Learn to Live, Learn to Love

Chapter 1

She was happy. Ish. Her days were filled fending off aggressive jabs at her self esteem and she was slowly losing faith in a God she'd believed in her whole life, but it wasn't as though she hadn't become accustomed to it. Being responsible wasn't exactly a popular outlook on life in the mind of sixteen year olds, and everyone went through a crisis of faith now and then.

Besides, A lady of God does not need the temptation of drugs, alcohol and sex. A lady of God is a lady. Or, she is until Aphrodite herself reaches down to turn her head.

She hadn't meant to stare down the corridor, at where the deity she'd caught a glimpse of had disappeared around a corner, but the bell rang and she blushed as her mind ran over the features she'd seen of this God while she packed up and headed to class. The permanent smirk plastered on their face, the sharp jawline, the wide hips and broad shoulders, and the short auburn hair whipping out as she pivoted down the adjacent hallway had captivated Eve. The sight plagued her throughout the slow moving day.

"Good afternoon everyone!" the teacher greeted.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Liveling" the class groaned back sporadically, waiting to stop being treated as kindergarteners.

Mrs. Liveling's afternoon spiel was interrupted by a man walking into the classroom. Mr. Grayson did not particularly like children, but as everyone who knew the man could tell you, those who can't do, teach honours physics.

"Of course Mr. Grayson!" Mrs. Liveling exclaimed, seemingly excited. Her shrill voice continued to rise in pitch as she continued, "We'd love to have them!"

Mr. Grayson extricated himself from the room with the shrieking woman, and in walked the new student at Ashwood Secondary School. Mrs. Liveling lowered her voice as if to keep from scaring the student, as she asked, "What's your name love?"

Though Mrs. Liveling had a tendency to irritate her students with her guess of what a 16 year olds maturity level equated to, this one simply answered, "Saphira ma'am, Saphira Moregrove."

Eve, staring at a fascinating family of birds while the student went through the process of introducing herself to the class, did not look up until from the sight until she heard her own name.

"You can go sit next to Eve, Saphira. I'm sure she'll make room." The teacher hinted brazenly. Eve finally tore her eyes from the baby birds to pull her binder off the desk next to her and down to the floor beneath her own. She could smell the trouble coming when she looked over to her new deskmate to find the same smirk she had been reimagining all day.

"Hey, I'm Saphira, and you are stunning." She said.

"He-hello." Eve stuttered, taking in the rest of this adonis' features. There, with the brunet sitting next to her, she noticed how angular her face was, her stunning chocolate brown eyes, staring far to intently at the shorter of the two, and the way the sun must have permanently tanned the smooth darkened skin. However, Eve still sensed anxiety brewing and let herself fall into her self-defense mechanism. Feigned ignorance.

She cleared her throat. "Thank you for the compliment. Is it customary to end and introduction with these pleasantries where you're from? If so, I'd like to admit that you are also beautiful. My name is Eve, I've been desperately attempting to learn new cultural norms and customs, where did you say you were from? I'd love to learn all about it..." At this point, she began mumbling to herself, hoping the tirade might keep Saphira from even wanting to start a conversation, let alone let it turn into something worse.

"I'm from Texas," Saphira interjected "And if you want to learn about cultures that refuse to grow and change be my guest, but otherwise I wouldn't put much stock in them being the answer to whatever you need to know."