05|the mysterious boy

Brenda G

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Monday found me in a new school.

That morning as soon as I walked into the noisy classroom, silence reigned in the room. Not even a single sound could be heard again, except maybe the noise made by my nervous breaths.

The whole class had turned to face me and I felt like I was some Alien inventing the world.

Maybe they were staring at my attire. I knew that I shouldn't have put on a ridiculous pair of shorts, it literally made my hips and butt look shrunken.

"Brenda, just take a deep breath and walk over to any empty desk."

I mentally calmed myself and strolled nervously to a desk that unfortunately was somewhere at the back of the classroom. I could feel their gazes burning through various parts of my body.

Some were on my face, others on my chest which was packed by the way, and most of the gazes were fixated on my behinds. Especially the boy's gazes.

It was one of those moments when I wished that I didn't have a small butt. What were they thinking when they saw how flat my behind was? Oh, maybe they thought... 'Hey, Brenda what happened over there? Was God forced to create your butt?' But at least I was grateful that he compensated for my lack of big butt by awarding me drool-worthy boobs and hair.

After what felt like hours, I finally arrived at the vacant desk. I sighed then pulled out the wooden chair and slumped on it. I took out a Chemistry coursebook and commenced flipping through the pages while waiting for the professor to arrive.

In my silence, I shifted my gaze to a girl approaching my desk. She was a slim lass with flawless caramel skin and long midnight nicely gelled hair. She had pink headphones on, the same colour as her sundress and converses. She was bobbing her head to whatever tune she was listening to.

She came and sat beside me where she caught me staring at her every action and I swiftly looked away.

I mentally cringed from the embarrassment of being caught staring then focused on my book.

"Hey." She greeted me and I faced her again. At least someone talked to me ever since I arrived at the new school.

"Hello." I calmly greeted.

"What do you think of this song?" She asked while latching the headphones to my ears and I winced immediately at the bassy beat of the song.

I knew the song since it was on the hit, Maniac by Stray kids. What I loved most was Felix's deep voice, it always caught my insides trembling.

"I love it." I nodded smilingly. "Are you a fan?"

"Oh hell yes! You know, BTS and Stray kids are my favourite bands." She cheerfully stated and I nodded. She had a taste.

"Me too, also blackpink," I uttered in joy, getting to have someone to talk to in a new school was not easy.

I became conscious of someone's stare behind me as the hair at the nape of my neck stood erect. Goosebumps were crawling all over my skin.

I didn't really want to associate with the students at the school so I had no business with whoever was staring at me. I didn't turn to look instead, I focused my gaze on the door as a professor, whom I believed was a Chemistry professor, made his way in.

He was a short, rotund man with a saggy belly and premature baldness on his head. He wore round-rimmed glasses that resembled those of Harry Potter. A black briefcase was firmly held in his hand.

"Good morning, class!" He greeted us way too euphorically which made me wonder whether it was his birthday.

We answered in unison which resulted in an overlapping echoing effect.

He went forward to dump his briefcase on his desk. He cleared his throat noisily to get our attention and clapped his hands at the same time.

A few grunted and some rolled their eyes while others began to murmur incoherently, but the professor didn't seem to care.

"For the practical we are about to carry on, I grouped you into two," he began, "The two of you will carry out the practical, writing down your results. The results you give will determine your coming after-summer exam. Any questions on that?"

Trouble!

"Excuse me, sir." A voice from behind me asked and I never bothered to look. Maybe a student who viewed the situation from my point of view wanted to shed light on the reasons why this arrangement might be hard for some people who struggled a lot with chemistry practicals.

"Yes?" the professor raised a brow.

"Are we going to work as we are seated?" He asked. "We have a new student but I can direct her."

I chuckled, shaking my head. Although I never checked him, I knew that his sudden suggestions meant he had already met me somewhere else apart from school.

"No. That means you have not checked your class notice board?" He asked. Many turned to the notice board in class but people like me could not see well since we were seated further from it.

"As you walk to the laboratory, you may check which table you are to use and if you don't know who your partner is, you will meet him or her in the lab. Now, make sure you pick the practical questions to work on, on your way out."

Everyone started walking out, I stayed back just to make a confirmation with the professor since I was new. But before I made that attempt, someone read my name while on the notice board. It was then that I realized that I had been listed with the other students, which was weird.

"You rat!" A voice alarmed me as soon as I started going through the names on the notice board.

I turned behind and found Sydney's evil sister standing some inches from me with her hands crossed against her chest. She was chewing irritatingly on a piece of gum.

Great!

I groaned inwardly and then turned my attention to the notice board.

The sooner I know which table I am on for the practical, the faster I can leave this classroom. Before I castrated a certain bitch witch.

I mentally assured my violent self.

"It's simply you. Do you think that I forgot about the party?" She barked.

No dummy! No one forgets the girl who practically fell into the pool and turned into everyone's laughing stock.

Before she could speak further, I scampered out of the classroom.

Luckily, the lass who had sat beside me in class was at the table I was assigned to. I found her busy setting up the apparatus. She smiled at me and then resumed her task.

"I am Dulcie by the way. I figured that you are new." She introduced herself and I smiled in return.

"Brenda G," I moved closer. I didn't miss how her name sounded familiar and expensive.

"Okay, let's get this done, " She uttered and I nodded in return. Dulcie was a likeable person.

I was too busy finalizing our work to notice that Dulcie's book had grasped the embers of a fire. The fire was from the bunsen burner and it had accidentally made contact with Dulcie's notebook and was scorching the pages of the book mercilessly.

I jumped in fright upon witnessing the destructive scene. The fire was growing bigger with each passing second.

Deafening screams shot in the room as the place went into total chaos.

I wasn't able to think straight. That's why I tried to locate the owner of the notebook, maybe she could suggest better ideas. To my disappointment, I didn't find her.

Students started pouring liquids at the fire causing it to increase.

My head raced with thoughts.

Suddenly an idea struck me and I quickly took off my cardigan and then started hitting the flames with it.

"Seriously, you're fighting the fire now? Are you a firefighter?"

"Shut up and let me work, you annoying brain!"

My inner voice, one day I might as well strangle that voice.

The professor was probably not in to witness the severity of the situation.

I was shaking at the same time, focused on putting out the fire. My cardigan was already on fire and the probability of the next victim of the inferno being me was 1.0!

Suddenly, someone grabbed me by my waist and pushed me away. I lost balance and fell on the floor, ass flat.

He had a fire extinguisher that no one seemed to have cared to use, not even me.

"Stay back!" He ordered, targeting the fire with the hose of the extinguisher. Luckily, he was able to put out the fire.

I released heavy breaths as I sat on the floor, watching as smoke from the extinguished fire filled the room. My whole body was shaking, limiting my ability to stand on my feet.

Running my hand on my hair, the boy who extinguished the fire turned to face me and my heart literally stopped beating.

My jaw dropped and my eyes bulged in shock.

His hair wasn't hiding his eyes, he wasn't wearing his hoodie cap, or maybe it fell off his head when he was busy fighting the fire, and most importantly, it wasn't at night.

I could see him clearly.

The guy I met at the stream and Sydney's birthday party.

The guy I called Coward

Jake William.

He stared at me for a brief moment then shook his head in disappointment and walked away.

His royal highness, Prince Jake William.