Annoying person

Just one more week of school until Winter break. I can make it through this week without getting in trouble. I made a promise to Dad, I can’t disappoint him. Just for one week, I’ll show up to all my classes and try to be on time. You can do this Hera.

The bell for the first lesson of the day snaps me out of my thoughts. I get up and swing my bag onto my shoulder. I start making my way to English with my dearest friend, Alicia. We exit the Science corridor and go down the stairs leading to the English corridor. Miss. Harris greets us at the door of her classroom. She’s always cheerful in the morning. How and why.

“Morning ladies,” she says to us with a big smile on her face.

“Good morning Miss,” Alicia responds.

I simply nod and smile in response.

Mondays always seem to go really slow. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I think Monday is the worst day of the week. Most bad things happen to me on Mondays. Like the day that I got into a fight with Marvin Cummings in year 8. That was on a Monday. Also the time that Tyler Hensick asked me out, that was on a Monday. And I could never forget the time I broke my arm when all I was trying to do was get Gabe’s shoe that was stuck in a tree. Yep. That was on a Monday. Monday and I are just enemies and will always be.

***

After what feels like forever, it’s finally break time. I packed myself a bag of crisps this morning, so I took that out from my bag. My friends and I are in our usual spot at the basketball court. My friends were arguing about something. I don’t really know what. I was distracted by the sight of Sam and Beck playing touch rugby.

Sam, Finn and Beck are the attackers trying to get past the two defenders, Oli and Chase, without being touched. I can tell that this is Beck’s first time playing this. He seemed confused and lost. Chase touched Beck and he was out. Sam on the other hand, is amazing at touch rugby. He’s basically good at everything. He plays football, rugby, is good at art, an amazing swimmer and is also pretty smart. Sam notices me watching them play and smiles at me. I send him a smile back.

“HERA!” Ryan snaps his finger in front of my face.

“We’ve been calling you for like a minute. What’s got you so distracted?” Amy asks me.

“Nothing, sorry about that,” I tell her.

“Oh I think I know,” Kellen says, pointing to Sam.

“I knew it. You like him,” Aya shrieks out.

“No I don’t. I’ve told you guys. I don’t like him in that way,” I mumble.

“Sure you don’t,” Aya says, grinning.

Just then the bell rings. Thank god.

“See you guys at lunch,” I tell my friends and start making my way to Chemistry.

***

“Hera. It’s nice to see you showing up to my lesson again,” Mr. Llewelyn says when I enter the class.

“It feels good to be in your lesson again,” I say to him sarcastically and make my way to my seat.

Mr.Llewelyn starts his lesson and I zone out completely. My mind starts wondering about what my friends said. Do I like Sam? No. Right? He’s just a really close friend who I’ve known for 4 years. I don’t think I have feelings for him. Why do I keep thinking about whether I have feelings for a guy? First Beck. Now Sam. What is wrong with my brain. Wait. Do I have feelings for both of them? No. No I don’t. Stop thinking about them. Why is my mind like this?

“Miss Ross, can you give me an example of an alkali?”

“Pardon,” I come out of my thoughts and look at Mr. Llewelyn, who doesn’t seem so happy.

“An example of an alkali Hera,” Mr. Llewelyn repeats. “Clearly you are not paying attention to what I am teaching.”

“Potassium hydroxide.”

“Sorry?”

“An example of an alkali, potassium hydroxide,” I tell him.

The whole class went ‘ooooohhhhh’ when I said that.

“Thank you Miss Ross,” Mr. Llewelyn continues with his lesson.

I hate how some teachers assume I’m stupid just because I’m not listening. Sometimes I am, it just doesn’t seem like it. Just because I get into a lot of trouble, it doesn’t mean I’m not doing well in school. I hate these types of stereotypes.

***

“Alright, so Friday is the day you will all do your oracy test. I hope you’re all prepared for that, “ Miss. Sanger reminds us.

“So should I come over to your place before Friday, to practice?” Beck asks.

“Yeah. Sure, if you want to,” I tell him.

“I mean, all I really have to do is just read off this,” he shows me the sheet that I gave him when he came over last time. “It can’t be that hard, right?”

“You’ll be fine,” I assure him. “You’re my partner. No one who has been my partner has ever failed.”

“I saw you watching me at break.” I got this weird feeling in my stomach when he said that.

“No I wasn’t,” I denied. “I was watching my brother and Sam.”

“Sure you were.” He said that like he knew I was lying. Of course I wouldn’t admit that I was watching him. But I wasn’t completely lying either. I was also watching Finn and Sam.

“Why don’t you come over to my place tomorrow, after school?” I raise an eyebrow at him. “To practice the Welsh thing. Not to do whatever you’re thinking of.”

“I wasn’t thinking of anything.”

“Your face said otherwise.”

“You have no idea what my face said.”

“That was literally ‘really’ face.”

“Well, yeah. It was.”

“Look, Hera. I bet you’re a really nice girl, but you’re not really my type.”

Is this guy being serious. He thinks I want to go out with him.

“Well listen here, Mr. ‘I think I’m all that’. You aren’t my type either. And if you think that I would ever date you, then you’re wrong. I have standards. You are also terrible at touch rugby. That is literally easier than actual rugby and you can’t even play it right. I would never even think of going out with a person who can’t play touch rugby.”

“So you were watching me,” Beck says, with a smirk appearing on his face.

“Screw you,” I say to him, sending him a glare.

“Hera? Beck? Is there something you would like to share with the class?” Miss. Sanger asks us.

“No Miss. Sorry about that.” Beck answers.

***

The rest of the day went fine, but I'm still annoyed with Beck. He’s such a prick. I don’t want to date him. And I wasn’t thinking of anything bad when he asked me to come over tomorrow.

I’m at the park right now, with Mikey and Bella. They’re playing with their friends, Yunus and Makayla. I’m just sitting on the bench with nothing to do. I would go on my phone, but I left it on my desk at home, so I can’t. Maybe I’ll just take this time to think. About what exactly? I don’t even know. ‘About whether you like Beck or Sam.’ A small voice in my head whispers. No. Why would I want to think about that? I don’t like either of them, not in that way at least. Thinking about that stresses me out. So, no little voice in my head, I’m not going to be thinking about those two.

It’s as if the universe wanted me to suffer, because the next thing I know I see Beck walking towards me. Really? Why now?

“Hey Shera,” he greets me.

“What are you doing here?” I ask him.

“Am I not allowed to be here?”

“No. so now go.”

Beck takes a seat next to me.

“I think I’ll stay for a while.” He smirks at me.

“You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”

“I’m just taking a walk around this neighbourhood.”

I stay silent, not knowing what to say.

“You’re coming tomorrow right?” Beck asks, breaking the silence.

“What happens if I don’t want to?”

“I’ll just invite your Finn and Sam then.”

“Okay,” I say to him, smiling.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to tell Miss. Sanger that my partner wasn’t helping me, the poor American kid, who is trying so hard on this Welsh thing that we have to do. You said you’ve never failed. Maybe this’ll be the first time.”

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

He’s right. I don’t hate him. Even though he is a really annoying person, I don’t dislike him.

“Beck!” Mikey calls out, making his way towards us with Bella.

“Hey you guys.” Beck greets them, he smiles at them and I can’t help but stare at him. His smile.

“What are you doing here?” Bella asks Beck.

“I was just taking a walk, then I saw Hera here and decided to just come over and say hi.”

“Oh, would you look at the time,” I say, getting up from the bench. “Looks like we should make our way home.”

“Bye Beck,” Bella says and waves at him.

“Bye Beck, see you, whenever it is we’ll see you again,” Mikey says to Beck.

Beck laughs.” Bye. I’ll see you guys around.”