Mia walked into the classroom, scanning the room for an empty seat. As she looked around, her heart sank, she realized that the only available seat was next to Karl. She had forgotten that her seat had been changed when she was grouped with him for the project.
Mia's eyes widened in panic as she hesitated for a moment, wondering if she could somehow avoid sitting next to him. But it was too late, the teacher was already walking into the classroom.
Mia's face grew hot with embarrassment as she slowly made her way to the empty seat. She felt like everyone in the class was watching her, and she couldn't shake off the feeling of being on display.
As she sat down next to Karl, Mia's nervousness reached new heights. She fidgeted with her hands, trying to calm herself down, but her heart was racing with anxiety. She couldn't believe she was sitting next to Karl, she really didn't like the idea of sitting next to him. As usual, Ember stared daggers at her, if looks could kill, she would have been long dead.
Karl, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to her presence. He didn't even glance in her direction, his eyes fixed intently on the teacher, his expression neutral. Mia tried to catch his eye, but he seemed determined to ignore her. Mia felt a pang of disappointment, but she quickly pushed it aside, telling herself that she was just being silly.
As the teacher began to speak, Mia tried to focus on the lesson, but her mind kept wandering back to Karl. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking, and why he seemed so indifferent to her presence. Was he really that uninterested in her, or was he just pretending to be?
The teacher began to drone on about the day's lesson, and Mia found herself stealing glances at Karl. He was sitting with his usual stoic expression, his eyes fixed intently on the teacher. He didn't seem to be aware of her presence at all.
Mia felt a pang of frustration. Why was he being so indifferent? Hadn't they been paired together for the project? Didn't he want to discuss their plans?
The bell rang, signaling the end of the class, and Karl stood up without a word. He gathered his things and walked out of the classroom, leaving Mia feeling confused and a little annoyed.
Why was he being so distant?.... And why did she care so much?
As Mia gathered her things, she couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. Why was Karl being so unreasonable? Didn't he know that they needed to work together on their project? Won't he ever talk to her? Was he that irritated about her presence?
She walked out of the classroom, trying to shake off the feeling of annoyance. She didn't notice Rachel approaching her until she heard her friend's cheerful voice.
"Hey, Mia! What's up?" Rachel asked, falling into step beside her.
Mia shook her head, still trying to process everything, Karl's nonchalance was pissing her off. "Why do I have to be grouped with Karl? Of all people in the classroom, I have to work on this projecf with Karl. That guy is so annoying, he literally pisses me off." she replied, rolling her eyes.
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "What happened this time?"
Mia sighed. "I had to sit next to him in class, and he completely ignored me. I mean, I know we're not friends or anything, but you'd think he'd at least acknowledge my presence since we're working on a project together."
Rachel nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, that does sound frustrating. But don't let it get to you, Mia. Karl has always been like that, I told you he was indifferent and nonchalant, so just focus on getting the project done and forget about his attitude."
Mia nodded, knowing Rachel was right. But it was hard to shake off the feeling that Karl's behavior was somehow personal.
Rachel seemed to sense her friend's lingering frustration. "Hey, let's grab dinner with Lyra, Alex, and Sofia. We can catch up and take your mind off things."
Mia's face brightened at the suggestion. "Yeah."
Mia and Rachel walked to the cafeteria, as they strolled along, Rachel kept being chatty.
When they arrived at the cafeteria, they spotted Lyra, Sofia, and Alex already seated at a table, laughing and chatting over plates of food. As they joined the table, Lyra, Sofia, and Alex greeted Mia and Rachel with warm smiles and hellos.
As they sat down, Lyra asked, "What's wrong, Mia? Why the look?"
Mia laughed as she tried to brighten her mood. "What look?."
Sofia raised an eyebrow. "You have a frustrated look on your face. What's wrong? Who pissed you off?"
Mia shook her head, she tried to hide her expression. "I'm good." She shrugged.
Alex immediately butted in. "How does it feel to be grouped with Karl? To be working with Karl?"
Everyone looked expectantly at Mia who had an innocent expression on her face. She shrugged innocently.
"What are you both planning to work on?" Lyra asked curiously.
Lyra giggled. "I hope it's not a gadget that will end the world."
Rachel added, "I really can't take anymore of those creepy peojects. Besides, the instruction from the teacher is to work on a neutral project."
"I guess we were not the only ones that were creeped out." Sofia joked and the group erupted into laughter.
As they continued chatting and joking, Sofia suddenly asked, "Hey, what was with Ember's reaction yesterday? Did you all see the way she looked at Mia? She looked like she was going to behead Mia." She turned to Mia with a teasing smile. "For a moment girl, I actually felt scared for you."
Mia smiled an awkward smile. Just as she was about to say something, Karl, Ophelia, Ember, Kaliya, and Zarek made their way into the cafeteria, drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the room.
Karl's usual detached expression was firmly in place, his eyes scanning the room with a hint of disinterest. Ophelia walked beside him, her eyes fixed on her phone as she typed away with a look of intense focus.
Ember, on the other hand, seemed to be reveling in the attention. She smiled sweetly to herself, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous light as she scanned the room proudly, she was a fan of entrances obviously.
Kaliya and Zarek brought up the rear, with Zarek's hands casually slung over Kaliya's shoulders. The two of them seemed lost in their own little world, oblivious to the stir they were causing.
As they made their way to the food line, the room seemed to grow quieter, with all eyes fixed on the new arrivals. Mia's friends exchanged nervous glances, and Mia herself felt a pang of unease.
Rachel leaned in close, her voice barely above a whisper. "Well, well, well. Look what we've got here. The royal court has arrived."
Mia's eyes locked onto Karl's, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. Karl's expression was unreadable, but Mia's heart skipped a beat as their eyes met. She felt a flutter in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat. It was as if time had frozen, and all that existed was the two of them, suspended in a sea of tension.
Mia's eyes, a deep shade of brown, seemed to darken even further as she gazed at Karl. Her pupils dilated slightly, and her eyelids felt heavy, as if they were weighed down by the intensity of the moment.
Karl's eyes, on the other hand, seemed to bore into Mia's soul. His gaze was piercing, and Mia felt like he could see right through her. She tried to look away, but her eyes seemed rooted to the spot, unable to tear themselves away from Karl's intense stare.
The air around them seemed to vibrate with tension, and Mia's friends exchanged nervous glances, sensing the electricity in the air. Rachel leaned in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mia, breathe. You're going to pass out."
Mia's face grew hotter as she felt her friends' eyes on her. Immediately, she broke eye contact with Karl, her eyes dropped to the table, and she felt a wave of relief wash over her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
Rachel's voice was still whispering in her ear. "Mia, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Mia nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. She felt like she was in a daze, like she was floating above her body, watching herself react to Karl's gaze.
As she looked up, she caught Karl's eye again, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. This time, Mia felt a spark of anger ignite within her. Why was he having this effect on her? Why couldn't she just ignore him? And why wasn't he taking his eyes off her?
With a newfound sense of determination, Mia broke eye contact with Karl and turned back to her friends. "I'm fine, Rachel. I need to use the restroom, I will be back."
Her friends nodded, and she stood up.
As Mia walked away from the table, she could feel Karl's eyes on her. She tried to shake off the feeling, telling herself she was just being paranoid. But she couldn't help the sense that he was watching her, waiting for her every step.
Mia walked through the halls and pushed open the door to the restroom and stepped inside, grateful for the temporary reprieve from the tension. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
As she stood in front of the sink, staring at her reflection, Mia couldn't help but wonder what was going on with her. Why was she like this around him? Why was she always full of emotions? Why did his presence make her nervous and conscious? Why were they always locking gazes?
She splashed some water on her face, trying to shake off the feeling of unease. As she dried her face with a paper towel, Mia made a decision. She was going to ignore Karl and focus on her own life. She didn't need the drama or the stress.
Karl could ignore her for all she cared, she wouldn't be bothered again. She would just do her project on her own and submit, she wouldn't stress much.
Feeling more determined, Mia walked out of the restroom and suddenly bumped into the person standing in front of her.
Apologizing, Mia looked up to see a pair of bright blue eyes staring back at her. The eyes were piercing, and for a moment, Mia felt like she was drowning in their depths. It was the same color as Karl's eyes but he wasn't Karl. The owner of the eyes was a tall, lean boy with messy brown hair and a charming smile. He was handsome but not as handsome as Karl.
Mia! Comparison? Seriously?
"Hey, watch where you're going," the boy said with a laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
Mia felt a flush rise to her cheeks as she apologized again. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
The boy smiled and held out his hand. "I'm Asher. And you are...?"
Mia took his hand, feeling a spark of electricity as their palms touched. "I'm Mia," she replied, her voice a little shaky.
Mia! Behave!
Asher's eyes seemed to light up with interest as he held onto her hand for a fraction of a second longer than necessary. "Nice to meet you, Mia." He smiled brightly "I can guess you didn't know this is a boy's restroom?" he asked, his voice low and smooth.
Mia's eyes widened in horror as she realized her mistake. Her face turned bright red with embarrassment, and she felt like she had been punched in the gut. She quickly pulled her hand back from Asher's, feeling a wave of mortification wash over her.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" Mia exclaimed, her voice shaking with embarrassment. "I didn't even notice...I mean, I wasn't paying attention..." She trailed off, feeling like she was going to die from embarrassment.
Asher chuckled and leaned against the wall, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well, I guess this is a first. A girl in the boy's restroom. You're definitely a rebel, Mia," he teased, his voice light and playful. He seemed to be enjoying this.
Mia's face grew even hotter as she felt her embarrassment reach new heights. She couldn't believe she had made such a stupid mistake. She looked around frantically, hoping to find an escape route, but she was trapped. All she could do was stand there, frozen in embarrassment.
Mia's eyes flashed with indignation at Asher's teasing comment. "No, not really. I'm not a rebel," she protested, trying to sound calm despite her embarrassment. "I just made a mistake, that's all." She looked down at her feet, feeling a flush rise to her cheeks.
Asher chuckled and pushed off the wall, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Hey, don't be so defensive," he said, his voice gentle. "I was just joking. But seriously, you're not in trouble or anything. It's just a bathroom."
Mia looked up at him, feeling a small smile creep onto her face. "I guess you're right," she said, feeling a little more at ease. "I just feel so stupid for not noticing."
Asher shrugged. "It's an easy mistake to make. And hey, at least you got to meet me, right?" He grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Mia rolled her eyes, feeling a laugh bubble up inside her. "I guess that's one way to look at it," she said, smiling.
As Mia smiled, Asher smiled back at her, seeming to enjoy her company. "So, I really think you should get going before someone else, I mean other guys see you here. They might not really take it lightly like I did." he said leaning against the wall.
Mia nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. "I should get going then." she said, wrinkling her nose.
Asher nodded smiling brightly at her. "You should." he said, his eyes sparkling.
Mia smiled. "See you around, Asher." she said, with a bright smile.
Asher chuckled. "See you around, Mia." he said, grinning.
Asher watched Mia walk away, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and intrigue. He had never met anyone like Mia before - she was quirky, awkward, and yet, somehow endearing. He found himself smiling as he thought about their encounter.
Asher's mind wandered back to their conversation, and he chuckled to himself as he remembered Mia's embarrassed expression when she realized she was in the boy's restroom. He had been teasing her, but he couldn't help but feel drawn to her vulnerability.
He shouldn't be drawn to her but there was just something about her.