Chapter Nine
•Gabriel•
Her hair. Chameleon. It's the only way to describe it. It's different colors all round; the shitty lights in this room actually doing a good job and making something look beautiful. I want to see her hair in the sunlight; I want to see it shine and all those colors as the sun reflects on it.
Those glasses though; fucking hideous. But she makes them looks amazing. I want to see them gone though; I want to see her eyes.
I want to see her.
Her note, it burns a hole in my pocket and all I want to do it take it out and look at it again. She drew a heart after the first initial on her name; that means something to me. It means more then it should.
I look at her again; I can't stop doing it. It's like she's become the light in my fucking darkness; I'm drawn to her like a moth to a fucking flame. I'm also pissed that Luke touched her hair; I claimed that hair the moment I fucking saw it on registration day and I don't want any fucker touching it.
Those clothes, they're fucking hideous. Baggy and horrible, doing nothing to the figure I just know is beneath them. I'm going to have to take her shopping. I just have to.
She raises her eyes from her notebook and meet mine. They're green, a beautiful brilliant green, grass green. The kind of grass you see in a meadow on a summer day while the sun shines on it.
She gives me a tight lipped it smile; it's forced, faked, barely showing any emotion. I know though; she's being noticed and she doesn't like it. She hides, that's why she has the glasses and wears the baggy clothes; why her hair was falling around her face. She was hiding.
I don't want her to hide.
I want her to stand out like the sun; I want her to show her best smile, a smile that means something. I want her to take those stupid fucking glasses off and stamp on the fuckers. Who the hell invented fake fucking glasses? Ever find him, let me know. I'm going to shoot his dumb ass.
"Do you like shopping?" I blurt out in a whisper, not wanting to disturb those who are actually working. Actually, I don't want to disturb Kota because I know he's listening, paying attention. He has to because when we get homework, one of us needs to know the details of the assignment. He listens, he pays attention.
I do too, normally. But when you have a beautiful girl sitting beside you, who would you rather fucking pay attention to?
Sang frowns and shakes her head at the same time she shrugs her shoulders. Is that a yes or no? I wish that I had made the effort to learn sign language while Kota was teaching Luke that time years back; it would be really helpful right now.
"Hmm." I muse but say nothing. She drops her eyes from my face back to her notepad; she's drawing, but I can't see what. I want to see though so I lean in a little closer and look; a forest of roses cover the page and I picture the colors in my head; red, and pink. The green leaves and vines the same color of her eyes.
The bell rings and I actually jump in my seat. "Motherfucker." I mutter. Sang goes to snap her notepad shut, but I put my palm on the page she was drawing on. My eyes meet hers and I blindly rip the page from her book, folding it up and slipping it into the pocket of my jeans. I grin at the shocked wide eyed look on her face. "Thanks Trouble."
She blushes and ducks her head down as she finally puts her notebook away. Together, Sang, Kota, Luke and myself walk out of the classroom. "What class do you have next, Sang?" Kota asks.
Sang removes a piece of paper out of her bag and gives it to Kota. He smiles. "You have AP Geometry with North and Nathan." He looks to Luke. "Your walking that way so why don't you walk with her."
Sang's eyes widen and she shakes her head, her fingers moving at a fast rate in Kota's face. I grin as I look at his wide eyes, taking in everything she says with her fingers. "What'd she say?" I ask.
Kota smiles when Sang's fingers suddenly come to a stop. "It's fine, honestly Sang." He looks to Luke. "We'll see you at Lunch. Let's go." He says that last part to me.
I look towards Sang. "Sit with us at lunch. I won't take a fucking no as an answer." She's hesitates but nods her head. Kota waves his goodbye and then we're off. I look to Kota as we move through the crowd of people, bashing shoulders with each other. "Do you like her?" I ask.
He looks at me, pushing his glasses up his nose. He presses his lips together and nods his head, understanding my silent double meaning to my question. He likes her as a person and more then a friend, even though he's barely spoke two words to the poor girl.
I turn and look straight ahead as we walk to class, the whole time my thoughts are consumed with a fucking gorgeous green eyed, chameleon haired beauty.
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•Sang•
I let Luke lead me to my next class. He used his phone a couple of times but I didn't pay attention, to busy watching the people around me even though I wished to watch him. I didn't want to seem like a stalker, the stalker I was, so I forced myself to watch those around me.
Students were rushing to get to class, some were not and were hanging in the halls in small groups or by themselves, mingling with friends. Some were holding text books, reading as they walked. Others were on their phones. I wished to get my camera out so I could capture the rush of students around me but I didn't want questions from Luke.
We come to a stop and I find North leaning against the door frame. He's on his phone but the boy beside him, the one with the copper hair and serious blue eyes was not. Like me, he is watching what goes on around him but the moment myself and Luke break through the crowd, his serious blue eyes land on me. That must be Nathan.
"Sang, this is Nathan." Luke says with a grin. North pockets his phone and looks at me.
My eyes meet Nathan's blue ones and I send him a small smile that silently says hello. "Hey Peanut, how's the first day going?"
I tilt my head to the side of the nickname, remembering Gabriel call me 'Trouble', why I do not know. My hand comes up and plays with the tips of the braid. I itch to take it out but I don't want to offend Luke. I feel like people can see right through me and I don't like it. I'm being noticed. I hate being noticed.
I nod my head at Nathan's questions and he grins, showing me his pearly white teeth. "Great." He turns to Luke, his face becoming just as serious as his eyes. "Everything going okay?"
North glares at Nathan's head, and Luke sends me a worried glance. My whole body tenses up and I wonder if I'm missing something. I mean, I probably am. These boys are friends with teachers that work at this school for goodness sake.
I move my head and look back at the thinning crowd, trying to not pay attention. It's nothing to do with me and it's not like I'm going to blab. Nothing is said so I look back at them to see that they're all looking at each other, silently communicating but not saying any words.
Not understanding, I turn and go into the classroom, going to the back of the class. Footsteps are right behind me and I look over my shoulder to see North following. I sit down in a seat and look over towards the door. Nathan pats Luke on the shoulder and then Luke is gone and Nathan is coming in. He sees North about to take the seat behind me. As North pulls out the seat to sit down, Nathan flies into it. "Mine."
North grunts and shakes his head. "No fucking chance. Move it."
"No, my seat." Nathan grins. "You're up front." North glares at Nathan for a long minute before grunting and moving to the seat in front of me and sitting down. I remove my notebook and a pen before reaching for the hair tie in my hair and pulling it out. I brush my fingers through my hair until the braid is free and my hair is hanging loosely around my shoulders and down my back. "Why'd you take it out?" A deep voice whispers in my ear and I turn, looking at Nathan who has his face way too close to mine as he leans over his desk.
I shake my head but turn around and focus on the class. When I no longer feel Nathan's breath on the back of my neck, causing my hair to slightly whisper and fly with each breath he releases I finally relax.
North lays his head back on his desk, slouched down in his chair to do so. His eyes are closed and I Itch to run my finger up his nose and between his eyebrows. I pick up my pen instead and ignore his gaze when he opens his eyes and looks at me. "I liked your hair out of your face." He whispers and my eyes drop down and meet his. A blush creeps up my cheeks, but of course, I say nothing.
It's then I decide I need to distance myself from these boys and fast. They're paying too much attention to me and I don't want to hurt their feelings. I don't want to hurt my own because even I can feel myself getting attached. Friends. I haven't had friends since before Mom died.
I break eye contact and silently let out a breath when North sits up.
With my decision made, I pay attention to the teacher and hope I can get out of here as soon as the bell rings and without Nathan and North on my heels.
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•Nathan•
I've never seen someone so beautiful in my entire life. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her up close. Then her eyes met mine and the air escaped my lungs and my heart couldn't beat fast enough. I've never had this reaction to a girl before, ever.
I sigh and rest my head in my arms. I don't know what North did or said but I felt it, the moment she decided to push us away. I don't know how I did; probably because her body language changed and she hasn't stopped shifting in her seat since North sat up. Or it could be because I feel her sadness coming of her in waves, making my damn heart hurt in my chest.
She keeps looking at the clock and I know she's going to bolt the moment the bell rings. We're being too forward and I feel we need to back off some but I don't want to upset the others by suggesting it. Sang is fragile, she's hurting and I think she has been for a long time. I just wish I knew what had hurt her.
I sit up and remove my phone from my pocket. I open up the group text message and tap the screen of my phone as I write a new one.
Nathan: North, she's going to bolt and you have to let her go.
Immediately my phone is going crazy with replies. I look at North and see him sending a glare at me over his shoulder.
Gabriel: What have you assholes done to fucking upset her?
Kota: Is she okay?
Luke: Don't let her run, North!
North: I'm not going to Luke! Shut the fuck up, Nate. She isn't going to run!
Silas: I'm confused, has something upset Aggele?
Victor never replied but I know he's itching to meet Sang, officially. I tap out another reply.
Nathan: We haven't done anything, Gabe so stop fucking accusing we have! She seems okay, Kota, I just think we're all too much for her in a matter of hours, that is all and that's why I said to let her run North, she needs sometime to herself!
My phone buzzes in my hand and my eyes widen when I see that it's Mr B!
Mr Blackbourne: Nathan is right, Gentleman. I thought I told you to keep your distance and I have a feeling that you may not have done so. Let Miss Sorenson go, she has Violin class with me next period. We'll be discussing this later.
Gabriel: Well done, Nate! Wrong fucking group chat!
I wince and pocket my phone. It vibrates a couple of more times in my pocket but I don't wish to get it out. I look down at Sang's bag on the floor and notice that there is no violin case anywhere. I'm sure Mr B said that she had to bring her own. She doesn't have a locker as they're limited and only the seniors are using them.
I pull my phone from my pocket and ignore the other messages and bring up Mr B's name.
Nathan: Did you say that Sang had to bring her own Violin?
His reply is immediate.
Mr Blackbourne: I did, Mr Griffin.
Nathan: Well, she doesn't have one with her.
Mr Blackbourne: I know.
Well how the hell does he know? I stuff my phone back into my pocket just as the bell rings and as predicted, Sang is flying out of her chair with her bag and notebook. Myself and North haven't even left our seats by the time she's out of the classroom.
North looks to me. "How the fuck did you know she was going to do that?"
I shrug my shoulder, standing from my seat and putting my bag on my shoulders. "Her mood changed, her body language. The obvious signs really." I pause at the door. "What did you say to her?"
He frowns as we make it back into the hall. "I told her that I liked her hair out of her face." My frown mirrors his and I wonder how that comment could really upset her, normally girls take it as a compliment. But then Sang isn't any other girl.