Story Requests

Boys

Students exchanged notes. Whispering echoed around the classroom. There was stares and pointing, and everyone knew what the stares and whispers were about. 

Just two student: Charlie Yamin and Iliad Henderson. 

Rumour had it that Iliad's parents were excessively cruel, and she always got in trouble with them over nothing; she was sometimes even half-starved and locked in her room. Charlie had stumbled across her house, found her and rescued her. Iliad had been going to the school for at least a month now, and they always sat next to each other in classes, even at break times. 

  As the teacher ranted on about the Aztecs and their apparently amazing culture, Cho whispered something to Amai, then nudged Eugenia's arm. She pointed at something and made a disgusted face. 

Eugenia swung her head to look where her friend was pointing. Charlie and Iliad were seated next to each other again, exchanging kisses on the cheek and gazing into each other's eyes. Iliad was smiling about something, presumedly a compliment from Charlie, and she was looking downwards. 

Cho rolled her eyes and turned back towards the front. Eugenia thought about this. She knew that Cho was jealous. She was attracted to hot boys like a toddler is attracted to lollies; watching romance movies and anime love stories; she daydreamed of finding true love all day long. And Euegenia was starting to feel it herself, but with another boy. Her eyes swivelled to look at the young couple in the back row. 

Iliad flicked her eyes up at Charlie and — the look he gave her — now that was true love. Not the kind of teenage romance that you see on the television, it was the real deal. The real thing. And then they leaned toward each other, slowly, slowly...

"Charlie Yamin!"

The two jerked back and Charlie turned to stare at the teacher who called his name. He stood, arms by his sides. "Yes sir?" he asked. 

"You will both go to the principals office. Tell the him that you are having an affair. Go, now."

Charlie blinked and glanced back at his girlfriend. "Right now?" 

"Yes, right now. Go, both of you!" 

Iliad smiled reassuringly back at him, and they left the classroom as happy as ever, swinging their clasped hands. 

"Ha," Cho muttered, just before: "I wonder if anyone else will have an affair in class today."

With that last comment from her friend, Eugenia almost wished that it was true about her. Her thoughts turned from history to Jayden in a matter of seconds. 

Jayden Caddel was one of the older boys; he was in her year but he was more mature than most of the others. His sense of humour was enlightening, he smiled a lot and just wanted nothing but peace at school, although the ironic thing was that he was always very defensive about his friends. Once, a pretty but sly year 9 girl tried to swipe Charlie's bag behind his back. Jayden went after her and forced her to apologise and return the stolen property. He really was a good boy. 

She sat in her chair and thought of nothing else for the rest of the class. Jayden was the only thing on her mind. Then a loud, shrill ringing started to echo through the rooms. It was break time. Students stood, scraping the chairs on the floor, chatting noisily, throwing rubbish, and slowly filing out through the one doorway. 

Eugenia didn't hear the bell. She was sitting facing the window, her eyes sparkling and her thoughts going around in circles: Does he like me back? What will happen if I tell him my feelings? I didn't know I would fall in love; Is this what it feels like? But how will I know my feelings are true? and back again. 

Cho, noticing her friend was lost in her thoughts, frowned. She waved a hand in front of her face. "Hello? Where are you? Eugenia!"

Eugenia jumped. "Oh, it's you," she said. Then, looking around blinking, "Wait. Is it break already?"

A high-pitched, bubbly laugh came from Cho's mouth. "You didn't hear the bell? What were you thinking about?"

The blonde girl's cheeks reddened, wondering, Does she know?  Eugenia then blinked several times and replied, "Nothing. Well, not anything worth mentioning." 

Cho prodded her on the shoulder. "What's the matter with you today? You know you can tell me anything." Her eyes were scanning Eugenia up and down, her face expressing the mix of emotions that were prompted by the reply: confusion, worry, and curiosity. But Eugenia knew that Cho wouldn't overstep boundaries and force her to confess, so she shared: "I was just thinking about someone. But it's nothing, don't worry." 

And it is nothing, she told herself. Cho wouldn't care anyways. Besides, it's a one-in-a-million chance that he actually likes me back. He probably doesn't even know who I am or what my name is. It doesn't matter. 

"Ok," Cho responded, dismissing the conversation. "Then let's go out to break."

They made their way through the crowd of people and out the doorway, disappearing down the corridors.