The Heartbreak Project

The Heartbreak Project (2)

Colin

                            I grabbed my English books and carelessly stuffed them into my bag before slinging it onto one shoulder. I was just about to head for the cafeteria when I heard a lively voice chime in from behind me. I smirked and nudged Derek who was standing next to me. He looked at me and the edges of his mouth curved up into a mischievous smile. We turned around simultaneously, confirming my suspicions that it was, indeed, our first target.

                  “Valerie.” I remarked, flashing a flirtatious smile in her direction. Caught off-guard, she jumped up suddenly, turning around instantaneously which caused her bushy, honey-brown hair to whack my glasses off. Derek choked on laughter, and I directed a glare in his direction which shut him up. I muttered a string of profanities, bending down briskly to grab my glasses and putting them back on.

When I stood up, a guilty Valerie with wide eyes and hands covering her mouth faced me. Behind her, Willow, Corey and Nova stood, giggling at the display.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Valerie apologized frantically. I just stared at her, biting back an amused grin. This is going to be easy, I thought. I looked at Derek with a satisfied smirk, which he mirrored instantly.

Her eyebrows furrowed and she stared at me impatiently with a perplexed look on her face. “Hello? You there?” she clicked her fingers in front of my face, snapping us out of our reverie.

“Oh, sorry. And it’s okay. I accept your apology.” I grinned nonchalantly, quoting the book we were currently reading in class.

She looked me up and down, seemingly unimpressed. “Are you done?”

Okay, I take that back. Definitely not easy. I thought. I gave Derek a nervous look, but he just flashed his teeth at me guiltily.

I looked back and almost fell onto Derek when I saw Valerie’s face. Her nostrils were flared and the corners of her mouth pulled in. She looked scary. I straightened myself, clearing my throat. “Just wanted to say, I liked your poem.”

She’d read out her poem in class – not something I really paid attention to – some depression bullshit, but it was the first thing that came to my mind.

Valerie looked at me almost unbelievingly, a glint of disgust shining in her light, jade eyes. “Seriously? Did you even listen to a word? Go flirt with someone who actually cares, fils de salope.”

French.

I widened my eyes and looked helplessly at Derek who just shrugged, an amused smile spreading over his features as he walked ahead, leaving me behind to deal with the situation. I looked back at Valerie and smiled awkwardly, my cheeks slightly tinting red. “Right.”

I was just about to walk away, before I caught sight of something. Willow gently nudged Nova with her elbow, making Nova’s face turn a deep shade of red as she directed a murderous look towards her best-friend while Willow just smiled in amusement. I looked at Nova observantly and my eyes locked with her light, hazel-brown eyes for a second, making her face go a deeper red. Willow noticed our little exchange and smiled knowingly.

I gave the girls a tiny nod, restraining a smirk and walked away, nudging Derek on the way out of class. “I think I just found my new target.”

Derek looked at me questioningly as we walked into the cafeteria and to our lunch table which Bradyn, Stephan and Darren were currently occupying. I was about to tell them all about my new victim, when Darren’s loud, chirpy voice beat me to it, “That was so easy. The chick knows how to flirt, man.”