The Prince and His Pauper

Chapter 4: The Pauper After School

Finally! My first day here is over and done with! Now I can go home! Once my mom picks me up. . . I hang my head and sigh, knowing she's late again. Not that I'm surprised. Besides, it gives me enough time to observe the handsome man, Mr. Zepeda.

I'm still puzzled with him saving me from faking to the ground. What was his motive? Was he just being nice? Or did he want to appear nice so that he can befriend me then talk bad about me behind my back? I mean, he does look like a good guy so I could be wrong. Or not, all popular people are the same. They only hang out with their crowd, date someone in their level, and pick on anyone who is outside of their little bubble.

Like me. . . I'm going to be an easy target thanks to my glasses, my weak body, my name and the fact that I'm new means I'm fresh meat for them. I just hope Zepeda is nice to me and will let me have a quiet senior year. So far, it's not quiet.

After that dumb jock tripped me, he kept trying to harass me but he never did anything. Mostly because when I did see him, Zepeda was there glaring at him as if he was silently warning him not to do anything stupid. I don't know why the Jock listens to him, unless he's captain of the football team.

Then, Angelica kept trying to learn more about me but her friends were always calling her over and she never comes back. I only have those two for fourth and fifth. Sixth is the only class where there are no popular people and it's my favorite class. Art class. Best class ever. Enough said.

I hope Zepeda will let me have a quiet year. . . But seriously, why is he doing this? He doesn't have to stop his friend from messing with me. It's the "natural order of high school" and sometimes life. . . I thought as I bring my head back up to watch Zepeda interact with his friends.

He's not talking to them, only watching them; but, his best friend isn't there. The Jock. Actually, it's mostly Angelica's friends that he's with and just about all of them are flirting with him. Except, he's not flirting back.

I guess he and Angelica are together and he's a loyal boyfriend? But why would her friends flirt with him when she's right there? Are they just joking and Angelica knows it? Maybe? I mean, the girls were still flirting with him during lunch too after he finished talking to a blonde boy.

Who is he anyway? When I heard no noise coming from the cafeteria on my way outside to eat my lunch, I got curious to know why it suddenly got so quiet. I saw that boy with his groups of girls coming in and Zepeda walking to him.

Then when I saw them hugging, I thought they were a couple but I overheard him telling the girls to let him talk with his brother alone. So that brought back the Angelica and Mr. Zepeda power couple theory. It shouldn't even matter to me. I'm never going to see them again and I'm going to move to Switzerland anyway! So I should just stop thinking about that handsome classmate of mine. . .

"I'm going to get a headache just for thinking." I mutter quietly under my breath.

"And what were you thinking about, if I may ask?" A deep voice asks. That voice. . . Is it?!

I snap my head up to find myself staring into cold grey eyes. Zepeda. . . He's here. . . Talking to me. . . Me!

"Well? Are you going to tell me?" He repeats, tilting his head a little.

"I. . . Um. . . I-I was just thinking about all the homework I'm going to have to do. . ." I lie.

"You have homework on the first day?" He questions.

"For art class. . ." I answer with a nod. I actually have homework for that class but it's an easy assignment. . .

"I see. . . May I sit here?" He asks, indicating the spot right next to me.