Where the Stars Align

Chapter 8

" It's about time she gets what she deserves."

Val chuckled at Levi's proclamation and turned back to the textbook before her before the teacher at the front of class would call her out.

A little over five minutes had passed before Russ talked again. This time with a crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

"Did you hear about the new guy?"

"What do you mean?" her curiosity had surpassed her determination to lay low.

"Apparently," Levi smiled, knowing he had gotten Val's attention with his statement, " chicks are going crazy over this so called stud who transferred here this morning."

" Two new people in a week? Isn't that a little odd or is this place just a destination for nomads?"

" Seems like Lakeview is getting popular" he shrugged, not knowing how right she was.

" For what?" she raised her eyebrow.

" You didn't know? We found a new way to recycle plastic."
She turned around fully towards him, wondering what he was going on about
"Putting it in the students"
Val couldn't stop the laughter that pushed its way out of her mouth after hearing his jab at her self proclaimed tormentor.

" Miss Moretti, Mr. Evans, care to share the joke with the class?"

There went her hopes of lying low.

" No? I thought not."

And she slunk down as far as the chair could possibly swallow her.

" Never mind that," the teacher had gotten up from his chair and started progressing down the center of the class. " I've been told that yet another student has been enrolled in your class. A boy, I'm told."

Levi had turned to Val with a smirk once he heard her breath catch, and she would have seen him, if not for her abnormal fixation on the information about the supposed new heartthrob of Lakeview High.

" He's meant to be joining your classes at around fifth period today, after the administrative work is cleared- to settle him in for the rest of the semester, so the school would like for you all to make him feel welcome."
That being said, the bell rang signalling the end of Biology and meant a free period for her.

"Soooo... any plans?"

She was about to respond, respond as someone interested in making friends would, with an invitation to join her, but she remembered she was letting herself slip. Her resolve slip. She knew that if she let herself get attached to him, her departure, which was inevitably coming, would be unnecessarily painful. So she responded in the most unpleasant way she could think of.
" Yeah." With that, she picked up her things and walked out.
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By the time Val neared her temporary locker, she'd already ignored a number of innocent enough smiles and the guilt was eating at her. She knew she'd already gotten a tad too familiar with Levi and any further and they'd be close enough to friendship that she'd miss him, no matter how little, when she left.
Sometimes it was just hard to distance herself from everybody all the time. After all she was only human.

The second bell rang signalling the five minute till the next period started and the students who weren't rushing for the next class gathered in huddles to gossip, or decide on where and with who they were going to spend their time.
The library it was then.

Val opened the poster-covered door to face the onslaught of what was probably quarter of junior year and half of the seniors.
The frantic attempts of the old librarian trying to herd the students out of the room was barely audible over the random babble of everyone. Val somehow slid into the cluster of people and tried not to choke on the overwhelming mix of floral perfumes and cologne. Somehow, she made it through the narrow entryway but was pushed to the side. She could breath now, but still couldn't catch sight of the subject of every one's attention.
Turning to a short, blond boy with his glasses sitting at the tip of his nose as her last resort, she asked him what was going on.
" Why's everyone here?"
He turned to her abruptly, his glasses teetering in front of his eyes.
" Huh?"
She held back the eye roll that was fighting it's way onto her face. " What's everyone doing here?"
He turned back to the crowd and stood at the tips of his feet while stretching his neck as high as it could go over the others before he answered.
" He's here."
Val couldn't stop the irritation creeping into her voice this time, " Who's here?"
" The new guy."
"Why?"
He faced her fully this time, obviously annoyed that Val was interrupting his desperate attempt in copping a view of their newest addition to the school.
" Apparently he came here to borrow a few books for classes that weren't available. Someone saw him and spread the word that he was here."
" And everyone is allowed to be here to just ogle the new guy"
As if in answer, the voice of Mr Grey, the vice principal sounded over the commotion and it quietened.
" Hey!" he ducked his towering head under the door and held his forearms our in front of him to keep students at arms length. " Everyone out now."
The gaggle went close to silent but still didn't move an inch.
" Either you leave now or you come here everyday after school to rearrange every single book according to color and then back again."
Most of the students moved this time, but the daring ones still lingered.
" I mean it," he continued, reaching for the detention slips in his jacket pocket.
This time, Val took it that that included her.
There were grumbles and comments about how it was a student right to have access to the library. She could also make out Dylan's voice somewhere in the background, saying something along the lines of "he's not that good looking".
Before Val stepped out the door, she turned back at the space which was now clear to see him.
Her feet momentarily stopped.

Striking.
That was the best word she could use to describe him.
He didn't have that blond, baby blue eyes, boy next door look.
Neither did he have the pure buff-jock one.
There was something about him, the unnerving stillness, the dark, windswept hair. Or maybe it was the way he stood, sure and tall, like nothing could faze him. Or his eyes.
Black and calm and calculating. They were so unnaturally alert that even though they weren't on her, she could have sworn she felt chills rattle her spine.
And then they were.
His sharp gaze shifted and met hers.
Her breath caught in her chest right before she turned back round.
His eyes shone like the stars.