5. You again

He smiled at them charmingly as he tucked his hands in the pockets of his jacket, waiting for the teacher's next instruction.

Meanwhile, Isa's head had gone lower than usual. She's never liked being in the spotlight. In a place where she gets the whole attention towards her. Nah uh!

And then what could be worse than that was if she was asked to do something in front of people - which again she unarguably hates! - and fails to do it. Woefully!

She just wanted to go home right now. Or maybe to Pablo's.

"Well, you're welcome, Mr. Jackson. Please do take a seat. You too, Miss Davies." Mr. Mark stretched his hand towards the rows of students seated.

There were empty seats at the end of the most of the rows. One of which belonged to Isa.

They both took a step to go through the midst of the first and second row at the same time and stopped immediately. At the same time.

They made eye contact and Andre nodded for her to go first but instead of moving forward, she did the opposite.

After moving a few steps backward, she waited for him to go as her eyes were still strained downwards.

Everyone had their eyes on the two actors in this real life play. Even Mr. Mark had his fist clenched on his mouth, watching these two act on. It felt strange but weirdly interesting to see Isa struggle to do things she barely or hasn't done before.

Andre, on the other hand, had reached a seat and sat on it. He didn't actually mind her behavior anymore as he thought she was just a naive, shy and timid girl who hadn't really stood beside or talked to a guy for long. Or at all.

When she couldn't see him from where her eyes were on the ground, she began taking careful steps to her seat. Knowing everyone was watching her, she knew some of them would want to make her trip and fall on her face or do something really silly, so she had to tread carefully.

She reached her seat... only to find... okay, what?

Andre was sitting comfortably on the seat at end of the fourth row beside the window. Which was her seat! Why didn't he take the other one beside it? Stupid of her to think he might be different! Okay, she didn't even have that thought, so yeah! He's just the same!

He rose his head at her, waiting for her to say whatever she was standing there for.

Did she forget something? Does she wanna say something??

His left brow rose in confusion and curiosity as she still stood there, looking at him.

Her lips opened to say something but was cut off. "Erm, Miss Davies? You wanna waste more of my time and get detention or you just wanna sit down right now." The teacher's voice could be heard loud and clear with his hands resting on his hip. He was really getting tired of her shit. She was wasting his time for goodness' sake!

She nodded immediately and went to the other empty seat. It felt cold. Her life was cold. Maybe she really did deserve this seat.

The History teacher started his history teaching but she had zoned out.

Andre glanced at her. She looked focused but lost at the same time. One would think she was actually paying attention.

"Who can give me an example?" Mr. Mark's first question came after a long while of teaching.

Silence reigned for a couple of seconds. "Nobody?" His eyes moved round and landed on the girl beside the new guy. "Miss Davies?"

All eyes went to her immediately. One pair of eyes had been occasionally glaring at her even though the one who was being glared at didn't even realize it.

She didn't respond. She didn't move.

"Isabella Davies?" He called her again, losing his patience second by second.

No response. She was totally immobile and unaware of what was happening around her.

Andre moved his eyes around, from Isa to the rest of them and back. No one was going to tap her? Or call out to her?

"Hey." He called silently. When she didn't move or respond, he stretched to nudge her.

"Hey!" He called out a bit louder this time.

"Hm?" She flinched at the sudden push on her elbow and looked straight to the person beside her.

He directed his eyes and nodded towards the front of the class. She followed immediately only to meet inquisitive, mocking and neutral faces. But Mr. Mark wasn't in for any of that.

"Would you mind answering the question?"

Her eyes widened and then narrowed in the next second as her jaws kept dropping and closing again and again.

Today was like any other day, but it was just the stare she got from her left hand side that made her all giddy.

"Don't even say it." The History teacher had had enough. Literally. All his time! Wasted on one person!

"I don't... Do you mind-"

"That's it. Detention! Today, after school."

'Brrrrrrr!'

His last words were followed by the sound of the bell. First class and a punishment awarded already? Nothing new. She sighed nevertheless.

The teacher had made his way out of the class as well as some students as she picked her bag and made for the door too.

"Ow!" Someone had grabbed her hair immediately she stepped a few steps outside the class.

"You think you're special, huh?" It was Kim. She looked really mad.

By the way, she never thought she was special in any way. She was only special when it came to being a dork.

"Huh?!" Isa shook her head in response. Why was she mad at her in the first place?

"Listen to me, dork. Don't even have a single thought of you being special because you got so close to him. And I don't want to ever see you close to him... Like, ever! Do you understand me?" She grabbed her scalp to make her head face up at her last command.

Isa blinked severally to stop her tears from falling as she nodded carefully. The pain was unbearable enough.

Kim finally let go, pushing her to the wall and then gave her a once-over before waltzing off with her friellowers.

Ow! Ow! She held her scalp lightly. When would this torture end?

"Are you okay?" Someone asked behind her. Him again?!

She didn't want to turn towards him. She just got bullied because of him!

Pushing herself off the wall, she had turned a little bit and with the corner of her eyes she saw how he released his hand from the clutches of a classmate who was obviously trying to hit on him and came up to her but didn't touch her though. Her eyes widened at that.

"You don't-" She didn't let him finish before running off, leaving him with a slightly opened mouth and shocked girls behind him.

He sighed after a while and remembered the dilemmas waiting behind him. He knew they weren't going to leave but why they hadn't swarmed around him was also surprising. Should he just walk away? Or just... He sighed again.

He wanted to use the opportunity of acting like he was worried about her to escape from them, though he was actually when he saw her like that, but she didn't even let him finish his second sentence!

Having no other choice, he turned back to them with a strained smile.

Period after period. Class after class.

Soon, it was finally the end of school for that day. The first day of their last year.

Isa stood in front of the principal's office with her right fist in the air. She was contemplating whether to knock or just wait.

Alright, knock. No, wait! Maybe just wait for a few- Ahh, just knock!

She was about to do what she and her head had agreed on when the door suddenly opened. Her eyes widened as her fist had gone for the job only to be stopped inches away from doing a nasty job.

"Woah!" His exclamation came a second after he held her hand. Her eyes were still wide as saucers. Why? Two things. One, she could have broken someone's nose or even blinded him - even though she knew deep down she wouldn't even be able to move a muscle on anyone's body. And two, it was him! Again!

What's with him and always meeting her in weird positions!

He smiled like he could hear her thoughts. "You again."

Her face relaxed but she was still slightly surprised. He didn't say it in an irritating manner but rather an amused one. Okay?