The Girl Next Door

Her

I walked into my homeroom and ducked my head as everyone turned around to look at me. My cheeks felt hot as I walked to the back where Derek was waiting.

The eyes of boys linger on me, slowly undressing me in their heads, while the girls started gossiping about me. Derek glared at the boys causing them to go back to their talk of last night Super Bowl game. I heaved a long sigh and looked at my sketches. "You sure are popular," I mumbled. From the corner of my eye, I saw Derek go red. "Well, at least girls aren't thinking about how I would moan during sex," he said with a smirk. I kicked him under the table and stuck out my tongue at him.

Someone knocked at the door causing me to look up from my drawing. Ms. Johnson look up from her laptop and said, " Ah! Ms. Riddle, how nice of you to join us!" The girl at the door wore a gray Panic! At the Disco sweatshirt and black skinny jeans. Her hair was long,black and curly with green at the tips.  She gave the teacher her tardy slip and looked around the room. Her big, black eyes landed on me. They were filled with curiosity and a pinch of something I couldn't name. She made her way down the row towards the seat next to me.  Next to me, I felt Derek tense. A bad breakup, I guess. Swiftly she sat next to me and gave me a glamourous smile. "Hi, I'm Circe," she said. Circe looked over my shoulder to look at Derek. " Nice seeing you again, Mr. Doyle," she sneered. Derek gave her the silent treatment.

Tension vibrated off Derek and Circe; making me feel uncomfortable. Before the bell even rang, Derek was already out the door. He just left me with the wolves. I shrugged on my backpack and got out of my seat. One of my drawings fell out of my sketchbook into Circe's desk. Her fingers trailed the hair of the little girl. She handed me my drawing; I reached out for it with a shaking hand. Before bolting out the door, her fingers curled around the inside of my thigh as she said, " It's beautiful." She gave me a prize winning smile as she walked out the door. Circe hadn't realized that with her actions and words, she had made me feel lust.