The Explorers

Chapter 1

She sucked in a breath, and with a beating heart, stepped into the classroom. This was like any usual day for August.
"Hey, Augie!", Margaret chimed in, jolting August with a loud pat on her back.
August chuckled.
The classroom started to smell like sunshine as she parted the curtains and the sunlight spilled across the room, oozing through window panes.

Half a month in her new college flew away with an unnoticeable speed. And as talked about in old lore of being, leaves were already tinted pale yellow and ochre as autumn dwelled upon the city. August had gotten close enough to few people- Alexa whose new blonde highlighted streaks couldn't go unnoticed when she twirled and twisted them between her fingers, and Bailey who  couldn't stop mentioning her new pet guinea pig, in every sentence she uttered.

Oh, and this guy, named Elio. Yes, the special character! 

August and Margaret could see Elio already mingled well with the classroom's male crew, as they sat munching on crisp fries at the lunch table.

~ ***** ~

It was 6 pm and August was headed to the library. Chilly winds tinted her nose and cheeks red.
She could see chairs arranged in a circle. A few of which were already occupied with her classmates chattering and practicing their poetry recital. That's what she was here for. Her school's literary club had organized this recital two months ago and declared it a compulsion for each pupil to attend, because students were basically contributing nothing to the club except adding innumerable books to their to-be-read lists.
Everyone started reciting. And then it was August's turn. She started reading from the paper she held in nervous hold. It was an excerpt from Sylvia Plath's Lady Lazarus.
A number of times August tried to shut her brain and read the poem. She was trying so hard, like every time. And she did it, without anyone else noticing.

" .... Peel off the napkin,
O my enemy,
Do I terrify? ", she ended her recitation on this note. As she took off her glance from paper and looked up, August found herself still, under a few twenty pair of eyes, Elio being one of them. Her eyes nervously turned to floor and she headed to her seat, ignoring Elio's glaring. She was only afraid if he noticed anything odd.

That night, August was too tired of intrusive thoughts spiraling throughout her brain. Conjecturing every cell of her body. She didn't hold back the tears as they rolled out of eyes, while her head rested on the soft pillow. 

~*****~

It had been a week, and August had managed to embarrass herself enough in front of Elio several times for the eye-contacts. It was getting more and more awkward each day. 

She would get anxious whenever he was near. She hated ignoring him but she couldn't help for coming across him would make her feel self-conscious.
She felt like he'd see her as a total weirdo.

Today, everyone was done with the recital earlier than expected. It was Ruth's idea to spend the time playing some steamy, dramatic game of truth and dare. August somehow managed to be allowed as the only audience to the game. However, Elio was dragged in for a round, by Justin. 

The game consisted of a few gruesomely passionate kisses (August would rather choose death over performing such drama in public), some embarrassing confessions and breath-taking dares like eating an apple slice dipped in ketchup and mayonnaise. 

In next turn, the bottle flipped and stopped pointing at Elio. The whole crowd went, "Ohhhhhhhh.."

"So what to do with you, my little boy?", Justin chimed in with a huge sly grin spread over his lips. 

"I will speak", Ruth jumped in with excitement and same sly smile Justin had. "You will confess your love to August. Like act a confession? The needed Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet". 

And August's eyes widened. Her face turned red like a tomato and she could hear her anxious heart beating furiously. 

"W-What?", she let out a nervous chuckle. "But I'm not even a part of the game- I'm not even- not even playing?". 

"You do not choose to be a part of THIS very game, sweetie. Call it fate or whatever but yes- !!", Ruth spoke and dramatically clasped her hands together. "So now... Come on, you two!!". 

August was too anxious to speak. Her body cold and too weak to respond. She looked at Elio, who glanced at her and then the others.

"Let's leave it, guys. Let's not bother August. And considering why she chose to not play-", Elio spoke with a weird, worried and nervous expression hinting in his face. 

"But considering she chose to stay and watch-" Ruth defended, and was suddenly cut in by Elio . 

"Ruth, please!". This time he carried a stern expression on his face and with those words Elio grabbed his jacket hung on the back post of the chair beside, and left.