Him

It was the first day of college and all the boys are here. I can't believe we all choose to stick around for another two years. I mean I am happy that I chose to come back. My Dad said it would be easier as we only live down the road and I know all the teachers from the Junior school so I might as well focus on my studies in one place then having start someone else fresh. Plus his got all these plans for my future and god forbid I actually make a decision for me and for my future, my life. But at least it is a compromise here. I still get to be a part of the arts but I still have to follow my future in cricket like all of the males from his side of the family. He is so obsessed that I continue on the line. Cricket has been in my family for generations but I don't know what I want to do yet.
"Oh Drew come on man get ya head in the game we only need a few more wickets". Grim shouts at me from across the courtyard.
Grims is my best mate and co captain of the crew and cricket club.
Sorry bro, the first day nerves are starting to kick in. We have training after college remember. Ah shit what time isit? The welcome assembly must be over by now.
One of the boy from the team shouts out 9.15am.
Shit! We are missing..
Drew cuts me off by knocking my cap of.
"Don't be lame man we only have a few wickets left."
We can finish later bros we really need to go, I have drama now anyway, I'll catch you in a bit.
I quickly start jogging away before the boys start. I am already late and I need to get over to the other side of the building.
As I am running through the college, I realised that I left my bag, I'm just going to have to get it later.
I'm almost outside the theatre, I open the door and Mrs Armstrong has already started one of her "get to know you" improvisations. I am actually glad I am late because it already looks like this one has been going on for ages.
I try to quickly slip in but Mrs Armstrong of courses catches me.
I quickly engage and find a closest seat. I sit down and scan the room, the usual faces are in the room. Zach, Jasper, Brit and her minions.
Zach quickly fills me in on what I've missed quietly. That's when I saw her.
She was sitting quietly in the corner, folded closely to herself in her chair. She seemed engaged but to shy to fully commit to what was going on around her. Her curls fell down and the side of her face and cupped the side of her face ever so beautifully, she had a soft brown complexion with full lips and a cute button nose. Her eyes were small but fitted her face perfectly. She was playing lightly with her fingers looking up every now and then. She had a nice style, different but looked good on her.
Mrs Armstrong cut me from my thoughts when she called my name out. "Ahh late comer"
"Hey"
"Drew why don't you start us of with second improvisation excises today".
Of course I was not going to get away with being late with Mrs Armstrong.
"Sure".
"Ah perfect" Mrs Armstrong says and then she turns around to the rest of the group and starts explaining what we are going to do.
"Right so what we are going to do for this improvisation. Drew you are going to be acting out a scenario or story and then another one of your class mates is going to guess what you are acting out.
Mrs Armstrong then turns her attention to Brit.
"Brit why don't you work with Drew as you did so good at introducing yourself earlier".
Shock of course Brit made a good first impression. These new students in the class are not going to know what hit 'em.
"Drew", Mr Armstrong continues, you are going to be the one acting out, Brit you are going to be guessing. Ready?
"Erm yeah sure".
Mrs Armstrong hands me a small folded piece of paper.
I unfold the small piece of paper that she just handed me and opened it. In the centre of the paper read.
Example story: Little Red Riding Hood.
Might as well just do that, pretty easy right. I thought I might as well just jumped straight in and start from the top of the story but within about two seconds Brit guessed.
Well I am pretty good at this game, we play it every year at Christmas because my boozy Aunt loves a good Christmas game followed by a good old family row.
The rest of the class start clapping so I take this opportunity to run back to my seat.
I couldn't help but take another look at the new girl sat in the corner. She still seemed shy but was at least a bit more open in her body language.
"Right, we have fifteen minutes left of your first drama lesson and you are all doing so well so I think we should do one more improvisation activity. Mrs Armstrong said. She instructed everyone to put their chairs to the side, I quickly got up and folded my chair and leant it on the stack of chairs on the left hand side of the theatre. I walked down to the centre of the stage. Mrs Armstrong told everyone to sit down in a circle, so I thought I would take this opportunity to sit next to the mystery girl. For some strange reason I am being drawn to her. Intensely after I sat down. I could feel someone staring at me. I don't even have to look up to know who is staring right at me. The feeling enough is enough to know exactly who's eyes are trying to pierce through my mind and soul right now. Brit is sat directly opposite me. I guess she couldn't pass up on Mrs Armstrong opportunity to sit anywhere too.
I told myself this year is not going to be filled with relationships and what I mean by relationships, I am purely talking about relationships or friend with benefit ship with Brit.
Everything that went on or didn't go on between us. Everything between us has been going on for far too long now and has consumed so much of me and my life. All summer I was off my cricket game, pretty much the whole time because of her constant back and fourth with "us". Whatever it was between her and I was clearly not meant to be.
I pulled myself out of thinking about Brit and our relationship together, if you could even called us a relationship. It was pretty much all on her terms anyway. For now all I could do was try to block all of that out so, I tuned back into the drama class.
Mrs Armstrong and Zach was doing some weird tension stuff and were trying to become almost animals.
I looked to my right and she was sitting right next to me. I know Brit's sitting across from me and she's probably watching everything I do but I have to find out more about this girl.
"Hey",
"Hi"
"I'm Drew, it's nice to meet you".
"Lila, and it is nice to meet you too".
I wasn't sure on what to say next to her but I knew I had to keep on talking to her now that I had her attention.
How did you find the drama class? Mrs Armstrong is pretty wild but she's my favourite out of the drama teachers,"
I am not to sure why I just decided to let her know all of that. It just came out to be honest. I think she was a bit confused too as she was just given me these really deep facial expressions. She seemed to be into it as her body language opened up even more and she was given me her full attention.
I went to the Junior school, and I did drama and the teachers are the same so yeah I think I know them pretty well, I mean, not that well, well enough as they have been my teachers for a while and all. I'm not to sure why I continued to go on for so long but she was just so easy to talk to. I then started to giggle one of those girly laughs.
She seemed into the conversation, I could really feel her listening and it was like she was scanning every feature of my face but it didn't feel like she was just staring at me you know?
I haven't seen you before, I mean, you must be new to Guildford as I don't recognise you and now you know that I have been going to these schools for a long time so. She responded,
"Yes, I am new here, I didn't go to Guildford junior school, but it seems like a look of the students here did. Makes being the new girl even harder."
"Yeah I totally get that" I quickly responded so she knew I was following.
Everyone around here is super friendly so you will be cool. I said as I slowly start to led her out of lesson. Shit, I forgot my bag in the courtyard. I need to grab it but I wonder what she's going to do.
Lila and I started to work out of lesson as we were blocking the door way but to be honest I was just trying to get a few minutes with her alone.
I turned to Lila, what are you doing for break?
"I was just going to go to the Canteen, I actually met a friend in tutor so was going to meet her, it's this way right? Lila said.
The canteen is just down there. I then pointed straight ahead into the direction of the canteen.
I wanted to continue the conversation so bad so I just said the first thing that came to my head.
So how's your first day going so far?
Lila and I continue to walk towards the canteen, talking about our days so far, she was pretty happy with it so for.
Why English and drama I asked patiently waiting for her response, studying her beautiful face.
"English has always been my first love. I love novels and reading but I also love scripts and writing. Drama has also been a passion I guess, I have never been as good at drama as I am at English or music but I left music behind a long time ago so I thought my next best option would be to study drama. How about you? She said.
I didn't quite know how to top that so I told her that I was also studying English, drama and that I was also taking Economics.
She told me about the subjects that she's taking and why. It was really refreshing to hear why she picked English and drama. It's even better knowing that we are taking two classes together so I have plenty of time to start up random conversation.
We were brought out of conversation by maybe her friend she met in tutor earlier on today that she was telling me about.
She was shouting and waving and all sorts to get Lila attention. We were at the canteen now so I quickly turned around and leaned into Lila, closing the too much of a gap that was keeping us apart.
It was lovely chatting with you Lila, I hope to see you around? I said before quickly giving her a cheeky smile before I turned around and walked over to the boys.

As soon as I said down, the team started to get on to me for leaving the game we started earlier. I chipped in for a bit and laughed and jokes about how I was clearly going to win the game away. As the boys continue to laugh and joke about me wanting to take my subjects seriously this year,
I just couldn't help but look over at her from where she was sitting across the canteen, merely three or four tables away from me.
Within seconds she looked up at me and we closed eyes. I gave her one of my cheeky funny faces. Teasing her to join in the fun with me. She game me a small smile back so I decided to heat things up a bit. I started to mock the activity back in drama class and started to slowly become a chicken. I could see her smile starting to grow. Until she fully gave it and kept matching my energy. We were both going full chicken silently in our chairs. The boys knew I was up to something and started to follow my eye line. Within seconds the new hot girl chat was in full force. I exactly following the chat as I was too busy stealing looks at Lila across from the canteen. I start to laugh in with the chatter but really and truly I want it to sound like I am interesting over here.
I take another look across the canteen. It only took about five seconds for our eyes to meet. She blushes then reaches back into her seat and fills her mouth with a brunch of grapes.
I turn back to the conversation with the boys are they are still talking about the new girls in our year before the conversation goes back the unfinished cricket game from earlier.
I take a final look across the canteen at Lila, but I can see that her glaze is somewhere else. I follow to look to see who has got her all stiffened up.
Without even have to take a close look. My eyes then click onto Brit. Who is basically telling Lila to "back off bitch" with her mean eyes.

Luckily the bell rang and it was time for class. I should really leave now as I already got a late mark in drama this morning.

I better look in my planner for my next subject.

Shit! I left my bag in the courtyard.

Thank you for reading 🥹
My male point of view needs a bit of work so please be patient with me.

Olive x