Chapter Eight

LIAM BENJAMIN

5 years ago...

“Uh… My name is L-Liam Benjamin Chua. Fifteen y-years of age. I-it's my pleasure to m-meet you all.”

My female classmates shouted, but I didn’t care about them. I looked at the woman at the end. Her gazes fixated on the book in front of her, she doesn't bite her pen, too. She just playing it now with her fingers and I notice something on her. She's smiling. I don't know. I don't know why I feel my heart melts when I saw her smiled. I don't like what I'm feeling now, but damn, it feels so effin' good.

She looked up and our eyes met once more. Shit! I feel like my knees will give way to how I feel right now. I couldn't take my eyes off her, even though I wanted to stop staring at her bright-shimmering eyes. Her gazes seemed to absorb my energy.

Is this woman a mutant? Is she a demon? Power grabber? Witch? I was so hypnotized by her stares. Her smile is beautiful, she herself is beautiful. She is even more beautiful with her smiles and for me, her smile is the most beautiful smile I have ever seen in my sixteen years of existence.

Sir Pao spoke again, while I still couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful woman at the end. “Chua, you can take your sit—ah.. wait, where will I let you sit? “ After saying that, he roams his eyes in every corner of this room so that maybe I could find my respective seat. His eyes stopped at the empty seat next to the beautiful woman. “Oh! Chua, you can sit there next to Magpantay. “

Magpantay? Is that her surname? That 'Magpantay' surname doesn't suit her face because she's like a goddess. Perhaps Aphrodite is more appropriate to be her name. I had already begun to walk towards that chair Sir Pao had said, and as I was walking I heard whispers from my female classmates.

“I want to swap seats with her. I'm jealous.”

“Sir Pao should just put him beside us!”

“It's unfair, Sir!”

“Hey, Aerielle's so freaking lucky! She can talk to that pretty guy constantly. Hope all!”

Aerielle? So, her name is Aerielle.

I smiled on my mind. Aerielle.. what a gorgeous name. Like, as in Aerielle in the Little Mermaid? That name pretty suits on her, especially because of her long dark-brown straight hair. It turns a bit red because of her hair hit by the sunlight that penetrates the window, ugh. She's really irresistible indeed.

But wait?

What am I thinking? Why am I fantasizing about this woman? I shouldn’t be thinking of that way to this girl, I just met her minutes ago, goddamn it! What are you thinking, Liam? Your parents never taught you that.

My chest throbbed even harder as I got closer and closer to my seat. I couldn’t take my eyes off the girl who are now focusing on the book in front of her, and she's biting her pen again.

Why is she biting her pen? Is it her mannerism, or is she just tripping a pen? Maybe she's hungry? Can I give her a sandwich that I packed for break time? Wait, and why would I do that?

No Liam. Don't do that, it's not your job to talk to other people, and you're really going to give them food? You hate approaching people, so why are you having the thought of giving your food to this.. beautiful girl?

When I sat in my seat, Sir Pao started to continue the discussion they had earlier, but still here I am, looking at the beautiful woman next to me.

“Okay class, be good to your new classmate, okay? So now, where are we?”

“Here inside the room, Sir.”

The classroom filled with laughter again because of the philosophizing of one of my classmates.

Sir Pao also laughed at my classmates but it didn't take long and his face was dead serious. “Yes, we're in the room, but I have one to let out now. Do you want to go first, De Leon?” he asked my classmate, who answered him.

That classmate of mine bowed and seemed to hold back a laugh when he replied to Sir, “No, Sir. Pfft!”

Sir Pao give him a look like -let's see if you can still laugh when I drop you in this subject-look. He then continues the discussion. Sir Pao is discussing fundamental concepts of physics.

So, he's our physics teacher? Okay, that's basic. I won’t have a hard time catching up on lessons I haven’t caught. Because I entered late, three days ago since the class started here at my new school. I didn't go in right away because I was lazy.

I also don’t have a hard time with this subject because I'm into science thing. I read countless articles and books about physics and all topics relating to science.

Yeah, I'm a book freak and can say, books are my best friend because why not? I don't have friends and no one wants to befriend with me, and that's fine. I spent more time reading books than I would sulk because no one wants to get close with a 'weird guy' like me.

The bell rang after the fourth subject ends, all of my classmates left our room because maybe they were going to the canteen to buy their food. And so what? I don't care, that's good so no one can see me eating my lunch.

I also don't want to go out because definitely there are many students scattered outside because it's break time, and I don't want someone to look at me with every step I take. I want to avoid having eyes watching me with every twitch. I’m also lazy to tour the entire campus now. Maybe I'll just go around tomorrow, or the next day, or never.

I took my lunch box out of the bag, and yeah, I didn't bring the lunch box that Mom handed me because people might tease me when they see that I'm carrying a kid's launch box.

I don't want to be laughed at... I don't want to be embarrassed in front of many people.

I always experience embarrassment, and even bullying in my previous school. That's why Mom also forced to transfer me to school because that's where my anxiety and my fear of people around me worsened. Even I can do well in front of numerous people, I am still embarrassed. That was the reason I hate it when I'm surrounded by numerous people because I sense that they will laugh and make fool of me when I make just a single move.

As I bit into my sandwich, I heard a rattle of a spoon and fork. I searched for where that sound came from as I'm biting my sandwich. I'm not the only one left in here?

-AndyThoughts-