The Both Of Us

02- Crème Brulee

Eight years ago

I was full on sprinting at eight o clock in the morning in my school uniform to the office. There was no way I would allow myself to be late to work in the first day in school.

With sweat building up on my forehead, and my breathing heavy from all the running, I quickly rushed to the card machine and scan my identification card. The words 'seven fifty nine' in bright green glowed on the screen. I was finally able to breathe out.

"A minute later and you could've been late Claire."

I turned to Mrs. Holmes who was smiling at me. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Had a good night sleep?" she asked as she scanned her identification card of the machine.

I shook my head. "I wish. I had to work overtime and came home to my drunk neighbors having karaoke. I never heard of such a terrible cover of Bohemian Rhapsody until last night."

"You should stop working so hard." Now it was her turn to shake her head. "You're too young for that."

"It's fine." I shrugged. I set my worn out backpack on the floor by the desk.

I worked as an assistant secretary for the school administrators, but my work was somewhat like a receptionist slash secretary.

"I have the list of students encoded and on your desk Mrs. Holmes."

"Thank you Claire." She said as she headed towards her table. "Did you print out your schedule yet?"

My eyes widened at her words. I shook my head. "Not yet."

I heard her give me a light chuckle. "Go and print it now. You only have a ten minutes before the bell rings."

I rushed back to my table and quickly turn on the ancient computer. Christ, this place is so expensive and they can't afford to change this computer. When the computer was finally ready which took almost five minutes, I quickly enter the school's website and plug in my ID number.

I selected the schedule button and clicked on the print option.

I was too engrossed in waiting for the printer to finish printing that I didn't notice someone enter the office.

"Is someone here?"

It was a male's voice.

I looked up and I really wished I didn't.

He was tall, maybe it was because I was sitting down but he was towering over me, and he's gorgeous, very gorgeous. He was probably a foot taller than me with a strong build- slender yet muscular. His face was chiseled to perfection with a strong jaw that I was so sure it was the gods who sculpted his face. His hair was in a dark shade of brown with very little strands of light brown. He had dark brown eyes, so dark they're almost black. The harshness of his bone structure disputed to the soft and alluring appeal of his lips.

And he's wearing the school's prescribed uniform. So he must be a student.

And I was checking him out already.

"Can you help me with something?" he asked and I look away from him, standing up at the same time. I glanced at the time. I had barely three minutes left before the bell rings, but this was a part of my job. I gave a nod. "I wanted to ask for my schedule."

"Student number please." I muttered and grabbed my own schedule from the printer. He handed me his ID and I punched his number on the computer before returning it to him.

Alec Larkin. His name is Alec Larkin, and he's a senior, and not on scholarship. Another rich kid.

Great, one more person that could potentially torment me.