Freya
History class went on for 2 hours, and as it ended, I noticed him rushing from the classroom as he couldn't stand to be there any longer.
"Hey, I'm Dolly; you must be, Ms. Zoey and Zira relative, aren't you?" A red-headed female with green eyes and freckles came up to my desk as I packed my bag.
"Yes," I retorted.
"They and my grandma are very close friends. Do you want to have lunch with me and my friends?" she asked.
I scanned her from head to foot, noticing the design of her purple, yellow, and white cheerleading uniform along with her white Nike sneaker. I couldn't believe a girl like her, who seemed popular, wanted to have lunch with me.
"I'm sorry if I seemed too much, she said as she grabbed her bag, assuming I had no interest in her. I was just surprised by the fact that she wanted to be my friend. I'm a nobody.
"You're not; I'll have lunch with you," I told her.
She smiled and took me by the hand, leading me from the classroom.
I had never really had someone to call my friend; no one wanted to.
Lunch was just like any other lunch in high school—not so pleasing to the eyes. I paid for an apple and a bottle of water.
I could have eaten the food Zira had prepared for me, but everyone was taking food from the cafeteria. I didn't want to seem like the odd one out.
I stopped as I saw Dolly walking over to a table with three girls. They were cheerleaders as well.
"Freya," she called, noticing I wasn't following her.
I wasn't used to having lunch with anyone; I always ate alone next to the table that was near the trash bin. I looked for that chair, and I noticed nerds sitting there.
I walked over to her and sat down as she did.
"This is Becky, Johanna, and Tamara," she introduced me to her friend.
"Hi," I greeted them back, placing a strand of my hair behind my ears, nervous.
"You will be sitting with us every day for lunch from now on," Dolly informed me.
I nodded.
I was stunned by her nice behavior toward me. Dolly and her friends seemed to be the opposite of mean girls. No cheerleader has ever been so kind to me.
As I bit my apple, my eyes went over to a table distant from ours, and everyone within the cafeteria seemed like they froze when I saw him again. Again, I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was having a hard time, too. As his head was about to spin in my direction, I immediately turned my head.
"His name is Jurius Harthshorn, and he's a senior as well," I heard Dolly say.
I looked at her.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"The hot guy you were just gazing at," she said.
My head lowered as everyone around the table began to smile. I felt ashamed.
"Don't be embarrassed for checking him out; we all did," Dolly confessed.
"But no one here seems to be good enough for him, so don't have your hopes up," Becky said.
I took my time looking back at the table he sat at, hoping he wouldn't catch me watching him.
"The guy in the white shirt is his twin brother Tate," Dolly went on to say to the others sitting with him.
I noticed that he and his brother looked nothing alike. They weren't identical twins.
"And who is she?" I asked, seeing a short, dark-haired girl sitting next to him.
"Relatively, he's from a large family who lives in the same house."
I somehow, strangely, felt relieved that she wasn't his girlfriend. It was really stupid of me.
However, that blonde-haired girl next to Tate seemed like a new student."
I observed her as she chatted and ate; she was beautiful, and then my attention went back to Jurius.
Jurius Hartshorn, I said his name in my head, now knowing it.
"Try not to fall for him," I was again warned, this time by Johanna.
His head went to mine, as if he could somehow hear us. This time, I didn't turn around.
His thick eyebrows furrowed, and he grabbed his backpack and hastily walked off as if he were angry.
"Is he an angry person?" I had to ask.
"No. Why do you ask?" Dolly asked.
"The way he storms off."
"He's the football team captain, and the big final game is near; probably he's just stressed out about it, that's all," said Dolly.
"He's a good person when you get to know him, though. He's just not interested in anyone here," Johanna added.
"Oh," I retorted.
I continue to eat my apple, taking a big bite.
In the next class session, I didn't see him in my classroom. Though I didn't, my mind couldn't stop thinking about him storming from the cafeteria, upset. I somehow, strangely, felt his bad mood was my fault. I didn't know why.
The last class had ended for the day.
"Do you want to watch us practice?" Dolly asked if I was interested in attending their cheerleading practice.
"I can't," I felt bad telling her.
"I understand," she retorted.
She and her friends said their goodbyes and went off.
I packed my backpack and exited the classroom. Before I exited the school compound, I needed to place my new, heavy math book in my locker.
It was the first time I went to my locker. My key number was 156, and I looked along a line of lockers searching for mine. A smile of relief appeared on my face upon locating it.
I opened it and placed the book inside. As I was about to shut the locker, I froze. He was coming along the hallways, Jurius.
I leered at him. He never once glanced over at me; his head was held straight in front of him, paying attention only to what was before him. I remembered that he did the same when he carried me from the forest. His body felt so warm when he did. I've never hugged a guy, much less had a boyfriend. I was curious to know if it was how a man's body feels.
I observed his long, strong hand grasping his backpack while the other kept it in his pocket. He was so handsome and taller than I'd remembered him to be.
Now was the time to thank him for saving me, I thought as he was about to stride past me.
I shut the locker, quickly rehearsing what I needed to say to him in my head. I wasn't good at approaching anyone. I was worried I might say something that didn't make any sense. I might mess up.
"Jurius," I called him as he was about to walk past my locker.
He stopped. I was surprised he did. His head was held away from me as he did. As if he didn't want to look at me.
My heart began to race in my chest, and my hands began to shake nervously.
I twirled the ends of my hair, trying to control my nervousness.
"I want to thank you for saving me." My voice kept shivering, and I bit my bottom lip, disliking my gratitude.
"I wish I never did." His head finally faced me. His face was angry.
I looked around, stunned and embarrassed that someone might hear his awful remark and come back to him. We were alone.
"What?" I said I was confused. I didn't understand his attitude toward me.
He leered at me with pure hatred in his eyes, as if I'd done him something unforgivable.
"I should have left you for meat, so the wild beast can tear you apart." His teeth tightened in anger.
Tears slowly emerged in my eyes, and I ran to the girl's bathroom. I didn't know why his words hurt so badly. Students from my past school had been hurtful to me, but I had never taken their harsh words to heart, nor did it ever make me cry, but he did. His words felt like I had been stabbed in the heart with a knife. It felt unbearable.
His brother was coming along the hallway as I was about to enter the girls' bathroom. I covered my face, hiding my tears. I locked myself in the toilet section and sat down, weeping.
Why is he so rude when I was only thanking him for saving me? I just could not understand.
I remembered how kind he was when he first saved me; now, he was a complete different person. I regret approaching him.