The Moments I Recall

CHAPTER TEN

"You don't apply, you are selected." Maddison tells me when we enter the room. Mrs Richards is already at her desk flipping through papers. Theodore and Will are in the class seated near the first window. The room is small with only sixteen desks in two rows of four. Like the math classroom, the room is dimly lit up by the row of large windows on the right side.

"I see they just let anyone in here now." Maddison mutters fixing her dark blonde bangs.

"Miss Reeves, Miss Andrews." Mrs Richards greets us.

"Andrews." Theo acknowledges.

"Ola Willjay." Maddison replies as she walks right past Theo.

"Señorita Maddison." Will smiles.

I follow Maddison to the back and take a seat next to her. I look over to Theodore and Will and find that they are both looking at me. My gaze quickly shifts to Harper as she walks into the classroom, her brother following close behind.

"Hey Harper." Maddison calls. Harper gives her a slight wave before sitting in the desk closest to the door.

"Harper," Will greets, but she gives him a quick confused look and starts scribbling in a notebook she pulled out of her bag. Jessie strides up to the table in front of me and sits down.

"So, you were selected for literature too?" Maddison asks quickly fixing her bangs. He turns around to face her.

"Does it surprise you?" He asks back still facing ahead.

"You are not exactly a man of words." Will chuckles.

"You are not exactly a man who has use for his brain, but here we both are." Jessie replies. His voice is calmer and slightly deeper than Wills, but it is as if Will's smile can be heard with every word.

Watching them all interact with each other sparks confusion in my mind. Although they are not all friends, they all know each other in some way. No one here other than Maddison knows me.

"Welcome to literature," Mrs Richards say a little too enthusiastically. "I see you are all aquatinted with one another, this is good because we will be starting this year differently. I will be assigning you your first piece of assessment just to get to know each of you individually, collectively. Everyone is to come a decision together on a piece of a piece of text from any piece of writing to analyse. You will make a report with your individual opinions and a collective opinion in the one report. This will be due two weeks from now so I would recommend you find something."

Mrs Richards goes on talking about the different analytical techniques as I watch the rain pour down outside. The clouds have seemed to darken from a soft grey to lighter shades of black. They continue to swirl in slow motion, expanding in shape. Lightning flashes as thunder follows with a loud crack.

"He...re...okay?" a muffled voice asks. I don't know why, but I ignore their question to enticed by the happenings outside the window.

"Uh...Xyl..."

".... Lia"

"XYLIA."

"What." I say snapping my head towards the voice. Illuminated turquoise eyes meet mine.

"Are you ok?" Jessie asks.

"How do you.... know my name?" I ask back.

"Your..." He says pointing at my notebook. "Class ended two minutes ago." I look around and no one is left in the room but him and myself.

"Oh right, thanks." I tell him as I get up from my desk. He leaves the room first and I turn back quickly checking the window before I make my way into the darkened halls.