By the time I reached English the majority of the class was already there so it was hard to find an available seat. There was one next to one kid... picking his nose. Moving on. There was a free desk behind a girl with a braid but she waved at a girl coming in the classroom and she hurriedly ran over. The quest continues. I catch a glimpse of bright red hair and I see the boy from the hallway in the middle of the room. All the seats around him are filled and I'm not sure even if those chairs were empty that I would sit there anyway. I'm still feeling the embarrassment of not being able to speak to him. I guess that'll be the rest of the year for me.

Oh no. Ryder is in this class. He sits in the front, sitting confidently on top of his desk and laughing with his friends. Tucked in the crook of his arm is a red-headed girl, but she didn't have hair as bright as the boy's. She had on tons of makeup, tight revealing clothes and generous curves. She showed so much cleavage I was personally worried that her breasts would pop out. What was Ryder doing with a girl like her? Well, I guess since he is super popular he would like people like her. Of course, he would never like me. I'm plain and have nothing beautiful about me. He's a golden tanned god with straight white teeth and always perfectly styled hair. I move on to find a spot somewhere else.

Deciding not to pay attention to the people, I pay more attention to the location. I see a window near the back of the classroom and choose to sit there. If the lesson's boring I can spend time looking out the window, plus if I'm in the back maybe fewer people will pay attention to me. I toss my backpack under my desk and wait for the teacher to come in. This group of students seems to be pretty rambunctious. They throw things at each other, shout, and I even spot a couple making out. Great.

The boy from locker D-23 catches my eyes and winks.

He winked. At me.

I've never had much experience with boys so I don't really know what to expect. I guess I should call him something in my mind other than "The Boy". I guess "Locker D-23" will stick for now.

After about 3 minutes more an adult finally enters the room. People stop making out, yelling, and chucking things across the room. "Good morning, class," he drawls in a boring voice. "Welcome to your first day as a senior at J.R. Holiday Boarding School." A couple of cheers arouse but the teacher silences them by raising his hands. "Oh yes. So very exciting. My name is Mr. Gardner and I am your Advanced English instructor."

Mr. Gardner is a portly, balding middle-aged man. He's your stereotypical boring old English teacher. About halfway through the class he finishes stating the rules and regulations for the school and his class. He announces that we have to pick partners for a project on an author. The redhead immediately jumps up to Ryder. Ryder's friends pair up together. Everyone has someone they belong with... but me. Locker D-23 looks at me and raises his eyebrows. Is he silently asking me to be his partner? Before I can think about it anymore I feel a tap on my shoulder.

When I turn I'm so taken aback my heart skips a beat. His head is half-shaved and the other half is long and jet-black. His gorgeous blue eyes are oceans that have seemed to swallow me up. He wears a black leather jacket and underneath is a red tank top, which reveals many tattoos. He's tall, dark, and handsome... every girl's dream guy. His perfect lips twist into a smirk which makes my heart catch in my throat.

"Do you wanna be partners?" His voice is so deep and seductive it makes my chest tighten. I can barely think except for one thought that pops up in my mind: Don't mess this up like you did with Locker D-23. I need to speak. "Um yeah! Sure I'd love to!"

Nailed it.

His perfectly arched eyebrows tilt upwards. "You sure a pretty girl like you doesn't already have a partner?" he asks. That smirk appears again.

He called me pretty. I mentally scold myself for swooning so much over this guy I just met literally five seconds ago. Talk, Quinn. I manage a laugh. "Of course not. I don't really know anyone in this class well. What about you?"

Thank God he laughs too. "No, I'm a new student. Not everyone's been that friendly."

"I know right. It's a bit hard to make buds here but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it around here at some point," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, so if we're going to be partners I gotta get your number right?" he says raising his eyebrows again. My number? My hands shake unzipping my bookbag. I take out a pack of pink Post-It Notes and a sharpie. As I hand them to him our hands brush ever so slightly and I'm taken back to the time where I gave my One Direction pencil to... what's his name again? Oh, Ryder, of course! This time feels so much more different, though. Almost as if he doesn't want to take his hand away from mine. I look into his blue eyes for a fraction of a second before I clear my throat and pull away.

He quickly scribbles onto the Post-It Note and gives it back. The bell rings and everyone shuffles out. I look down at the pink piece of paper. On it is a phone number and a name.

Andy.

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Chapter published: December 9, 2016
Song: Guts - All Time Low