Loving The Boy Next Seat

    Tess Middleman, a popular figure since ninth grade of Crestville High school; flaxen colored hair, blue eyes, almost undernourished, long legs, and that voice that sounded like she was always whining. She is popular for her self-confidence in boys, choice of clothes, party ideas and friends. 'Queen of Bulls' became her nickname in the year where she materially embarrassed her closest friend for being the oddest one out of some girls who just became her friends. Tess and Angel became friends in the first year of High school. They were partnered up in Chemistry class. Tess’ seat partner, Josh ran out of lab whilst sticking a finger in his anus. The whole class laughed at his troubling stomach which Tess suspected was the main problem thinking about how he kept talking about some mystery curry he had in the morning. Angel rushed in late to class that day as Josh ran past her. She was always late. Angel was hardly ever noticed in class because of her tardiness. She spent most of her time in the library writing a letter of apology to the principal who is already used to it. She has even worked as a lunch lady in school before; it is one of the disciplinary punishments that’s supposed to put an end to her unpunctuality. “No one even realized she was a student, she found a way to keep a low profile for two weeks during those lunch duties.” Angel drops her bag at the door of the class, and rushes in to avoid their Chemistry teacher from seeing her. She succeeds and takes the empty seat beside Tess, and that is how the friendship began. Tess had no reason to not hang out with Angel. She is intelligent irrespective of her absence in classes. She gets good grades; it is one of the reasons why the principal, Miss Murphy has a soft spot for her. Miss Murphy doesn’t know much about Angel’s personal life, but she knows her academic capability, having witnessed her excellent performance and consistent good grades. Tess, already being a popular figure invites Angel to all her Saturday room parties. Tess’s parents are divorced, and so she stays with her mom who is practically a workaholic and thus, Tess has it easy when it comes to freedom. Angel, on the other hand becomes recognized in school through series of sleepovers organized by Tess. All until one day, when the friendship ended!   The BULLY, and the BULLIED.   1:28pm Chemistry.   Angel silently, ticks the white boxes on her paper with a pencil. There are twenty more to go, and in all conscience, she is slowing herself down. The class still has an hour left. She sighs remembering what she had to go through to arrive at school early for this test, and all she has to do once school is over. Her long dark hair with bangs are roughly tangled everywhere, covering her caramel skin and slightly bruised lip. It is the helter-skelter of her everyday life! She has so much going on her mind. Two part time jobs are waiting for her after school, and one more is waiting for her at home. “One is to pick her Aunt from the daily pub where she would waste herself to the core.” “More of her pending chores are; throwing out the trash, picking up shredded cigarettes, beer cans and bottles, doing the dishes.” “Listening to the taunts and ridicules from her cousin while trying to push through another hard day in life.” “And finally, sneaking out for her last part time job.” She lived and is still living a stressful life.” Angel has ticked ten more boxes knowing confidently that she is correct; she raises her head to waste time. She starts by staring at the clock, the teacher’s desk or at other students. She can see the cheaters, the passers of the cheat, and crammers of the cheat. She smiles at their communication whilst sitting upright wondering how Miss Dandelion hadn't caught them yet. It is when she turns to her seat partner that her heart skips a beat.  It is Sawyer! “The gorgeous athlete of Crestville, his luscious pitch black hair is plaited in the most defined twist outs that Angel has ever seen. His features are strong and daring, yet kind and graceful. His thick bushy eyebrows are faced down at his papers in a crease as he writes. Angel’s eyes catches his plump, soft looking lips—the way they pursued and undertones whatever he his whispering to himself. He is one of the four that everyone in Crestville admires so much. To those who knew him or those who knew him at distance like Angel, you could tell that he is ambitious and genuine about his friendship. It is even more fathomable to know how much more perfect he was, he studied hard during lessons even when he had football as a backup, he didn’t cause trouble in school or get into hall fights. He definitely looks like a bad boy, but he isn’t, unlike his friends who are nothing like him. Sawyer could be considered the best guy in the football team; he is the only guy in his squad who has never had a girlfriend. Weird, right? How can someone who catches so many girls attention have no one to put his attention on? Angel has been crushing on him since she first saw him, and there has been a little triumph for every time she remembers that he is still single.  After studying him for about five minutes, Angel swallows a heavy gulp in her throat before scattering her hair all over her face. She resumes her test and realizes that she is done already. Miss Dandelion? She says silently while raising her hand. Yes, Angel? Miss Dandelion sees the gesture and walks over to Angel. "I'm done with the test. Angel replies with a small smile." As expected, Miss Dandelion winks. You know you can't leave yet. We still have twenty minutes to the end of the test.  Angel nods her head in response as she holds her pencil and her face casts downwards.” Miss Dandelion collects the paper from her. You heard that, twenty minutes left. The clock is ticking, it waits for no one. Miss Dandelion? Angel hears that voice, it heightens her curiosity, it makes her heart beat before she can even affirm the owner of the voice, but her heart knows already. Why else would her chest thump and her palms sweat. His voice is deep as ocean waters, calm and tranquil as it reverberates through her mind over and over again as seconds go by. Yes, Sawyer? Miss Dandelion answers she walks back. “I’m done.” He says. “Hmm, a first.” Miss Dandelion says as she smiles as she collects his paper. From the corner of her eyes, Angel can see that Sawyer turns his face towards her, but she is certain that he will not take note of her appearance. She is concealed by the cascade of her ruffled hair and it hides her face pretty well. Angel again, knows when he removes his gaze from her; her hand tightly holds the pencil as her heart beats erratically. She cannot wait for the bell to go off. As minutes go by, she looks at her watch and waits for every second to departure. Again, she witnesses as he yawns, staring at the window beside them while he lays back on the seat. Angel stares at him again as he puts his whole focus on the see through glass frames of the classroom. She quietly wonders what has his focus for him to stare so passionately at the serene, she roams her eyes too in search of what he’s staring at until she realizes that her reflection can be seen through the glass. It is the most shocking and scary insight that has ever hit Angel before, she holds on tightly to the pencil as she realizes that Sawyer has seen her staring at him and he also, was gazing at her—from her reflection. The pencil in her hands breaks into two and it catches everyone’s attention, Angel casts her gaze back onto the table as she stares at the broken pencil. Now would be the best time for the bell to ring so she can get the hell out of this place and beat herself in the girl’s bathroom. She cannot believe it. The last thing she wants is a boy like Sawyer knowing she has a crush on him. It would do her no good to garner that attention. Especially when girls like Tess Middleman were out for her, waiting for her to fall so they can soil her image like they did in ninth grade. It’s not like he will ever notice her either. Their standards were too far from each other, he belongs to a social circle filled with kids who belong to aristocratic families and she is one whose parents tried to kill her along with themselves when she was eleven.