He's a She

Chapter Five

            “I’m Payne,” he said quietly. 

            “Cha-Charles.” I nodded.  Man my throat was dry which made my man voice less believable than it already was.

            “First day?” He asked as class started.

            “Yeah.”

            “No it’s not.”

            “What?” Really, what?  How would he know?  Mr. Kridd started coming around the class and handed out some previously graded assignments.  He put down Payne’s and he covered it with his arm.  Mr. Kridd leaned into Payne and whispered in a hard voice.

            “I will need to see you after class.” I could feel Payne stiffen beside me, but he nodded and Mr. Kridd left. 

            As hard as it may be to believe.  I managed to survive the class.  I could feel Payne’s eyes drift over me every once in a while, but it wasn’t the normal locked stare that I had to deal with for the last two days.  When the bell rang and class was dismissed I shot out of my seat and started to get my stuff together.  As I pushed my stuff into my backpack, one of my books overshot it and skipped across the floor.  Man, and here I thought I would make it out alive.  I reached down to grab it but someone else had the same idea.  I looked up to see a straight faced Payne holding my book. 

            I stood up and brushed some of the dirt off of my shirt before ripping it from his hands.  I looked up to him and our eyes met, that same look of confusion crossed his face.  What are you thinking about boy?

            “Mr. West!” Mr. Kridd practically yelled.  I winced and Payne didn’t move, but his facial expression did a one-eighty.  He went from squinting and observing to large fear struck eyes.  He tried to wipe the look away but failed miserably.

            “Ya-yes,” he stammered as he turned to face Mr. Kridd.  I took that as my opportunity to flee.  I started towards the door while shoving my book into my bag.  I tripped and ran into a table and Mr. Kridd turned to face me.  He looked rather ticked off.  I waved and went for the door.  When I reached the doorway I could hear Mr. Kridd talking all hushed like and menacing.  I turned to see Payne.  All I could see was his back, but he still looked stiff and rigid.  Mr. Kridd caught my gaze and I quickly exited the door way and went to the hall.  As I started to turn towards my calc class I ran into somebody.  Why me?

            “Sorry,” I apologized as I started to pick up her stuff.  “I am a clutz, here,” I stood up and pushed her books into her hands.  Wait, I knew those hands.  Vanessa.

            “Hey,” she said sweetly as she pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.  “You must be Charles, my brother’s roommate.” I smiled back.  Was she flirting?  No, that’s absurd. 

            “Yeah, that would be me.”       

            “What class do you have next?”

            “Uh,” we started to walk down the hall together.  “I have calculus with,” your amazingly hot older brother, “Ms. Beffert.”

            “My brother has that too.  And so do I.” Yay?

            “Oh, okay.”

            “Want to sit by each other?  I could really use some help.”

            “So could I,” I muttered as I entered the room.  The class was filled with students.  Unlike Mr. Kridd’s room, the walls were bare.  The only thing on them was the windows and a smart board behind the teacher’s desk.  The bell rang just as we entered and Vanessa went to take her seat.  An older looking lady, probably in her early sixties, came up to greet me.