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"Before I met you, I never knew what it was like to be able to look at someone and smile for no reason"

~Pinterest

Claire's POV  (4 YEARS AGO)

"I was looking for a freshman like you on the first day" the bad boy clenched and unclenched his fists "Look, guys, I found a fucking nerd!"

Everyone around me started giggling under their breaths while these five guys laughed their heads off. My heart shrunk to the size of an atom. Tears stung the sides of my eyes and I gulped.

Did I just become 'That girl' now? That girl who gets bullied, just like middle school? Out of all those freshmen walking past us, they just had to pick on me. Why? Because I looked feeble and incapable of harm?

"Hey!" the janitor came ambling up to us "Clean up this mess, now!"

The bad boy gave me a death glare.

Automatically, my hands reached the fallen papers on the floor and started picking them up. My hands brushed the shoes of other students as I collected the papers and they didn't bother to move away or give me room to crouch.

I felt worthless, broken, shattered.

Just when I was about to break down, someone else crouched beside me. I looked up and stared into a pair of blue, compassionate eyes behind glasses.

"I'll help you with these" the blonde guy muttered, bending down and picking the rest of the papers.

The students around us whispered and gasped and some even chuckled but I didn't mind that anymore, I felt accompanied and liked at that moment.

"Here" he handed the papers to me, dusting his jeans. He wore a simple white T-shirt, his hair was brushed neatly in place and a pair of thin glasses sat on his nose.

"I'm Logan" he stated, shaking my hand.

I was completely shaken up, devastated to the point that I couldn't even comprehend what he was saying.

He must've noticed this. Placing one hand on my shoulder, he muttered "Let's get out of here"

He wrapped his hands around my wrist and began to pull me somewhere from betwixt the crowd. I didn't know who he was and had no idea where he was taking me, but at least I was far, far, away from those treacherous boys who were bullying me.

We ended up in the less crowded part of the building where he turned around and smiled at me "Let me guess – you're good at math"

I raised my eyebrows in humiliation "Um...kinda...how'd you guess?"

"I knew it" he pursed his lips "Those guys always pick on nerds, I don't know how they do it...oh...I'm sorry, let me introduce myself. I'm Logan Walker, who're you?"

"Claire Annesley" I giggled at his charisma as he brushed his long hair that fell over his eyes.

I was about to thank him for helping me out of there when I was interrupted by someone.

"Hey Loggie!" an auburn haired girl pirouetted towards him. Her blue eyes sparkled as she stared intently at him "It's so good to see you on the first day!"

I would've sworn I saw redness creep up his cheeks as he chewed on his lips. I was about to leave but then he looked at me; he gestured towards this girl, saying "Claire, meet Breanna Riley. We attended middle school together"

"Hello" I endeavored to give the best of my smiles to her and lifted my hand up to shake hers.

She didn't even glance in my direction, coaxing me to awkwardly let my hand hang back on my side.

She was busy talking to him "We have math class together Logan, save a seat for me in front of you! I'll see you around. Bye!" she sent him a flying kiss and trotted away, flaunting her curves.

"Ahem" he cleared his throat "I should be going; do you want me to show you around?"

"How do you know this place so well?"

He hesitated a little, but said "My mom used to teach here a few years ago before she left, so I used to come here often"

I nodded "Okay"

"Okay"

An eerie silence later, I found myself staring at him in his eyes. I blinked several times not knowing what to say next.

"Um...so..." he broke the stare first "I'll see you around"

"Yeah...yeah...uh...sure" I nodded again but we didn't really move. Where was my tongue? My brain? I fumbled for words.

Knowing I should probably get moving, I thumbed into the distance "I'll go now"

"Okay" he chuckled. His cute laugh made my heart melt and I smiled in response.

"Bye" I waved and turned around to walk away, feeling the skin of my feet tickle a little. My heart fluttered a little, knowing I had met someone good on the first day. High school wasn't that bad afterall.

I grinned and looked back to view him, but he had disappeared amidst the mobs of teenagers rushing in all directions as the bell echoed throughout the place.

What was his name again?

**********

I rushed down the halls as I made my way to the math class in the fifth period. Pushing past the students, I dashed into the classroom, cheering when I found it completely empty.

I felt alone and the feeling was squeezing my gut. I just had to make it to class before everyone else and claim the first bench without having to argue with anyone, mostly because I knew no one would care to take my side.

I pulled out my math book, my notebook, assembled my stationary and set my hair in place, preparing meticulously for my favorite class.

The students came squeezing in, chatting and laughing along with their groups. Looking at them, my heart ached to be one of them, wishing I had a little more social skills to make friends but I failed every single time.

Meeting new people stressed me out. I always worried if they'd like me, if I'd disappoint them with my insecurities and what meant to be a friendship might turn into hatred. So it was better to stay away from people than getting hurt.

I looked around; pretending to be busy examining the classroom while I tapped my feet on the ground. But really, the loneliness was killing me from inside, realizing that everyone around me was enjoying joking around.

And suddenly something astonishing happened – he entered the class.

My lips parted and I squinted to make sure if it was him. Sure as hell, it was him, pushing his long blonde bangs away from his eyes as usual, gripping a book in his arms.

Involuntarily, a smile formed on my lips; a smile so hard to erase.

My heart thudded as I waited for him to notice me on the first bench. The instant his eyes met mine, he gave me the same response – lips parting first and then squinting.

I laughed at his reaction as he strolled up in front of me, leaning down to place his hands on my desk. A shiver ran down my body when I realized how close he was to me.

"Hey" he gave me a one-sided grin "Mind if I sit behind you?"

"No-not at all" I replied calmly, but in reality, I was brutally slapping myself mentally to rub out the infectious smile on my face that just didn't seem to go.

He sat on the bench behind me. I realized I didn't remember his name. Apologetically, I turned around to face him "What is your name again? I'm sorry; I'm horrible at remembering names"

He licked his lips "I'm Logan and its alright, even I'm horrible at it, Claire Annesley"

He fucking said my full name!

"But you remember mine?" I threw a challenging look at him.

"You're special"

My soul must've hovered away to cloud nine; why else would I feel like my entire body was suddenly lighter than normal?

I was about to ask him why, but I realized I was too late because he had already taken the conversation forward.

"So, you're good at math?" he asked.

It took me a while to snap out of my trance "Again, I'm kind of good at it"

"Good enough to teach me? Cause I'm not very good at it, I could use some help"

My heart screamed – Hell yeah!

But I restrained my tongue from ruining my first impression. I did this thing where I portrayed myself as a very innocent and naive little girl, but I really wasn't.

I was mischievous as fuck and this guy just made me feel like home around him. His company was suddenly the only thing I could perceive. I decided to tease him a bit "Ask me nicely"

At first, I thought I offended him but then he started to laugh.

People think of laughing as a noise that comes from the mouth, but when he laughed it was nothing like that. The laugh was in his eyes, in the way his face changed into that vision of relaxed joy and unrestrained mirth.

I found myself giggling with him.

"Okay" he said but I really wasn't ready to face what he was going to do next.

He crossed his arms on his desk and leaned forward. His face was suddenly so close to mine that his blonde strands tickled my forehead. He chewed his lip, making a puppy face, raising his eyebrows further up, he breathed "Will you help me out with math? I could really use some help. Please"

I was breathing heavily, more like gasping for air "Damn...you're good at this"

He leaned back now, smirking "That I am"

I was dissolving into this bubble of glee he had created around us, I forgot about the world. Heck, I even forgot that I was sitting in a classroom.

He was astonishingly kind, and yet, very naughty. Immediately, I just wanted to know everything about him. Who he was, where he was from and what he aspired to be.

That auburn-haired girl from earlier, who he had introduced me to in the halls, entered the class. She sent a very raging frown in my way, forcing me to recollect that she had requested Logan to save a seat for her.

Logan apologized to her and she claimed the seat a little further down the room, snarling angrily at me while she did. For some reason, I felt good.

It felt good to find that I didn't have to argue with her on this – because Logan took my side and moreover, he didn't even get up to sit with her. He remained where he was, talking to me, driving the conversation further until the teacher entered.

Even in the middle of the class, he had the courage to pass a note to me while the teacher had turned away from us, almost as if he couldn't wait for the class to end to talk to me.

The note asked 'Where are you from? I have never seen you around'

My heart screamed as I hid the note under my notebook, waiting for the teacher to turn away again.

I replied, and passed the note back to him 'Washington :) and I will help you with math if you help me with chemistry'

He passed the note back from under the bench 'Sure! When should we start?'

I gave the letter back with 'You can come over to my house today; we'll talk about the syllabus :)'

My fingers slightly brushed his hand and I felt a static heat run up my arm, giving me goosebumps all over.

I waited impatiently for him to reply, praying like a maniac for him to agree. If he came over today, I would successfully be able to say that I made a new, good friend and maybe we could end up becoming really good friends.

We would then be able to help each other to pursue our dreams and also because he was different from other people. He was shockingly kind to me, unlike the others who just enjoyed watching me get miserable.

The note came back to me and I turned around enthusiastically to take it, but someone grabbed it before me.

Logan and I looked up, horrified after seeing the teacher angrily glaring at the note "What was so important that you couldn't wait to talk about after the class?"

I hated being confronted by teachers and bashfully, I looked to the floor as he read out the entire thing in the middle of the class.

"You can come over to my house today; we'll talk about the syllabus? Interesting..." the teacher read it out angrily "And what does the young man have to say?"

After a while, he read out "I would love to, Cookie Jar"

I flushed hard when everyone started laughing. But when I looked at Logan, he was laughing too.

Did he seriously find this funny?

But I laughed with him anyways.

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I hope you enjoyed this little part of their past!

Also, I have an ANNOUNCEMENT!

A few of you asked me if there was going to be a sequel. Now, I don't have anything against sequels, I have even read many of them too.

But, personally, I don't like writing sequels because I believe that small stories like this one are good when they stand on their own :)

So, no, there is no sequel (^_^)

BUT

There is going to be a SPIN OFF!! I'm going to leave you here to wonder what it's going to be XD

Until then, stay awesome everyone! I am where I am because of amazing people like you guys! I love you <3

Love, K

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