His Other Half

Chapter 2

Ah, high school. Less awkward than middle school but too egotistical to be anything of worth. It's many halls, stories, and gyms compensating for its lack of intelligence. I could imagine the chaos if there were a fire, or any sort of emergency.
My schedule was straightforward, clearly following the requirements to graduate. None of this knowledge will follow me unless I plan to pursue college, which was still being debated.
Chemistry at eight in the morning seemed insufferable, so of course I fell subject to it.
A lanky, pale man with thinning black hair and thick glasses held a grin on his face as the class came to life. The small crinkle at his eye seemed genuine, but anyone who enjoyed chemistry and wanted to dedicate their life to it must be otherwise.
I wouldn't be too bold this early in the morning and take a seat in the back of the lab, softly hunching over and leaning against the black table.
My thighs stuck to the blue stool, the windows open and a warm breeze passing through. My white shorts offered just enough coverage to hide my more taboo parts but my thighs were still exposed to the world. Paired with them was a larger graphic tee, something I found in a thrift shop years ago. Then my trusty black vans, the ones with the white stripe on the side. It was time for an upgrade for sure, but I had grown something of an emotional attachment to them. No shame.
On the table I flipped open my journal. This held everything, from little random drawings to thoughts and even important notes for class. Some of the entries were more personal, so I kept it rather hidden but never hesitated to pull it out.
My hip buzzed, and I tugged my phone out of my pocket. A smile crawled across my lips as I saw who had sent me a message. Then a sorrowful ache was felt in my chest, my real home was thousands of miles away and my only connection to it was my phone. I wanted to go home, I felt so out of place here. I wasn't meant to be here, the moment I graduated I would take a plane back and never think twice.
The sound of the stool across from me screeching startled me. I quickly looked up from my phone, my cheeks getting hot from the slight humiliation of being so engrossed in it. The boy next to me flopped into the seat, running a hand through his hair and letting out a sigh. The average flirt or heartthrob, nothing that caught my interest in particular. However, you didn't deny he had rather nice looks, he was pretty for a guy - not that guys can't look pretty.
He dug through his bag for a moment, his hair messily flowing with all his movements. It was golden in the hot California sun, and looked soft.
His books slapped against the table, his phone following suite. It angers me how much phones are a normal part of society, despite how I constantly rely on mine rather than facing boredom or dealing with awkward situations.
I finally noticed his eyes as they shot around the room, soaking in every little detail and watching the final students take their seats.
They were insanely blue, adding to this narrative that all Cali boys were oddly extremely attractive. What was in the water here? Wasn't this place known for droughts?
"Okay, let's begin!" The teacher clapped his hands together, turning to the board and scribbling on some instructions.
"Icebreakers." He spoke, dropping the chalk back onto the ledge and spinning on his heels. "Talk to the people adjacent or across from you and answer these few questions."
I finally got a solid view of his profile, his shiny, white smile, his luscious hair, his big, blue eyes. It almost made you nervous how handsome he was.
"Leo." He stuck out his hand, a confident grin on his lips.
I caught him observing me now, noticing the little details and imperfections of me. My heart raced and beat against my chest, I pressed on. I needed to be more social, this was the perfect start.
"Y/n. Any reason why you chose this seat?"
It wasn't part of the questionnaire, but it was a rather valid question.
"Uhh.." He pressed his eyebrows together, letting out a small chuckle.
This is why I wasn't social, I always embarrassed yourself. I should've bit my tongue. My heart sank through my stomach to my feet.
"Where are you from?"
Was that what this was about? This is what I wanted to avoid. I can't pretend he didn't ask, that would only make matters worse.
"Pennsylvania, why?"
He laughed and ran his hand through his hair again, "I forgot that place existed."
His confidence began to rub off on me. He was well spoken and up front, I admired that, it made me feel more welcome and comfortable. It was my turn to nervously chuckle.
Then something happened to him. The bright smile on his face slowly began to fade as a tint rose to his cheeks, those stunning blue eyes of his almost being taken over by the slight expansion of his pupils.
"Are you okay?" I was beginning to worry, what did I say?
He blinked a few times, trying to reorient himself, "Yeah-yeah. What's the next question?"
Leaning back in his chair he let out a long breath, rubbing the nape of his neck, his line of sight finding the window and the world beyond it.
My mind began to race, all I could hear was the blood pumping in my ears. What had I done? I was trying to be casual and polite, maybe it was too much. If I was more naturally reserved, I should've kept it that way. I know me best and speaking out so confidently seemed to only ruin things; potential friendships that is. My palms began to clam up and my rationality felt fuzzy, I felt like running from the class and hiding in the bathroom, suppressing all the awkwardness out of me with some cold water on my face.
Too late. "Alright everyone, bring your attention back to me."
Before I looked to the front of the class, I decided to cast one last glance at Leo, making sure he was okay. He seemingly had the same idea, our eyes meeting at the same moment. The awkwardness was too much for me to bare, I had to be the first to look away.
His cheeks were still dusted with pink, eyes wide with curiosity and interest, hair falling toward his face.
There had to be something in the water here, or was it just me?