Unnatural

A Nickname

I nod to his question before speaking up. "It's not that I feel alone. It's more of an awkward feeling." I look at down at the table and continue. "I've never really been too social, but at least no one looked like they were disgusted by me." I sigh and look back up at him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a deep conversation... anyway I guess I should tell you my name. I'm Oliver." I notice him smile then quickly giggle, almost as if what I said was funny.

"No, no, please, it's no problem at all." He answers placing his hands in front of his chest. It's almost as if he's trying to make me feel better. "Honestly, it's good to open up to people, especially if you're new here. Also, for the record, if you think people are disgusted with you, ignore them. It just means they aren't worth your time."

I give him a soft smile and look back up at the board. "Thanks." I say as Mr. Thompson continues teaching. I can feel Taro give quick glances in my direction as the class continues. We work pretty quickly on the assignment, allowing us to finish faster than most teams.

"Can I call you Olie?" Taro asks looking away. This is the first time I've had someone ask about something like a nickname. I quickly nod and respond to him.

"Yeah, I like it... and I guess it's easier to say than Oliver." I look over and notice how happy he seems at the thought of me saying yes. He gives me a light chuckle and looks back at me.

"I'm glad. I was hoping you wouldn't mind it." he says with that same hum in his voice. The way he looks at me is almost enough to make my heart stop. The way he just gives me that smile and stares into my eyes is almost enchanting. I can't help but notice the way his eyes seem to glow when he looks at me. It just makes my heart beat even faster than before.

We have about 10 minutes left in class, and so far, I'm still confused about everything. Luckily, Taro knows what to do. We finished our first assignment earlier than Mr. Thompson expected, which caused him to give us more work. I honestly hope he doesn't do this all year... that would be a fucking nightmare.

"Hey, um... I don't wanna sound stupid but... how the hell am I supposed to do this?" I ask Taro as I point to the question on the paper we were assigned. Taro giggles and points out the apparently obvious answer. That's according to him anyway.

"Right. Not to sound mean but.... It's really simple. You just have to do this." He takes the pencil and marks down the equation that I should be using and shows me what to do. I guess he's pretty smart... or maybe I'm just an idiot.

The bell rings and I start packing my things into my bag. Taro does the same and gets up. He hands over both of our assignments to Mr. Thompson and waits for me before we both leave the class. He looks over my shoulder and at my schedule. He points me in the direction I should go for my next class and then heads to his own.