"Typical."
Emily scowled slightly when the new boy walked into the classroom. Taking in his short but wavy brown hair, toned muscles and jawline, he, Emily had to admit, was quite cute. She shook the thoughts off.
Probably just another fuckboy, after all.
Yet despite her efforts, she seemed to be unable to take her eyes off of him. And she wasn't the only one.
She noticed Becky, sitting in the far back corner of the classroom, seemed to be ogling him through her pink-framed glasses. Becky was a bitch. It was as simple as that. She came from a wealthy family of doctors, but it was clear she had no intention of carrying on the legacy. She didn't have the intelligence or respect for the job. And because she was right, Becky tended to believe she was superior to most of the seniors. She seemed to be the unannounced leader of her small clique, her small group of friends. Emily scowled inwardly as she noticed several of Becky's friends were watching the new boy as well.
She was surprised at the sudden rush of jealousy, and was quick to shove away the thought. He didn't even know she existed, after all. When the bell rang, signifying the beginning of break, Emily rushed out of the class, careful to avoid Becky's glare. She made her way as quickly as she could to the school library. She glanced at the clock. It was 9:03, and the break lasted for forty minutes. It would be enough time to completely finish her History homework. Glancing at the clock once more, she began to write.
-----
Emily leaned back in her chair, dropping her pencil. The paper before her was covered in eraser smudges, and pencil markings. She wanted to pull her hair out. As she was about to reach and tear the paper into pieces, she heard a voice behind her.
"Hey."
Dropping the paper quickly, Emily whirled in her seat. It was the new kid. Despite her initial thoughts, she found herself blushing.
"Hi," she squawked awkwardly.
The new senior smiled. "I'm Tristan. You're Emily, right?"
Emily was shocked. "How'd you know?"
Tristan simply grinned. "Some girl named Becky told me about you."
With a groan, Emily replied, "What did she say? If it was something bad, I swear to God..."
"Well, some of it was a bit derogatory. But it's fine," Tristan said. "I'd rather find out for myself."
Emily found herself blushing once more. She laughed awkwardly. Her eyes widened as Tristan slumped into the seat beside her. He glanced at the messy paper and gestured at it. "Is that that history assignment?"
"Yeah," Emily nodded. Her embarrassment faded slightly, and she scowled at the paper. "I hate it. I don't know what I'm doing."
Tristan laughed and grabbed the page. He skimmed through it in a matter of seconds, and he laughed. "It isn't that hard." He grabbed the pencil and erased the first answer, replacing it with his own. He repeated the action for several of the other questions before dropping the pencil and leaning back in his chair.
Emily simply watched in a sense of shock. Without thinking, she blurted, "You're a history nerd?" She immediately blushed and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean i-"
Tristan laughed. "It's fine. Not like you're wrong, either. I love history. Don't know about 'nerd', though."
With a giggle, Emily felt herself growing comfortable around Tristan. They talked for several more minutes, and he revealed that he actually played football. He was one of the best in the state. Emily didn't play any sports, but she managed to keep herself in shape just by eating the right foods. When the bell rang once more, she was shocked to realize that she was disappointed her time with Tristan had come to an end. Reluctantly, she grabbed her bags.
"It was nice meeting you Emily," Tristan said, tucking his chair back underneath the desk. "What class do you have?"
Emily pulled out her phone. Her background was a screenshot of her schedule. "AP Physics," she said with a frown. "Another one of the most boring classes."
Tristan pulled out a physical copy of his schedule from his pocket. He searched for his next class, and his eyes widened slightly. He held out the paper for Emily to see. "Well what do you know, so do I."
Emily blushed and coughed to cover her glee. She nearly tripped over her own feet, but Tristan managed to steady her. It was only her luck that Becky turned the corner at that exact moment, with her small group in tow. Becky scowled. Then she grinned and whispered something into her friend's ear as they walked by, and they all giggled. Emily flushed with anger, and continued walking. Tristan simply watched the encounter in silence. After a few minutes, he decided to address it.
"What's the story between you and Becky?"
"There is none," Emily said. She frowned. "She's just such a.... Bitch."
Tristan's eyes widened. Emily noticed.
"What," she demanded.
Tristan grinned placatingly. "Nothing. You seem so innocent, just didn't think you were the type of person to curse."