The Wallflower

Lunch, part I

Sang

AP English and Calculus passed in relative silence. I saw some familiar faces and some not-so-familiar ones; at least none that were friendly. I must have the worst luck to get Danielle and Tiffany in Calculus. Thankfully all I faced from them during that period were their high-pitch giggling and matching smirks.

As Ms. Smith released us with a packet full of homework to do, I rushed out of there as quick as I could before Danielle and Tiffany could possibly corner me. I had Home Economics next and it was one of my favorite classes. I was thankful to be able to take it again.

The hallways were packed as I shoved myself into the sea of bodies. People were pushing and shoving each other to get to their next class because we only had four minutes to get from class to class before the bell rang and tardies began being issued. I could already hear teachers shouting at students to stop loitering and move to their next class as I came upon building X once again. My schedule was put together oddly and I wasn't sure why they didn't group the classes that were within the same building around the same time.

As the first bell rang, I jumped at the sound and hurried along to the room at the end of the hallway where something sweet greeted me. I could smell it all along the hallway and the scent wafted around me pleasantly.

The classroom seemed half full by the time I got there. I breathed easy, smiling at Ms. Allen who was already decked out in her chef coat with her blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun. I heard the door behind me slam shut and I turned, surprised and utterly disappointed as Danielle came through with a smile on her face.

"Sang, please sit with Silas, you know how the class is operated already and I'd like you to mentor him." Ms. Allen told me, gesturing to the dark-haired giant sitting hunched over in his seat. "And Danielle, please sit over on Lucy's table."

I frowned, blinking in surprise at the hunched form of Silas across the room. This was Home Economics II, how did Silas get into this class being new?

I felt puzzled but I couldn't ignore Ms. Allen's encouraging look as she smiled at me. My eyes shifted to Danielle who had a slight frown on her face as she walked past and over to Lucy's table, a girl in junior year. Looking over Silas, he seemed awfully big for the small stools, that didn't seem designed to suite his frame.

Silas turned his gaze my way. If he seemed surprised to see me, it didn't show but he sat up straighter on the stool and smiled at me. I approached his table rather reluctantly, my hands shaking as I pushed my glasses up my nose.

The classroom was designed to be laid out like a kitchen with a small section of rectangular tables and stools for writing assignments. The other half of the classroom consisted of prep tables, two big ovens, and a couple of reach-in refrigerators and sinks. This section of the school was old and I wasn't surprised that there still wasn't the new oven that Ms. Allen requested from Principal Hendricks.

Silas grinned from ear to ear as I pulled myself up onto a stool next to him. I was nervous and anxious as I placed my bag on the table with my gaze going anywhere but at him. Being this close to him, Silas smelled absolutely amazing and there was a distinct manly smell that was just a bit intoxicating. I swallowed uneasily, feeling my face heat.

I was hyper aware of Danielle's presence a table over and it truly felt like my every move was being watched. But it was harder to ignore Silas, with his easygoing smile and his dark, intense eyes.

As Ms. Allen began the class and started in on how the class operated, I tried my hardest to concentrate but that was easier said than done with Silas staring right at me. I don't know if it was just because I was more aware of him than anything else but his presence was hard to ignore.