The New Frontier

Chapter 1

"That guy is totally checking you out!" Emma squealed girlishly, her childish giggles echoing throughout the thriving hallway. I slam my locker door shut hard and rested my forehead against it in embarrassment, my checks quickly turned into a deep shade of pink.

"Could you possibly talk louder?" I asked sarcastically.

Emma took my comment literally and began yelling, "Is this loud enough?!"

People began staring at us strangely; others began laughing and whispering things to their friends on their way to class.

"Shut up, people are looking."
I whisper under my breath, just loud enough for her to hear it.
I walk to class silently with my head down, praying that people wouldn't notice me. God, Emma could be so annoying sometimes! But I loved her for it.

"Hey, I couldn't help noticing you in the hallway before," A husky voice said behind me, their warm breath sending bolts of electricity down my back.

I swivelled around and became face to face with gorgeousness. Well, it was more like my face and a pair of broad shoulders. It was the guy that Emma had said was supposedly 'checking me out'. I didn't get a proper look at him in the hallway before because of the dim lighting, but  standing right outside my English class he look jaw dropping gorgeous. His brown wavy hair swept across his sharp jaw bones. He stood there with a smug look on his face. I realised I had been staring at him for far too long.

"Hi." I said, breaking the silence.

Hi? That's all you could think of? Your such an idiot!

"Hi." He gave me direct eye contact sending shivers to my fingertips. I could feel the hallways growing emptier and emptier but we stood there awkwardly just the two of us, until I heard a pair of footsteps coming up behind me.

"Alice Fletcher, if you and our new student would please make your way inside now."

I quickly turned around and saw my English teacher, Mr Smith. My cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as I walked head down into the giggling classroom but was stopped before I made it to my desk.

"Alice, since you and our new student have already met, would you please introduce him to the class?"

Mr Smith was not in a good mood today. I stumbled up to the front of the class and took my spot standing next to... What's his name again? Wait... He didn't tell me his name.

"Hello class. This is. Um... This is..."
I looked up at the boy for help, and he seemed to get the message.

"Hey my name is Luke Jackson."

His baritone voice made the other girls giggle flirtatiously, and all the boys look at Luke with envy.

"Thank you Alice and Luke you may take your seats now," the teacher grumbled.

"Today, class, we will be having a pop quiz!" Mr. Smith said with forced enthusiasm.  Everybody groaned in annoyance, as the bald, pot bellied man handed out the test sheets.

The questions were surprisingly harder than I expected. Most of them didn't have anything to do with English; there were several math equations and lots of science questions, but majority were just common sense. The pop quiz was more like a small exam, with many pages to full out. Despite the complexity of the test, I managed to finish a lot faster than anyone else, unless you include dreamy Luke Jackson who finished a couple of minutes after me.

I was beginning to get quick glances at my test paper from a pair of false eyelashes sitting next to me, so I flipped my paper over, blank side up. Mr. Smith must have heard me because he swiftly snatched the sheets out of my hands.

"I shall mark this right now,"
said the short stubby English teacher, as he walked back to his desk.

"Excuse me sir, I'm finished also," Luke said, handing in his papers in and making his way back into his seat at the back of the room.

I could see the teacher growing more and more uncomfortable as he marked the pop quizzes. I could even see sweat droplets forming on his greasy scalp. When he had finished he abruptly stood up at looked directly at me and Luke.

"Alice Fletcher and Luke Jackson, if you would please come with me. I'm calling the police."