𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒 || atsv - miles 42

𝟎𝟐.

𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨.

I was supposed to be starting a new school today. I'm not sure how I feel about it, I was never the type of person to like talking to people; I liked keeping to myself. Maybe one day I'll change.

I was on the bus heading to school, sitting in a window seat. Headphones were on my head and over my ears, and I wasn't able to hear anything. Which was why I basically jumped out of my seat when I realized that we had already arrived at the stop I was meant to get off at. I slid through the crowd, muttering 'excuse me's and 'my fault's under my breath.

The second I got off the bus, I let out the breath I had been holding in when I was going through the crowd. I started to walk to school, counting each bodega I saw on the way there. I've lived in New York my entire life, my parents had just been making me move schools constantly; which didn't allow me to explore different parts of Brooklyn. There weren't many corner stores around where I lived, which is crazy, I know. Seeing this many while walking down the street was surprising.

✁ ✃ ✄

I arrived at school on time. There weren't many people in the hallways, it was like a ghost town. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and looked at my schedule to find my first class; AP US History, 310.

I assumed that the three meant the room was on the third floor, so I made my way to the nearest stairwell. The school looked and felt huge when I first walked in, but once I made it to the classroom, I realized that it wasn't that big. I waited in the hallway until class started since I had a few minutes. I looked at the map of the school on my phone and planned out my route to get from class to class.

Out of nowhere, the hallways began to get crowded. I checked the time: 8:20. We had five-minute passing periods, and first period started at 8:30. Other students were hanging out and talking to each other, while I felt like the odd one out.

Once the first bell rang, I walked inside the classroom and sat at a desk near the back. The teacher was greeting everybody as they came in, and my eyes were locked on every person that walked inside; studying them. I was starting to zone out until someone walked into my field of view. They sat in front of me and kept quiet, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of them.

"Yo, what you staring at her for?" the kid next to me asked, catching my attention. He was glaring at me.

"No reason," I respond, giving him a confused expression. Out the corner of my eye, I noticed that the girl in front of me was looking at the two of us; her gaze shifting back and forth.

"Chill on the new kid, Ty," she said, a small smirk on her face as she looked at the guy next to me. "Always tryna start stuff."

Then she turned to me.

Her brown eyes stared at me as if she was examining me. She wasn't saying anything to me at all, just staring at me with one of her eyebrows slightly raised. I watched her the same way, admiring the way her curly hair was draped over her shoulders and how the stud piercing on her nose almost seemed to sparkle. There was a sense of familiarity when she looked at me.

I went out to patrol last night, and there was a girl staring at me before I went home. Could that have been her?

"You good?" I spoke, breaking the silence between us. Our eye contact never broke as she continued the small talk I had created. "Yeah, I'm chill," she replied. "I'm Iris, by the way."

"Iris," I repeated, taking a mental note. "I'm Miles."

She nodded her head before turning back around to face the teacher as he began the lesson. I took out a pencil and my sketchbook from my backpack and attempted to discreetly draw out some new equipment ideas.

✁ ✃ ✄

First period ended and I started to become good friends with Iris. She had an attractive personality that drew you in the minute you sparked a conversation with her. She was hilarious. Although I hid it, I was laughing inwardly to myself at every joke she made.

In the middle of class, our teacher announced that we were going to be doing a project. This is something I would usually despise on the first day at a new school, but I hoped it wouldn't be as dreadful since I was working with Iris. I was planning on focusing on the project and nothing else.

Maybe this could turn into something. But the question I've had since I met her still stands — if she finds out my secret, will she accept me?

-kelpnseaweed