"There's a new kid?" Alex asked. It was homeroom and everyone was buzzing about the new kid. Everyone seemed so excited. New kids came as often as the blue moon. It was a rare treat to have a new student attend their school.
"Yep," said Nikki, co-captain of the cheerleading team and a new friend of Alex, "Rumor has it that this person is so hot that people melt when they see them! Every girl is hoping that it's a guy and every guy is hoping that it's a girl! I hope that it's a guy! I need a boyfriend ASAP!"
It was satisfyingly pleasant to have Nikki as a friend and at the same time, increasingly annoying. Nice, because Nikki knew just about everything that happened within the school and irritating because the girl was a chatterbox. Alex loved the girl, but she just wished that she had the will to put a muzzle on that snout!
"So, what's their name? Gender? Cute? Hot?" Alex couldn't believe it. She was already falling in the rumor mill just like every other high school girl.
"Geez, Alex. What's with all the questions?"
Alex merely shrugged, "Just curious," she replied curtly.
Once the bell rang, everyone settled comfortably in their seats. Nikki hopped off Alex's desk to sit in the desk situated in front of her. Today was beginning to turn out just like any other day, except for the fact that the majority of the students were acting on their best behavior in hopes of making a good first impression on the new student. All the girls either wanted to go out with him or add her to the group and all of the guys either wanted to get her in bed or try to beat him in every sport possible. Question was, was it a boy or girl?
"Alright, class," Mr. Matthews said as he came strolling into the room, "As you may have heard, we have a new student who will be joining us in class today. They have traveled all the way from France to attend this school on their scholarship. So, without further ado, I will introduce you to our student."
Students began to whisper amongst themselves, all holding their breaths in anticipation and inching out of their seatsas Mr. Matthews left to fetch the student waiting outside. Alex could hear the strained squeals behind her and people swinging their legs out from under their desks and slamming their feet onto the floor.
Mr. Matthews ushered the new kid to the front of the room and before any sort of silence could fill the room, a swell of squeals pierced the air.
"He's so hot!" a girl squealed.
"And he's foreign!"
"I'm gonna die!"
All girls had already went head over heels for the guy, all except Alex who simply stared and admired his beauty rather than attempting to deafen everyone's ears with her incessant squealing.
Long wavy ebony hair, smooth sun-kissed skin, a lean yet muscular built and full luscious lips. But what really caught her attention were those jade eyes.
Thick ebony feather-like eyelashes framed those radiant eyes. They were like blends of emeralds mended together to form into a vibrant green that had been undiscovered by man. Gazing so deeply into them was like frolicking in a expansed field of verdant grass untouched by the harsh casualties of nature and sparkled brightly, as if stars had been pricked into his eyes. They were the incarnation of youth and innocence but Alex could also see that although his eyes were jade, they weren't jaded the slightest.
After deciding the guy was human, Alex just realized she had been gaping at him and apparently, so was the rest of the class. The girls were drooling and the guys were looking as if they had been outdone. The foreign kid had won the most good-looking contest by a landslide.
"Bon jour..." the boy greeted nervously and squeals filled the room once more.
The boy looked as if he had just seen a ghost or worse; undignified stares from students who both wanted to get him in bed and kill him.
The teacher seemed to have noticed the boy's nervous behavior because he then faced the class with a hardened glare, "Class, pull yourselves together," he sighed, "This is Leonce Crump. As I had said before, he has joined us on a scholarship. Please treat him... normally."
The class did not chorus a "Yes sir!" or a "Whatever". They just remained silent as the boy made his way down the aisle to the only available seat in the back of the classroom.
Alex began to feel nervous. She didn't know why she felt that way so suddenly. It wasn't until everyone's eyes darted into her direction did she realize that the only available seat was right next to her own.
She thought about making up an excuse to leave the room to avoid speaking with him but at the same time, she wanted to have an endless conversation with him. She was confused yet she understood and that made her all the more confused.
The room was completely still when Leonce stared down at Alex and in return, she stared up at him.
"Is anyone sitting here?" he asked in his heavy accent, vaguely gesturing towards the desk sitting beside her.
She blinked hard, suddenly lost for words. Her mouth opened but audible words she wanted to say failed to pass her lips. In the end though, she simply decided to shake her head.
He flashed her a dazzling smile before slowly slipping into the empty seat. Casting a glance into her direction, he gave her a once-over before quickly looking up ahead.
The class then began to mutter and buzz about the recent scene whilst the duo in the back grew increasingly uncomfortable. Mr. Matthews, finally out of his daze from his students bizarre attitudes, gained control of the classroom and embarked on his lesson.
"Alright, class, settle down," the teacher dryly said as he rounded his desk. "Turn to pages 195 in your textbooks," he instructed dryly.
Groans of protest aroused from the students and the rummaging of hands in backpacks filled the room but Leonce sat there, frozen stiff. The simple instruction prompted Leonce to lean close to Alex and softly whisper, "Mind if I share?"
She hesitated, secretly eager to the sudden proximity and slid her book close to him so that it was teetering off the edge of her desk. A slight screech made her jolt in surprise once Leonce began to drag his seat closer to hers, almost closing the gap that kept their arms from caressing the other's. Alex stared at him for a brief moment as he began to slowly flip through the pages in her textbook. He noticed and as their eyes locked, he offered a sweet smile that made her heart twist. She smiled back.
Michael glared into their direction, looking as if he were about to kill the both of them on the spot. The students around him sat stiff in their chairs as his glare hardened into what would seem like a bullet preparing to be shot out from his skull. The rage within him made his blood boil considerably and his heart was racing at a tempo that no monitor could keep up with. The adrenaline that was coursing through his veins would have made him strong enough to flip over a truck without even breaking a sweat.
That was how pissed off he was.
But at the same time, he could feel his heart sink into the pit of his stomach at the horrifying sight. He had tried, oh how he tried to somehow claim the girl as his own. He had tried disciplining her with abuse, gave her priceless gifts, and even tried to help her in her times of need on special occasions. Why did all of that seem pointless? What was his goal? His motivation? Why did all of the things he did never matter to her? Was it all just a useless effort? A failed attempt? Apparently because he had known the girl for four whole months and she still wasn't in his arms.
Now what do I do?
Alex was one of the first to leave the classroom once the bell rang for next period, herself feeling all too flustered after being so close to such an attractive stranger. She had to admit, though that she enjoyed the closeness they shared but barely even knowing his name made her feel a bit uneasy and yet, she didn't feel all that awkward near him, She felt comfortable, like the way that she would feel when she was at home in her bedroom.
She made it to her locker and scanned the hallways just as she always did after first period in search of Michael and his unpredictable intentions. Fortunately, there was no sign of him or his friends.
She spotted Monica and Bruno just down the hall from her and watched them in envy. They were both timidly flirting with one another, Bruno chuckling nervously and Monica giggling softly. Bruno would lean over sometimes to bestow a kiss upon her cheek and Monica would giggle like the bashful girl she was. Alex wanted someone to do that with her so much that it hurt, but knowing that would never happen, she tore her gaze away and glanced over at Tatiana who was currently getting hit on by one of the jocks on the football team while she was trying to open her locker.
As usual, she was ignoring him, pretending that he wasn't there and that his voice was just merely a distant buzzing noise. Alex smiled faintly and shifted her gaze over to the next person who caught her eye which was unfortunately, Nelson.
He was getting books from his locker, only to drop one in the process. She watched as he bent over to retrieve it. As he straightened up, he noticed her staring at him. His eyes were full of melancholy as he forced a tiny smile. But Alex felt so much pain in her heart that she wasn't able to do the same and she tore her gaze away from him and focused on opening her locker.
Ever since the Winter Dance, Alex had been so embarrassed to speak with Nelson after she had been "trashed" by Michael and his little crew that she didn't feel as if he deserved the same humiliation by simply knowing her. She didn't want to embarrass him as well by complaining her every worry and concern to him. She didn't want to have to be a burden. It was bad enough she was practically at the bottom of the social class in both popularity and wealth.
Alex gathered her needed textbooks from her locker and started towards her class at a fast pace, only to find herself lying sprawled out on the floor with her books scattered around her. Some people around her were laughing and it made her wonder what clown pushed her down.
"Oh mon dieu!" the voice shouted. The owner of the voice kneeled down beside her to gather Alex's books before handing them to her and as Alex glanced up at them, she found herself gazing into a familiar pair of green eyes.
"I'm so sorry," Leonce breathed as he endearingly held Alex's gaze.
"It's okay," Alex stammered, "I should have been watching where I was going."
Leonce stared, seeming to look as if he were under a trance, "Such beauty... How could I have not noticed?"
Alex, flustered once more, forced a tiny smile before rising up to her feet.
"Well, um," she began awkwardly, "Thanks for, uh, helping me get my books. I really appreciate it..."
"The pleasure is all mine," he smiled, exposing all of his pearly white teeth, "And who do I owe the pleasure?"
Alex wasn't used to such foreign questions that she just stared blankly back at him with a look that could only mean, "I would like you to dumb that down for me."
"Your name, chérie."
"Alex," she replied curtly, feeling awfully silly not knowing how to translate his previous question.
"Beautiful name. Beautiful."
Alex blushed, "Thanks."
She turned to leave but he quickly tapped her on the shoulder and she whirled back around to face him, "Um, sorry, but I don't really know where everything is and everyone else seems busy with finding their own classes. I was wondering if you could tell me where the english room is?"
"Oh. That's just down the hall from my class. We can walk together if you want..."
"I would like that very much," he hurriedly said and Alex smiled brightly at his enthusiasm.
"Okay then. Follow me."
So they walk together, both oblivious to the shocked stares and cold glares following after them as they headed towards their destination.
Michael himself was the main one to send off those scathing glares but it wasn't towards Leonce but towards Alex. He met her first, he knew everything there was to know about her and he knew that that wasn't love in her eyes but want, desire, desperation. It wasn't love. He hoped that it wasn't love in her eyes.
Let it be something else. Please let it be something else.
He watched the couple both laugh at something about a dumb joke that Leonce had told about his home in France and he knew that Alex didn't know what a "baguette" was and therefore, she laughed so she wouldn't seem stupid or unamused. But of course, Leonce didn't notice because he didn't know Alex like Michael did.
I should be with Alex! Not him! If Alex falls for him, she's done for! And so is that damn mime!
Author's Chapter Notes:
Enjoy! (I'm traveling with the dance team so yeah...)
Chapter End Notes:
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