I'm heading to history, one of my favourite lessons and I'm alone in this class. Jordan, Alec and Jas are all in photography. Lucky but I love history.
I walk up to Miss Houlin and she gives me a broad smile. "Hey sweetie! How are you?" She asks smiling. "I'm good, how are you?" I smile.
"I'm good sweetie, take a seat" she ushers me into the classroom and I take my seat next to the window and nobody sits beside me so it's fine.
As Miss Houlin is about to start teaching, Link suddenly enters the classroom, his dark toned skin makes his eyes light up. There such a fluorescent lime colour, it's fascinating.
"Mr Louis, welcome back" she states. He smiles and nods. He seems so nice. He was always nice, but something just makes him seem so sweet. "Take a seat next to Nicole, over by the window" she gestures. I freeze up for a second. He scans the window side of the room and spots me, a small smile lingers on his face and he makes his way over to me.
I move my things from his side of the desk as he placed down his backpack and pulls out the chair to sit. "Hey" he whispers. "Hi" I blush.
He doesn't remember me, it's kinda upsetting. He takes a pen out of his bag and takes out his book. "Did you run into any other people in the few hours you haven't seen me?" He teases.
I roll my eyes and put my head on the desk embarrassed. "I'm messing" he chuckles.
"Okay!" Sarah announces getting the classrooms attention. "Role call!" She states.
She goes through the call, "Nicole" she announces.
"Present" I put my hand up, Link looks at me.
"Nicole-Trinity Desirn" He smiles. I'm actually shocked he remembered. "Link Louis" I state.
"Link!" Sarah's announces. "Present" he puts his hand up to make her know he's here.
"You like history?" He asks. I turn and look at him, "Yeah, I do. I'm guessing you do" I chuckle.
"Yeah. It's fascinating" his smile is amazing. I could get lost in those eyes as well.
"Okay. So welcome back you are now Seniors. But we are going to be participating in a project that you are going to do for the next semester of your academic year. This means that we will be doing something completely different for your semester afterwards. So your project is to research different things in history and you have to make a huge project about it. It has to be too standard because this will take most of your grade 11. You can make posters, you can make an event you can make food from that period what ever you do? It's totally up to you. But you have to do at least 2 different projects to complete this. You will be working in partners" Miss Houlin explains.
"Okay, so-" she starts naming partners, I don't really know anyone in here so this isn't going to be good. "Nicole and...Link" she calmly states.
We both tense. But I clear my throat to not make it awkward. Link? Why?
"Any questions?" She asks. Nobody answers so she nods. "Okay, you make go to your partner and proceed with research." She says.
Link and I turn to each other and we give an awkward smile. But he just laughs and looks at me with a smile. "Okay let's do this" He gets out his laptop from his bag for research and I start taking notes on what he researches.
"You got that?" He states. "Nicole?"
I'm zoned out. All I can think about is my parents. I feel a tear slip my eye.
"Nicole" Link shakes me pulling me away. I look at him. "You okay?" He whispers, his eyes look full of genuine concern.
"Yeah it just..." I gulp. "It's just what people say, and stuff.." I pick at my cuticles.
"Well...I always have a wish in a bit of hope. Wish for it to go away. It may not happen but you can hope it will...Come with me at break. Hang with me. You can bring your friends. Nobody ever comes to bother us so it'll be good" he moves his head to find any sort of answer from me. However I just smile.
"Yeah. Sure" A small smile tugs at my lips and Link smiles at that before turning back to his research.
We researched until class ended and as I'm about to leave, someone tugs me arm. "What the hell?" I grunt as I'm pulled into a wall. Nope, it's just Link.
"Sorry...you don't weigh much. But I was just wondering if you'd wanna study after school? Perhaps at the park? Or at yours?" He asks cautiously, Link and I are the only ones in the classroom left apart from Miss Houlin.
"Yeah. Mine sounds good. What time?" I ask. He looks at his watch; as if, it's not even break time.
"What about as soon as school ends?" His lip tugs as he asks, but he doesn't remember me. He's just a sweet guy.
"Yeah, I'll tell my brother that I don't need him to drive me home." As I take out my phone, I sense Link smirk even though I can't see him.
"What are you smirking about?" I chuckle still looking at my phone. "Nothing" his voice just sounds happy, and I don't know why?
Looking back up at Link quickly, it's look like I scared his slightly. I put my phone in my pocket, "Alright he said it's fine"
"Okay" He states nodding.
"You guys are wasting away your break" Sarah announces, she's sat with her feet up on the desk and she's eating a sandwich.
"Come on" Link grabs my arm and pulls me out of the class.
"There you are!" Alec states; not acknowledging that Link is beside me. "Come on follow Link" I tug my head gesturing to somewhere where we're off to. They both get confused but Link continues to manoeuvre around the school to his 'gangs' spot.
"AYE LINK!" Someone yells.
"Alright calm down we have new people, go easy on them" He explains, he's now serious, no happiness on his face but in his eyes. He walks into the area and he smiles at me to follow him. I do.
"Aren't you the girl that that twat Jared and his fucktard mates bully" I look down embarrassed. Link makes me sit next to them, Jas and Alec sit together next to the guy that asked.
But the guy noticed my uneasiness. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out as that" he apologised.
"Alright" Link announces. I think he's the leader.
"So this is Nicole, that's...who's that?" His whispers to me. "That's Jasmine and that's Alec" I point.
They nod. "You know I'm Link. That twat over there is Adam, he's Fin or whatever, he's Jamie and he is Micheal." He finishes.
I smile at him. "Yet he's the only black person here" Micheal states taking a bite of his sandwich.
"Didn't notice that, thanks for the notice Micheal" I sarcastically state. They laugh.
"Get told!" Fin laughs. I look up at Link who's smiling at me.
I look at my friends and notice that they're having a conversation with Adam and Jamie. This was the right choice and I'm glad I made it.
An arm is linked to my shoulder and I look to see Link staring at me confused. "You okay? You seem down?"
"Yeah, I'm just...tired that's all" I rub my eye and yawn.
"Link? You have any more coke?" Fin asks.
"Fin! I don't sell anymore. I don't even take anything anymore. I'm clean" He rolls his eyes but in some way he seemed furious.
Finley backs down as Micheal throws him a bag of white powder.
"Fucking nutsack" He scoffs.
But as his attention is back on me he smiles. "What's up princess?" He states. I look at him confused, "Ah don't worry. From now on your my princess. Nobody can touch you if your with us." He states.
Being Links princess. That doesn't mean we're dating right?
"But your not my girlfriend" he clears up as he sees panic on my face. I let out a breathe.
He looks a tad bit sad now, but I shake it off. "Link the bell will go in a second" Jamie states looking away from his watch. He nods and everyone gets up.
I go to get up but Link grabs my arm. I look at him confused and he asks everyone to leave. So they do. Until it's just me and him left. "If I don't see you in any of my lessons, get your food and come right here at lunch. Then if I don't see you after lunch, my car is black, you'll see me stood by it, okay?" He explains. I nod gently.
"You don't have to be scared. We're not bad people. We just go to parties, most of us take drugs, I don't anymore, we get wasted and sex" he shakes his head as he explains, but I look down as he mentions sex.
"You've never done it have you?" He asks slowly. I just shake my head. "That doesn't matter. You're responsible, you haven't given yourself away" he states. The bell suddenly goes and he smiles. "What do you have?" He asks.
"Art" I sigh. "Same, I'll walk you" he smiles. He pulls me slightly and kisses my head "Let's go princess."
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It's not the best, but this is what we're working with 😊