Shy

Clara

Our first orchestra rehearsal of the year goes really well and I actually love the piece of music that Brian has chosen for once. It's a lovely piece and it really shows off the violins, but what I love most are the little duets between Kit and I. They feel so special for some reason.

I start at Kia's school so soon and instead of feeling nervous, I'm nothing but excited. The days pass slowly and before I know it, I'm walking towards my first new class of my new school of the new year. It's all very new.

I see people I recognise, either from dance or from Kia's birthday party and I already feel so much more at ease than I ever did at my last school.

My first class of the day is maths and even though I'd ordinarily despise this, this is my class with Kit. I daydream about sitting next to him, asking him about equations and our elbows gently nudging accidentally.

When I walk into the classroom however, I get allocated a seat behind Kit next to some very chatty girls. I gaze at his head sadly before getting out my books and pen.

The girl next to me is called Caroline and she looks at me with a disturbing amount of malice. I recognise her as the girl from the winter formal and cringe lower into my seat.

"You know, boys don't like girls who stalk them." She mutters, pointedly looking at Kit's back and I blush furiously.

I ignore her, for the plain and simple reason that I came to this school for me. Being able to see Kit just happens to also be an added bonus of attending this school. For the rest of the class Caroline taunts me and elbows me in the ribs whenever she gets the chance and I leave the room feeling deflated.

I wait outside the room for a moment, hoping Kit might be able to show me where my next class is but he doesn't even seem to have acknowledged that I'm here today. I peek in to see him chatting to our teacher and I sigh, my shoulders crumpling slightly as I navigate my way to my next class.

I can't ever understand Kit. One moment he's chatting to me freely, making me feel so unbelievably special and in the next moment he can't see me, it's as though I don't exist.

I grit my teeth and choose to ignore it, and him, completely.

By the time lunch rolls around I'm so happy to see Kia that I nearly cry. I confess that I didn't get the chance to speak to Kit in maths but choose to ignore the Caroline situation. I don't want Kia to worry.

I traipse home at the end of the day hoping that tomorrow will be better but knowing it'll be more of the same. Tomorrow comes far too quickly, as always, and I get ready for school far less enthusiastically than yesterday.

Surprisingly, when I get to maths, the seat next to Caroline has vanished and I begin to think it might be a practical joke. Mr Matthews calls to me and I wander over to him with a frown.

"Clara, if you wouldn't mind, could you sit next to Kit from now on? He's over there, in the green sweater." He points out and I turn to look at Kit. He's in an emerald green pullover and is currently pulling his textbook from his bag.

"Of course, did I do something wrong?" I ask tentatively and Mr Matthews shakes his head.

"Not at all, the two of you will make much more suitable partners. You're both at the same level." He explains and I nod slowly, knowing from Kia that Kit is substantially better at Maths than I could ever hope to be.

I walk over slowly and tentatively put my bag down, sliding into the chair next to Kit.

I glance over my shoulder and find Caroline glaring at me with such ferocity that it gives new meaning to the phrase 'if looks could kill'.

"Don't worry about her, she's just bitter and thinks she can take it out on you."

I turn to look at Kit, stunned. I had no idea that he knew what was going on, but evidently he's a lot more observant than I give him credit for.

I turn around and sigh.

"She does take it out on me." I admit and he frowns fiercely, his eyes still focused on the sheets of equations in front of him.

"I'm sorry for the way she treated you yesterday. I had a word with Caroline and it won't happen again." He says gently but firmly and I swallow anxiously.

He'd heard everything? He'd spoken to Caroline? My heart flutters in my chest and I regret thinking that he didn't care yesterday. He cares an awful lot about people, probably more than I know, I'm just not familiar with the signs of it yet.

We work in a comfortable silence and when I leave class I feel far more upbeat.

I notice as time goes on that Kit, despite being smart, handsome and popular, is still generally avoided. People seem to view him very highly, but don't interact with him and I can't tell why. Kia was right about him being shy though, Kit speaks only when he wants to and generally he has something of importance to say.

He does give off a bit of a standoffish vibe, but I see him more as anxious and reserved. Maybe because I know him slightly better than everyone else. I smile at that thought.

I know him.