Ignorance Isn't Bliss (True Story)

Chapter 3: You Can Know Me Too

The following day, Alice and I had a laugh about the creepy guy being in my English class. How out of 1,068 students and who knows how many senior level English classes, he ended up in mine. It was a cruel twist of fate. Or as I liked to refer to it, the universe mocking my desperate need for life to be like it was in the movies. 

This realization was troublesome for me, because it indirectly fueled my curiosity. I was a curious person by nature, all humans were. But in my case, I was willing to place myself in sticky situations just to get answers. Although I'd never been in this kind of situation, which made me consider the reward to be even more worthwhile. So, I did the dumbest thing any 16 year old could do. I decided to try and get to know the creepy stranger.

That same day, I looked forward to my English class. It's odd I know. I was looking forward to getting answers. Why did he approach Alice and I years ago? Why not capitalize on it soon after? Why sit snugly behind me in our shared class and make things weird? What were his intentions?

I was always a good student; always on time for class, and I never ditched. Honestly, I wish I'd done more of that. I learned too late that high school really didn't matter. Especially because I was planning on going to community college anyway. I could've had a lot more fun but admittedly, I was boring back then. Of course, until this random dude waltzed into my life.

So, I made it to class fairly early. I wanted to see if maybe the stranger would choose another seat and that yesterday's blunder was just him testing his memory. Seeing if he really did remember me correctly. As, I was sure, he'd come across many girls in his high school career and already had a fuzzy remembrance to begin with.

But when I opened the heavy door and the wind current from inside the class washed over me, I noticed him. Sitting in the exact same seat as yesterday, head hung over a notebook that he was doodling in. There were maybe three other early students in the class. And my friend Miranda was no where in sight.

Mr. Sharma, surprisingly being early to class this time, looked up at me and nodded towards the desks to his right, "You can sit down Melody, once a few more people come in I'll start," I was sure the teacher remembered me by name because I spoke up the day before. And because I was practically sitting on his coattail while mostly everyone else avoided the dreaded 'teacher's pet' area.

Taking the control right out from under me, the mere mention of my name was the stranger's trigger to look up from his busy-work. His expression was blank until he recognized me. Then, as I shuffled to my usual seat, he leaned back in his chair with a smug look to him.

I shrugged my bag off my shoulder and pulled out a book to get my mind off of the awkwardness. I'd already forgotten why I was excited to come here in the first place. My plan was to take the reins and have the control, but this was real life. Real life never goes according to plan. That was why escapism was a big part of my life.

"Melody?" he asked as though he was confirming my name.

"Yes," I responded bluntly.

I heard him shuffle in his seat, only to feel his breath on the back of my neck soon after as he spoke, "I'm Shawn," he said in a low voice, "what are you reading there?"

I assumed he was able to see over my shoulder, and this fact quickly made me uncomfortable. So I shifted a little to the right in my seat.

That must have given him a good hint, because Shawn then leaned back in his seat with a sigh, "I get it," he said, "it's personal, right?"

He was referring to the questionnaire from the day before. He was using my words and their meaning against me. I could practically hear the smile in his voice. This was his ludicrous attempt at trying to tease me.