"I'm drowning,
            and you're standing,
                  three feet away,
                      Screaming
            "Learn how to swim."

--John Keats.
_______________________________________

"And these are the lockers. No, no, no, don't stop! We'll find yours later."

Ethan nudged me forward when I halted in hope of getting rid of the extra stuff, that was trying to slump me down with its weight.

"And unless you want Mr Black to throw you out of the class on your very first day, you'll run as fast as you can."

Wouldn't have needed to, if you hadn't fallen asleap in the bathtub, prick! Didn't I tell you those things do little good to man.

He rushed me through unknown hallways, making me trip over the steps and stumble unattractively due to the pace. By the time we reached the class, I was panting like a dog, and it took everything in me, to not collapse on the ground.

"Don't you know how to make the best entrances!", my conscience shrieked and clapped her hands in fake enthusiam.

"By the looks of it, it certainly seems so.", I bit back in agreement.

Mr. Black, as Ethan had warned me, didn't particularly appreciate the disruptance caused in his class by my arrival, and glared daggers at my back, as I made my way to the nearest vacant seat that I could spot.

My room mate made sure that I was comfortably seated before calling out to Lucas,

"Take her to the next class, will you? And help her with her stuff, as we couldn't find the time to make it to the lockers before this class."

Oh, try being as sweet as you can, darling. Nothing's going to stop me from smacking you black and blue, once we reach our dorm.

"Sure mate.", Lucas nodded his consent, allowing Ethan to relax and excuse himself to his own classroom.

I turned my attention to the calculus teacher in front of me, and took notes where ever needed. Mr. Black was a good teacher. One could clearly see his devotion to the subject and I realised that, despite the little episode this morning, I liked him. He asked me a few questions which I answered correctly, much to his surprise, and just like that, the anger that he had towards me was replaced with approval.

Thankfully.

Once the bell rang, he passed us a few assignments for homework and dispersed the class. I gathered my stuff and was about to leave when a few students gathered around me.

Just when I thought I got lucky!

"Yes?", I raised an eyebrow in interrogation to their invasion of personal space, to which, the boy closest to me responded with a lazy grin.

"Nothing darling. We are just here to introduce ourselves, seeing Mr. Black didn't bother to do the honors."

A few chortles resonated at his statement, which I effectively ignored.

"Ofcourse!", I beamed, playing along.

"The name's Hera. Yours being?"

"Oh, I'm Hunter." He said with a wink.

Ofcourse. His aura practically screamed player. And that wink! Was it supposed to be attractive?

My subconscious snorted. Or maybe it was me, since Hunter gave me a disoriented look before proceeding to intoduce his friends, who's names I clearly didn't bother remembering.

Once I saw the unlikeliness of their voluntary departure, I excused myself politely and rushed out of the door.

Lucas was waiting outside for me, just like Ethan had asked him to.

"Hey", he smiled softly, and took some of my stuff from me.

"Lucas." I sighed in relief. "You don't know how happy I am to see you. That Hunter kid nearly gave me a migraine with all his talk. Please don't leave me alone with him ever again."

"That bastard approached you?", he bellowed menacingly, and I was suddenly scared about the boy's well being.

"Yeah, um, I mean he just introduced himself and his friends. Nothing much. Just friendly stuff. Now let's go. I'll be damned if I get late for another class.", I tried to cover my slip up, but the efforts seemed futile in front of his rage.

"There's nothing friendly about that man Hera. He's a dick. The biggest one in school, to be precise."

Oh I've noticed. Trust me on that.

"All he wants is to shag you."

Like it wasn't clear as day.

What is it with men and their inability to trust the female instinct?

Put off by the awkward conversation, I cleared my throat and said, "Luke I know you mean well, and I appreciate that, but you need to understand that I can fend for myself."

"What does Helen need to be fended against?", came the deep voice of our very own Casanova.

"Elijah!", I squealed in delight as he held me by the waist and twirled me around.

These boys were so adorable, that I felt the need to thank Ethan, time and again, for introducing them to me.

On our way to the English class, we were continuously pestered by Elijah about the various forms of retribution to be inflicted on Hunter. Luke and I looked at each other, and shook our heads at his antics.

English was fun. When I learnt Evengaline shared the class with us, I was beyond elated, and hugged her close to my chest in jubilance. As the teacher read Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, the two of us gushed over Heathcliff, and how men like him ceased to exist ages ago.

"Only you would allow Classical fiction heroes to ruin you for other men.", my conscience expressed her disapproval, to which I pushed her at the back of my head.

Evie and I decided to hang out at my dorm after school, and went our seperate ways. I helped myself to the washroom to freshen up and tie my hair in a pony tail. As I splashed some water on my face and rose to wipe it off, I was met with a reflection that made my insides recoil in repugnance.

"Thought I would find you here. Your guard dogs don't like to leave you alone, do they?"