2 Seconds •LT•

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31 August, 2015

      "When we first met, I honestly had no idea you'd be so important to me"- Unknown

      Another year, same ol' schedule, same ol' classroom, same ol' school, but in one year, my life would change in such an extraordinary way. I fell in love...
     First period.
     Second period.
     Third period.
      Fourth period.
     Fifth period.
     She was the last to enter my classroom.
     Wallflower.
     Shy.
     Lonely.
     Friendless.
     I could be that friend. I became that friend. I became more than that.
     She had hazel eyes. Hazel. "Good morning" she perkily greeted, and I genuinely smiled. Cross that, not shy.
"You'll know you're in trouble if I learn your name on the first day of this school year" I said to the students as most ignored me, being too busy finding a seat. That it being a repeat of First period.
      Second period.
      Third period.
      Fourth period.
      Now Fifth period.
      I sighed.
     As I sat down at my desk, my eyes traced where she was headed. She placed her notebook on the first row. An over-sized jock sat on the seat before she had claimed it. She surrendered to him and moved over to the beginning of the second row.
      A Make up guru sat on the seat the Hazel eyes was to obtain, "Ew. Get away from me" she told hazel eyes. The make up guru turned to me, smiled, pretending no cords were out of tune. I twitched a smile back.
      Hazel eyes got her seat taken a few more times. She finally scored a seat on the seventh row. Was there a student who let her have the seat? No. There were no more students to take her seat. I was deeply disappointed on all the students that would take part in my drama class this year.

     I made my way for Hazel eyes' seat. She was quietly unpacking her school supplies. Her backpack was very worn out and overused. Maybe she believed it was good luck, it being the reason it hadn't been washed. "What's your name?" I softly asked her, looking down, my hands inside my pockets.
     Brunette. She looked anxious. She was worried. "Don't worry love, you're not in trouble" Nobody bothered snapping their heads in our direction.

     "B-Belle" she stuttered.
      I looked down to the floor, biting the inside of my cheek. Belle. Belle. Belle. Beautiful. "Belle" I repeated as the letters melted on my tongue.
"Okay" I whispered and walked behind the make-up guru who was checking her make-up through her portable mirror. I made eye contact with her through the small mirror in her palm. "What's your name?" I asked, startling her. 

     "Oooh" said the jock who took Belle's seat earlier. Every eye in that class stared.
     "Shut up Joey!" she snapped then turned to me "Stephanie"
     "Make-up guru. I think you owe Belle an apology" Okay, so calling her a "Make-up guru" wasn't the best choice, but hey, I don't have anything against make-up gurus.

      "For what?" She asked full ammo in confidence.
     "For saying something rude to Belle. Would you like me to repeat it..?"
      "No...no. Don't repeat it"
     "Then apologize"

      "I'm sorry" she narrowed her eyes at Belle as she shrunk. "For the rude thing I said to you" she finished shooting me a look as if she were to hunt me down sooner or later.
     "Thank you" I spoke for Belle. I walked over to my desk and sat on it. Oh, you think I sat on the chair, behind my desk. Well you must be mistaken. No, I sat on my desk. I swung my legs as they dragged on the floor. 

       I sat further into my desk for my legs not to drag. I swung them freely. I put on a straight posture. "Now class" who knew I would become a teacher? I hated school. Now it revolved my life. "Pick a partner", eyes turned to spot each other all over the classroom, "With whom you will be working with for this assignment. I will give you further instructions once you've found a partner. Sit down together by turning your desks to face each other " I didn't even properly finish speaking and chairs were scraping, students talking.

      I waited for everyone to get arranged. One seat remained in its exact spot. Belle's seat. She hugged the backpack on her lap, her safety net. Belle looked the other classmates joined by the hip.
     Pity.
        Pity.
           Pity.
       I looked down at the roster. Surely there must be another student without a partner. 33 students. I recounted. Twice.    

My only odd number class. Partnerless she is. It crossed my mind to include her in a group of three. I didn't know how the pair of students would react to her. I chose to ignore it for the time being.

      I got off the wooden desk, strong enough to support me, to start writing on the chalkboard. "You will be paired with your partner for the rest of the school year, so you will have to get to know your partner. You will have to write the same set of questions you will ask one another and what you think the results of their opinion will be. Then you ask them them for the results. Vice versa."
I speed wrote with the white chalk on the board since I needed the board to explain.
       What will we learn in drama class?
      It read on the board in large bold letters. Sloppy print.

      I turned around to face my class, taking a quick glance to Belle. She looked concerned over having a partner. "The set of questions must be a minimum of 8. Depending on how many of you have completed the task, we'll continue it tomorrow. Any questions?" Some of them shook their head, others chose to ignore me by turning to their partner.
      I looked at lonely, lonely Belle who seemed to be in despair for a partner. I grabbed a chair, and had it face Belle and sat down. "Pretend I'm a student for a moment"

      "Okay" she whispered and nodded the pretty little head of hers. She lightly smiled. She was nervously biting her sleeve. It had holes on it. Not only on her sleeve but throughout the sweater.
       "Belle?" I formally asked her as if I were asking her to the prom.
      "Yeah?"
      "Will you be my partner for the rest of the school year?"
      A girl whined from the sidelines"Ugh, that's not fair", and another girl's voice said "Shut up Abigail. I don't want to get in trouble again" Stephanie. 

       Belle and I ignored them. I was glad Belle was getting more comfortable in her skin, around me.
      "No, I can't be your partner" Belle joked. Threw her head back and laughed. Crinkles formed at the corners of her eyes. Her hazel eyes had a glimmering touch to them. I admired her. I was in awe of this beautiful girl. God was a genius for being able to create such a wonderful girl.

      From that moment on, I knew I wanted to make her laugh, repeatedly. Over and over again. Because I knew I would never get tired of the same old smile, like I've grown tedious of the same old school. Now I had a reason to come to school.
      She was that reason.
      Belle.