Victoria's P.O.V:
"Get up, Victoria" Sally sings, pulling my blanket off me and struggling to keep myself inside it I wriggle like a worm, wrestling against her.
"Let me sleep!" I whine.
"Well" she gives up and heading to the window, undoes the blinds. The sunlight hurts my eyes and I roll over in bed. "Meredith always told me you're an early riser." she sounds kind of amused and I can feel my sleep escaping my eyes.
"I used to be," I groan, squeezing my eyes shut.
"I'm on call so you're gonna have to walk to school," she tells me and that has my complete attention. I look at my alarm clock. It's five in the morning.
"So early?" I squint at her. She's dressed in a really neat manner, a white coat with a name tag on it with a black, professional looking dress and flats. I've never seen her in her doctor's clothes so I'm a little surprised.
"Not now silly," she smiles as I get up. She looks around the room and I don't blame her for looking shocked. I like my room clean, sometimes a little too much.
"I meant that both Luke and I are heading for work so you'll have to lock up. I made you some peanut butter sandwiches and everything." she shyly mumbles towards the end.
"Got it", I nod at her and she leaves my room awkwardly. She's twenty seven, just got married and has absolutely no experience of looking after somebody younger than her. She is the one who always got taken care of...I feel a tug at my heart because I realise how she must be feeling right now. She lost her elder sister.
Having done all the work I was supposed to do, I head to school, feeling a little less nervous, knowing that Misty and Catherine are going to be there today. I won't be the freak everybody stares at, walking alone throughout the school like a lost puppy. As I head out the front door though, I peek a look at the house next to mine, only to freeze yet again. I find Olivier looking square in my eyes as he stands outside, waiting for someone.
Smiling awkwardly, I wave a little at him and he nods, smiling slightly, heading in my direction. Holy Shit! Do not be a bitch to him, Victoria Edwards.
"Hey" I decide to let go of the breath I'd been holding unintentionally when he narrows his eyes at me, stopping almost a foot away from me, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. His eyes are violet. The lightest shade of violet, with a hesitation in them and for some odd reason, I can feel the hair at the back of my stand.
"Hi." he looks puzzled and I feel awkward and annoyed. How can somebody annoy me like this without even speaking? This is so impractical and stupid!
"You're heading to school alone?" he asks me and I nod, gesturing behind me with my thumb, not wanting to say anything I may regret later.
"You're with me in Chemistry."
"Am I?" both of us smile and I ignore the annoyance like a housefly around my ears.
"Uh..." I look behind him to see Catherine and Mrs. Lawson heading out. That's my cue to leave and as soon as I realise this, I heave a sigh of relief.
"I should go," I smile and turning around, put in all my effort into walking straight and not looking behind me because I could feel his eyes on my back.
Once I'm at school, Misty leads me to our classes and the day passes by smoothly until I'm in Chemistry, reaching early on purpose. The classroom is empty when I settle into the seat Olivier sat in the other day. I have no clue why I'm sitting in his place. All I know is that I came early so that I can see him even though he annoys the hell out of me for some odd reason. He shouldn't sit in front of me. It was unnerving yesterday to stare at his neck and ears and the way his brown hair grazed the nape of his neck slightly. The class begins filling up soon enough and when the wiry blond man, Mr. Ashford comes into class, Olivier walks inside behind him. His eyes zero in on me and I look at Mr. Ashford, pretending that I'm engrossed in the blackboard with 'Organic Chemistry' written on it in neat letters.
I look at Olivier once he settles down in the seat next to me, clearly amused. Why is he so amused all the time? When he turns to look at me, I'm like a deer caught in a headlight because I cannot look away from his eyes. It's like I'm compelled to not look away unless he does but somewhere not too far away from the surface, I can feel my need to punch him in the face. I am definitely not a violent person at all but something about him just seems to bring that non-existent violent flare to light inside me.
"Mr. Lawson", Mr. Ashford clears his throat and I feel colour rise up my cheeks when Olivier looks away.
"I'd like you to explain to me what I just told the class."
"The properties of Nitrogen. We have to do an experiment in the next class for the term," he mumbles, almost bored. Mr. Ashford then faces me and I look at him confidently.
"I hope you know the experiment we're talking about, Victoria" he asks me and I know he isn't mad at me yet because he doesn't take my second name.
"Actually, I do" I sheepishly smile at him.
"I kind of did Nitrogen at my last school." I tell him and he nods slowly.
"I hope you pay more attention in class in spite of that.", he sulks, turning back to the board to explain some stuff I'd already read about at my last school. When I look at Olivier, I realise that he has his eyes on me too but I forcefully look away, unwilling to be singled out by Mr. Ashford again and unwilling to let my unreasonable anger get the better of me.
* * *
"Hey! Wait up!" Catherine calls after me when I head for my English class in a hurry.
"Hi!", I smile and we both head inside and I all but freeze in my place yet again.
"It's getting annoying, Victoria. You both should talk," she grabs my arm and makes me sit next to Olivier, looking smug. I squirm uncomfortably and she gives me a don't-you-dare look. Resigning, I settle down, looking everywhere but at Olivier, who seems stiff as a wooden block. Does he feel as strangely repulsive towards me as I do?
"Your sister likes to be the boss," I tell him and he nods in her direction.
"She's a devil."
"So she is," I agree fully. "I still have your coat."
"I know."
"So....English is free?"
"It seems so," he throws an accusatory look at his sister, who is busy talking the head off a bespectacled guy. The annoyance takes a backseat as I can feel my curiosity kick in. Olivier is different. I just sense it somehow.
"How do you like the town?" he asks me and I consider that.
"It's nice, welcoming....cold."
"You're from..?" his accent gets the better of his silky voice, making it sound slightly seductive and I feel an uninvited smile quirk my lips up in response.
"Cali," I make a face through the smile.
"Ah, sunny," he muses nostalgically, a faraway look in his eyes.
"You've got an accent." I know it's British but I just need confirmation, plus I need to know how he's different.
"UK..." he sounds a little tired, as if he explains it too often.
"You don't need to explain. I'm horrible at small talk."
"So am I," he smiles warmly, all stiffness gone and for some reason, it sounded more like a secret he just let me in on and its should've been awkward if I hadn't been preoccupied by my crazy thoughts.
Talking to him was easy after that and I didn't realise the bell rang until the classroom emptied and we were the only ones left inside. It was time to go home and since nobody was going to be there, I didn't mind it. He was telling me about where he lived in UK and about random things like this one time Catherine brought a cat home and she scratched his face and ran away but suddenly, his stiffness was back, his arms stiff and the sparkle in his eyes replaced by the perpetual hesitance he carries himself with.
"We should-" he gets up, looking at the door and I smile ruefully, getting up as well.
"Yes."
"It was great talking to you Victoria," he turns to me once we're out in the empty corridor but all I can feel is a sudden numbness down my back, as if somebody just poured ice water down my back.
"Uh-You too" I scowl at my feet. Maybe I'm going mad- first the voices and now all of this? He walks alongside me in a comfortable silence as I feel the numbness subside slightly but now I'm officially freaking out about my sanity.
"I hope to see you around Olivier" I smile, deciding to head back home alone to think about what's been happening with me. Besides, he comes in his car and after what just happened, I'd hate to get into a car with him. I'd hate to be alone with him at all right now because I am freaking out.
"Y-Yeah, sure" he frowns at me, his eyes hesitant yet distracted. Does he feel what I felt back when he said my name? I doubt it. I'm the crazy one. He may be different but he's not crazy like me.