searching for a fallen star

Chapter 1: Train rides and their definite lack of perks

A ridiculous amount of sunlight pounds against my eyelids. I've barely gotten three hours sleep last night with all that last minute cramming of a chemistry exam that's worth bloody 30% and the sun is magnifying my headache tenfold. I can literally feel my heart drowning in regret as I think back to my long hours curled up in my bed, reading the latest romance stories without a care in the world.

In other words, procrastination. 

I seriously need to manage my time better.

Or so I've told myself this a thousand times already.

As the train squeaks and trembles, picking up speed, I turn back to my notes. The black ink frustratingly refuses to encarve itself into my brain, I reek of sleep deprivation, and it doesn't help that the exam is in one hour. 

One bloody hour!

Calm down, A. Calm down.

The train stops and its doors hiss open.

Some twenty seconds later, a guy wearing black jeans and a hoodie hesitates as he walks by my seat, as if debating whether to sit beside me or not. Finally, he slides in, slumping down heavily on the cushioned seat with a sigh. 

I cock my head towards him curiously. He turns to meet my gaze with his deep black ones, staring at me with disinterest. I watch his eyes flicker momentarily to my notes, and I swear I see a smirk evolving from his lips. 

I blink. 

It's not every day that you find a complete stranger smirking at you.

"Need help with your chemistry?"

I blink. Again.

"I take that as a 'yes'?" 

I blink. Again. I blame this excessive blinking on sleep deprivation. 

The guy chuckles quietly as he plucks the notes from my hands. I feel my breath hitch involuntarily as I watch him run his right hand through his messy hair, slightly disturbing his rough, sideswept finge. 

"What?" He turns to me with an amused smirk.

Again with the smirking!

"Nothing." I yawn (sleep deprivation, remember?), then hastily covering my mouth in mid-yawn as he glances at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Bored of me already, schoolgirl?" 

"Hey! Don't schoolgirl me!" My eyes flicker to my notes. "And don't crinkle my notes!"

He gives a low chuckle and continues to carelessly thumb through them. 

I groaned. "No crinkling!" Hurriedly, I snatch my notes back. 

I notice a few passengers watching us oddly, some with frowns, some with amused smiles. I instantly feel my cheeks burning, and I'm sure the redness has spread to my ears already.

Slumping back against the seat, I try to concentrate on how on earth ethylene is produced. (Ethylene is just a trendy chemistry word for plastic.) But I can literally feel the guy's stare searing through the twenty pages of notes.

Finally, I slam my notes against my lap. "What?" 

"I can help you, you know." 

"I know." I try to reply carelessly. My bloody cheeks are still burning. I blame the sun.

"I'm a chemistry teacher, you know."

I almost forget to blink this time. This guy is a teacher?

'Yes schoolgirl, be amazed." 

"Don't schoolgirl me!" 

He chuckles again. "Do you want my help or not?"

I shrug, still trying to act nonchalant. Bloody hell Anna, stop being so stubborn and just accept his help!

I think of my dignity, then I think of the 30%. 

"I'll take it." I finally reply.

"Good." He glances up at the electronic banner displaying the next stop. "I have five more stops."

"Okay. I have six."

I watch his smirk grow a little as I say "six". Wow. An immature teacher. 

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. 

---

I can't believe the amount I learn in the next 20 minutes that he's on the train. We flee through most of my notes, and to my own tremendous surprise, I remember most of the information. 

"That's my stop, schoolgirl."

I glance up to meet his eyes, and nod. "Cool." Now thank him, Anna. "Thank you for... uh... helping me." 

"No problem, schoolgirl." A strand of hair dangles in his eyes as he winks.

Woah. Hold your horses. Did a teacher just wink at me?

He stands up and begins to walk purposefully towards the opening tin doors. I shake my head. This has got to be the strangest train ride ever.

"Hey." 

I look up to see him smirking at me. "Nice uniform, schoolgirl."

I try not to blush, but my body refuses to listen to me. 

"I'll see you around, schoolgirl." And with that, he exits just as the door slams shut, leaving me very flushed and very confused at what the hell had just happened.