The Unmatched Beauty

Chapter 4

The New Student

"Thanks for dropping me. Don't fall asleep at class and Don't. Get. Into. A. Fight." Adira reminded once again to which Phil replied with a nod and soft grumble that satisfied Adira as she showed a beautiful beaming smile. "I'm off. Bye!"

"Really, she's too mean." Phil muttered softly with a small gentle smile that vanished all too suddenly when he noticed a man, donned in the same uniform as the boys that went to Adira's school, watching him intently.

What's this wacko's problem?

He thought to himself briefly before deciding to ignore him and drove away. Adira was safe at school anyway. No one would dare hurt her. No one.

..

"She came to school with a guy." Archard muttered as he followed the speeding car with his eyes before shifting his attention to Adira walking in.

No one's paying her any attention. Is she an outcast?

He pondered and walked close to her. Well, it'll be easier to acquaint with her like that then. Was what he thought as he approached her and cheerfully greeted her.

Adira, however, acted as if she didn't hear anything and kept walking away. Archard was confused but decided to follow her for the time being.

Did she hear me? Or did she intentionally ignore me?

"Hey. Hey. You. Student. Girly! Little dove!"

"What did you just call me?" Finally, he seized Adira's attention. Although it wasn't exactly the nice type of attention. It seems he managed to piss her off at their first official meeting and, damn it all to hell, she really got a lovely pair of eyes that shone just like the prettiest and most precious jewels.

It caught Archard off guard as her eyes shone with annoyance and, man, was it lovely and sexy.

"Do you perhaps know which way to go to the director's office?" He smiled, a friendly atmosphere coating his whole being that oddly bewildered Adira. No one was that friendly with her. No one that knows her.

This idiot must be out of his mind to even come up and talk to me. Well, I'll humour you then. You'll keep your distance soonest anyway.

"Straight. Left. First staircase. Up one floor. Right. Last door on the corridor. Sign above that says Director's Office. 'Kay, bye!" Adira directed as briefly as possible and raised her hand as a gesture to excuse herself and be on her way.

"Wait! I have a bit of trouble with directions. Would you please guide me there?" He asked with his ever present smile as he snatched Adira's wrist before she could walk away.

What's this wacko's problem?

Adira thought and grumbled a low "fine" as she drew her hand from his hold harshly than necessary to silently tell him what he was doing wasn't fine.

If this wacko knew who I was, he would not dare do this. You know, you could lose your hand any moment dude. Exercise some restraint.

Walking along the corridors, all eyes were on them. Why? That'll be because someone was tailing Adira Costello—the Adira Costello had some boy tailing her all around.

Whispers were starting to raise in the air that Adira had struggled to keep herself from hearing them but to no avail. One whisper that reached her ears were "Poor boy, he surely won't last a day here."

Another was, "Poor he. He won't know what hit him just because he associated himself with Adira."

A friend had answered the latter with a harsh "Shh." Before continuing with "Don't mention her name! Else who knows what they'll do! They might even cut your tongue!"

Ah. Now, you should have a bit of an idea, right? You really should keep yourself away from me, stranger. Else, forfeit your life. I am someone you cannot approach too easily.

"Here it is." Adira spoke as she stopped in front of a door with a sign above it that says Director's Office. "I'm going then."

And with that, Adira turned on her heel and walked away before she was halted by someone once again grabbing her hand that involuntarily made her turn around. Confused and surprised.

"Thank you." He beamed a happy and innocent smile that made Adira think such a waste of innocence.

"You're welcome. So please." Adira replied and once again yanked her hand back harshly. "Stop grabbing people so suddenly like that. I'm off."

This time, before Adira was once again caught by this weird guy, she dashed off as fast as she could back to her classroom.

Her seat was situated at the farthest corner of the room. It was better for her though. She can hide when the teacher's lesson gets too boring and she would stop paying attention or sleep on her desk.

Another peak of her seat was that, it was beside the window. So she could spend most of her time admiring the soft cherry blossoms that blooms every spring, or the soft and harsh pitter patters of rain every rainy season, or even the slow descent of the white powdery snow as they slowly pile up from the ground and painted the world white time and time again.

Adira finished organizing and keeping her bag beside her table when the classroom door pushed open and the teacher stepped in.

He was speaking about a transfer student and he immediately lost Adira's interest. After all, it's just another addition to the mob that keeps distance from her.

Wait.. transfer.. student?

Adira whipped her head back to the front just in time to see the student that stepped in after he was called by the teacher and the latter proceeded to write his name on the board that was behind him.

"Archard... Marcatto?" Adira whispered as she read the name written on the board.

"Everyone, please help Archard adjust to things here in the school. Okay, Archard, you can introduce yourself."

"Hello, ladies and gents, good morning. I am Archard Marcatto. I'm from the west but I had to transfer due to personal issues. I hope to spend a fruitful and good school year with you." He introduced and bowed from his hips with great composure and posture.

What the heck's with this wacko?! Why is he here?!

Adira screamed in her head that went with the squealing girls that sounded just like a tire screeching to a halt. Really, girls.

"Settle down please, everyone. Anyway, Archard, please settle down on the empty seat close to the door." The teacher instructed him and he did walk down the small pedestal but he walked close to Adira's seat, who was crouching as low as she could on her table to avoid meeting his eye.

What's his problem really?! Why's he coming over here?! God! Why?!

"This is my seat here, right?" Adira heard him and thought he was talking to her so she carefully—yet stiffly—turned to gaze up at him but he wasn't looking at her. Instead to the boy who sat beside her.

What? What's he doing claiming that seat?

"Uh. No, man. Teach said you sit there." Adira's seatmate retorted as he pointed to the empty seat five seats away from them.

"Did you not hear me say that this is my seat?"

For a moment, Adira felt a peculiar chill from this unpredictable stranger that got her shifting her gaze from her seatmate to this Archard guy.

"Yeah! Why don't you just move Lee? Give that seat to Archard." The girls of the class was now uniting against this poor Lee guy. My, looks dominate everywhere, huh?

"I'd prefer to be addressed as Mr. Marcatto though? Or just Marcatto is fine." He beamed a swooning smile towards the girls that immediately agreed with no second thoughts.

The poor Lee guy picked his things and transferred to the seat meant for this Marcatto guy as the latter fixed his own things in the seat beside Adira.

"He'ya. We meet again, little dove."

Man, my nightmare's just starting, isn't it?