Finding her

3

ALESSIA'S P.O.V.

You know that feeling when you're in a class and you can't just wait for the class or be over so you can say  "Till next time, bitch."

That's how I feel right now. Sadly for me, the class just started. I don't really hate the class or the subject or the teacher. Mr Nelson is actually very nice actually. The opposite of my high school nightmare. I just don't like being in a class.

"Alright, Class. As you know, we do more practical than theory in this class because what's the use of learning if you can't practice what you've learnt? So today were taking one of my favorite topics. Love. You don't have it hand it in right now. But your work for the day is a simple question and you have to write everything you know or feel about it. The question is, What is Love?"

Wait, that's it?  That's easy. Love is an emotion. Simple.

"Just put down everything you know and feel. It can be a word, a phrase, a sentence, a full page, an entire book, anything you want. There's no right or wrong answer but you will be marked based solely on the substance and depth of your work—" he stopped talking when someone in class raised his hand. Mr Nelson looked at him and said, "No, Tony, you cannot just submit a dictionary definition. It has to come from the heart. That's it. I'll give you have four weeks before you hand this in so you all can sleep on it. Are we clear? You can start now."

Then, followed the murmurs of understanding.

"Um, Sir? How much of our grade is this worth?" I stood up and asked. The class filled with murmurs once again. People were laughing. Why?  I don't know.

"A good sixty percent."

"Uh, Alessia, you may want to sit down. Like now." Nick who sat beside me said. I raised an eyebrow and his eyes pointed to my seat.

Oh shit.

Blood.

There's blood in my seat. My period came and I didn't feel a thing.

Swiftly, I sat down but it was already late. The damage had been done. Half of the class just saw my blood stained behind.

Great.

"Sir? Can I please, go to the bathroom?"

He looked at me skeptically then shook his head no.

I was getting desperate.

Screw this.

"Please, oh please, Sir can I go to the bathroom?  I'm on my period!"

His eyes went wide and he finally let me go, Nick following closely behind me, making sure my little bloody fiasco was hidden by his body. My bag was slung on his shoulder.

When we finally got to the girls bathroom, he handed me my backpack.

"How are you bringing freaked out by this?"

I ask seeing that he just basically saw my jeans stained with blood and escorted me all the way to the girls bathroom.

He just smiled and shrugged.

"Do you need anything? Painkillers? Pads? Cookies? " he asked, examining me carefully, like I was some precious jewel.

"Do you have some extra shorts?"

"Yeah, I have some in my locker but why would you need my shorts?"

I shifted uncomfortably on my feet and his eyes lit up with realization.

"I'll go get some for you. And I'll clean up the little mess on your seat so don't worry about it. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

I'm in awe. He just offered to clean my bloody seat. Literally.

"I am. Thank you." I say with a smile on my face out of lack of anything else  to say.

He finally left and I walked in to fix my little problem.

Why can't Mother Nature just congratulate me for not getting pregnant with a hug or longer hair or flawless skin? I should be rewarded but no. I get a week of cramps, mood swings, diarrhea, hunger, bloating, vomiting and acne. Thanks, Mother Nature. Fucking thanks. Not.

Not long after, Nick came back with his basket ball shorts and handed them to me.

"Thank you..." I drawled out to him and went back into the bathroom .

Now, let's take care of this mess...

***
After my Japan was sorted out, I left the bathroom. Nick was standing, holding cookies out to me with a smile.

I couldn't help but smile back and give him a hug. Could he be anymore perfect?

"You good?"

"Very. Thank you."

He just held me there, my head on his chest and his chin on my head.

"They look nice on you by the way."

"What?"

"My shorts... They look better on you than me."

"They're huge." I chuckled.

"Makes them even better." he teased.

Then he let me go and we went back to class.

The rest of the day, not much happened... Just a few classes and the day came to an end.

But as usual, I spoke too soon. Going back to my locker, I was cornered by Makayla and the rest of her brainless barbies.

Now, this should be interesting...

"Okay, let's get this over with. Say whatever the hell you have to say and then get out of my face. Some of us would actually like to get home sometime today." I shrugged, waiting for her reaction.

"Typical, clueless. Well, since you asked so nicely, stay away from Nick. He's mine. Everyone knows he belongs with me. It's just the way it is. And look, I know you have a little crush on my boyfriend but I really can't blame you. He's hot."

That irked me in ways I couldn't explain. A smirk replaced the neutral, bored expression on my face.

"Right. He belongs to you and the entire freshman female students body.  I forgot." I laughed.

"Well, sorry— not sorry to burst your bubble but all these girls  have a crush on your "boyfriend". They're just waiting for him to get tired of you so they can swoop in and take over. Because that's all he is to you. A game, a way to maintain your status as  queen bitch. He's just your high school arm candy. And for the rest of you, he's just eye candy." I laughed again but with a bit of a edge to my tone.

I was getting riled up and it was getting harder to maintain my facade but that was all part of the game.

"You're his girlfriend but do you even know what his favorite color is?  His favourite childhood memory? That he prefers long phone calls to texts? Of course you didn't. He's just your arm candy."

"Who is he to me? He means nothing to me and yet, he's always with me and not you. Ever thought about that? No?  Then think about it." I walked round her to get to my locker, grabbed all the things I needed and she was still there, face red with anger but guess what? I didn't give a fuck. I was about to laugh when I got the idea.

"Oh and I hope you like my shorts. They're Nick's. Now, if you'd just get out of my way, I have somewhere to be." She was livid by the time I stalked off and the look on her face was comical.

I didn't like messing with people but she deserved it.

Like the brat that she is, she and the rest of her posse.

I grabbed my things from my locker into my bag. Nick came out of the corner of the hallway which made me wonder if he heard what just happened.

Part of me wished he did and another part, —a bigger part of me wished he didn't. When I said he didn't mean anything to me, I really didn't mean it.  I just wanted to irk Makayla in some way and that was the first thing I thought of.

"Hey."

"Hey... Uh... I saw that. You okay?" He asked but his usual concern wasn't as evident as it had been. As I'd always seen it.

His eyes were distant much colder. Right then, I knew something had shifted. I fucked up.