Emerald

2|YOU FOUND ME

Look at that,

To say the least, I made a successful dash to my car and drove far away to the roads leading me home that night. Though to be fair, it wasn't like he was going to chase after me. I don't like to flatter myself by thinking he'd ever possibly would.

Walking into school Monday morning was a lot less hectic than my mind liked to imagine. High school wasn't even in the running for drama when compared to the films. People get absorbed in their own worlds when they're not desperate for a story to tell the next time they have a red solo cup.

Though in my five precious minutes of transitioning to second period, a fuming Oliver Walkley gave me the melodramatic scene I had anticipated.

"You lunatic!" He screeched in a mad dash across the hallway. "Are you actually insane. Spray paint on my wall? How'd you even break in?"

I took note of his hangover hair.

I kept my gaze blank and slightly narcissistic. I took a moment to glare at the couple people who stopped in their tracks. People just couldn't help but be nosy.

"Are you kidding?" I raised an eyebrow. "You didn't lock your window and have a painfully obvious route with an easily climbable tree practically hugging the side of your house. It's like you were asking for a mediocre tragedy." I explained nonchalantly.

Why did I ever date this airhead?

Oliver's ice cold glare tried to intimidate me - which it didn't - in an attempt to rile me up. But in a rebellion to his expectations, I sent him a bored look before chipping at the dark green nail polish that was already fading away.

Stuck in his stutters, I checked my phone with the realization that I had the scrape of a minute to book it down the hallway and halfway across another.

"If you'll excuse me, you've completely wasted my time," I said sharply before speed walking past him, making sure I nudged his shoulder just to boost my ego.

I heard the bell satisfyingly ring just as I swung into the classroom. A smirk was imprinted on my face as I sat in the only available seat.

Teenagers were odd even with the littlest of things. With free choice seating, they moved like pieces on a checkerboard on the daily.

Reaching for my binder from my book bag on the floor, when I looked up, I saw a boy with hair the color of sand and eyes with a gaze reminding me of Friday night.

My eyes widened a fraction as our eyes locked, but I inhaled and focused on retrieving papers latched onto the rings of my binder.

I could just feel his smile.

"Well look at that," He muttered loud enough for me to hear. "The villain has been caught red-handed. Twice."

So he's an eavesdropper too.

I tried to not roll my eyes. "Of course I had to get caught by a dramatic teenager with insomnia who is suddenly sitting next to me in my English class."

"My family and I just moved here on Thursday." He paused when he backtracked my words. "Did you just accuse me of having insomnia?"

I shrugged innocently. "I like to paint pictures in my head. For example, you are the extremely curious neighbor with insomnia. So to your advantage, you peek out your window through the night in the hopes for an adventurous wonder to fill your boredom." I said as I drew random squiggles on notebook paper, partially listening to the white noise in the background as the teacher typed something quickly on her computer.

"I don't have insomnia." He chuckled.

"I think that was obvious." I rolled my eyes. "I can make assumptions but that doesn't mean I deem them true."

"You are a wonder." A smile tugged his lips. "Does this wonder have a name?"

I sighed, knowing that I'd eventually answer. I'd rather tell him them losing tug a war to attendance. "Cleo Vexer."

"Caslon Allway," He introduced himself. He took a pause in thought, cogs turning in his head. "Nice to meet you, Vex."

I arched an eyebrow in amusement. "I haven't decided if I can say the same."