The Beats of Your Heart

Chapter 1

I find myself starting to drift off again and sit up straighter. I notice my phone in my hand, glance at the screen, and immediately lock it. What the fuck. I look around the classroom. People minding their own fucking business. Good. I pull my phone closer and discreetly lower its brightness from the locked screen. Only then I unlock it and sigh. 

Brown, vibrant eyes crinkled at the corners, mid-laugh, smiling up at me. 

Hanna…

I stare at her picture a few moments more and finally pocket my phone. 

"Yaquel," someone calls from behind me. 

I turn around in my seat and glare at him. 

"What."

Reiner raises a meticulously-shaped eyebrow and smirks. "Will there be a practice today?" he says, lazily twirling a pen in between his fingers. He sits, no, he lounges, casually, on top of the teacher's table, a broom laid on top of his lap. 

I narrow my eyes at him and snap. "The fuck do you think?" 

He stops twirling his pen and raises his hands. "Chill, I'm just asking." he says, smiling. He points the pen at me and cocks his head to one side, lips curled in a slight smirk. "What's up with you today?" 

I sneer at him and stand up from my seat. I start walking towards the door. 

"Where are you going? You haven't signed the attendance yet!" 

"FUCK YOUR ATTENDANCE!" 

I slam the door behind me and storm out into the hallway, not thinking about where I'm going. 

When I feel slightly calmer, I find myself nearing the entrance of the cafeteria. 

I sigh and finally go inside, making a beeline for the nearest foodstall. Might as well. Maybe I'm just thirstyーSomeone slams into me, hard, and something wet splashes over me, just to add to the injury. The liquid instantly soaks the front of my shirt, the cold biting into my skin. I have had it. 

"FUCKING HELL! ARE YOU FUCKING BLIND? WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" 

"WELL, FUCK YOU TOO, YOU ASSHOLE! I COULDN'T HELP IT, I SLIPPED! I'M SORRY I CRASHED INTO YOU BUT YOU STILL HAVE NO RIGHT TO SWEAR AT ME LIKE THAT!" 

Oh? 

Oh. 

I finally look at the person that crashed into me. 

A girl sitting on the ground, in a plain pink V-neck t-shirt and black jeans. She clutches an empty smoothie cup in one hand and a phone on the other. 

I focus on her eyes, pale brown, currently glaring up at me. 

I sneer down at her. "Fucking freshmen," I growl and walk away. 

Everyone's just testing me today. What's next? I'm gonna see her withーNope, don't finish that thought. Anything but that. 

I exit the cafeteria and round the corner into the school boardwalk, heading back towards the Engineering Department. I glare at the space in front of me, stomping hard on every step, implicitly making it known to everyone I won't hesitate to knock them over if they dared cross my way. 

Stupid fresh meat. I clench my teeth and take a deep breath. They're all stupid. Getting on my nerves. 

I arrive at the parking area of our Department and find my motorcycle. I took my phone, dry, thank fuck, and fish my keys out from my pants' pocket. 

"Yaquel! What happened?" Reiner's voice shouts down at me from somewhere in the classroom hallways above. I don't spare him a look. 

I get on my motorcycle and start it. I accelerate and get away from there, leaving Reiner shouting something behind me.