Temptations

2 || S E R E N D I P I T Y

I looked up from where I sat, rubbing my eyes and surrounded by my classmates and their eagerness to get to the next class. I had unsurprisingly fallen asleep in class, the reminisces of last night still etched upon the dark under bags that hung below my eyes. Georgia and I had promised mum to go to sleep early and unfortunately we ignored even that, staying up later then we had planned, watching swoon-worthy romantics and filling our guts with junk food.

School has proved to be an occasion to which I could no longer bear the ways of which it involved me to associate with the people around me. If I had to hear the words, 'How was your holidays', one more time, I think I would just about lose it.

It was 6th period, the last class of the day - English. The was nothing to stop my internal groan as I met with Georgia at the end of the hallway that lead to the upper level.

"Don't tell me I'm the only one wrecked from last night," she said, a distressed look reaching her face.

"Nope, I just about slept through all of last period." I reply, taking each grudgingly painful step one at a time.

Surprisingly we are the first ones to reach room 17, taking the opportunity to scope out our English class for the year. There were the expected ones; the kids who mostly kept to themselves in a collective group and took out all the awards at the end of year award presentations, and the ones who almost everyone knew and was friends with, including Georgia and I.

Before Georgia even catches sight of him, I cough loudly and direct my head movement to the direction of where he walks with just himself down the crowded hallway. Mark's face is completely expressionless and it's only until Georgia makes eye contact with him that he flashes his trademark smile, looking directly into her eyes. Enough to make any girl light headed, even I found myself blushing.

"Hey George," he greets, looking at her with a smile until looking over to me, "hey Fitz, haven't seen you in ages"

"You were at my house two nights ago but okay," I say defensively, quickly looking away from his gaze.

He gives a mocking face and rolls his eyes, "tell Jackson I need my PlayStation back".

I groan and turn my back from him to lean against the wall. Jackson, my older brother, Mark and Sean were undeniably and most painfully, the best of friends. The three of them unnecessarily spent majority of their downtime at my house, in which I blatantly tried to avoid their presence at all times. It wasn't that I didn't particularly enjoy their company, which could be true at times, it was just that I wasn't prepared for the whole school to know that those two were also known to me as the boys who on Sunday afternoons lounged in my living room in nothing but boxers and eating out the pantry. I could imagine what Shelley Henderson would have to say about it all, who by nearly all considerable standards, the school's stereotypical popular girl that we all knew as being Mark's begrudged ex-girlfriend. Shelley stood at the back of the line with her other friends, most of whom were nice but had their knack for occasionally being completely possessed by Shelley's charm.

It's finally after the completely unmerited moments of cringe that we all see the teacher finally arriving. From a distance my eyes strains to see the familiar face walking down the now empty corridor, quickly glancing at Georgia's timetable that named Mr Evans as the teacher. As he neared closer to the classroom it was to my complete surprise it was Stephen from the party at Shuan's house.

He doesn't notice me at first, but after a moment's passing I see the flicker of recognition in his eyes and an eventual smile spreading across his face.

"Wait till Dean hears about his one," he says laughingly, before opening the door to the class to let us in.

Out of pure habit, Georgia and I take two seats in the second row. We watch the others walk in, taking their time to gaze at the layout of the room before taking spots next to their friends. Shelley sat with Fern Welsey in the two spots beside me, flashing her somewhat fake smile as she did. Whilst everyone was settling in, I caught sight of Mark who still stood outside, talking to Shaun and a collective of other boys who were taking their time to get to class. Mark lingered near the doorway, his laugh lightening up his face.