Secrets In The Garden / l.h ✔️

36

~Ophelia's POV~

I stretched my arms above my head as I stood up from the breakfast table, my backpack now slung over my shoulder. Everyone else had already fled from the table once the bell rang, heading off to their first period classes.

Not wanting to be late, I began to go to my first period as well, not very surprised when Luke walked up beside me as I left the cafeteria. We did have first period together, so he usually would walk with me there, and today was no different. He and I hadn't spoken a whole lot during school hours, since I really only had first period with him, and my two free periods as well. To be fair, that was mostly because he didn't eat breakfast or lunch with us anymore, since Stella hated his guts now.

The two of us headed into the class and then stopped in our tracks, as the desks had been completely moved around. I cocked my head to the side, noticing that everyone else was standing around in the class as well, equally as confused as Luke and I. He and I looked at one another at the same time, looks of confusion on both our faces. We had never moved seats before, nor had Ms. Chen ever even mentioned that we would be. I couldn't help but to wonder what brought this on, but I just patiently stood off to the side, waiting for her to tell everyone where to sit.

Ms. Chen looked over at Luke and I and smiled at us. "Oh, good, you two already know each other, so no need for awkward introductions." She said, making my brows furrow. She either didn't notice my confusion or just ignored it, gesturing her hand to two desks that were side by side, right up against the other. "Luke, you'll be here," She began, pointing to the desk on the left, "and you'll be here, Ophelia." She pointed to the desk on the right. I gaped at her and heard Luke snickering beside me, amused at the situation. "Aw," Luke teased, slinging his arm around my shoulder to pull me into his side. "She's speechless because she's so excited to be able to sit by one of her best friends," He said to Ms. Chen, who had been looking a little worried at my reaction.

She smiled in amusement and laughed softly, walking off to assign everyone else to their new seats. With his arm still around me, Luke walked us over to our new seats and he sat down, looking up at me when I just stood there. "Are you gonna sit or just stand there looking silly?" He asked me, raising a brow.

My cheeks warmed and I pushed a strand of my hair back, looping my bag around the back of my seat before I sat down beside him, having to do an awkward scoot between his chair and mine to even be able to sit. It ended up with me practically shoving my breasts in his face, which he didn't seem to mind very much at all, judging by the cheeky smirk on his lips. "Don't even say anything." I whispered, knowing before he had even opened his mouth that he was likely going to make an inappropriate comment not fit for school. He was far too comfortable being openly sexual, about anything, and at any place. It was like he had no shame.

Thankfully, he chuckled and decided not to comment for my sake, relaxing in his chair as Ms. Chen shut the classroom door and stood over by the dry erase board at the front of the room. She smiled at all of us, as friendly as ever. I don't think I'd ever had a teacher as friendly as her, honestly.

"You're probably wondering why I gave you all new seats." She said to us, and it was right then that I noticed the big list she had written on the dry erase board in a bright red dry erase marker. I wasn't sure how I'd missed it before now. "So, you and your new desk partner are going to be doing a project together, just as a way for all of you to get the chance to get more comfortable with each other. I noticed a lot of you didn't seem to talk with the people you sat with before." She explained, and a couple of people groaned in complaint. I, on the other hand, didn't mind.

"Oh, hush." She said to the ones complaining, a playful grin on her face. "You guys are stuck in these seats for the rest of the semester, anyways, so you might as well get used to it." She said, and then she ignored the even louder complaints from a couple more students.