| Hailey Pickett |

Um why was I suddenly obsessed with a stranger?

That night, I kept turning round and round like the hands of a clock on the bed as his mouth kept moving in my head, spilling those ugly words in my ears.

Did I unintentionally said something I shouldn't have? But. .Chelissa. .her colorful activities had made her famous, not just at our school but people outside too knew her and boys seemed to take her as a public property. I had never interacted with her because-well. .

Grudgingly, I had to admit , I was being judgmental. Yes, I know we shouldn't do that and blah blah but even if you don't want to, you judge.

Chelissa always dressed up in really short clothes, her eyes had a certain kind of mischief. No to mention , her nose ring.

Or the belly button piercing-

Ugh! There I went being miss judgy judge!

All I knew was, I had to apologize to him. Maybe, she was his friend or bed friend-

I winced.

I just couldn't stop with my acidic thoughts. Thankfully, Stella had been blissfully unaware of the whole mini humiliation episode of mine. I too had kept my mouth sealed and shut.

The first thing I did today was to dump my best friend by faking a stomach ache.

She had cast me a doubtful look but I doubled over by moaning and she nodded, watching me scurrying off.

I was turning into a snitch.

For a stupid guy!

While making my way through the corridor, I had to keep my thoughts in check . I kept avoiding the sound logic of my brain. Why was I going after him? He was no one for me and vice versa.

Ian, his eyes . . .they held a certain kind of darkness and I was being drawn to him in the most obnoxious cliche way!

I shouldn't be going after him.

Should have backed off.

Should have, could have, would have. .

Something told me I was going to regret this.

Rounding a corner , I heard a distinct laugh. A very female laugh and I couldn't help but look out for the owner.

Instantly, my mood went down the drain.

Chelissa with her freshly tanned legs and bouncy hair. The crop top flashed the stud in her belly button and the shorts-

Look away before you hop on the bandwagon of judging.

I did.

Look away.

I had no idea where he would be hiding. As far as I had seen, he liked to be in nooks and crannies. Which was odd for a guy like him.

Good looking and loaded never hides.

After searching him out for ten minutes, I gave up on the inside of the building. Placing hands on my hips, I watched the students slipping in through the glass glass door , laughing and talking animatedly.

I had turned around to get back to my friend , when my heart tugged at the entrance. As if I was forgetting something important. Frowning, I looked over my shoulder . . noting nothing special.

My gaze went from the door to outside and involuntarily, I stepped towards the door.

Before I knew , my speed picked up.

Where do you find a reclusive person?

Not in the building.

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As I stood on top of the marble stairs, I shielded my eyes from the blazing sun and really looked.

A string of students laid haphazardly on the grass and made it difficult to spot him.

"Hell. .," I muttered , stepping down and going towards the ground.

I had no business going after a guy carrying shady rumors but . . .I couldn't help it. I blamed it on my hormones.

Yeah, that's right.

A teenage girl crushing on a guy ? Sounded harmless and normal . . .

I nearly gagged witnessing the couples , highschool couples should be banned. Shouldn't schools be educating us ? Instead of turning us into raging hormonal bulls?

Really? If that's so , what are you doing going after a guy you barely know?

I cleared my throat.

Damn he was right!

I was a hypocrite and judgemental.

He didn't have friends and I didn't want to interact with Chelissa. Then she would want to know the whys and the whats.

Once again, I scanned the crowd . .well, it hardly classified as a crowd. Just when my heart decided to give up, for which I was thankful, I spotted a dark figure cut off from the rest.

All I could make out was his bent leg and a wee bit of side profile but that was enough.

The way my heart leaped in joy. . .

You don't need an enemy when your heart becomes one.

An unbeatable one .

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He had looked close from afar but really, it took ten minutes of jogging and it was enough to make me breathless.

The sun rays hitting me had turned me into a bright tomato. I was dead sure my freckles looked more pronounced than ever. Being a blonde meant, sun could roast you alive.

Huffing and puffing, somehow I made it.

To him.

His eyes were downcast while i stood over him, breathless. One of his hand held a cellphone while the other. . a cigarette.

That wasn't lit yet. .

"Cigarette is injurious to health and can cause cancer." I parroted the line i usually saw at the start of a movie loaded with smoke or drugs.

Slowly, he glanced up.

At me.

And then he went back down to his cell.

"Don't you have anyone else to hound?" He asked , swiping on the screen.

Pursing my lips, I had no shame when I plopped down beside him , maintaining a little space of course.

"Why can't I hound you?" I shot back.

"What's there to hound?" He asked with a light smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

No, he didn't smile at me.

Something on his cell . . .

"So. . about yesterday. .," I trailed off, hoping he would catch the end but . .

"What about it?" He said in a disinterested tone which didn't settle well with me.

The sorry for-got stuck in my throat.

It was so freaking obvious.

"You're not listening to me, are you?" A slight bite to my tongue.

Ian let out a deep breath and he glanced at me for the very first time. To say , he looked hot and dangerous would be an understatement. Didn't everyone already know that? What made me shut up were his eyes. . .I couldn't point it out but he was carrying something in his eyes.

I just didn't know what.

Eyes were supposed to be the door to the soul but his doors were shuttered and shut.

"You do realize I don't even know your name?" He said softly.

"I-you're in my class!" I spluttered out loud, gaining curious eyes.

I wanted to hit myself so bad! I was getting worked up for no reason!

"I said," I gritted my teeth, " I'm in your class-,"

He raised up his index finger.

Asking me to shut up as he placed his cell next to his ear.

The humiliation made me want to blow up.

"Bullshit." His voice got icy. "Why can't you ask Nell? Isn't he her puppet number one?" The condescending dip to his voice didn't fail to get noticed by me.

A voice barked from the other side.

"Yelling won't make me come."

The yelling instantly turned into a tight voice.

"Let me check my schedule." Ian said in a silky voice and after a pause he said ,"nope. No space left for shitty people."

He didn't let the person talk back.

Ian switched off his cell.

And then very much in a calm mood, he said," You were saying?"

I blinked.

I was saying?

I definitely was saying something. .what exactly?

I shook my head as if I woke up from a deep slumber, my eyes on the unlit cigarette rolling between his fingers.

"You. .smoke."

"Occasionally, yeah." He admitted openly, no hiding no it's none of your business.

"Is Monday an occasion for you?" I tried to make him smile again.

His gaze fell on the cigarette.

"It's a. . replacement." He smiled again but not the smile I wanted.

The one that reached his eyes.

"Replacement?" I repeated

And green eyes clashed with mine.

"Replacing an addiction with an addiction. When the old one tries to resurface, I hold on to this." He rolled the cigarette between his fingers.

With each meet up, he kept giving me bits and pieces of himself and I wasn't sure if I could collect them all.

"It must be hard. Balancing two." I commented.

"It is but I gotta live with it. Have no other choice." He shrugged.

I nodded, sticking out my hand suddenly.

"Hailey Pickett."

His eyebrows rose at my gesture.

But nevertheless, he slipped his larger hand in mine. . warming it up. Bolts of current went up and down my spine. Instantly, I snatched my hand back.

In a none obvious manner.

If he noticed, he didn't say anything.

"Ian-,"

"I know." I blurted out from my big fat mouth.

He chuckled. "Of course you do. I'm famous."

"You kind of are."

Ian smiled, the one that reached his eyes, "In a good way or bad way?"

I thought for a minute.

"Both. Anyways , sorry for being bitchy that day. Shouldn't have said shit about Chelissa." I hurriedly spit out before I could chicken out.

"It's alright. All I got is. .she is not what she portrays herself to be and everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing of. The least we can do is be kind. She was kind to me when I wasn't. . to myself."

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