Inevitable Flaw

Chapter 22: Anchored

I go around with a smile, even making small conversation with people. There is a girl who I instantly connect with. She introduces herself as Ayah and talks about her life like I am already her best friend. It's nice actually.

"You still hate mayonnaise right?" Adam questions, placing his elbows on the desk in patient.

"Aam?" he questions when I gulp.

The image of him drunk still follows me.

I sign into the slot.

"Thanks," he grins before leaving to sit down with a phone in his face.

"That was interesting," Ayah laughs, wiggling her eyebrows. I turn towards her horrified.

"Oh no, its not like that," I defend but that statement makes it worse.

"Mhm," She says with her eyebrow raised, probably absorbing my blushed face. Then she laughs. It is so contagious, I find myself joining her.

"Here, put your contacts into my phone," she points towards me. We exchange numbers.

'Talk to you soon then Aam," she waves when the activity is over. My cheeks start burning at her reference.

"I will now go around and each person can tell me one thing they learnt about another classmate," Ms. Olsen yells gently over the noisy class.

It begins on the other side of the class so I wait my turn.

"Aamirah is a bookworm," Ayah notifies.

I look through my list and internally rehearse before speaking.

"Ayah is a technological geek," I proclaim. Her eyes start smiling as I say this.

"Naomi is a good cook," Sebastian voices uneasily beside me. He sounds like he has a gun pointed to his head and I take a couple seconds to wonder if it's Adam's glare his way that causes this reaction.

When it's Adam's turn, he turns to right at me, his brown orbs amused. I wander to his empty sheet, my name the only occupant.

"Aamirah hates mayonnaise," he announces.

"Back in the day, she rudely spat a mayonnaise sand wish I was nice enough to share with her."

I look up horrified, impersonating a deer thats blinded by headlights. My cheeks inflame as I sit there sinking in Adam's humoured face.

The snickering eventually subsides with the blood punching against my ears.

And then it's Naomi's turn.

"Among his many talents, Adam is a math prodigy ," she coos, the tone making me cringe

Once everyone is done, Ms. Olsen starts listing her classroom guidelines. She transitions to offering a period for questions.

"Are you single?" regrettably, its Adam.

Maybe he's high, there is no other explanation.

I peek up at Ms. Olsen who's face  reddens discomfort. She quickly composes her self with a smile. I can tell she has already familiarized Adam's personality.

"No," she voices rather awkwardly. The whistles just make me roll my eyes.

"Any more questions?" she pans around, probably hoping no one asks something personal again.

"Do we get a lot of homework in this class?" Naomi whines.

"No, not a lot per say, but you should be prepared for heavy reading."