A Whisper Of Love

Chapter 1 Slowly my eyes scanned the cafeteria searching for…yup late again. Ugh! Why does she always do this to me? Eating in the library is far much better than this, that way I get to read and eat which is more preferable to watching high school students display their precious hierarchy. You know, jocks and cheerleaders, nerds, Goths, I’m sure you know the rest of that food chain. I look at my charm bracelet wrist watch, then to my tray filled with fries, burger, an apple and a bottle of water, I sigh. A sudden noise took my eyes away from my tray as hollers and whistling fill the room and in came the jocks with the cheerleaders laughing. The whole cafeteria erupted in a loud noise of excited howls I roll my eyes looking back at my watch impatiently. Yeah I get it, we won the game, but that doesn't mean we should overfeed their inflated egos. “Austin! Austin!! Austin!!!” The cafeteria chanted in cheers telling me who is coming through the doors next, looking up I did a three second count. Just as predicted our star quarterback came in with his famous sexy smirk on his face, running his fingers through his brown lock, a suave walk and I swear I saw a girl drool, literally. Ewww. I shake my head looking back to him. He saunters to his table taking a sit while high fiving his buddies of fellow jocks. His smirk turned into a smile talking animatedly with his team mates, I couldn't help myself but look at him. He truly is beautiful getting this is the only time I see him look happy, like genuinely and utterly happy ever since the incident two years ago that broke him leaving him a shell of his former self. His head lift up looking at the door and I follow his gaze to see what got him distracted. Of cause, it's her, Bailey Morgan. The Queen B of the school, smooth, sophisticated, poise and let's not forget rich. Her breaks are spent in different countries, resorts or islands. Today she had on a mid-thigh denim jean skirt, off shoulder lilac petal blouse which I’m sure cost a fortune, a black three-inch ankle boots to complement her outfit making her long toned legs seem longer and sexy. Her honey milky skin glowed hinting her mixed heritage. Yeah, let us conclude to say she's beautiful and no one in the school drags it with her so why wouldn’t he look or want a girl like her. I mean look at me, plain, boring, unpopular, odd. Definitely not a good combo for a girlfriend to a jock. I frown watching him watch her but she paid him no mind instead she sashayed through the space in-between tables like a queen dancing a waltz with every guy fawning over her dreamily and every girl wanting to be her until she came to my table. “Bestie!!!” She screamed throwing her hands in the air. A faint Spanish accent showed. I groan flopping on the table embarrassed. I know right. The most popular girl in school and definitely the next prom queen is the best friend to a book worm valedictorian nobody in school. Every girl will want to be in my shoes right now but she always says “three is a crowd and fake friends' stench.” Whatever that means. “Why do you do that?” I pull back up glaring at her. “Everyone is looking at me…again.” I gritted out through clenched teeth. “Good.” She says sitting down with a smile flipping her hair like she got no care in the world. “That way they’ll keep to themselves and know I have someone irreplaceable.” I tried to hide my smile but fail. She sure knows how to get my spirit up with the simplest words. “Now, how long have you been staring at Austin?” Immediately my smile disappeared, just like that, poof. She also knows how to ruin my mood. “No, I haven’t.” I frown looking anywhere but her. “Okay, let me rephrase that. How long have you been gawking at Austin our star quarterback and your super-secret crush?” I can't believe she just did that. I knew my face got beet red at her question with my mouth gapping like a fish out of water speechless. “Why will you say that? Someone could have heard you and I'll be in big trouble.” She waves her hand as if bored already, I look around hoping no one heard us. “You know what, don't answer that because I already know the answer to that getting us to my real question. When are you going to tell him? This is our last year and if you don't do something about it then I will.” She threatened. Having her as my Bestie since seventh grade I know she's going to do it. I sigh glancing at Austin who is oblivious of a girl like me crushing on him. His jacket clung to his broad shoulders fitting him so well like a glove he never needs to take it off, his black tee hugs him tight as he rests his elbows on the table taking a sip of his water smiling. A girl can only dream right? I hear a loud scrunch snapping me out of my day dream, Bailey happily eating my apple. I pick a fry throwing it at her. “Stop eating my food.” I say with a frown. “Well, if you are actually eating it and not day dreaming again about a certain quarterback, I wouldn't eat your food now would I?” She retorts taking another bite. “Smart ass.” I whisper. “Heard that.” She points at me with her index still holding the apple. “That's no way for a lady of class to speak.” She warns sternly, I roll my eyes which she chuckles. Popping a fry into my mouth, a small smile plastered on my lips. Taking a bite from my burger I see her steal another fry from my tray which I roll my eyes with her giving me a cheeky grin. Time for some payback, I smile deviously. “So what kept you long this time around? Forgot something or a certain substitute teacher and college student kept you busy.” I drawl nonchalantly playing with my fries. She chokes coughing loudly attracting stares from other table even Austin's table with Austin looking strangely at us for a second making my smile grow bigger. Snatching the bottle, she gulps down my water greedily. I knew it! Bailey Morgan has the hot for our substitute teacher Mr. Fredrick. “You are so evil.” She says wiping her lips. “I know right.” Smiling cheekily eating my burger. “Well now that you have confirmed my theories, you won't get to threaten me with Austin again.” Suddenly the bell rings. “Come on, we don't want to be late for Mr. Fredrick class, now do we?” I finish the rest of my food gulping down a large sum of water. She kept glaring at me and I blew her a kiss. She groans. “I’m so not going to hear the end of this right?” She stood up towering over me. “Nope.” Popping the ‘p’. She groans louder trailing behind me and the smile never left my face. Chapter 2 “No! Shut up! You joking right?” Lying flat on my stomach plopping on a pillow with my fuzzy socks covered feet swinging randomly in the air. I laugh at Bailey who didn't find the situation funny as she went on about how she was this close to make a move on Mr. Fredrick after school and Kim ruined her moment by walking in to ask for his assistance. “I’m serious here. She definitely has an eye for my man, TWO EYES for my man with her stupid cheerleading short uniform strutting all around him in that annoying high pitch off key voice.” I burst out laughing when she started to mimic her voice telling Mr. Fredrick to tutor her in math privately. “Stop.” She whines. “It's not funny. My man is at stake here.” She pouts cutely I couldn't help the chuckles that escape my lips. “First, Mr. Fredrick is not your man. Secondly, do you know how many girls are dying to seduce him? Like I heard someone in my chemistry class say how they can be the missing ‘X’ to his ‘Y’ in that assignment he gave us. So let's just say you are not the only one who has eyes for him.” Like I get it, no I do. He's tall, sexy, brown skin chocolate goodness, pink pouty lips, cute dreads and he always dress to impress, well not me. Hell our math class is populated with 80% girls and 20% boys all because of him which never happens in our school before, ever. “I know right, perfect for me. We’re meant to be together. Even the fates deems it possible”. She Muse dreamily. I roll my eyes smiling to her face on my laptop screen. “I think you girls keep forgetting one itty bitty serious info.” I use my index and thumb to emphasize. “He’s our teacher! A college student that's our substitute teacher and he's like what? Twenty something and you are going to get him in serious trouble.” I exclaimed. “Oh please, he's twenty-one.” She waves me off, my mouth fell open. Like how did she know that? “No one will know and besides I just need to get those leeches off my man.” I slap my fore head groaning loud. “I give up on you, officially.” I sit up sitting Indian style with a playful frown on my face. “I just need to keep up with our after school tutoring and hopefully get him to notice me as a woman and not his student.” She says this wiggling her fingers down her body and flipping her hair. Yup, you guessed right. I roll my eyes …again. “He does notice you alright.” I muse sarcastically. “Hey! No room for sarcasm here. This is serious babe, help me out.” She moans into her pillow. “You really like him don't you?” She nods frantically before her big doe eyes looks at me hopefully. I groan. “I can't believe I’m saying this but your happiness is my happiness. I'll help you.” Her eyes shines and a smile grace her lips beautifully. “Ugh, please wipe that smile off your face. It's sickening.” I place my laptop on my thigh hearing her giggles as she says thank you and I love you. I guess love comes in different ways that you never expect and hers is disturbingly our substitute teacher. I smile at her. Snatching my phone from the night stand, I look at the time. 8:57pm. “It's time huh?” She says with a sly smile. “Time for?” I look at her innocently blinking. She laughs amusedly. “Oh my god! You so cute when you do that. Do it again.” She laughs again. I puff out air exasperatedly waiting for her to calm down with a bored look on my face. “You done.” I say waiting for her to sober up. “Maybe.” She replies now in her stupid annoying grin looking at me. I shake my head folding my arms across my chest waiting for her to stop. “You know taking a little peep won't kill you or ruin your good girl record.” She sits up. “I love my privacy and I have to respect others privacy also.” She boohooed at me. “So you don't want to see him in his Calvin or best, his towel. Maybe luckily for you it may fall off and you get to see a D.I.C.K.” She whisper spells. That's right, Austin the star quarterback and my crush is also my neighbor. Like window to window neighbor. A neighbor who he doesn't even know or will spare a glance at me. “I’m not going to pervert on the poor soul Bailey.” But seriously what if I put on my big girl panties and take a look. “Why not?!” She screams. “Uhm, things are not done that way.” I say pointedly. “Come on, just take a look for me please. Just this one time." Her hand join in prayer sign, I sigh muttering a fine, my eyes going to my window. A light came on in his room, I see him walk in as if exhausted. I can see him clearly but not fully from this view as he sat on his bed, just then a little girl comes in with all smiles making his face lit up. He picks her up tossing her in the air as her squeals fill the room. She kisses him all over his face and he does the same making her giggles louder, their head look to the door, he nods. I’m guessing it's their mom; he looks back at his sister saying something which she hugs him before running out of the room. His smile is still prominent on his face looking pass his door, he talks to the other person behind the door before a hand close the door. Immediately his smile disappeared and all I wish for is to rush over and pull him in a comforting hug or probably call them back so he can smile again. He looks so distraught that you'll never believe few seconds ago he was all smiles with his family. I frown.