Teddy Bear Love

Chapter V - Legands Manifest

Lucy

Startled, I turned toward the source, my gaze landing on a tall boy with a backpack slung over his shoulder. He was leaning casually against the desk beside me.

His easy smile and confident posture immediately caught my attention. With tousled light brown hair and piercing grey eyes, he was every bit as striking as the whispered 'legends' Miranda had told me about. The warmth of his sun-kissed skin only emphasized my own paleness.

"Ah, I... um, yes," I stumbled over my words, trying to act nonchalant as I reached up to tuck a nonexistent stray strand of hair behind my ear. "I suppose I just..." My words trailed off into nothingness.

He chuckled softly, extending his hand out towards me. "What's your name?"

"Lucy," I replied in barely above a whisper, feeling my cheeks heat up under his gaze as I placed my hand in his. There was an electric warmth to his touch that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Lucy," he repeated, savoring the sound of it on his tongue. Just hearing him say my name made my heart skip a beat. "It's a pleasure. You must be the new girl."

I nodded shyly, briefly glancing out the window before turning back to meet his intense gaze. It was as if a thousand butterflies had suddenly awoken in my stomach, their delicate wings beating against my insides with a frenzied panic.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly as if sensing my unease. "New can be good. Fresh perspectives, new stories..."

"Indeed," I replied, finding a semblance of courage to hold eye contact with him. "And what might your story be?"

A flicker of surprise crossed his handsome features, quickly replaced by a charming smile. "Now, that would take more than just a class period to tell," he quipped.

"Perhaps," I conceded, allowing the beginnings of a smile to grace my lips.

"Perhaps," he echoed, "We could share this corner of the world until the bell rings?"

"Yes, that sounds... nice."

"Great," he said, sliding into the chair with ease. For some reason, I didn't mind him shrinking the distance between us. His gaze lingered on my face, causing heat to spread across my cheeks.

"Your schedule," he said suddenly, nodding towards the papers clutched in my hands. "May I?"

"Ah, yes, of course," I replied, handing it to him with a slight tremble in my fingers. Ugh, how embarrassing could I be? I grew up in an all-girls orphanage with all-girl teachers. I used to sign for the groceries when the delivery man came. But talking to a boy my age... This was a first for me, and I made it painfully obvious.

"Looks like we have a few classes together," he observed with a raised eyebrow. "Need any help finding your way around? It can be quite confusing navigating the halls."

"Thank you, but I'm quite alright," I said a bit too quickly. I then explained, "W-well you see Miranda... She gave me a tour earlier."

His grey eyes widened just a fraction before his confident smile returned. "Well, you're in good hands then." He handed back the schedule, his fingers brushing mine momentarily, causing another rush of warmth to my cheeks.

"Um, yes, she's real nice," I said, tucking my schedule into my notebook. I wanted to melt into a puddle of water.

"Only when she wants to be," he leaned back in his chair, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. "But if ever you do get lost, I'd be more than happy to play guide."

"Thankfully, I've always had a rather good sense of direction," I responded, the corners of my mouth lifting into a shy smile. Why did I say that?! Stupid!

"Is that so?" His voice held a note of amusement. "Guess I'll have to find other ways to be of service."

"Maybe," I'm hoping those ways would present themselves sooner than later.

I let out a sigh of relief as the teacher walked into the classroom. After what felt like an eternity, there was finally a break from me embarrassing myself. The teacher then proceeded to introduce themselves and begin discussing the topic of the class.

The teacher began to review topics we were supposed to have learned during summer break. I realized that this was a subject I had never been exposed to before - at least not to this extent. Despite my efforts to keep up and take diligent notes, something just didn't add up for me. It felt like I was missing crucial pieces of information.

The boy leaned over closer to me and whispered, "Is everything all right? You seem a little confused."

"Something like that," I admitted while looking at the dense textbook opened before me. "It's just...I am completely lost."

"Ah, I see," his tongue slid across his pearly white teeth. He grabbed my desk and pulled me closer to him. My nose welcomed his scent, which could only be described as clean, expensive, and musky.

"Try to follow along with me. Okay?" He said in a low whisper.

"Okay."

Over the class period, he became my anchor in a storm of confusing terminology and complex themes. He explained each concept briefly but perfectly. The way his mind dissected the information and presented it back to me in a way I could understand was captivating.

"Like this?" I asked, scribbling down notes.

"Exactly," he confirmed with an approving nod. "You're getting it now."

"Thanks to you," I murmured, meeting his intense grey eyes once more. I had to repay him somehow for helping me.

As the bell chimed, signaling the end of class, he gathered his books casually. "Hey, listen, there's a small cafe on campus," he said, his eyes scanning the room briefly. "Would you care to join me? It's away from... well, the usual crowd."

My eyes squinted. Who was the usual crowd? I hesitated for a fraction of a second, "Alright," I agreed, offering him a small smile.

"Great," the corner of his mouth lifting. With a quick scan of the room, he then led the way out of the classroom.

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