🎵 songs that inspired me for this chapter 🎵

all around the world - justin beiber

like to be you - shawn mendes & julia michaels

you need to calm down - taylor swift

stack it up - liam payne

bad to you - ariana grande, normani & nicki minaj

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❀ -- sienna garcia -- ❀

"A penny for your thoughts?" The sound of Mom's soothing tone eases the throbbing pain around my temples.

"I..." I trail off and look out of the seventy-percent tinted car window, the scenery outside whirring past as we speed across the expressway.

"I'm just a tad nervous..." I continue to pick at my fingernails nervously, peeling off the outermost layer of skin.

Nervous was an understatement. The thought of a foreign campus is causing sheer anxiety to shoot through my veins.

"Sweet, you're gonna be fine. Mom and Dad are rooting for you!" Mom turns around from the front seat and flashes a thumbs up.

Fudge. Did I show it? I return her with the same gesture, though I'm not so sure I'm convinced.

"Yeah honey! Have fun at school kay!" Dad cheers me on enthusiastically as always, and I return a weak smile through the rear-view mirror.

Thus far, my parents have been nothing short of loving, caring, encouraging and being supportive of anything and everything that I set my foot on.

"Sweet, we're here," Mom announces as 'Acadia High School' comes into view and Dad's cranky Toyota swerves into the drop-off area. Dad slows the girl into a smooth stop and I reach out for the door handle.

"Thanks for sending me, Mom and Dad," I say.

"Anything for our girl," Dad replies, "The name's Khloe Vessot yeah?"

"Got it," I chirp and step out of the car. I swing my pink Jansport Haversack across my shoulders and drag it across the pavement.

Jeez, I don't remember packing so much stuff...

I swat my hand at the automatic-sensor doors, and the two pieces of glasses move apart after a second or two. Cool air hits my face as I take a step into the compound, relieving me of the unbearable summer heat outside.

My eyes scan the ground for something of the 'General Office' sort, but nothing like that pops up.

"Ah! You must be Averie Garcia!" a tall slender lady greets, much to my relief, and takes big purposeful strides towards me, her heels clicking against the floor with every step.

"Yes, I am," I answer, clenching my teeth as I force a smile, "Are you Ms Vessot?"

"You got it honey," She sings and snaps her fingers. Her hair is pulled into a sleek bun that sits at the top of her head, and elaborate rings hang from her earlobes. "Shall we put your bags in the lockers and I'll show you around the campus afterwards?" She offers, and I gladly take it.

She takes me through a well thought out (probably did this a million times over) guide through the school, starting with the General Office, Indoor Sports Hall, to the Cafeteria, and the classrooms. Given it's already ten in the morning, most students are in their respective homerooms, with the occasional bunch loitering around the walkways as they busk in whatever remains of their recess.

After showing me around the school's four-storey library, we arrive back at square one, where we began. "The campus is huge," I breathe, mentally re-tracing our steps, "I don't know if I'll actually be able to find my way around, even if I'm given a month..."

"Don't worry Averie," Khloe says in a professional tone and hands me a pristine white name card, "Here are my contact details, so you can find me whenever you need me. I have an office over at the General Office. Just keep it to school hours?" I giggle at her wink and take the name card with both hands.

"I will," I promise. I definitely don't want to be disturbing her outside of school hours either.

"Where am I off to now?" I ask, eyes brimming with anticipation while butterflies flutter about in the depths of my stomach.

"Ah yes, your timetable..." Khloe reaches into her clear plastic file and pulls out a sheet of paper with a timetable neatly imprinted on its surface.

I trace my fingers along the rows, looking for my first period, "Mathematics?" I scream internally at my lack of better luck. Math out of all subjects!

"Mhm, let me show you the way to the room."

We arrive shortly in front of a classroom on the second level, and just as expected, a class is currently going on inside. I eye the class size - twenty five would be my bet - and heave a sigh of relief. Not too big, but not too small either. Just the perfect size for me to blend in easily.

Khloe knocks, and projects in the most neutral tone I've heard her use this morning, "Mrs Miller? The new student is here."

Mrs Miller is a lot more aged than I expected her to be. Her silver locks rest squarely beneath her shoulders, complimenting the sapphire blue coat she has draped over.

"You must be Averie! Come on in," Mrs Millers says, gesturing for me to enter the classroom. I've only met her for a mere five seconds, but the first impression seems to doing very well. I do as told, cautiously looking out for an empty seat to slip into.

As though reading my thoughts, Mrs Millers calls out for me to take a seat at the back of the class, "There! Between Jasper and Lea."

I am well aware of the entire class's eyes being fixated on my every movement as I pull the chair out and rest my butt against the hard plastic. Lea looks up and greets me with an eye smile while Jasper doesn't seem to acknowledge my presence.

I take a final glance at Khloe, give her a wave, then she spins around and disappears into the hallway.

You're on your own this moment onward, girl.

I take a deep breath and fish for my calculus textbook from my haversack.

"Hey, are you Lea? I'm Averie, it's really great to meet you," I whisper and stretch my right hand out for a handshake.

She grabs my hand firmly and bobs our hands up and down animatedly, "Hi Averie! Yes, I'm Lea. Come take a seat!"

I mirror a grin as wide as hers and do my best to slip into my grey plasticky chair quietly, but in the process almost losing my balance when my body leans a bit too much to the left.

A strong hand grabs hold of my forearm, steadying me before gravity gets a chance to pull me towards the ground.

I look up, and my eyes are blessed by the sight of a boy with beautiful hazel brown textured quiff and light blue eyes.

I take some time to collect my breathing, "Wow, that was clumsy of me. Thank you so much. You must be Jasper?"

He nods with a smile, and two shy dimples emerge around the corners of his lips. A fresh batch of adrenaline pumps through my veins, and the air around here starts seeming way hotter than it should be.

Get a grip on yourself, stupid.

"I want all of you to attempt this exercise," Mrs Miller instructs, referring to the first question at the top of the Integration Exercises list. I unzip my pencil case, pull out my ruler and pencil, and lay it down nicely on top of my foolscap paper.

Shit, I mentally cuss, realising that I didn't draw the axes wide enough. I fumble for my eraser, and in the process knock my ruler accidentally off my table.

It cuts through the air and lands beside Jasper's table leg. I wince.

I swear it's this seat's Feng Shui (also known as Chinese Geomancy, which emphasises the relationship between individual and the environment's energy forces) that's making me look like a complete fool.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I think my ruler's under your table..." I trail off, pointing to the spot under his table where my ruler is.

He looks up from his now completely filled foolscap paper (Holy shit, that was fast...) and is slightly dumbfounded.

His gaze traces the direction of my fingers and then realisation hits him, and he reaches over to grab the piece of plastic with his index and middle fingers, "Here you go."

Heat creeps up my cheeks and I will my blood not to flow to my blushing face by biting down hard against my jaw, "Thank you again... Sorry to disturb you."

"Not at all, don't mention it," He says, and then is quick to return to his piece of Math work that apparently is so amazingly enticing.

Has Math always been such an amazing subject, or am I just absurdly unusual?

I stare down at the weird jumble of Mathematical signs and symbols, completely clueless of where to start from. I bite down hard on my lower lip in frustration and I somehow feel a gaze burning through my peripherals.

"You alright?" Lea whispers considerately, making sure no one else hears but me.

"I um-" I scratch the back of my head, digging for the right words. Today's got me real tongue-tied.

"Yeah," I heave, a sigh making up fifty percent of it, and laughter making up the other half.

"I don't know what's wrong with me today, it's like I'm completely not functional or something."

"Hey," Lea cuts in soothingly, "Don't be so hard on yourself? You must be overwhelmed, it's your first day around here."

I nod meekly, honestly not thinking I have the right to agree but she makes this so much easier.

"Come, I'll show you how this question demands to be done," She says and pulls my foolscap closer, so that her wrist lies on the edge, pen tracing mathematical symbols and numerals all across the page.

Within 5 swift lines, Lea manages to find some sort of magical mathematical hack and solves the sum. I'm stunned, amazed and shocked all at once. "Huh...?"

"My dear girls, is everything alright?" A firm but feminine voice greets from behind us, and I freeze in my seat.

I look over to Lea, and she's already spinning around and giving Mrs Millers a responsible account of what is going on at the back, "Everything's fine Mrs Millers, I was just trying to explain this question to Averie. It's been really overwhelming for her today, given it's her first day around here. We're so sorry for distracting you if we have."

Jeez, it now sounds like I'm the bad guy.

"Apologies Mrs Millers, I've been so immersed in my work I didn't realise Averie could use some help," Jasper cuts in too, and my cheeks are burning from being in the spotlight of the entire class's attention.

My brain does its own debate on whether this Jasper guy is being nice for real, or if all is this is some dumb-ass pretense to get into the teacher's good books.

"Understood, you two take good care of her, okay?" Mrs Millers says sternly, but somehow a gush of warmth seeps through her words.

"And Averie," the sound of my name rolling of her lips makes my hairs stand up.

"Y-y-yes?" I quiver, feeling an undeniable sense of imminent doom. I've been here for less than a day and I'm already one of my form teacher's blacklisted students? Unbelievable-

"See me for consultations if you still have any more queries. Either of you please hand her my number."

I blink repeatedly then nod eagerly once her words sink in. I take a deep breath,  pleased and relieved beyond measure that I haven't been blacklisted by my new form teacher just yet.

"Dude, you were so cool," I squawk excitedly once Mrs Millers turns her back, "The way you handled the situation, your sick math skills... You're my idol."

"Nonsense," Lea laughs, swatting the invisible housefly in the air and refusing to accept the compliment.

"Hey, so sorry I should've availed myself earlier; If you need help anytime with anything, feel free to approach me too, yeah?" Jasper's slightly nasal and squeaky voice summons me from the other end.

"Don't worry about it," I do a smile that doesn't reach my eyes, not wanting to give him the pleasure of having another name added onto his existing list of 'easy girls'. A good hundred wouldn't do much to shock me at all.

Then again I have to say he's pretty hot though.

Effects of a typical heart throb on a hormonal teenager, I shake my head disapprovingly at my own disgusting behaviour. Pathetic.

"Right, so is there anything other than that ill-mannered question bothering you?" Lea drags me out of my own head and I chuckle at Lea's rather humorous comment.

I shake my head, I mean... that's the only one I've set my eyes on since I've been here. No promises the next one's going to be any different though.

"Does everyone here struggle with Math or is it just me?" I ask honestly, finding the need to get this clearly established.

"Umm I guess it differs for everyone because we all have our own strengths right?" Lea says and I drag my eyes back to prevent them from running backwards in an attempt to do a demonstration of annoyance.

Politically-correct answers.

"But," She continues, and I almost feel bad for stamping a judgement on her way too quickly, "If you're asking for my personal opinion, Math is a really trainable subject, if you get what I mean. It just takes a bit more effort and practice, but because this thing is pretty definite, it's definitely a safer subject that the other humanities and language subjects. You could choose to drop the subject, but given our limited selection platter, that isn't something I would advice. Ah, just before I forget, some of our classmates they go for this thing called 'tuition', I'm not sure if you're familiar with it?"

"Tuition... I think so..." I say dreamily, digging into the depths of my non-existent memory. Why does it sound so familiar?

"You guys have it where you came from?" She asks, going along the same lines.

"Right I'm from..." My lips stop moving and my brain doesn't send out another nerve signal. That's weird, I have no idea why I'm unable to answer this question either, and so I say instead, "Just some place far away. Don't think you've heard of it before. Many haven't, don't worry."

"That's alright, I'm okay if sharing is a little uncomfortable," She offers understandingly but that sends a weird heat rising up my gut.

"No no it's not that I don't want to share with you, it's just so obscure there's no point bringing it up you see, there's really just no point," I feel the strongest urge to justify myself, even though I'm the one lying.

"Okay okay, if you say so I'll take it," Lea says, and I don't reply because I don't know what to, and I don't bother to anyway.

"Anyway I was saying that if all fails, there's the option of tuition for you. I guess they provide some help, but still, practice on your side is still the most important."

"Mm thanks," I say, maintaining the curtness at just fifty percent.

I glance over towards the left, away from Lea, where Jasper is. I'm going to blame it on the lame Math worksheet for not being able to entertain my ever inquisitive and ever-wandering mind, because he seems to emit some weird magnetic force that keeps drawing me in so strongly, making it near impossible to not want to observe him in perfect silence.

His chin is tilted forty five degrees towards the right as he bends over the desk, making furious little scribbles across the printed margins. He pauses abruptly, back straightening upwards and I look away.

From the corner of my eye, he picks up a blue Tombow Mono correction tape and drags it carefully across the unwanted characters. Once that's done, he picks up his AmazonBasics Retractable Gel Ink pen and continues busying himself.

I tilt my head towards him, under the pretense of wanting to get a more comfortable position to do my work in.

Another exasperated sigh takes me by surprise and he runs a hand through his hair, combing it as his brows furrow deep in concentration. Looks like Math isn't just my Achiles' Heel.

He drums his finger tips against the desk top impatiently, and a yellow plaster wrapped snugly around his right thumb stands out in contrast.

"You... alright?" I blurt out stupidly before I realise it. He looks up, lost at my sudden mention.

"Me? Yeah I'm good, why would you think otherwise?" He says.

I swallow hard, thinking on my feet for a reasonable excuse than the one that goes along the lines of 'I was watching you quietly'.

"Er nothing much, just doing a mental health check on everyone..." I force-laugh and nudge Lea, repeating, "You alright?"

She shoots up, looking at me quizzically. If there were a gun here in the room, I would have stuck a bullet right through my head. "Um yeah, I'm good, what's up?"

"Nothing at all," I say, bringing my focus back onto the damned piece of paper before me. Two minutes pass before I allow my neck to straighten up again.

I rub the back of my neck as soreness starts to set in. As I roll my head in circular motions, the two girls in front release high pitched giggles.
One of them turns back to have a look at me, catching a glimpse of my frown.

"Sweetheart I'm so sorry, did we disturb you?" She says sweetly, and I'm so caught off guard I merely shake my head in response. She turns back.

I rest the weight of my head on my knuckles, propping my hand up with my elbow as I go back to making mental sketches of the specimen beside me.

I attribute the way his lips stick out like Donald Duck to the metal wires and blue rubber bands beneath them, and wince at the thought of having metallic structures tugging and applying constant pressure on my would-be sore gums.

It's rare that I see reddish brown hair, but his has been gelled up into a casual spiky Quiff. Too much gel at the roots. Probably didn't thin out the layer of hair gel before applying.

He has his white tee sleeves gently rolled up a few layers - not too much but not too sloppy either.

Just then the shrill recess bell rings, shoving me in the face the announcement that it's lunch time. "Screw you," I mutter under my breath.

"Averie?" Lea asks, jolting me.

"Y-yes?" I return, sitting upright and a little too enthusiastic. My eyes are shifty, glancing over her shoulders at the strings of students flailing their arms down the hallway.

"Are you alright?" She places her hand on my shoulder and I jump unwittingly.

"Huh? Yeah! Of course I'm fine. I'm great actually, never been better," I smile sheepishly, throwing expletives at myself on the inside.

"You must be hungry. Shall we go grab lunch?" She suggests, pointing in the direction of the now literal human stream outside.

My stomach stirs with impeccable timing. "I guess the little one has spoken," I laugh, rubbing my stomach and feeling the gastric juice bite into my stomach wall linings.

"Goodness," She giggles, "We need to get you food ASAP." She stands up from her seat and drapes her blue Nike cardigan across her broad shoulders.

"Come on," she says and gestures for me to follow her. I do.