The Way It Happened

The Way It Started

Laura was there in Computers and Chemistry but Physics was the problem. She had a few friends that she said hello to once or twice but she was early and would be seated first. And then when those friends do come, what if they just ignore her and go to their own seats. She can't go talk to them if they don't even smile at her.

With this internal debate going on, she became oblivious to someone sneaking up behind her.

"Boo.", someone whispered beside her ear and she gave an involuntary shreik as she turned.

The boy from Geometry chuckled and apologized. From up close, Anna could see what made other girls swarm around him before. He had greenish-blue eyes and black hair cropped short. He had well structured face and a mature look.

Anna was just like any other teenage girl. If some good-looking boy talked to her, she can't help but imagine a picture about how they'd look together. She did just that but didn't like the final picture so much.

She wanted to say it was rude to sneak up on someone, especially when it was a stranger. She wanted to tell him to back off and wanted to appear hard-to-get just like how Emily easily did. But all she squeaked was "Sorry".

Anyone could tell she just had little experience with boys. And even that 'little experience' involved her male family members only.

The Geometry boy glanced inside the classroom of which she had just been standing at the door. She must have looked like an idiot. Her first impressions never went any better. Nothing new this time.

"No friends here?", he asked with a grin and without waiting for an answer, he pulled her inside.

He brought her to a desk in the front row and said, "This is my desk.", then pointed to the one between it and the window. "This one's empty so you can sit here."

She didn't answer. All she could hear was the irregular rhythm of her nervous heartbeat. A boy was touching her hand- no, holding it. Was it normal for a stranger to hold another stranger's hand? But he isn't really a stranger. But they only met today and she doesn't even know his name. But maybe people did it all the time. But didn't only couples do that? But. But. But.

He kept staring at her face and when she sighed, it piqued his curiosity. He had never met a girl like her and it was not in a cheesy way at all. This girl seemed to converse with herself more than with other people.

He tugged her hand and seemed to tug herself out of her internal conversation. She widened her eyes and apologized. She looked into his eyes for a second before looking down again. She sat down, cursing herself. She had some serious social problems if she couldn't even hold eye contact with a boy for more than one second.

Physics easily passed, too. She had sighed in relief when Olivia and Leah, her two only not-so-close friends in the class, smiled and waved at her. She didn't want to acknowledge their winks that came when they saw who was actually sitting beside Anna.

She had learnt that the good-looking boy who had been beside her was Elliott Reeds. She gained this information, not by him, but her over-gossiping friends.

Lunch soon came and she made a beeline for the lunch line. Emily was already seated with two of her table friends. She called Emma, Ashley and Lizzie her table friends because even though they shared the same table, they didn't speak with each other much.

When she reached the end of the line and finished stacking food on her tray, something least expected happened. Olivia and Leah waved their hands from one of the center tables and called her to sit with them. To say she was surprised was an understatement.

She was happy to see that they welcomed her so soon but when she looked over at Emily, she didn't like her reaction. Emily sent a weak smile at Anna.

Anna didn't like this new development. So, she waved back to Olivia and Leah and mouthed 'later'. She couldn't just reject their call. Saying 'no' wasn't in her blood at all.

Anna went to sit in her usual place and greeted her table friends. It was after she'd finished an apple that Emily spoke.

"Seems like you became popular", she teased half-heartedly.

Anna could easily see through her friend's facade. She chuckled and said, " They only want to gossip about what happened today I'm sure. They would forget about me tomorrow-"

Sometimes she hated her big mouth. If anybody knew how to tease someone endlessly it was Emily.

"What did happen today?", she immediately asked and Anna sighed.

"In Physics", I started, ready to explain about who and how Elliot Reeds was. "I sat next to a guy called Elliott-"

"Reeds?", Emily asked in a high pitched voice with wide eyes.

The first thought that occurred to Anna was 'She knows him!?'. Emily knew a person who studied on the other side of the high school. Clearly she was the only one who didn't even know whether her dog pooped in her room or outside.

She nodded to Emily's answer and realized that even her table friends were leaning their heads closer.

"We'll talk later. Reserve my seat in arts", Anna informed Emily before slipping out of the table.

She felt someone's gaze upon herself and she looked up. Her eyes met the blue-est pair of eyes she had ever seen. A very perfectly shaped face and blonde tousled hair accompanied the eyes.

As soon as their eyes met, Anna looked down, blushing. When she had the courage to lift her eyes again, she saw him eating normally. Well, it would have been normal if she had mistaken his slightly reddened cheeks. Involuntarily, a shy smile rose on her face and she quickly fled.

***

He looked at her. How had he not notice her before? She had the perfect angelic look. Those wide innocent dark eyes, the cute pair of lips, her heart-shaped face and her hair...

He sighed, mentally shaking his head. Now what, he had a thing for cute girls, too?

He let out a groan and his friends immediately noticed it.

"What's the matter, dude?", Adrian asked.

Adrian just got a shake of his head for a reply as he looked at the main door again. She was long gone.