Spring's Unexpected Love

Chapter 3 (Asher)

10 minutes earlier...

"I read the essay you handed in yesterday, and it lacked in showing comprehension of the text," My English teacher, Mrs. Campbell told me after pulling me aside after class. "Is there anything going on?" Her face was filled with worry as if she expected me to dump all of my life's problems at her feet in the next couple of minutes. I only shrugged, keeping my eyes trained on the wall behind her. I had no problems- at least none that got in the way of my homework.

I never understood why people thought there was something bad going on in my life just by looking at me. Was it the way someone dressed or acted that just screamed that they needed sympathy and pity? The ironic part was that I needed neither. What I needed was for people to mind their damn business.

Realizing that I had no intention of sharing whatever problems she thought were going on in my life, Mrs. Campbell released a small sigh, "I know you're a dedicated student, Asher, which is why I'm going to give you another chance to get a better grade. Do you think you can hand in a better essay in two days?"

An essay redo? Great! Just what I wanted. What I wanted was for her to just accept my first paper and give me whatever the hell she wanted as a grade, but something told me that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

So I grunted in response to her question, and she smiled, interpreting it as a yes, "That's great! I look forward to reading your essay," she exclaimed. With that, our little meeting came to an end. Thank goodness!

I knew I should've been grateful that Mrs. Campbell was giving me a second chance, but I hated the fact that I had to redo my essay on top of completing tonight's assignment. Plus, it wasn't like the second essay would be any better than the first.

After discarding my books in my locker, I made my way to the cafeteria to get some lunch. Because I was held back after class, the lunch lines were already long, reaching the back of the cafeteria. I groaned and switched directions, making my way to the table of boys at the very center of the lunchroom- Luka's friends and supposedly mine as well.

"Where's Luka?" I asked, slamming my hand down on the table to grab their attention.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," the boy closest to me, Noah, said as he leaned back in his seat.

"Isn't he always like that?" Hunter asked, belching loudly. "Weren't you there in the morning? Luka said he was gonna talk with that friend of his. Something about taking a walk outside or whatever."

"I know that, you idiot!" I snapped, not liking the way he was talking to me, like I was some dumb little child, "It's raining outside so he couldn't possibly be there right now. So where is he?" I had watched the rain come down from the windows of the English classroom. Watching the ripples each drop made when it landed in a puddle was way more interesting than whatever Mrs. Campbell had been teaching.

"Look, we don't know where he is," Cole said, trying to ease the tension, "He's probably still meeting with her elsewhere."

"I don't get why Luka is friends with such a lame girl like her," Hunter said, picking at his nose with his pinky finger. "Sometimes it's like he likes her more than us."

"And do you see the way she looks at him sometimes? I wouldn't be surprised if she had a crush on him like every other girl in this crappy school," Noah added.