The trouble maker

Chapter - 29

I kind of fidgeted the whole-time during class since I could not find Vernon anywhere, if he was absent, it was not going to work in my favour, I promised my mother that I would bring him home. So, I had to find him. But how? I didn't have the knowledge of knowing where he used to hang, and I cannot just go around and asked people about it, after their disapproving and threatening stare yesterday, asking people around was not even an option, I'd just be giving them a chance to curse me.

I knew what all the stares were about now, and what all the whispers were about, it was undoubtedly because of Alex, but also because of Vernon. With everyone picturing me as Alex's love interest, me walking with his rival was a bad image, not that I care but everybody created some ridiculous story about me, and if today, I started going around asking people where Vernon might be would make the flames go higher. And I cannot afford that now, Alex being mad at me would not benefit me in any way. So, it was solely up to me to find a way to meet up with Vernon where Alex would not accidentally find me.

"Today is your last class before your trip, are you guys excited?" Sir Philip asked us, with a sweet smile pasted on his lips which was exactly the same as what he'd shown me on my first day. The students chorused about how excited they were, with Warren throwing jokes as he always did, making the whole class filled with cackles. But I did not find anything quite funny, my mind was rather occupied, I was still asking myself if I did the right thing, I felt kind of repugnance at myself for signing a contract like this. But thinking back at my mother's smile, I could not think of anything better I had ever done. Even if this was the wrong thing, seeing my mother's smile and knowing that I kept it there was enough to made everything feel right.

"I'm always curious to know what is going on in your mind, Miss Devona?" Sir Philip's soothing voice drew me back in the present, "You always seem..." He paused searching for the right word, "Out of this world." He smiled. This was the millionth time Sir Philip called out my name in class. I could not help my state of mind, sometimes I took more than an hour to take a bath, or sometimes I'd took an hour to simply write 10 lines in my journal of how I spent my day. I was like this since I was very young, I never quite figure out whose trait this was that I took it from, it was obviously not my mother, nor my father in that department. It was just me, being an absent-minded girl, who could think of thousand things just to buy milk from a grocery store.

I sat a little straighter as I answered looking back at Sir Philip's kind eyes, "I was listening to you, sir." He simply returned me a smile and said, "Then may you present me the pleasure of answering my question if you did listen to me as you claim?" He raised his eyebrows at me, his eyes offering nothing but pure sweetness. I sometimes wondered if Sir Philip was from this world or not, how could he always wear this sweet smile of his every day, my mother would love to had him as her son, a smiling son.

Meanwhile I struggled here not to frown my whole life, but smiling was an easy task to master. And I was a great student at learning it. Then I showed him what I had learned from my lesson, and gave him my smile, "And, what about you sir?" I asked him, "Are you excited for the trip?" To prove I did listen to him, but without actually answering his question, I dared shot him back with his own question, because if I had to answer his question, it would have been a no, since I was not interested or excited, but rather I was forced to and now needs must because of the rental deal I engaged myself into.

The other girls joined in and asked him if he was interested, Sir Philip was quite popular with girls, maybe because of his young age, or his vast knowledge about history, or because of the perfect smile he always wore, or maybe because of his shining blue eyes that looked like it swam across the Pacific Ocean. There could be many reasons why all the girls tend to like his class more than any other teachers or professors in the school. I knew of many girls who were obsessed with Sir Philip, and for goodness' sake, the girls who had a crush on Sir Philip were much clever than all the majority of the student who had a crush on the demi-gods.

"I'm quite excited." He smirked, as the girls shouted with whoop of joy, "I have plans of my own, so I hope it to be quite interesting for me." He sealed with a smile. I nodded as he gave me another approving smile. And he ended the class with bunch of girls asking him what his plans were.

Now, time to find Vernon. I stood up and paced out of the classroom in a haste before any of my mates could come steal me away from my secret mission to find Vernon. I rounded up the corridor a little bit too quickly and I found myself bumping into a hard chess.

"I'm so sorry." I quickly apologized without even looking up at the chest I hit on, "Wow, who must you be, if not the Math Queen herself?" I heard a teasing voice, I looked up and saw someone who would be one of the last persons I'd like to cross path with today.

"If not, the first girl who Alex has eyes for?" Simon added, poking fun at me alongside Levi, who I had just bumped on. I inhaled the air around me deeply as I gazed at their teasing eyes, "If you will excuse me." I tried and went on as they blocked my way, together. "We never really have a chance to talk with each other, why don't you join us at lunch?" Levi offered with a devil smile on his lips.

"I'm sure someone would be very delighted to see you." Simon added as Levi agreed, "Very delighted, yes or...no?" He looked at Simon, "After what happened yesterday, I doubt it." He laughed, "Come on Lev, he left him untouched, did he not? That could only mean one thing." And they talked with each other as if I was not present in front of them.

"I'm still amazed how he'd let Vernon go after he lunched with his woman." Levi said to Simon, looking up at the ceiling as if he was really thinking about it, but I know for sure they were merely just trying to mess with my head, "This friend of ours is one mysterious guy, is he not?" Simon asked, "He'd break the bone of someone who dare sit on his seat and yet let go of someone who lunched with his woman?" He shook his head as he laughed. "Not that anyone ever dare sit on his seat." Levi added.

I closed my eyes briefly for a second to held back my pumping blood which wanted me to berate them, and chose my words carefully, "If you're done babbling about your friend, please excuse me!" I spitted, "I have no single interest to lunch with a babbling bumbling band of baboons."