? It felt like she just declared her territory. The audacity of it struck me as particularly cruel.
This is precisely the sort of behavior that reinforces my hate for people that are seemingly self-assured. I speak from experience. I don't know if I should be annoyed or not. I mean, if a random guy decided to move his desk up exactly with mine, I would probably be confused. Maybe weirded out? But this much? It's a disgusted hate.
As I watch her arrange her space, she placed her bag atop one of the lockers at the back of the classroom, then proceeded to sit on the desk.
Hey, hey! It felt like her actions were a literal statement! Miss, do I look like a thief to you? Her nonchalance is far too great for me to handle. It's clear she's trying to make this infuriating. It was another layer to the enigmatic nature of this new environment. A reminder of how crazy human behavior could still be anything but predictable.
She sat down in her chair without so much as a glance in my direction. Yeah, I get what you meant. It's clear as day.
She's cold. Preferably twelve degrees cold. Not ice cold, but cold enough to hurt me. A living embodiment of frosty indifference. If that wasn't an indication to steer clear, I don't know what is. It seemed that any attempts to engage with her would likely result in a social hypothermia of sorts. Best to mind my own business.
I shifted my focus back to my novel, attempting to shake her image off with the printed words and the palpable chill in the room. But the silence was heavy as a wet blanket, and I couldn't help myself.
I let out a small, intentional cough, a subtle reminder that she wasn't the only person in the room. I am, a living person that deserves at least a modicum of acknowledgment. Yet, her response was immediate: absolutely nothing. No flinch nor flicker of expressions, not even the slightest turn of her head. I might as well have been invisible.
Alright, Ice Queen. I get it. I won't be a nuisance to your little reading session anymore. I know when it's time to retreat back.
As I immersed myself in the comfort of my novel, something flickered in the corner of my vision. As the curiosity guy I am, I glanced over just in time to catch her adjusting her hair.
Wait. What's that? Letting your hair down now? Is this some kind of intimidation tactic? I had no idea what the unspoken rules were in this school yet. Did she think that I was just going to let that slide?
Oh, no, no. I could play that game, too. I could be as much of a threat you are! Grrrrrr!
She immediately snapped her head in my direction, her eyes narrowing into a death glare that send a chill down my spine. I felt my bravado vanish instantly, replaced with a surge of instinctual fear. My body reacted on its own, launching me out of my chair with a stumble, to distance myself from her wrath.
Yeah, she's my enemy. The kind of enemy that you should avoid at all costs. But, I can't help but provoke her. It's funny. Was this fear? Thrill? Whatever it was, I knew one small thing for sure: messing with her would be playing with fire, or in this case, ice.
I could tell by looking at her that she already has a boyfriend. The signs were all there, the way she carried herself with that air of aloof confidence, the subtle disinterest in everyone around her. Including me, of course.
But, so what? Relationships? As if they're essential for living. They're not. If you possess the skills to fend for yourself, then a partner is completely unnecessary as a screen door on a submarine. I've always been a firm believer in self-reliance.
Like I said before, being a lone wolf has its perks. I get to keep all of the spoils of my hard work without sharing or worrying about someone else dragging me down. I'm strong, yeah. I'm independent. I don't need anyone.