Warmth

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I couldn't stray my eyes from the dark-haired boy who sat three seats next to my left side and listening to the teacher intently.

Even if I did rip my gaze away from him for a couple of minutes, I could feel his existence with every cell of my body. It was also quite impossible for anyone to ignore his presence in the room as he was asking questions that no one but the teacher could understand every five minutes. The old teacher answered his questions with an amused and enthusiastic glint in his eyes and I just melted hearing the boy's deep voice.

'So deep...' If it was scientifically possible for a human being to melt just by feeling too overwhelmed, I surely would've. Right then and there.

It reminded me of dark coffee with its rich and strong flavor and exotic aroma.

"You're drooling, Sasha." My best friend, Phoebe, muttered softly beside her.

I quickly snapped my eyes back to the teacher when he finished answering the question. The old teacher hardly noticed my lack of concentration in the class as I answered every question I was asked correctly every time.

Maybe my brain subconsciously listened to the lecture even when I thought I was drooling over Nathan. 

Ah, Nathan. That was his name.

When the teacher took a short break, Phoebe turned to me with a lewd smirk.

"You should talk to him." She suggested, her eyes pointing towards a certain black haired boy.

"What?! Are you crazy?" I exclaimed softly, as my eyes habitually gazed over the boy. He was jotting down something in his notebook furiously and talking with his friend at the same time with a light smile on his face. "I absolutely cannot do that!"

"And why is that?" Phoebe crossed her arms.

"Because I'm a loser." I replied instantly.

"And?"

"... also I might or might not be a li'l scared of my mom."

"Seriously Sasha, you need to stop yourself from letting your mom dictate every single thing in your life." She said in frustration.

"I know but I think she just wants the best for me. Y'know how messy it got the last time I was in a relationship. She's just looking out for me." I started scribbling on my notepad.

"Well, first of all, Sam was a dick. I'm glad you broke up with that piece of shit. He didn't deserve you anyway. Secondly, Nathan seems like a sweet guy. I mean he's a nerd and everything and I can't even understand why a girl like you fell for him... but he actually seems like a decent guy and that's a lot coming from me, you know that."

I looked at myself and knew what she was talking about. Black oversized t-shirt, ripped jeans, spiked bracelets. If I had a mirror, I would've seen a girl with the darkest makeup looking back at me with a frown. A grunge like me doesn't fall for the nerds. You just don't.

"Yeah, I know Sam was a bastard, I don't need a reminder." Then I started defending my crush with all my might. "And Nathan isn't a nerd, he is just smarter than the rest of the fools! And even if he's a nerd, I don't fucking care. He's the cutest guy I've ever seen in my whole goddamn life!"

"Then, go fucking talk to him!" She said in exasperation.

"No." I said, still defiant and crossing my arms.

"Are you by any chance... scared?" She narrowed her eyes.

'Seriously, the nerve of this girl...'

"Wha--No!" I said a little too loudly than usual and Phoebe's face split into an evil grin. "Why would I be scared of talking to a person?! That's totally ridiculous!"

"Oh yeah?" She taunted. "Okay then, if you're such a brave creature, talk to him after this class. If you don't... then I guess you know what your nickname will be for the rest of your days."

I glared at her. I knew very well what that nickname would be and no one in their sane mind would ever want such a curse to fall upon them.

So after class, I strolled towards his seat with a thumping heart.

"Hi..." I managed to say.

He looked up from his notebook and as soon as he saw who it was, his face contorted in confusion. His friends were still around and they stopped talking as well. Talk about giving anxiety without even saying anything.

"Hi?" He said.

His voice sounded even more mesmerizing from up close and I sensed my mind totally blank out. "Uh I'm not sure if you're aware but I'm in your class..."

'What?! Did I actually say that?! Of course, he knows I'm in his class, you big fucking idiot! We have been in the same class since the beginning of this year!'

I looked around myself for any window. So that I could just throw myself like a piece of trash and die.

His friends started sniggering around him softly.

I expected him to bark out a laugh as well. But he didn't.

"Yes, I know." He said politely, his grey eyes looking straight into my eyes.

"Ah well, cool. I was hoping if you could um, lend me your notes? I wasn't paying attention during the optical isomers part and I missed some things..." There was no plan, I just blurted out the first thing that came to my mind and I understood the optimal isomers part very well.

He stared at me for a couple of seconds, but to me it felt like eternity.

"Sure. No problem." He wrote some more things on the notebook while I stood there like an idiot. Then he closed the notebook and handed it to me.

"Thanks, man." With a robotic motion, I took it and I made sure not to let our fingers get in contact in any way.

Then like a robot, I walked up to my desk where Phoebe was sitting like an eager jumpy child.

Then I described everything that had happened in the last few minutes in the most detailed way possible- every single word that was exchanged between us.

"I asked him for his note?!" She asked me incredulously.

I nodded in shame.

"And you said 'thanks, man'?!"

I nodded with even more shame.

"You were right. You're a total loser." She said exasperatedly. "You have no hope,"

"Didn't I already tell you that?!" I cried. I was feeling like a fool.

"... unless I help you." She winked at me.

I looked up at her dumbstruck.

_

Word count: 1066