The class bell rang, and Caroline, along with the rest of the class, spilled out into the hallways. Caroline was determined to find Kirsten somewhere within the sea of people, and get her notebook back.
Damn it, Caroline thought. I don't have time for this! Why does she feel the need to mess with me so much? I can't make out anyone's face in this goddamn crowd! I've probably already passed her!
A hand was placed on Caroline's shoulder, but quickly recoiled back as she turned to meet it's owner.
"Um, excuse me... You are Caroline Septima, right?" the short boy behind her asked, nervously.
"Yes, I am. What do you need?" Caroline replied, slightly irritated.
"Oh... Well... I have your notebook for Mr. Wilson's class... I saw your name on the cover, and I, uh... recognized you from when you first introduced yourself in Chemistry class..." he answered.
Huh? Had I actually misplaced it? No. No, of course not. There was no way. I'm the kind of person who sorts her Lucky Charms by shape, I would not simply lose a journal.
Caroline cautiously reached out and retrieved her notebook. She was a smart enough girl to know that something wasn't quite right. The boy seemed far too anxious, like a deer frozen in the cold sight of a hungry wolf. What would he have to be scared of?
"Thanks a lot! Where did I leave this thing lying around?" Caroline queried, feigning enthusiasm.
The boy glanced behind, into the mass of people, before turning around and facing Caroline. She could read the poor boy like a book; his slight shivering, his eyes darting, his posture worsening. The guy was a neurotic mess.
"I just found it on the floor in the hallway. Maybe someone, uh, bumped into you... and it fell out," the boy barely managed to speak. "My name's Xavier..."
"Well, hello Xavier! It's great to meet you! Although I have to ask, why do you seem so nervous?" Caroline interrupted, still acting far too enthusiastic, and still prying for answers. This one little encounter was lasting what felt like an eternity.
"Well, I just wanted to say... I think you're really pretty." Xavier said with uncharacteristic confidence.
In that moment, all the false enthusiasm on Caroline's face melted away, leaving only a bitter, resentful expression.
Was this whole debacle merely one attempt for this loser to try and flirt with me? Honestly, why is romance the only thing on people's minds nowadays?
The thought alone made Caroline cringe. She couldn't stand the idea of being hit on, as it made her feel more like an object, some prize to be won over, than a normal person. A bubbling brew of negativity built up inside, and was about to spill out. She took a few steps towards the short boy, and looked down on him. She had intended to let loose with everything she had built inside of her.
However, as her eyes fell down to meet his, her heart softened a bit. There was an obvious loneliness. Not the kind of loneliness that required any romance to complete, just simply an emptiness. He had the eyes of a sad little puppy. She couldn't build up the animosity to act hostilely towards him. She could tell that this romantic approach wasn't his true intention.
"Listen, Xavier... that's... nice of you to say. But, I'm not interested. Sorry."
The halls began to empty out a little. Xavier stared at the ground. Caroline took a few steps back. The boy lifted his head up to respond, but was interrupted by an arm which made it's way around Caroline's neck from behind, eliciting a scream.
"Carrie, are you harassing this kid? What'd I tell you about stealing money from fellow students?" Kirsten laughed.
"Kirsten, you fuck! You scared me!" Caroline scolded, admittedly a bit embarrassed. "As a matter of fact, I was just about to head to English, where we have a project to be working on."
"Woah buddy, check your wording there. 'We' implies that I'm going to help in some way." Kirsten smirked.
Caroline grabbed her friend by the arm, and dragged her to their next class.
****
"So, who was that boy~?" Kirsten teased, while she sketched a picture of Romeo dancing with Juliet.
"Some weirdo. He gave me back my notebook. Don't get caught up on it, because I'm not going to be talking to him again anytime soon." Caroline scowled.
Caroline was supposed to be writing about the cultural significance of the character tropes established in Romeo and Juliet, but she couldn't keep her mind off that strange boy from earlier. What were his true motives? How did he get her journal? What was making him so nervous? She had one hell of a lot of questions, and was getting no answers. She slapped her backpack onto her desk and buried her face in it. Only a few seconds later, Kirsten tapped Caroline on the back to get her attention.
"Hey, sleepyhead. How 'bout you check out this diva strolling in, huh?" She grinned mischievously.
A girl walked in, and immediately all eyes were on her - Well, all except Caroline's. She was dressed in an elaborately embroidered jacket that matched beautifully with her skirt. The fluorescent lights of the classroom shone radiantly against her fair olive skin. What was a girl like her doing at a school like this?
Caroline raised her head, and her eyes widened at the sight of the new girl.
"There's no fucking way..." Caroline muttered quietly.
"What, do you know that girl, Carrie?" Kirsten questioned.
The new girl took a look at the classroom, scanning it, examining every student. Eventually, her gaze met that of Caroline's.
"...Carol?" The new girl mouthed inaudibly towards Caroline, with an awed expression.
The thought of that name sent a broken chill down Caroline's spine. She felt her skin tingle, and she shivered from the feelings flowing throughout her being. She had butterflies in her stomach.
"Hey girl, are you alright?" Kirsten asked.
The female teacher took a stand next to the new student.
"Alright class, I'd like to introduce you all to our newest alumni: Anya Leoni."
Caroline reached in her bag, clutched a crumpled up bathroom pass in her hand, and immediately ran outside into the hallway.
YOU ARE READING
APEX
Mistério / Suspense"If you have a quality, let it define you. No matter what it is." Caroline Septima was your ordinary over-achiever. She has always been the top of her class at her charter school, and envied by many of those around her. However, all that changed on...
