Filling The Void | ✔️

Filling The Void | Chapter Four | Something new

"He's in my English class, science class, history, and French!" I groan as Kaitlyn and I leave the front office with our schedules.

She laughs, "Meant to be I guess." She murmurs under her breath.

I shake my head, stuffing the half sheet of paper into my back pocket.

We've been roaming the hallways and word of there being a new girl has been spread, which surprises me. We're a really small feeder school from elementary to middle school to high school. Which means we've all been stuck with each other since the first grade.

Fortunately for the girl, all the guys in school will be jumping on her like animals. Fresh meat in a zoo.

Kaitlyn has spent the last five minutes bugging me, saying I'm stalling so I won't have to go to class. I would say she's wrong, but shes actually spot on. I've been walking circles around the school procrastinating.

Having to sit in five classes with Ryder in the same room is going to mess with my head, stomach, and body.

After our interaction only twenty minutes ago he'd split off for his group of friends, engaging in fist pumps and boy talk.

I was fine at first, nothing was different and I could push it down when to came to only my thoughts. But then he looked back, over his shoulder and right at me.

I was fine, really, I was. Until the corner of his mouth lifted and the small dimple on his right cheek poked out.

"It's not meant to be." I grumble, crossing my arms over my chest as I force out the memory of his goofy smile.

I roll my eyes as she wiggles her eyebrows at me, my defense clearly not going to put her nagging to an end.

Soon, we split up to head to class, the warning bell forcing me to partake in two things I hate.

Being anxious and being anxious next to Ryder.

When I get there I'm bombarded by seniors running around and jumping on each other.

Clearly, none of these goon heads had changed over the summer.

I gasp, ducking under someone's swipe, my body running straight into someone. They push me away and I'm bumped out of the chaos circle, able to take my first breath of the past two minutes.

Thankfully for me, the teacher has dozed off and is drooling all over what looks like our syllabus packets.

After watching tons of kids write on the board, some profanity, some just playing hangman, my gaze roams over the empty seats, not spotting Ryder. My brows pinch together, but when I feel a gentle hand pulling me further out of the crowd of monkeys I look up.

"Hey."

Ryder.

He smiles, his hand still latched onto my wrist. The skin there becomes hot and I take a breath to steady my heart.

He brings me to the back of the class, pulling out the chair next to his.

The back of the room wasn't my preference due to wanting to actually participate but it didn't really look like the teacher cared about the lesson let alone the packets he was moistening.

This, is why I take a seat anyway, letting my bag fall down by my feet. I feel the schedule paper crinkle in the pocket beneath me and swallow back the reminder that I'll be going through this four times a day for five days a week.

"Hi" I chirped, forcing the butterflies back into their cage. Thankfully, they listened and I took a deep breath, "This is crazy."

He nods as we sit down, "I heard he sleeps all the time."