I faced the strapping young teacher in front of me. He had a piece of white chalk tucked behind his ear, which was greying strands of his thick curly hair. I swallowed hard as his big brown eyes fixated on me. Did I have something on my face or was he trying to read me? My encounter with the human lie detector had left a bitter taste in my mouth. I didn't need another person anticipating my words and actions.
I stared back at my teacher, hoping to hold my ground. It took the man a couple of seconds to budge, but he finally spoke.
"Nice of you to join us," he said.
I carefully closed the door behind me. It sounded like he was expecting me to be late. "I'm sorry, Mr—" Shoot. I couldn't remember his name.
"Hermans."
"Mr. Hermans," I smiled. "I'm sorry for being tardy. I was held up."
"By Loyal, I hear."
How in the wide, wide world did he know I was with the human lie detector? Was I missing something? Mr. Hermans addressed the class next. "Is everyone already familiar with the new transfer student or do we need an introduction?"
"An introduction would be nice." I recognized the speaker immediately. My eyes flashed to find Khaleel Abdul grinning maniacally at the back of the class. Great. Just great. If being in the same class as him wasn't the cherry on my shit day then I didn't know what was?
"We already met," I said. I tried to avert my gaze but it landed on Loyal instead. I clenched my fists and tried not to scream in frustration.
"Where would you like to sit?" Mr. Hermans asked me. "We have a few options here."
"Anywhere is fine," I told him. The next part slipped out but I didn't bother to correct myself. "As long as it's away from the rooftop losers."
I got a good laugh from the class. It seemed like everyone but Mr. Hermans knew who I was talking about. I had to wave the man off when he waited for me to explain myself. Evidently, the teachers had no idea what kind of business Loyal and his band of losers operated under the table. He wouldn't be revered by the entire student body if they did. Pretty sure it would be a cause for expulsion. Why would a rich brainiac like him would risk that was beyond me?
"Go ahead and grab a textbook from the back cupboard," Mr. Hermans instructed. "It's the blue copy with soldiers on the cover."
I marched to the empty seat by the left-hand side of the room and made sure I was nowhere near the troublemakers. It was sad but I knew I had to work extra hard to keep my distance from them. Especially after Loyal said he was interested in me. It sounded like a confession but I saw it as something messed up. How could he like someone he just met? He was the kind of guy who would say whatever he had to, to get what he wanted. I had to play it cool and not let his words get the better of me.
The cupboard was behind enemy lines. "The rooftop losers?" Loyal asked, keeping his attention on the board. Mr. Hermans wrote on it as if no interruptions had been made.
"If you get it then stop bothering me," I replied, skimming through the shelves.
"Just because I'm interested doesn't mean I'm going to act on my feelings," came the cold reply. The girl sitting next to Loyal couldn't help but eavesdrop on our conversation. "It would be a waste of my time."
I found the textbook and shut the cupboard door. "Agreed," I said to the jerk. "So, do us both a favour and suppress those feelings."
"I plan to," I heard him say.
I returned to my seat and found Khaleel sitting at the desk behind me. I glared daggers at the delinquent. Did he bully someone out of their spot? Probably. I ignored his grinning face and focused my attention to the front of the class. I didn't want to give him any reason to interact with me.
"Everyone open your textbooks to page 165," Mr. Hermans said. "Review the content thoroughly, as you may see some of it pop up on this week's quiz. You have twenty minutes to get through the chapter before we move on to the lesson on the board."
I tried to follow his instructions but was interrupted by Khaleel kicking the back of my chair. I whipped around to glare him down. "Do that again and I will cripple you," I threatened.
"Ooh," he chuckled, wide-eyed. "I like your spirit."
I skimmed the chapter, trying to get a better understanding of what Mr. Hermans wanted us to remember for the upcoming quiz. I was a little out of the loop but I was confident I could catch up. Studying was sort of my speciality. Breaking down information and memorizing it in a way that even a grade schooler could comprehend it was fun. Except math. Math could go straight to hell.
"Where did you come from, Hoffman?" Khaleel asked, insisting on pissing me off. "Who taught you to make such bold threats?"
I ignored him.
"Has someone already shown you around campus? If not, I'll happily help you."
I rested my elbow on the desk and grabbed a hold of my neck to lean into the reading material.
Khaleel went on. "Are you thinking of joining any clubs? Steer clear of the student council. I was forced into joining. It's a fucking snore-fest."
"Shut up already," I grumbled under my breath.
"And don't even get me started on Tommy," Khaleel whispered. "Joining her would mean you're opposing Loyal. Another thing I wouldn't recommend doing."