Kapittel 12

Vanessa

"I do now, Mr. Mosbey," Friso said that shocked me, and here I thought he was going to recoil and return to his original class while I could get to spend my classes peacefully unless we were classmates in my other classes. I looked over in his direction and saw displeasure on his face, his smirk was gone and changed into a frown.

"Is that so?" Mr. Mosbey asked, his face wincing. It was obvious that he didn't expect such a response from Friso.

"I just got approval from the principal, guidance counselor, and registrar today, sir," he replied, now his face smeared the same annoying smirk that I wanted to punch away earlier. "I've actually applied last week," he added, and I saw his eye twitch. I knew that mannerism. That only happened when he was lying!

"I see. Hand it over, please," Mr. Mosbey asked, his gaze unamused. My seatmate obediently did. The latter simply took out a sheet and card from his pocket and handed it over to the instructor's large, thick hand. I stared at the sheet of paper and card, he said that he applied to change schedules last week but his eye twitched, meaning he was lying. Did that mean he decided to change schedules for a day earlier this week such as today?! But that couldn't be today, right? There's a process in crucial things such as that.

All the while that Friso was strutting back to his seat, I glanced over his chair and noticed that he didn't have anything in it. Compared to most of us who had our materials sprawled in our area, Friso's table was slate clean and so was his chair. There was nothing in it, as in nothing. Nada. There was no bag, let alone a pen. I didn't dare think it'd be a habit by the students around here since they were consistent and mature so far. But of course, there'd be a rotten egg among a dozen. Hopefully, he wasn't one now since he was a competitive student in middle school.

I averted my eyes back to the front when he was coming near. Since he looked so confident with that smug look on his face as he strutted arrogantly, did that mean he was really approved to change classes? Was that even possible?!

Dread began to creep into my skin as I tapped my fingers in nervous contempt. Gosh, did this mean I would be enduring a class with his presence beside me all semester long?! Knowing how he hated me, and how he changed into someone I longer knew from years ago, there'd be a possibility that he'd torment me! Not to mention this hammering guilt in me thinking that him becoming who he was right now was a consequence of my actions.

Also, I couldn't afford distraction right now, especially since I was after high scores on my test scores. Maybe I had a way out of his wrath? Talk things out? Remembering our little reunion days ago was a kicker that I was not prepared for that yet, and I still wasn't!

Through my peripheral vision, I could see him looking at me with that very sardonic expression from earlier. I could almost roll my eyes. With the haughty way, he was acting right now, my remorse had flushed down drained, and turned into irritation. Way to ruin my already ruined morning.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mosbey inspected the sheet thoroughly, like he was going through every detail before sighing, nodding, raising his clipboard, and scribbling something on it. I raised a brow at his reaction. It seemed to me that he knew Friso was a spoiled brat who constantly had things his way, and the school was letting it be. There were a few events I witnessed where Friso made things go his way, also add what Angie had texted me nights ago. Maybe it was because of his parents' background? I heard from the twins once that his mother was a fashion designer, and his father was a business tycoon. They even said that he was featured on a television show with his father once, but I didn't ask him or search about it since he seemed to be flustered when teased about it by his peers. I think that was also the reason why he hated the spotlight. If my speculations were right, then where was the integrity this school was bragging about?!

"Gosh," that was what I could only mumble out of my breath due to frustration.

"Uh-uh-oh, Friso," Mr. Mosbey hummed when Friso was about to go back to his seat beside me. The latter looked at him with a wince, as if he was going to ask: 'What is it now?'

"That's Mr. Sanders' usual seat," the former continued, pointing at the chair beside mine.

"I traded seats with him today... sir," Friso replied.

"Was it consensual?"

"Well..." he trailed off and glanced at Sanders, who immediately got the message.

"Yes, Mr. Mosbey!" the poor guy replied at the top of his lungs. "I always liked this spot anyway!" he added, and I could bet a hundred that his voice resonated around the halls.

"I was gonna save your butt, and kick Friso's but since you said yes..." Mr. Mosbey paused for a bit for another sigh as Friso took his seat. "Okay then."

He then set his clipboard down on the teacher's table and grabbed a thick, hardcover book that was as thick as an encyclopedia. He opened the textbook and sprawled a few pages before lowering his face until it was completely concealed by the thick cover.

Silence slowly entered the classroom. I gulped. What was happening? I looked around and saw that my classmates' reaction to the silence was blasé, and were flipping the pages of their respective books.

"Hi, guys!" Mr. Mosbey's voice boomed once again, much to my surprise. Now his head was no longer covered by the book, his face wearing a supremely wide smile that all corners of his face stretched, and his eyes forming like a crescent moon. "Soooo, today's going to be another video about American History. We get to talk about things again on the Civil Rights Movement like how it started with a woman who refused to give her bus seat to a Karen!

If you wanna see more content about boring stuff like men traveling around the world saying they're 'looking for spices' but ended up killing natives and stealing gold or how a hookup became a national scandal, then hit like and click subscribe!" he said in a high-pitched voice as if he was a vlogger in another generic YouTube vlog. Everyone laughed at his impersonation, including me. It was a great way to start the class. Now I felt a bit better.

"Also, welcome to the class, Miss Hathern," he said in his normal voice and looked over my way, "And de Vries." He then looked over Friso's way. "So! Per our previous lesson..." he started the class and began discussing Claudette Colvin and the Civil Rights Movement.

Seeing that everyone was all on every word coming out of Mr. Mosbey's mouth, I hastily took my book out of my bag and grabbed a highlighter and pen. The lesson had gone deeper and deeper as the levels of my interest heightened, I highlighted key points and wrote details about them on the margin of the texts. Tedious as it may be, I needed to do this so it'd be easier to cover the lessons when I review them and make good summaries in my notebook. I was too immersed in my current activity when my shoulders suddenly felt heavy. I looked over to my right and realized that an arm wrapped was dangling from it.

I already knew who owned it, and oh boy, he was not getting me in this. Not when I was studying. I am deadest on graduating from my last year in high school with above-average grades. I needed to get into a good school that could offer me a scholarship. Choosing the most logical way to keep him out of my hair, I ignored him and kept on doing my thing.

Pretty much adamant on the lesson, just as my focus was sinking on the discussion the weight suddenly shifted and my shoulder had become heavier. It was not just that, now someone's breath was fanning over my ear. This was completely bothering me.

Brought by the surge of boiling irritation in my nerves, I bit my lower lip hard that my front teeth felt like sinking into my pliable flesh. I tried to make myself go back on track but I just couldn't! The weight on my shoulder was making it difficult to write, highlight and annotate, and the brusque breath was tickling my ear!

Having it enough, I straightened my back and grudgingly glanced at the perpetrator with a deathly glare. Friso. He was sitting close beside me that we were at an inch's length, his arm wrapped around my shoulder and his face leaning close to my book. I looked over at his table.

Gosh, he didn't have a book?!

Right. I did see earlier that he didn't bring his knapsack and other school-related stuff with him, but he didn't even bring his books? It would be reasonable enough that he hid them in his locker, but shouldn't it be obligatory for him to go and get them? Surely there was a pass for it from what I read in the school book.

Back in middle school, he wouldn't miss bringing the books he needed for class. An over-the-top-cream-of-the-crop student such as himself wouldn't want to get grades lower than a B-, especially since his parents were keeping their eyes on his academic performance. What happened to him these past 3 years? Maybe he wasn't as academically competitive as he used to be?

I couldn't understand this guy. This must be my fault as well.

"Where's your book?" I asked him, my teeth seething. I removed his arm around my shoulder, but he kept putting it back around me. I removed it again, and he dangled it around me again. It was like an unrepeated cycle of nuisance, and it was getting on my ticking nerves. God, help me overcome this temptation of smacking his face.

"Quit it," I told him before pushing his arm away from my shoulder one last time, then he placed it around my shoulder AGAIN. I huffed out a frustrated breath. No, Vanessa. You shouldn't be stressed out about this. Clear your mind. Focus. Just focus on the lesson and take notes. That's it. That's just two things. Listen to the lesson and take notes.

"That very moment, that she didn't give up her seat on the bus for a person..."

Highlight. Annotate. Breathe in. Breathe out. Ignore. Calm down. Count. Focu—

"Stop it, Friso!" I lashed out at Friso and pushed him away by the chest when I felt that he was too close that his nose was already on my cheek. He was taunting me, I knew it. "Do you not notice?" I asked, pointing my extended fingers at my highlighted book with scribbles made out of my handwriting.

"Notice what?" he asked, acting gullible and all.

"Argh!" All I could do was bite my lower lip in vexation. I felt like I was talking to a brick wall. "I know that you have some sort of animosity against me, but can we just have a temporary truce? Just for this lesson?" I offered, the corner of my lips stretching for a fake smile. I want to learn, so please leave me alo–

"No can do." He rejected my offer with the same goofy smile on his face, his eyes looking down at me as if he was thinking that he was never giving me the tranquility I needed. My anger was triggered and my boiling blood ticked within my veins.

That's it.

I proceeded to pull on my last resort. I stomped on his foot. Hard.

"Holy–" Friso held onto his breath, bit his lower lip, and glared at me in heated contempt like I was the world's most loathsome thing while he suppressed his instinctive attempt to scream. His face was redder than cinnabar, his nose was flaring with smoke coming out like a speeding locomotive smokestack, and his veins were bulging out from his thick neck. He looked like he was tempted to raise his foot and caress it, but the desk was too short compared to his long legs, and it'd cause an unnecessary nuisance if he lifted his foot. He might even have a piece of Mr. Mosbey if he did try.

I only ignored him and his bull-like face and continued to listen to the lecture, but through my peripheral vision, I could see his hand reaching for me when the school bell suddenly blared its tintinnabulation noise in the entire area, not missing a single beat as it passed through everyone's ear. A relieved sigh escaped my lips. Saved by the bell!

"We'll continue more on our discussion at our next meeting. Class dismissed." As soon as Mr. Mosbey announced that class was adjourned, I hastily picked up my things and ran out of the classroom, ignoring Friso who was shouting for my name at the top of his lungs. Jeez, that guy has some nasty balls to pull up something embarrassing like that. Was his prefrontal cortex having trouble developing?

I descended downstairs and glanced briefly at my open tote, and sighed for the nth time. I wasn't able to note all the important things Mr. Mosbey was spouting because Friso was distracting me too much, and I was in a hurry to leave to write the last things I remembered him saying. Never mind, I'll just finish it during lunch break and write down as many things as I could remember. Hopefully, Friso wouldn't be in the cafeteria too though, or I had to find a place for myself where he could leave me alone. Assessing what happened during class, it was clear that he wasn't planning on leaving me alone anywhere on this campus.

Sigh. Should I just transfer schools? Wait, no! I shouldn't. Dad worked hard on this trust fund he arranged for me just to get into this school. I shouldn't waste it. Plus, this academy is one of those that have the highest passing rate to college, and with other prestigious credentials too. I shouldn't give up just for one guy. It's just half a school year. I should bear it for a while. He'll be out of my tail when we get into college anyway.

I proceeded to walk downstairs and sauntered the hall, looking at the printed copy of my schedule to see which class I was going next when I felt someone's shoulder bumped against mine. The colliding force felt negligible that it felt like a tickle or a brush instead of a bump.

"Oh, sorry," I immediately apologized and turned my eyes to the person whom I bumped into. Seriously, I've been bumping into people these days. I should start being watchful of where I'm going.

"O to the M to the G! It's you!" a girl's high-pitched screeching voice reciprocated my unfeigned apology. The voice was too loud and piercing that it resonated in the entire hall and echoed to the next building. Goodness, has this person heard herself for once?

"Uh, who?" I looked at the person I bumped into. It was a girl with beautiful light brown hair and round-shaped, cognac eyes. She looked prepossessing with her wispy bangs that measly covered her forehead, small nose, a luminous, crystal clear, spotless face that resembled the glass skin trend I've been seeing lately, moonlight-like skin that looks so bouncy and soft, and petite figure that emphasized her cuteness.

"Who are you talking to, Haley?" another girl emerged behind her, a beautiful, tall brunette with full breasts, long, bronze legs, and a killer figure. They said that there's no such thing as a standard in beauty since it is always in the eye of the beholder, but looks like I just met the standard. She had an unusual way of wearing her school uniform, the shirt's first two buttons were unbuttoned with the necktie nowhere to be found, and her skirt was raised a bit way to her hips that it showed which surprised me since I heard that the academy holds a strict protocol when it comes to uniforms. But I couldn't care less.

"Nice to see you too, Maddy. I'm just talking to Vanessa," the petite, brown-haired girl faced her friend, her orbs never stopped glowing in delight. Her statement made me raise a brow though, how come this girl knows me? I don't think I've met her before though, or maybe I did.

"Vanessa Hathern. Like the girl in middle schoo— oh right, you didn't go to the same middle school with us," the girl, who seems to go by the name Haley, babbled uncontrollably with her one hand flailing in the air while the other pats the other girl who I presumed to be named Maddy.

"Right," the brunette nonchalantly replied while unwrapping a piece of lollipop she took out of nowhere and popping it into her mouth. I could tell she was ogling me with the way her ocean-blue eyes brushed started with my head down to the top of my school shoes.

"Anyways!" the fun-sized girl's attention returned to me, "It's nice seeing you again, Vanessa! Don't you remember me?" she asked, looking at me with big puppy eyes that made me feel guilty for not remembering her.

"I'm sorry, but I can hardly remember you," I regrettably replied, to which her eyes changed into a melancholic gaze. Now I feel more sorry for not remembering her.

"It's me! Haley!" she pointed at herself repeatedly. "We used to take classes before, remember? I even asked you to tutor me in Math, and you'd give me head pats if I get things correct!" she said further which made me go through my memory archives.

Now that she mentioned it, I do remember giving someone I tutored head pats whenever she got correct answers. She had a slightly big forehead, a cute nose, and cognac, round-shaped eyes.

"Oh right, Haley!" I exclaimed when I finally remembered her. Although she looked quite different compared to how I remembered her, it's probably because of her bangs. "You look great!" that was all I could say afterward, a smile plastered on my face.

"Thanks! The skin care routines, makeup tutorials, and beauty hacks on TikTok helped!" she grinned at me widely. "So... did you get to see him, hm?" she asked out of the blue, like a correspondent asking a politician a bizarre question.

"Him?" I raised a brow a second time because of her vague question.

"Girl, don't act so clueless about it!" she exclaimed, "You know, Friso!" she detailed. As soon as she mentioned his name, I saw the brunette behind her drop her lollipop upon Friso's name. Seems the guy's still famous as ever.

"Uh..." it took me a moment of a bit of pondering before asking her: "What about him?"

"I just want to ask if it's true that he switched s—!" someone suddenly covered her mouth with their neatly manicured fingers before she could finish what she was about to say, muffling her.

"Hi...! Vanessa..." an awfully familiar face came into my view all of a sudden. She bore an awkward smile plastered on her face that had beauty marks just right under both of her eyes that I swore is similar to the moles of someone I used to know. "Sorry for blocking your way," she said, stepping in front of Haley and the brunette girl, covering them behind her. I stared at her blankly, pondering why I find this girl's face familiar.

"It's okay," I said, the same smile I was wearing earlier still plastered on my face.

"Ow... don't push me, Sophie!" Haley struggled and tried to get past her but gets pushed away by her taller and wider frame. I looked over to her side and saw her hand gripping tightly on Haley's wrist. What's going on? It seemed that she was on guard with Haley talking to me.

"Uh..." I trailed off, internally rolling my eyes over the back of my head as I began to think and recall. Haley called her Sophia, which sounded awfully familiar too. Hang on... "Sophia? Sophia Tiana Gonzales?" I mumbled her name, looking at her intently. No wonder she looked so familiar, and her name sounded familiar too. We had lunch a few times before, classes too.

"Yes? Yes!" she responded, looking at me with her eyes wide. I couldn't register what her eyes were telling me, but I could sense anxiety in them. She looked rather more tense when I mentioned her entire name.

"It's good to see you again," I said, my smile getting wider. It was nice to see more familiar faces, I hadn't thought that I'd see both her and Haley again. Oh, right. I sometimes forget that the middle school we used to attend is owned by this high school too. So it wouldn't be surprising that I knew some or most of the people here.

"Anyways, we should be going. We shouldn't bother you too much," she said and began to push both Haley and the brunette behind her, turning on her heels to push themselves away from me. "It's nice seeing you again!" she grinned awkwardly before continuing to shove her friends in the other direction of the hallway.

Just in the nick of time, the place was starting to be filled with other students heading to their respective classes. I remained standing on my spot, watching the three-membered clique drift away and stirring in the growing sea of people.

"What was that for?" Haley asked while being pushed, glaring at Sophia who kept pushing her forward. "Ow!" she grunted when she stumbled on her ankle.

Sophia grabbed Haley by the elbow and mumbled, "You need to learn how to shut that mouth of yours sometimes!" I couldn't hear them clearly, but I could tell what Sophia was telling with the way her lips moved. "You know, what happens when..." that was all I could last see from Sophia's lips before they mixed further into the slowly growing crowd.

I was too concentrated visually eavesdropping on their conversation, but it didn't hinder me from seeing their other friend, Maddy looking at me attentively and didn't escape from my line of sight. I swear she was looking my way while they were walking away. What was that for? She was looking at me that way ever since Haley mentioned Friso's name. Sigh, I could already bet a dollar that she had a past with him.

With that conclusion, I shrugged my shoulders and proceeded to walk to my next class.

My other classes ended more abruptly than expected. Thankfully, Friso wasn't in the second and fourth or I was gonna lose my mind. Unfortunately, we were classmates on my third period and I couldn't help but feel something crawling behind my back. Whenever I look behind me, I could see him glaring at me intensely. Thankfully, we weren't seatmates anymore and he couldn't make any fuss since the instructor was kind of strict and had no tolerance with his crap when he tried to sit next to me. I know that guy knew that academics meant a lot to me and he meant to distract me on purpose! I should consider thanking the universe that we didn't have the exact same schedule, and was able to make good notes this time.

Here I am, back in the hallways again to take a stroll to the cafeteria while texting Georgia where we should meet up. We agreed to eat lunch together if our schedule allows it. I'll teach her Math when there was still time left. Hopefully, both of us will be free after school so we could go to the library and I'd get to teach her more. It was one way for me to study too, anyway.

To: Georgia

Lunch?

Thankfully, she was able to reply before I could put my phone away.

From: Georgia

Sure. I'll see you at Santino's.

From: Georgia

Currently busy helping a teacher here in the Godfrey building.

To: Georgia

No way.

To: Georgia

I'm in the Godfrey building too.

From: Georgia

That makes 2 of us.

From: Georgia

Floor?

To: Georgia

3rd.

From: Georgia

At 2nd here. Faculty office.

From: Georgia

Think u could meet me here?

To: Georgia

Catch you there.

To: Georgia

I'll wait for you outside the door.

From: Georgia

Okie, see u. 💋

To: Georgia

xoxo 💞

With a wide grin on my face, I was about to hit send when I felt my forehead hit and bounced against an unusually squashy yet sturdy wall. "Ow..." I rubbed my forehead, ignoring the wall I had just knocked into, and proceeded to send my message to Georgia.

"You okay?" asked a deep, euphonious voice that resembled a viscous, sweet honey slowly flowing from a dipper down a mint. Smooth and cool that the mere words he said sounded like a lullaby fitting to be accompanied by the strums of the guitar or licks of the bass. As soon as I heard that voice, I audibly gasped as realization hit my mind hard like a strike of lightning. Dang, I bumped into someone again.

"God!" I frustratingly exclaimed, hitting my forehead with a wrist. This was the nth time I bumped into someone. Wait, I should apologize instead of embarrassing myself by hitting my head in front of the person I bumped into. Get a hold of yourself, Vanessa Cole Hathern!

I raised both of my hands and began to apologize profusely while slowly lifting my head. "I'm sorry. I am so so sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you. I don't know what's happening to me today and I'm bumping into people... lately..." my sentence was cut short when I fully looked up and realized that I was coming face-to-face with yet another familiar face.

"It's no problem," Asher said, an easeful smile pasted on his handsome face. Right then and there, I felt a gust of cool air pass by. "Oh, it's you," he mumbled when he got a full view of my face, his eyes blinking.

"Vanessa."

I first saw him wearing the design A uniform, and it gave me a neat and breathtaking impression of him, but he looked extremely dashing in the design B uniform. The shorter sleeves show a larger portion of his long yet slightly muscular arms, and he looked noble with the necktie present around his neck. Not to mention that the guitar case hanging behind his shoulder, the woven leather and sterling rosary bead bracelet on his left wrist, and the wristwatch strapped on his right were multipliers for his exceptional style points and the cool air that surrounded him. His wavy hair too, the way it danced in the flailing wind appeared a contributing factor to his cool aura.

"It's nice seeing you again, Asher," I said, lifting the corner of my lips for an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, again." Now knowing that I whacked my head into him, I felt even more embarrassed, especially that I also hit myself in front of him. I mean, who suddenly bumps into you and then hits themself?

"Again, I'm telling you that it's cool. It's pretty far from the gut." He chuckled lightly which rendered blood to rush over my steaming face. Now I felt even more embarrassed.

"What you up to?" he asked, redirecting the conversation.

I stared at him briefly before answering: "Lunch. You?" For an unknown reason, the way he looked at me gave me an eerie sense. His eyes were gazing at me as if he was staring deep into my soul. Maybe it was because of how dark his eyes were that reminded me of a deep, mysterious abyss that lures one's curiosity.

"Same. Let's go eat lunch together?" he invited.

Of course, I didn't have the heart to reject the offer since it was another opportunity to make friends. "Sure. But is it okay if we go with my friend? We already agreed to have lunch together," I asked, hoping he'd say yes.

"Why not?" he shrugged, nonchalantly. I guess he didn't mind some extra company.

"Great," I grinned, "She's on the 2nd floor, helping a teacher in the faculty office. Is it okay if we wait for her for a bit?"

"That's fine," he replied and we both proceeded down the second floor, while I quickly texted Georgia.

To: Georgia

I'm bringing a friend with us to lunch.

To: Georgia

Is that okay?

From: Georgia

Is he a 10?

From: Georgia

Jk jk

From: Georgia

I'm good. The more the merrier.

_

Thank you for reading Bubble Gum Kisses! To keep up with my work, future works, and endless frustrations, you can find me on my Wattpad and social media accounts:

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Also, updates come quickly on Readink. It will take a longer time before I post the Wattpad version.