❝𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫?❞

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒘𝒐.

Tanya's POV.

THE VERY NEXT DAY AT SCHOOL, I DECIDED TO LEAVE MY APARTMENT A BIT LATER THAN YESTERDAY. 

The morning felt softer somehow, the light stretching lazily across the buildings as if the day itself wasn't in a hurry to begin.

I lingered for a moment before stepping outside, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder and letting out a quiet breath. The air was cool against my skin, carrying a faint crispness. I walked slower than usual, as if delaying things by even a few minutes might somehow change how the day would go.

The classes I have were surprisingly almost the same as Claire's, and that alone brought a small sense of relief. Knowing she'd be around made everything feel a little more manageable, like I wouldn't have to navigate the day entirely on my own. I was very glad.

But that feeling didn't last long. In maths class―with Mr. Morrins―Derrick was just staring at me and passing me notes. The classroom felt warm and enclosed, filled with the dry scent of chalk and paper, sunlight falling in pale strips across the desks.

Every time I so much as shifted in my seat, I could feel it―his gaze, firm and impossible to ignore. A folded piece of paper landed softly on my desk.

Then another. And another. Just great.

I did my best to ignore Derrick's constant staring and note-passing, forcing myself to focus on the maths lesson instead. Mr. Morrins' voice droned steadily as he explained equations, chalk scraping against the board in a repetitive rhythm.

I copied things down without really absorbing any of it, my pen moving automatically across the page. But it was difficult when his eyes felt like they were burning holes into the side of my head.

It wasn't just looking―it was watching, persistent and unbroken. I tried to subtly glance at Claire to see if she noticed Derrick's behaviour, shifting slightly in my seat in hopes of catching her attention. But she seemed completely absorbed in her notebook, her pen moving steadily, unaware of anything happening around her.

That somehow made it worse.

Finally, the maths lesson came to an end, and we were dismissed for lunch. The room burst into motion almost instantly―chairs scraping loudly, conversations rising all at once, bags being zipped and thrown over shoulders.

I gathered my things quickly, shoving my notebook into my bag with more urgency than necessary, eager to leave before anything else could happen. As I prepared to slip out with the rest of the class, Derrick approached me.

"Hey, Tanya, hold up a sec," He said, putting a hand on my arm to stop me from leaving. The moment his hand touched me, everything else seemed to dull slightly, like the noise of the classroom faded into the background.

His grip wasn't tight, but it was enough to stop me completely, enough to make me aware of exactly how close he was. People brushed past us without a second glance, their voices blending into a distant hum.

I fought the urge to flinch away from his touch and turned to look at him. "What do you want, Derrick?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.

He looked completely at ease, like this wasn't an awkward situation at all. "Have you thought about it?" He asked, giving me a sunny smile..

"Thought about what?" I asked as I tilted my head slightly, forcing confusion, even though my mind had already jumped back to his question from before.

If I played dumb long enough, maybe he'd drop it.

Derrick chuckled, clearly amused by my response. "Oh, come on, you know what I'm talking about," He said, leaning in a bit closer. The shift was small, but enough to make the space between us feel tighter. I resisted the urge to take a step back.