A thousand nights

XXI

I walked down the hallway next to the math department to fill my bottle of water when I realised that something was off. Was it the unexpected high temperature of the day? The canteen's first tasty custard or the lack of disgusting smells that permanently hunted the math department?

I looked to the study area in front of me, the stillness of it answering my initial question.

I frowned confused by the sudden absence of shrinking voices, laughter, and dirty jokes. I walked to the study area and peered from behind the hallway wall the messy study area, where not a sixth former was sitting out of place.

Everyone was scribbling notes furiously, or staring at either a paper or the screen of a computer trying to figure out what they were meant to be doing. There were mainly the seniors of the school and a few faces from my year.

I knew what was going on, of course.

The exams were approaching, faster than anyone could've expected.

The seniors were getting ready for their A level exams which were just a matter of time, and the desperate students -mainly the aspiring medics- were massacring themselves with past papers and coffee in the hope of scraping an A*.
I saw Hayden Williams, the head boy, his back to me as he quickly took notes on whatever was on his screen.

I knew I wasn't going to be so desperate when the time came for me to take my first set of exams. I had my textbooks memorized, there wasn't much I could do at home anyway. The choice was between counting how many times it rained in a day or revising.

And I had never minded revision, I quite enjoyed the subject I had chosen. Math was easy, Physics and Latin interesting and History appealing.

I walked back to Math class with my filled bottle.

My class consisted of only five people, me, Jake, Matt, Aaron and Amy Leviston, a shy brunette who I spoke to just before winter break because she had forgotten to hand me the math worksheet for the holidays.

I usually sat next to Amy even though we never spoke, she was too shy to start making fun of me and as odd as it seemed to me she had never asked me to move. I scooted on my chair next to her, and she kept on writing in her book.

Behind us Jake, Matt and Aaron were talking loudly, there wasn't a teacher in sight.

'What are we meant to be doing?' I asked Amy, peering over her shoulder to see what she was doing. She sat upright and with the tip of her index finger shoved her black frames higher on the bridge of her nose.

'Mr. Gasparro is still not in and the supply teacher told us to carry on with what we did yesterday' she showed me her page full of logarithms.

I placed my notebook on the desk and took out a pen. I could hear more clearly what the guys at the back were talking about now, it wasn't like they were being cautious or anything - and I couldn't avoid eavesdropping their conversation especially when it switched to Hamlin.

'She is acting weird and I don't like it' Jake confessed. 'It looks like she's still mad at me because of the party on New Year's eve'

'Nah, she might just be stressed because of the mocks' Luke pointed out.

'Is she going out with anyone or something? Cause I wouldn't mind getting to know her better' Matt started laughing and oddly enough Jake joined.

'Why don't you ask her out?' Jake challenged him with a more threatening tone now. Matt mumbled his apologises as he cracked up a joke and my mind trailed off their conversation.

I shook my head and finally opened my book absentmindedly and found myself face to face with the exercise completed. I had completely forgotten that I had finished it yesterday at home. I took out my borrowed Math textbook which, compared to the notebook was immaculate. I was trying my best to keep it that way, so that I wouldn't have to refund the school if it got ruined.

I read the modules for next year and considered which one to start studying for.

'Yo! Amelia pass me your book' Matt snickered as the others nudged his arm and rolled their eyes 'I just want to check the answers.'

From the corner of my eyes I l looked at Amy, annoyed that Matt didn't even attempt at recalling her name. Her face was flushed and her trembling fingers gripped the pages of her notebook. A second after Matt towering presence pushed itself between us and without asking a second time he snatched the notebook from her.

'Merci' he pronounced it as in mercy. He placed his hand through his dark straight hair and laughed back to his seat.

Had that happened before?

She released the breath she was holding. Amy lowered her gaze to her now empty table and let a few strands of her hair fall at either side of her face.

I didn't know what to say. 

It was like for the first time I could see what was going on around me.

***

'So what is the lesson of the day?' I asked Hamlin as I wrapped my scarf around my neck. She had already put on her coat, so she waited impatiently for me to finish getting ready.

'Sitting at the back of the class is more convenient if you want to avoid Mr Dodson a.k.a. Spanish teacher's flying spit  and you Park, have terrible organization skills' she rolled her eyes. I smirked. I finally put my heavy coat on and proceeded to get out of the school building.

'Do you want to stop by Costa?' Hamlin offered as she looked with distaste at the weather. It looked like it was about to rain. She still had to get used to the fact that the sky always looked like that.

'Nah, I have Physics homework to do' I said 'you can always come over, so we can finish them together'

'Yeah and get food poisoning from your disgusting frappucino?' She joked punching lightly my arm.

'My frappucino is still better than your attempt at making any type of drink' I said defensively. 

She looked outraged 'I cook better than you sir'

I put my arm around her neck and pushed her head towards me, I made a fist with my hand and ruffled her hair.

'Get off Park!' she shouted as she wiggled between my arms.

'You have to admit that my frappuccino is better than your drinks!' I laughed at how stupid we were acting; our classmates and other student looked at us confused, other just simply shook their heads in amusement.

'Your frappuccino is terrible! I won't say otherwise!' she announced. I started tickling her neck and she lost it.

'Please stop! Stop!' she shouted.

'That is not what I was hoping to hear ' I laughed. Hamlin was about to finally give up when I felt a hand tapping my arm. The first thought that came to my mind was Jake, but when I turned around with Hamlin still between my arms the big emerald eyes of Mallory looked up at me. I removed my arms from around Hamlin who panting fixed her scarf.

'Hey' her smile didn't reach her eyes.

'Hey' I said timidly. I could feel my cheeks turning red.

'Humh.. you lost these' she showed a pair of white earphones 'the cleaner gave them to me yesterday saying that she found them in the lift-'

'They're actually mine' Hamlin said cutting her off. Mallory frowned but nonetheless gave the earphones to Hamlin who didn't even bother to thank her.

'Okay then I better go now, I'll see you around' she smiled at both of us. 

'I can't believe her! How can she make your life a living hell and just expect to be forgiven by trotting around and flashing her stupid smile' she rolled her eyes. I nodded and muttered something in agreement to what she just said but as we walked further away from the school I couldn't help turning around to look towards were Mallory stood a few seconds ago and feeling so unsettled by everything I had just said.