The Tale of Shrek And Mark Zuckerberg

Chapter 4 - Friends

I stood in the hall as the school-bell rung for the first time that day. Homeroom was about to start and I had no clue where I was going. I looked back and forth between my crumpled school map and my timetable. 121. The room was just down the hall. Thank goodness.

I stared down at my feet as I walked the length of the corridor. It wasn't long before I noticed a second pair of feet fall into rhythm beside me. I took a quick glance to my side only to be met with the lower part of a green shoulder. Shocked once again at the sight of the overwhelming handsomeness, I tripped over my own feet.

I braced for the impact of the fall, but instead found myself being caught by two massive hands.
"You really need to work on your coordination." Shrek said with a small laugh, we made eye contact and I could feel myself blushing from the amalgamation of embarrassment and lust. He placed me back on the ground upright and we stood in what would have been a silence, if it wasn't for the now thinning rush of students beside us. I wanted to speak, wanted to tell him I got snapchat, but the words were getting caught in my throat. I coughed up any words I could muster.
"Where are you heading?" He leaned his head back to look up the hall.
"Uhhh, roooom, 121 I think it is. I've kind of just memorised where the rooms are, not so much the numbers." He replied, chuckling to try to make the situation less awkward. My heart speeds up, we're in the same homeroom!
"Oh cool! I'm going there too-" The second bell rings. We're late.
"Oh shi-- our homeroom teacher's not the chillest. Get ready for a lecture on your second day." He rubs his hand on the back of his head and we start speed walking to the classroom.

"LATE MR OGRE AND- oh, Mr Zuckerberg, nice to meet you. Did you get lost on your way here? I know how difficult it can be to navigate a new place." He cocked his head to the side. I looked over at Shrek. He was staring back at me. I turned back to the teacher, letting my eyes linger on Shrek's a little longer.
"Uhh, yes. Sorry about that. Shrek actually helped me here, hence why we came in at the same time." I said with a small smile. Why did I say that? I never lie to teachers, what's come over me? My line of thought gets interrupted.
"Oh all good then, go and sit down." He waved his hand over towards the front two rows. I turn to look at Shrek but he has already gone to sit up the back with a friend. Defeated. Again. I walk over to the end of the second line and sit down next to the only other kid in the row. He's coding on his laptop. I'm about to ask what he's working on, still on the confidence boost of lying, when the teacher calls my name out on the roll.
"Mark"
"Present" I reply
"Oh, sorry, I haven't introduced myself properly did I? I'm Mr Carpenter, nice to meet you." He looks over at me, drawing his eyes away from the paper. I Nod and he turns to address the class. "You can talk now, just don't get too loud." And with that, he sits down and starts marking some pieces of paper.

I'm not sure what to say so I settle with watching the screen of the kid next to me. I'm not entirely sure what he's trying to program but I can tell something isn't lining up. His body stiffens with every error and curiosity starts to kill the cat.
"Can I have a look? I'm not the best with Python code, but I work with Java quite a bit." I bite my tongue, waiting for a reply. He looks over to me, his eyes glazed over from looking at one thing for too long.
"Uhh, well I'd normally say no but I'm really stuck. I'm not entirely sure what the problem is and why the software wont launch." He pushes the computer in front of me and I read that it is an attribute error and start reading through the lines of code to find its location. I fix it up and hand the computer back to him. He runs the software again and it boots up.
"Wow, thank you." He says, fully taking me in now. "The name is Bill. Gates, that is. What year are you in?"
"Ten"
"Oh sweet! We're in the same year. Let me see your timetable, we might have a class together." I hand him the paper and he holds out his next to it. He scans them with his eyes before pointing at a cell on the table. "We have maths and computer science together." He hands the timetable back. "Have you found anyone to sit with at break yet?" I shake my head and he explains where to meet him and his other friend in the cafeteria. The talk of friends reminds me.
"Hey do you have snap?" I ask.
"Yeah, I barely use it but if you give me your @ I'll add you tonight" He replies, eyes locking back on the computer.

I write two copies of my username down in the corner of a page in the back of my book and rip them out. The bell rings as I do so. I hand one to Bill as we walk out the door and tell him we'll meet up at break. I loiter across the hallway from the door, waiting for Shrek to walk out.

He's laughing with one of his friends when he finally exits, looking like he was straight out of a YA movie. They say goodbye and walk in opposite directions, I have to speed walk over to Shrek to keep up. I tap him on the shoulder.
"Hey, uhh Shrek?" I ask, he turns to face me and a smile forms on the edge of his mouth. Thoughts dissolve my brain, 'did he just smile because of me?', 'does that mean he likes me?'- once again my thoughts spiral until being interrupted by Shrek's low, smoky voice.
"Sup." He pauses, biting his tongue as though debating whether or not to say something. He can't control himself it seems, as soon after he lets out a joke. "Need a handsome guy to catch you again?" He grins and I force myself to smile back. I can feel my face getting warm.
"No actually" 'Although the offer would be nice', I think to myself. "I just wanted to give you my snap." I hand him the little piece of paper and he looks at it quizzically.
"I thought you said you didn't have it?" He asks, before placing it in his pocket. Cr*p. I need to think of an excuse- fast.
"I uhh, got it last night. I've been meaning to for a while, but never had a reason to." I bite the inside of my cheek. That's believable right?
"Oh, okay. Well I've got to run to class, so I'm not late two periods in a row haha. I'll add you after school though." And with that we walk off in seperate directions to first period.