Chapter 6: Chapter 6 NEW STUDENT

“Class, listen! We have a new transferee student here, so please be good to him.” Mr. Twain announced in front of the class holding a piece of paper, probably the new student’s profile and information. “Mr. Reid, please introduce yourself.”

My eyes narrowed when the guy Mr. Twain called entered the room confidently. His eyes framed with a thick rimmed glasses roamed around the room and he bowed and slightly smile when he met mine. He was the guy in the halls, yesterday. The guy who wanted to be my friend.

“Good morning. I’m Vince, 17.” He shortly introduced himself, making the whole class fell in silence.

But I heard Violet whispered “another nerd” to Debra and I saw them looked at my way with a scorn face.

“What school are you from, Vince?” Mr. Twain asked.

“Manchester Academy.”

The young teacher nodded. “Okay, take a seat beside Miss Hemmings.” He pointed at my direction, but Debra’s in front of me and the seat next to her was also vacant so I assumed she’s the “Miss Hemmings” Mr. Twain was referring to.

I shrugged my shoulders and continued flipping the page of my book, looking for the lesson we’ve tackled yesterday. I knew Mr. Twain always surprised us with a quiz, so it’s better to be ready than sorry.

“Not here!” I looked up and saw Debra put her bag on the seat next to her, pushing Vince away. I looked away and shifted back my eyes on the book.

“Muscles store glucose, in forms of glycogen,” I whispered repeatedly trying to get it inside of my head. “The chemical symbol for silver is Ag, gold is Au, and lead is Pb. Ag’s atomic number is 47, and the atomic weight is—“

“Hi…” I was cut off by a deep voice of someone who sat next to me. “We meet again. And we’re classmates. Lucky me.” He said. “I’m Vince, and you are?”

I sighed. “Stella.” I replied shortly not taking away my eyes on the book.

“Stella, you have a very beautiful name. I hope you don’t mind if—“

“Please, I’m trying to study here.” I snapped.

I knew I was being rude here but I remembered what he said to me yesterday. That he wanted us to be friends, and that made me feel scared. Not for me, but for him. He was a nice guy and I don’t want to think that they will do the same things they did to Andrew.

“I just want us to be friends.” He mumbled under his breath and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him But why me? Of all the students here, why does he want me to be his friend? Maybe because we’re both nerd?

I shook my head. “No.”

Mr. Twain announced that the supposedly surprised quiz would be done tomorrow because there was a new student today, so he ended up discussing a new lesson.

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I was heading my way to the cafeteria to buy food for my lunch when Vince ran up with me. “Hey, let’s eat together?” he panted, out of breath from running up, smiling at me but I ignored him. He scratched his nape and leveled up with my fast pace.

We continued walking in silence when I saw Tyler with Maxine. Her arms looped around him and her head set on his shoulder while they walked to the cafeteria.

“You like him?” Vince suddenly asked.

“No.”

“It’s obvious, Stella. I can see it in your eyes.” he then leaned forward and whispered into my ear. “Eat lunch with me, and I won’t tell your secret to anyone.” He joked and that made me smile. How could he tell my secret to others when he’s new here. He barely knew anyone. “Yes, finally! You smiled at me!”

I laughed and playfully hit him in the arm. “Fine! Let’s go!” I told him as I pulled him in the arm.

“Where are you going, Stella?” Vince asked me when I walked my way out of the cafeteria holding my usual lunch, a bread and a banana.

“I don’t eat here, Vince.” I said, continued walking but he stopped me from moving forward.

“There are many vacant tables out there. Let’s eat here.” He pulled me by the hand.

“No—“ I protested but it was too late. Someone tripped him and he fell on the floor. Dave, who tripped him laughed aloud together with Debra and their group of friends.

Vince crawled on the floor, looking for his glasses. I saw it beside Mark’s shoes and he was about to step on it with his left foot when I kicked him hard and picked down the thick rimmed glasses.

I gave it to Vince and helped him get up but then I gasped when suddenly a cold liquid was poured onto my head.

“Oh my God, Harry! That was a nice move!” Violet squealed. And their laughter boomed inside the cafeteria watching with how messed I and Vince looked.

We finally got up from the floor and I saw from the corner of my eye that Tyler watched the whole scene with his fist clenched and jaw tightened. What’s his problem? He should be happy that someone’s taking in his shoes.

Vince stopped from walking and placed his hands on my shoulders. “I have a spare PE shirt in my locker.” he told me wiping my hair with his handkerchief, trying to get dry the orange juice on the strands of my hair. “Let’s go, so you can change your shirt.”

I nodded and we began walking again when a soft fabric cloth was thrown on my face. Instead of getting mad, I inhaled the cloth with a mix scent of fabric conditioner and a musk cologne. It smelled like… “Change on it, nerd!”

“Tyler?” I quickly removed the white shirt on my face and I saw Tyler’s broad back walking away. Did he just give me his shirt?

“Yeah, it was Tyler.” Vince confirmed it and he was all smiled, teasing me.

I carefully placed Tyler’s shirt inside my locker and put on Vince shirt instead. I don’t want to wear his shirt for the whole school to raise their brows and ask questions to why I was wearing his football uniform with a Lewis written at the back of it.

What will his girlfriend tell me if she saw me wearing one of his boyfriend’s uniform? I mentally noted in my mind that I have to return it to him when I saw him again.

“Is that the reason why you don’t want to eat in the cafeteria?” Vince asked as he munched on his macaroni, sitting on the bench here on the rooftop.

I nodded.

“I’m sorry, Stella. I didn’t know—“

I stopped him. “It’s okay, Vince.” I said and he chuckled lightly and ran a hand through his hair. He stared at me with curious expression. “What?” I asked him, raising my brow.

“Is Tyler Lewis bullying you, too?”

“Yeah,” I took my tumbler and sip water on it before I continued. “He was my first bully. It started last year, when he saw me checking that stupid list. It was funny though, but I don’t know why I was looking for my name in the hot list.” I laughed.

After that incident, Tyler would trip me whenever he saw me pass by in front of him. And would ended up laughing at me. There was also an incident in the cafeteria wherein he intentionally pushed the glass of water in front of me.

And all that bullying of him came to stop when Mark and his gang got interest in me and started bullying me, too. Tyler turned out to be my savior from them and I don’t know what came up to him and why did he decide to save me instead of always annoying me.

Even though he always saved me from Mark’s bullying, he’s still a bully. He was still the bully that I fell in love to.

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