Pro Guardian - (B.M.)

Chapter 01

Billy, Billy, Billy, Eli?

It was a beautiful Spring day, with bright skies and the sun at its greatest point. Elianne Brooks had just arrived at school, albeit a little late. She despised being late for class, especially English 301, her all-time favourite. She started jogging towards the class, her grey rucksack slung over her shoulders, hoping the important lecture hadn't started yet. Elianne, on the other hand, stumbled over a pebble on her way there and fell to the concrete floor, scratching her new yellow dress.

Groaning, she hurriedly wiped away some trickles of mud that had made their way onto the hem, secretly relieved that the fall had not torn any of it, and entered the school. She knocked twice on the door with a deep breath, and her instructor, Miss Stevens (Rachel), answered the door with a smile.

"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry I was late," Elianne explained herself, trying to catch her breath.

"It's fine, come in," Rachel said, opening the door slightly wider to let the student in. Miss Stevens would help Elianne with her English homework when she was a sophomore, and Elianne admired her teacher for it. Something that had always piqued Elianne's interest.

She walked in and went over to her desk and sat down, not caring about the constant stares she was getting from her classmates. She just hoped they were only staring due to her tardiness, and not the fact that she managed to make a beautiful yellow dress into the totally opposite colour.

Elianne swiftly got out a paper and pen to jot down any essential notes while Rachel resumed the discussion. She observed a kid in a blue hoodie to her left, and she assumed his name was Billy. He appeared bored and uninterested, but he managed to look over to the person who was speaking. Despite the fact that she didn't know anything about him, she remembered hearing rumours about Billy being a lousy student who couldn't seem to focus on anything. Elianne was never one to believe rumours since she believed that everyone had their own abilities, and that some people just discovered them later than others.

"School is an institution, it's not an institution, but it's still a place that we have to go, every   day. . . . And it's for that reason alone that we learn about . . ."

Elianne only realised she had been staring at Billy for too long when he quickly looked her way, his face etched with bewilderment.

"Why are you staring?" he whispered just loud enough so she could hear him.

"Uh, hmm?" She hummed, not completely noticing that he had seen her.

Billy's ears turned crimson, but he tried to hide it by projecting an angry demeanour. "You're so strange."

"I, uh, sorry," she said as soon as she realised what she was doing and hurriedly averted her gaze. "I thought I saw something."

"Yeah, me."

"What do you mean?" She furrowed her eyebrows. 

"You saw me," he elaborated, "That 'something' that you saw is⸺"

"Is something the matter back there?" The teacher's voice boomed, and both the students paused in embarrassment.

Without even waiting for a reply, Rachel continued with her lesson.

Billy rolled his eyes and averted his gaze, continuing to listen to the dull discussion on the summary of a source they had just completed reading. More accurately, they read it; Billy wasn't interested in it, so he didn't.

At the end of class, Elianne approached Rachel who was currently erasing the blackboard.

"Miss Stevens?"

The teacher gave a quick glance to the student who had spoken before placing the eraser on the board's rack. She moved a step closer to the girl, motioning for her to continue.

"Are you sure it's fine that I come to the drama competition with you?" 

Rachel smiled, sitting on the desk. "Of course it's fine Elianne, I told you I really wanted you to come."

"It's just that . . ."

"Look, Eli," Rachel said. "I think this will be a nice change of scenery for you considering everything that is going on back home . . ."

Elianne nodded but still looked a bit skeptical.

"Then it's settled. Get packing because we have a nice trip planned."

Elianne went to the cafeteria after her talk with Miss Stevens to have a quick bite to eat before departing for the trip. She went over to the eating area and asked the friendly lunch lady for some yoghurt and vitamin water. She noticed Billy again, sitting alone, silently eating lunch with his eyes on the table. She walked up and sat down in front of him, leading Billy to raise his eyes for a brief while, the same bored expression on his face.

"Mind if I sit here?" she asked although she wasn't really looking for permission. Even if he didn't agree, she was pretty sure she wouldn't get up.

When he didn't reply, she opened up the water bottle in her hands and took a quick sip. "So, you're⸺"

Billy moved his food tray next to him and took his bag as he prepared to depart. In an attempt to catch up with him, she stood up as well, hurriedly grabbing the sealed yoghurt.

She raced over to him and asked, "Wait, where are you going?" He didn't look her in the eyes, but she could sense he was a little uneasy.

"Out," he replied simply, continuing to walk. She stopped in her tracks and looked over to the departing figure of Billy as he left the cafeteria.

She sat down again, opened the yoghurt, and quietly continued to have her lunch. She had no idea what was wrong with Billy, or she was being overly frank. She wasn't head over heels in love with the boy, but she was delighted to be on the same trip as him.

Which seriously didn't make sense to her, considering that he was probably the most disliked person in their class - in the entire senior graduating class for this year, for that matter. And considering how he'd been treating her so far. . .

Eliane could understand why.