3

Everybody's attention suddenly drifts to the class intruder and surprisingly, she doesn't feel intimidated by all the stares she's getting. I watch as Mr Harper eyes her up and down before finally opening his mouth to speak. 

"And you are?" he directs at her, not even in the least trying to be nice especially since he's new. Most other new teachers only ever try their best to be on the student's good side. 

"Janice Willow." She answers. Her voice comes out really deep,too deep for the way her face looks. "I'm sorry, I didn't get my schedule set on time. It won't happen again, I promise." 

Mr Harper doesn't reply but he gives her one last head to toe scan before returning his focus back to the marker board. He writes the words, 'Social studies' with Economics in a bracket beside it, big and bold,right in the center of the board. 

"So majority of you should be familiar with the basics of Economics I presume." he starts to say. He's right. Majority should be familiar but they aren't. I don't think he has met the students of Heywood high before. 

My eyes follow Janice's feet as they move to find a seat to settle in for the class. I silently pray to God that she doesn't take the seat beside me but like most times, my prayer is unanswered as she scoffs and sits on the chair directly next to me. 

"Hey yo." She calls in a loud whisper. Her deep voice causes me  to flinch and jump a little in my seat but I don't turn to look at her. I fix my gaze on Mr Harper and try my best to listen to his lessons. Clearly she's not talking to me, is she? 

"Has he told you his name?" She continues. Okay I can't help but think she's talking to me. Slowly, I turn my head in her direction and meet her gaze. I take in her appearance. Her face is makeup free and her hair is up in a rough and unkempt ponytail, one can tell that she rushed her dressing today. Or maybe she does the same every other day, I don't even know her. 

She has on a brown body hugging long sleeve sweater and her black tights hug her skin so tightly that just the look of them makes me feel pity for her pale skin.

I raise my index finger and point it to my chest silently demanding to know if she's talking to me. She furrows her eyebrows and rolls her eyes before nodding. 

I gulp and turn to see if Mr Harper is staring. I've never gotten in trouble with the school staff or authorities before and trust me, I do not want to know what it is they do to students caught talking in class. 

I decide to ignore her and listen to the teacher. I'm so not ready to be in trouble on the first day, or any other day for that matter. 

"Hey!" she snaps,talking even louder than before, it's almost no longer a whisper. "What the heck is his name? I just want to scribble it down in my note,no big deal." 

I turn to look at her again. Speak Troy, say something. But my mouth doesn't oblige to my mind's suggestion. This happens most of the time, my speech just gets hung up in my throat when it comes to people. 

"Steve Harper." I finally say and she looks at me from head to toe,a disgusted frown on her face. 

"Was that so hard to say?" She snaps and writes something on the front cover of her notebook. Most likely Mr Harper's name. I drift my focus back to Mr Harper and I hear her scoff again before she adds, "fat boy."

I start on to defend myself, "I'm not fat." She ignores me and doesn't look up at me but she smirks before closing her notebook to pay attention to the teacher as well. 

*

"How did you like today's lessons?" Rachel asks me over lunch. Lunch as in - me watching her eat with my arms crossed across my chest. 

"Well so far so good, I only liked Mr Harper's class." I tell her sincerely. She glances up at me for the first time since she's started eating. When it comes to food, give it to Rachel to be an A plus student. She says food is way more important to her than her life. If only she took school that serious. 

"Mr Harper?" she frowns, "I don't like that weirdo. He's too serious for my or any normal person's liking." she says and returns her concentration to her food. 

"Does that make me an abnormal person?" I laugh in awe. I don't see how there's anything wrong with a teacher that likes to take charge. 

"You, my dear, are an exception." she chuckles and shoves half a sandwich in her mouth and chews exceptionally. 

My mind flashes back to Janice and her weird self. Something about her just seems so familiar but I can't exactly lay my finger on where I've met her. Maybe it's the deepness of her voice. Or maybe it's the fact that she talked to me at all. 

"Hey Rachel, remember that Janice girl from earlier today, in our Economics class?" I ask Rachel who by now has eaten three full sandwiches. 

"What Janice girl?" she raises one eyebrow and talks with her mouth full, chewing harshly on her meal.

"The one that barged into class when she came in late." I answer her and she stares blankly into space as if thinking things through in her head. 

"Well I don't know her much but we had a few classes together last semester. One time she was my partner in a laboratory experiment, she made me do all the work and threatened to burn down our, my, project work if I told on her." She tells me and swallows her food with a full glass of milk. 

"Why'd you ask?" she tells me when she finally has her mouth food free. 

"I just thought she seemed so familiar. I thought maybe we knew her from before or something." I tell her. "She even talked to me."

Her eyes snap open wider and a smile appears on her dark face revealing the very deep dimple she has on her right cheek. "That's interesting, a girl talking to you."

"I don't know if that is an insult or a compliment." I raise a brow and add, "She even called me a fat boy." I tell her and she bursts into laughter.

"Has she met you?" she asks amid laughter. "You look like a witch's broomstick Troy." 

My eyes go wide and I stare at Rachel blankly. Her laugh stops in an instant motion and the smile on her face fades away. She furrows her eyebrows and asks, "What? Did I say something wrong?"

I snap out of my stance and plaster a fake smile on my face before shaking my head, 'no'. "Keep eating Rachel."

Her smile appears again and she sucks on her bottom lip, "For the first time, Troy suggests that I keep eating and doesn't blabber nonsense about how unhealthy this is? Wow,it's my honour sir." she teases me but I don't falter. 

Janice Willow is the girl burglar.