The Whisper Seekers

You Can Call Me Queen Bee

I'm sitting on a bench in the locker room, changing into my gym uniform when a T.A rounds the corner to hand me a yellow note from the main office. I glance down to check who summoned me and then pop my head up. 

"Well ladies, looks like I won't be running today after all," I brag. "For once I have a valid excuse to miss it. See y'all later." I don't miss the annoyed eye roll Harper gives Lily as I swing my locker door shut and trot out of the locker room. 

Not bothering to change back into my school clothes, I head down to the office and then wave to the office secretary. She directs me to the principal's office and doesn't notice the flicker of confusion on my face. I knock on Mr. Anderson's door and then peek around the corner. When Mr. Anderson spots me, he stands and motions to the student sitting in the brown leather chair across from his desk. The guy turns around to face me and I catch his ocean-colored eyes widen when he takes me in. His expression could either be confused or awestruck and all of a sudden, I am extremely self-conscious- an emotion I haven't felt in years. I am standing there in my navy and yellow gym uniform with white socks that reach my knees and a silly sideways ponytail while this gorgeous stranger stares back at me. 

"Ellie, this is Liam Greysor, he just transferred here from Houston and as part of your Class Presidential duties, you will be showing him around and taking him to his classes," he looks from me to the new kid, "Have fun and Liam, welcome to Highland Park High." Mr. Anderson musters up a grin and guestures toward his door. I watch as Liam plucks his backpack off the floor and he smirks as I lead him out of the office. I take the schedule the secretary just freshly printed for him and quickly review his classes. 

I try not to stare at anything other than the paper, but I'm having a hard time focusing on his schedule. Liam is breathtakingly gorgeous and I already feel oddly nervous around him. He is fashionable for a high school student, wearing dark blue Hudson skinny jeans with a cotton black V-neck t-shirt. A glossy silver TAG watch glistens off one of his wrists while the other is piled with different colored braided bracelets. He's clean-cut with a touch of rebellion. His hair is messy but it's more hair gel than effortless and his dark blue almond-shaped eyes mesmerize me. He is so well put together that I have to wonder if he's gay. 

"I'm totally straight," Liam blurts out and my mouth drops open. Was I that obvious with my facial expressions? He is quiet for a moment like he's waiting for me to say something obvious but I just stare at him, completely clueless. He quickly back peddles, "Sorry it's just the way you were checking me out. I mean, I happened to notice you were staring me down and your facial expression just-" 

"I wasn't checking you out," I cut him off, but we both know I'm lying.

"Well if you were to check me out, I'm very much straight and very much single." He bounces his eyebrows up and down and a wicked smile sprawls out across his face. My stomach clenches when I realize it's the kind of smile that makes girls do stupid things. The desire to be the recipient of a flash of those pearly whites will cause chaos in this school. I frown in response, now knowing he's cocky and fully aware of how good-looking he is. 

"Well fortunately, I'm taken and very busy, so let's get this tour over with shall we?" I shove my embarrassed feelings aside and quickly regroup. I quickly lead him to the common area that sits right in the middle of our school and show him how it connects all the different hallways. I point down the different halls in a flight attendant fashion as he nods his head at my directions. I watch as he glances around the common area and I inform him that it's the same as our cafeteria come lunchtime. Before and after lunch period, it's arranged with long wooden tables with plastic chairs that students can filter through throughout the day. Since class has already started, the cafeteria/common area is quiet and there are only a few students studying at the tables.