Caffeine | PUBLISHED

08. Flat White

0 8 . 

flat white

THE REST OF LUNCH WENT BY UNEVENTFULLY. Riley and William had taken the hint and let the situation drop, moving on to chatter about some new movie or TV show I hadn't heard of, their eyes occasionally roaming over to glance at me as I sat quiet, eyes trained on the sky.

The bell broke the awkwardness, and I found myself walking to my next period, visual arts.

Art was one of my favourite subjects. Miss Laney, our teacher, was always super laid back, and even though I was severely lacking in any kind of artistic skills, I always managed to get good grades in her class.

I stepped into the classroom, beelining for my usual seat alone. Riley and William weren't in my class, instead opting to take physics, leaving me to my own company. Normally, I complained about having to spend an hour alone, but today I could use the silence.

They'd ask too many questions that I didn't have the answer to.

I clutched Isaac's leather jacket around me, settling into my desk and pulling out my pencils, when across the room, someone caught my eye.

Isaac sat there, his green eyes trained on me, his dark brown hair in a messy pile on his head. I turned, my cheeks turning red. He'd been staring.

When was the last time he'd actually turned up to art class?

Had he ever?

I couldn't remember ever seeing him in our art class, but suddenly he was here – and he was watching me. I blushed, feeling his gaze heavy on me.

We left off at lunch with an uncomfortable cloud hanging over us, and I was in no mood to talk to him. Yet, my heart pounded, and I found my eyes drawn back up to him, his eyes still trained on me.

I looked away quickly, my mind still racing with thoughts of our conversation. Thoughts of how he was using Lacey and how he'd denied that they were ever dating. Of his reputation. Ofhow different we were.

I wanted him to prove me wrong. I wanted him to be that nice, gorgeous, kind boy he was whenever he spoke to me. The one who bought me coffee, and smirked at me, and lent me his jacket.

But the whole school knew about his reputation. The whole school knew how he had a new girl to toy with every other week, like they meant nothing. 

I had just chosen to forget it.

I couldn't believe I'd thought... what? What had I thought? That we could be friends? That I could talk to him casually like I did with Riley and William? All because he'd, what? Noticed me for a fewdays? I shook my head at myself.

I was an idiot if I believed someone like Isaac Hensick was living in the same world as I was.

"Alright, class," Miss Laney's broke my trance, and I turned to the front of the class to watch our eccentric, middle aged teacher waltz in, her arms full of notebooks. She laid them on her desk with a loud thud. "I have freshmen portfolios to mark today, so partner up, we'll be doing portraits."

I groaned. I had been hoping for a theory lesson where I could get lost in my notes. Not only did I have no one to partner with in this class, I was terrible at drawing.

I was pulling out my sketchpad, trying to figure out who to partner with when a voice interrupted me.

"Aspirin?"

My breath caught in my throat, and I found it hard to turn and meet those bright green eyes that had made it across the classroom in seconds. My mouth felt dry for words, so instead I hummed in response.