It All Started With a Comment

3

Who the flip are you?

Leo sent the message directly to person on his phone just as the maths teacher stalked in, sipping coffee in an open mug.

"I swear teachers aren't allowed open mugs around the school!" shouted a boy in the corner of the room, smiling at his friends for approval.

There was an agreeing clamour that spread around the room, everyone knew those were the rules. Leticia and Leo turned to each other. They gave each other awkward smiles as they anticipated what the teacher would say next.

"What's your name Mr Smart-Arse?" their teacher, Mr Lee said, in his smooth Australian accent.

A round of 'oohs' circled the room. "Martin, sir."

"And Martin, do you like your class?"

Martin looked next to him, which sat what appeared to be his friend, who raised his eyebrows encouragingly at him. Then he continued to look forwards and answer, "Sir, yes sir."

"Well Martin," Mr Lee looked down a list in his teacher planner, trying to locate something. "Or better yet, Mr Atkins, guess what?"

"What," he muttered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Because of you, I'm going to implement a seating plan," Mr Lee said, approaching his desk, and typing in what seemed to be a very long password.

There was moaning and groaning, as everyone gathered their things from their tables, slid them into the rucksacks, and begrudgingly stood up.

"Everyone," Mr Lee announced, using the remote to switch on the projector, "Thank Mr Atkins- your class clown. Now get into these seats."

Leticia looked at Leo, smiling slightly as she saw that she would be sat in front of him. In his seat, Leo was alone and so was Leticia. She screwed her eyes at the teacher's lack of common sense at the rota that he had put up.

"We are both alone," Leticia whispered to him, as the classroom was filled with people conversing loudly, and complained to their friends across the classroom.

"I know right, how awesome."

Leticia told him her idea, "Let's go together, it'll be great."

"Yeah, a year of fun ahead of us," Leticia said, giving him a loud high five.

He missed on purpose, and they dabbed afterwards, smirking at Leticia. She rolled her eyes and put her head into her hands. Quickly, she took the seat closest to the window, stuck her tongue out at Leo, and settled in.

Mr Lee regained control of the class. "I'm doing the register," Mr Lee said, angling his head oddly to the computer on his desk.

- - -

Mr Lee had finished doing the register, and upon reading a particular question on the angle of depression, had dive deep into his Christmas in Perth with his family.

He was in the middle of vividly describing his Christmas shirt when someone put their hand up.

"What?"

"My chair's broken."

"And who are you?" Mr Lee asked, in a slightly rude manner.

"You and your stupid seating plan should know," the boy replied smartly. The boy was leaning back in his chair, although he was leaning almost parallel to the ground, much abnormal to the usual movement of the plastic- it was as if he was proving a point.

It's him, Leticia thought.

"Did your parents not name you when you were born?"

"Why should I discuss my homelife with you?" asked the boy, still leaning back in his chair.

Mr Lee had a page of pictures that he opened, and he scanned through. "Aha. Oscar."

"That is my name."

"Well Oscar, you should be here," he gestured to the middle, where there were two empty seats. He walked all the way over to where Leticia was allocated to sit.

"You should be right next to Leticia," and at the mention of her name, she looked up from tickling Leo at the teacher who was right in front of her.

"Hi."

"I'll put up this plan once more," Mr Lee commanded, "And when I count to sixty, you should all be in the correct places." He looked sternly at Leticia as he gave him an apologetic head tilt.

Leo looked at Leticia, "It was nice whilst it lasted." And he gave her a small wave as she went forward.

Looking at the board, sticks saw that she was in the aisle seat. She shook her head, "Why couldn't I be by the window?"

"Because life's unfair," Oscar smiled as he slid into the seat by the window.

"And why do I have to be next to you?" Leticia asked as she set out her stationery and sat down.

"Same answer, Tiche."

Leticia threw her books onto the table in front of her, she hated that nickname. It was what Noire called her.

Leticia looked behind her at Leo and mouthed the letters 'f', 'm' and 'l'.

Leo gave her a confused look, and she realised that she forgot to mention what had happened. Leticia sent him a note, from a corner of s sheet of paper. It read:

L8r.

He nodded and went back to his own devices. It turned out he was next to Martin Atkins, and so they began to converse on his stunt which had made her sit next to Oscar.

Leticia turned awkwardly to Oscar, "So, are you good at Maths?"

He rolled his eyes, "Of I wasn't, would I be in the top set?"

"Have you ever heard of a mistake?" she asked, tucking her chair in more because she felt as if her hands were not doing enough.

"Yeah, when I met you."