Chapter 3 CHAPTER 3
Even though the man had shunned me the way he did, it didn't stop my eyes from straying to him, or my body from buzzing with that strange feeling every time his eyes met mine.
That happened quite a lot, and I could see how he was actively trying to stop it yet his eyes won't rest until they settled on mine.
It almost made me unaware of how brilliant he was, but that could never be missed.
He answered every question clearly, his accent so strange I couldn't place it.
“Mister Cael,” one girl raised her hand, “please can you go over the quadratic equation again? I don't understand.”
“Alright Cara,” he answered patiently and went over what he'd already explained to Tanya thirty minutes ago.
Irritation and jealousy burned in my chest as every pretty, otherworldly-looking girl in the class played around him and he went with it.
There's an intelligence in his eyes that made me know he knew exactly what they were doing but he played along.
“That's alright everyone, I've answered all your questions and I will be seeing you by Friday. Don't forget to do your assignments, no excuses will be accepted.”
“But sir I still have questions!”
“You already took three. The only person I'll be accepting questions from is Miss Sera over there,” he said, pulling me out of my mind.
“Sir?” I gasped, I'd heard what he'd said but I was barely paying attention.
He began walking towards me, his footsteps hitting across the tiled floor and increasing my heart rate.
“I asked if you have any questions?”
I looked up and he was… smiling at me.
I frowned.
“No I'm good. I learned all of this already.”
And I wasn't lying, math was my escape from the horrors around me so I'd been through the general curriculum.
Thrice.
“Oh did you?” He raised an eyebrow, then walked back to the front of the class and wrote an equation on the board. “Come and solve this for me. Us,” he corrected himself.
My heart raced, not because of the equation, no, I could do that in my sleep, but I feared being close to him.
Since I walked into this class, something has been happening to my body that I can't explain, all I knew was that it was related to the man standing before me, a marker in his hand stretched towards me.
I cleared my throat and collected myself, and I began walking to him.
Snickers from behind me made me turn sharply and I saw three girls with Cara in the middle, looking at me with a smug smile on their faces.
Shaking my head, I returned my attention to the teacher and I took the marker from him.
If I didn't have that irritation from his flirting earlier to steady me, I fear I might have gone to smell his neck.
He smelled way too good.
But thankfully I focused on the words on the board and in a few minutes, I was done.
The second I handed him the marker, the bell rang, sending everyone into a disarray.
Me?
I was stuck in place, my hand touching his and my eyes stuck on his face.
He was beautiful, in a sinful, mature way. His face is sharp, lean, his chest broad, his muscles defined.
All things blend together to highlight those eyes.
Gray.
Dark and covered with glasses.
Amidst the noise behind us, my body stopped functioning, paying all attention to him instead.
“Do you want to keep the marker, Miss Sera?” His voice jolted me out of my reverie, my cheeks going so red I nearly died from embarrassment.
“I'm sorry, I was…” I stopped myself short, nothing justified that creepy behaviour.
“You were what?”
“Wondering why you have been staring at me like that.”
I don't know where that came from but I loved the surprise it brought to his eyes and for a second, I soared in conquest.
“You would notice that only if you were staring at me as well. Do you mind answering the question for both of us?”
“I've already answered on the board, take the lead this time sir.”
His lips curved in a smile he was trying to hold in, one that pissed me off a little bit more.
My emotions were everywhere and it was all because of him.
“You have –”
“Mr Cael!” I heard Cara's voice behind me and I pulled back my hand immediately, I didn't even realise I never took it back all the while we spoke.
“Yes Cara, more questions?”
“Yes, I…” I tuned her out and took to my heels, gathering my things and following everyone else to the cafeteria with my head cast down.
Something was wrong with this town, and with me too.
But I figured it was too early to start disliking it, after all, I didn't have much of a choice.
The crowd began suffocating me the longer we walked so I found a passageway and decided to wait there until the throng reduced.
I was waiting when I saw a familiar face.
“Sera! What are you doing here?” Scott yelled from the moving crowd that was still pouring from four other classes down the hallway.
“I'm feeling claustrophobic,” I replied, forcing myself to take deeper breaths.
“Oh poor you, you must not be used to such loud crowds. This is a school of international standards and many parents send their kids here because of the boarding arrangements.”
“Oh, makes sense,” I said as I forced myself to take deep, slow breaths.
“Come, I know a shortcut to the cafeteria and you won't have to join the long walk everyone prefers for some odd reason.”
“Really?” Is it safe?”
“Of course,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me in the opposite direction.
My feet kicked faster in a bid to exit the crowd that we were walking against.
“Watch where you're going, human,” somebody pushed me.
“Ah!”
“Timothy!” Scott yelled at the boy, but continued dragging me through after exchanging a heated look with him. “Sorry about that.”
“Why was he calling me human as though he's some alien species?” I mumbled as we finally got to the last person.
“It's an inside joke, don't worry you'll get it soon. Come this way,” he said, taking me down a truly empty hallway with classes that had dust collecting on the seats.
“Nobody comes here at all,” I noticed, looking around as we walked.
“Nope, the Principal closed it after an incident.”
“More things I'm not allowed to know I guess.”
“I'm sorry, you'll understand soon. But I can tell you one thing right now though.”
I turned to look at him and I noticed something odd.
His eyes used to be blue, I was sure of that but now, there were two sharp red stones in his iris staring back at me with his face curved in a crooked smile.
“Scott?” I called, stopping immediately as I felt strange shivers run down my spine.
“Yes Sera, are you ready for what I have to tell you?”
“No, I want to go back,” I said, fear coating my steps backwards.
“Too late,” he whispered before he lunged.