"Mom, this is Dean," I introduced awkwardly, hoping to deflect any probing questions for the moment.
Dean greeted her warmly, sensing my discomfort. "Nice to meet you, Mrs...?"
"Sorry?" she inquired, her tone already hinting at the impending grilling session awaiting me later. I quickly re -introduced Dean, gesturing towards him. "He's Dean, you know, the guy I mentioned," I muttered under my breath. "Sorry... didn't mean that," I whispered to Dean, hoping he'd catch my drift. He nodded, clearly feeling the awkwardness of the situation.
"Hi...Nice to meet you, um... aunt... um...Bye then.. um... got to go... see you Miss Gloria!" Dean stumbled over his words n bowed down formally, making a hasty exit back to his friends. I could feel their eyes boring into us, witnessing the strange drama unfold before them.
My mom raised an eyebrow, looking between Dean's retreating figure and me. "Miss Gloria, huh? Interesting choice of friends you've got there."
I rolled my eyes, feeling a mix of embarrassment and amusement. "Yeah, he's... um... unique."
As we walked away, my mom started asking questions about the performance, and I braced myself for the inevitable critique. But deep down, I couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief that Dean's presence, awkward as it was, had added a strange, comforting layer to the whole experience.
X
Second term brought a big change: our class teacher left to pursue his PhD. It was a bit of a shock to everyone, but we were introduced to Miss Jane, who was strict yet caring. Our class was notoriously chaotic, and soon enough, she started getting complaints from the other teachers.
Surprisingly, this was the beginning of a good time for me. Miss Jane decided to shuffle everyone's seats in an attempt to restore some order. I ended up sitting next to Pam, who was quiet and kept to herself. It wasn't the worst arrangement, but it only lasted for two weeks before Miss Jane reshuffled us again.
This time, I found myself sitting next to my best friend, Viola. We were thrilled. Miss Jane must have forgotten about our arrangement, because we stayed in those seats for quite a while. Life was good—until our math teacher decided to switch things up.
Our math class was particularly unruly, with a group of boys who wouldn't listen. To get them to focus, she rearranged their seats, and Dean ended up sitting between me and Viola. My heart skipped a beat when I realized he'd be right there for the rest of the year.
X
I'm pretty sure I heard Viola groan, but I was freaking happy and nervous. I don't know why, but the fact that he was going to be sitting with me again after two years made me feel something. Back then, I never cared how I looked in front of him, but now things had changed. I guess this is what they call teenage insecurities or something. Ugh.
"Girl, are you blushing already? Dean's return is turning you into a puddle," Viola teased, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
I rolled my eyes, trying to play it cool. "Oh, please. It's not a big deal. It's just... nostalgic, you know?"
Viola smirked knowingly. "Sure, Gloria. Keep telling yourself that. Just don't trip over your own feet when he sits down next to you."
Despite her teasing, I couldn't help but feel a pang of insecurity. Suddenly, I was hyper-aware of how I looked and acted around Dean. Even the sound of my own breathing seemed too loud.
"Ugh, why do I feel like I have to impress him now?" I muttered more to myself than to Viola.
Viola nudged me gently. "Relax, girl. He's just another guy. "
"yeA..I Knoww..."
x
Dean never brought a pen and always ended up borrowing mine, just like back then. But Viola was his most frequent victim. She was like a walking stationary store—pencils, erasers, staplers, you name it, she had it all. And her collection of pens seemed to mesmerize him.
"I swear, Viola, are you running a pen museum or something?" I teased, watching as Dean sifted through her colorful assortment.
Viola laughed. "Hey, I've got to be prepared for any writing emergency that comes my way!"
Dean grinned, holding up a neon green highlighter. "Do you have one of these in every color?"
Viola nodded. "Almost... Why do you ask?"
Dean shrugs n laughs. "Woaaaah! THis color's gooooooooood!"
I chuckled, not feeling the slightest twinge of jealousy. "Well, Viola, you've officially become Dean's go-to for office supplies." She shrugged, unfazed. "I cannot- He's just like my brother. Soooo annoying." She laughs.
"And that's the best thing ever," I whispered to myself with a smile, genuinely happy. Dean's antics with Viola's pens and stationery somehow made the classroom feel more lively and fun, despite our regular math woes.
As the 3 of us bantered and laughed, I couldn't deny that having Dean around, even if he did borrow my pens without fail, made school a little more entertaining.
'Pens passed hand to hand,
Laughter echoes through the class,
Old friends, new moments.'
YOU ARE READING
A Love that was never
Teen Fiction"They said we were enemies. But in truth, I was in love with you. And I think secretly, you were in love with me too." "You need two hands for that?" "It's too big" He smirks at me. "Not againn. I need two hands to fill water in my bottle from the f...
