Chapter 3
953 Words
I arrived at school just before the gates closed. I woke up late, so I quickly put on jeans, sneakers and a light grey hoodie. My hair didn’t want to get in order, so I raised it in a ponytail. No time for makeup, I caught my bus just in time to meet Olivia in front of the entrance.
“You’re not early this morning.”
“Hard awakening.”
“Well, see you at eleven o’clock for gym class, okay?”
“Alright, on time!”
I headed for the west wing of the school, my two hours of philosophy class was on the second floor. Miss Conway was my teacher. A gorgeous brunette in her thirties sat behind her desk, gazing at Descartes’ Discourse on Method. Since she had arrived at high school two years earlier, the absenteeism rate for boys in philosophy had dropped by 90%. That is the secret of a diligent school: hire hot teachers!
“Today, we will talk about Descartes or the search for truth, but I’ll take attendance before starting.”
That is the moment Thomas chose to make his entrance. He settled down next to me again. I already felt a lump rise in my throat. He took off his jacket and revealed a close-fitting grey T-shirt that perfectly matched his muscles, slender and powerful at the same time. He looked at me with ocean blue eyes, but I held his gaze.
“Hello, Eve,” he said, an amused smile on his lips, “I love your big eyes, but I think the teacher is calling you.”
“Oh! uh…”
I raised my hand, indicating my presence. The teacher did not remark but stopped to stare at the newcomer.
“You’re new... Thomas Panchak, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Miss Conway.”
“And what high school are you from exactly?”
I was also curious to know. Where could this ephebe come from, and what was he doing here? And, what’s more, next to me?
“Almost everywhere,” he answered, “my family moves around a lot.”
“Ah,” Conway said. “Well, let’s start the lesson. Descartes had developed a method for his search for truth. Who can tell me about it?”
Sophia Chang volunteered immediately, as usual! For my part, rather than thinking about the foundations of rationality, I still wondered what points I had in common with my handsome brunette. I had moved around a lot, too. I wanted to know more about him. Then I had an irresistible urge to question him. I took a deep breath.
“Why did you come here?”
I had a feeling he expected me to ask him that question. He smiled, and I sat speechless, gazing at him like a moron.
“You mean in this town or this class?”
“Oh...uh... well, both?”
“Good thing the answer is the same.”
“Oh, good?”
He lowered his head, paused, and then raised it slowly, his gaze piercing me.
“For you.”
Eh?! Looking at him, he seemed sincere, but his answer was nonsense. When was he going to stop making fun of me? I was pissed.
“Don’t worry about me!”
I scowled in my chair, sulky. I no longer wanted to talk. I was now in intense reflection mode on Cartesian metaphysics when Thomas came dangerously close:
“We’ll speak again.”
“Sure…”
Then there was a long silence until the end of the lesson.
I was about to leave the room after having finished putting away my bag when Miss Conway called out to me, her voice drowning in the noise of chairs students were putting away without the slightest delicacy.
“Miss Burberry, would you stay a minute, please?”
I approached her desk, curious to know what she wanted from me. Apart from the beginning of the lesson, I had been paying attention, hadn’t I? She waited a moment before starting the conversation, wanting to talk to me alone. Once the last student left, she finally spoke to me.
“How are you, Everliegh?”
“Good, miss.”
“I’m delighted about that. I know that last year things were not easy for you.”
“You know as well.”
“Sophia Chang is a good student, but discretion is not her forte.”
You surprise me!
Conway smiles. For a moment, her attention made me uncomfortable. Her insistent dark eyes had something strange about them. Weird, that woman, but coming from a philosophy teacher, that wasn’t unusual.
“I ask you this question because I thought I noticed a certain disturbance at the beginning of the class,” she continued, “is it this new one that distracts you?”
“Not at all. I apologise if I may have seemed distracted, but it had nothing to do with him.”
“Of course, but if that becomes the case, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll make the necessary arrangements to separate you.”
“That’s very kind of you, miss.”
“Well, good day, Miss Burberry.”
“Thank you, miss.”
I left the room thinking it was the first time a teacher at this school was interested in my little person. I was glad for the sudden interest, but even though Thomas was indeed the distraction she was talking about, and even though he openly mocked me, I had no desire to see him settle down at another desk than mine. As long as he wanted to, he would be welcome there. After all, Olivia wasn’t here, so it would be a long year.
- Writer
