"Oh, wow...nice" I faked a pretentious gasp and returned my gaze on my notebook just in time before Mr George started teaching. And during his lecture, we said nothing to eachother until after his class.
"Hey, um... You don't mind me showing you to the canteen, right?" I suggested to Kimberly the moment the bell signal for break time rang.
"Thanks, but -- am fine" she declined politely with a soft smile.
"Uh, okay." I chuckled, trying to supress any feelings of embarrassment because deep down, I felt stupid for even suggesting.
'Don't force it Henry' I told myself and quickly stood up to hang my bag on my shoulder. Then I cleared my throat and was about saying something to Kimberly when Brian showed up.
"Look who decided to come to my school" he teased her.
"Hey Cuz" Kimberly turned her head sideways to give him a gleeful look and grinned.
Then Brian looked at me and back at his cousin before saying, "Um cus, can we talk?"
Even though he was talking to Kimberly, I still felt he was indirectly speaking to me -- signalling me to leave.
Then she nodded and was about responding when my voice broke out to interrupt, "I'll just erm...get a snack at the canteen" faking a smile before walking away. And as I strolled into the canteen, my mind couldn't stop to think about Brian and the things he must've been telling his cousin about me.
'If she no longer talks to me, fine -- after all I've been in this school without any friends' I muttered under my breath, trying to cheer myself up as I bought a bottle of coke and two sausage rolls. Then I found an empty seat in the canteen and sat down to have my fill; looking at students as they walked in pairs of two's and three's -- laughing, chatting and pacing around -- reminding me just how lonely and friendless I was!
'I'm begining to hate this school, I can't just wait to finish' I exhaled sharply and rolled my eyes in frustration before standing up to return to my class.
*****
I was in shock when I got back to class and found Kimberley on my seat, reading a novel even in with the noisy chatter of students around. All my thinking, I thought she'd reallocated to sit with Brian -- and speaking of Brian, he wasn't inside the class. So I walked quietly to my seat.
"Hey" Kimberly paused her reading the moment I lowered myself to sit.
"Hi" I replied plainly, not wanting to look at her.
"You didn't tell me you lived nextdoor to my cousins?" She asked in a hearty voice as though the discovery was worth celebrating.
"Well, who cares?" I answered in a cold and unfriendly tone that seemed to have startled Kimberly who fell silent before returning to her novel.
And I know what you might be thinking, that I was foolish letting my emotions get the better of me to reply Kimberly in such manner? Yeah, I know -- I was beginning to see that now as we sat in silence.
So I pulled out a biology textbook from my bag and placed it on the desk; forcing myself to read it since I couldn't just sit idle. But even as I tried engaging my mind with the textbook, I couldn't stop my last response from haunting me as It continued to echo loudly in my head.
'Just say something to her...' I chorused purposefully in my mind and closed the textbook when I began to feel a bit guilty.
"Am sorry, Kimberly" I heaved, almost in a whisper with my head stiff and unable to look at her. But from the corner of my eyes, I could notice her slowly closing her novel as she turned her head sideways to face me and asked. "Okay... but um, what are you apologizing for?"
"Please don't pretend I didn't answer you harshly when you asked if I lived nextdoor to your cousin" I managed to look her in the eye.
"Okay" she nodded with a soft smile that seemed to captivate me. Then she chuckled with a shrug "But I wasn't upset, I just felt -- maybe your day wasn't going well, you know."
All through the time she was speaking, I was struggling to keep my eyes from staring lustfully at her lips as they moved. She had a bow shaped lips that was seductively tempting to gaze upon.
"Uh, yeah.." I cleared my throat and blinked hard to wade off some steamy thoughts that almost caused an erection. Trust me, it was the last thing I wanted -- especially not in class!
"I'm just having a shitty day --" I chuckled nervously and paused to place both arms on the desk.
"Want to share?" She asked in a concerned voice.
"Pfff, nah..." I scoffed and sat straight. Then I looked at her and said "I wouldn't want to ruin your first day at Valmont Academy with my boring talks" and smiled softly.
Kimberly gave out a light chuckle and closed her novel before saying, "Well, am listening?"
I was intrigued by her calm aura, outspokenness and persistent nature. So I shook my head in amused surrender and started to say, "Well, um... It's not that much of a big deal actually. Just that me and your cousin aren't really in speaking terms.." then I paused to watch her reaction before adding immediately in haste. "Not that I wouldn't want to speak with him, it's just that..."
"He told" she cut in sharply.
"Wait, like wha--what did he tell you?" I stuttered, sounded a bit nervous and surprised at the same time.
"Nothing much..." She shrugged her shoulders. "Said something about you sneaking into his sister's room at night and pinning it on him"
"Well, he's right about the sneaking part" I confessed, licking my lower lip in embarrassment before completing in a low voice. "But we didn't pin it on him... And ever since my dad confronted their parents, his sister Nora has stopped talking to me-- infact, everyone has"
"Oh, that's bad" Kimberly blinked in empathy, adjusting the glasses on her face with her right index finger. Then she added "But your dad wouldn't have done that-- no offence"
"None taken" I sighed and lowered my gaze. "My dad thinks am still too young to see any girl."
"But you look old to me" Her soft voice broke out; making me wonder just what she meant by that.
"Wait, do I really look that old for my age... I mean am young but, not like am old, old" I sounded confused and worried as I lifted my gaze back at Kimberly who bursted into laughter and chuckled immediately, "No... No, that's not what I meant" shaking her head with her right palm over her mouth to muffle her laugh.
A feeling of warmth swept over me as I watched her laugh. The innocence in her countenance, her tender voice and gentle behaviour was enough to make me want her as a friend -- just a normal friend and not what you might be thinking.
"What I meant was that your dad should understand that you're of age to see a girl" She completed as soon as her laughing subsided.
"I know right!" I agreed with her before bragging. "And if my dad was present, I would've bet him a $100 that you were also seeing someone too."
I immediately fell silent and watched as the smile on Kimberly's face washed into a serious and almost embarrassed look.
"Then I guess you would have lost the bet because... I don't have a boyfriend" She countered with her eyebrows raised and forced a smile before turning to face forward. It was then I realized that she was the sensitive type.