Chapter 5: The Transfer Student

I arrived at school earlier than usual, though I wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to anyone. The hallway buzzed with chatter as students loitered around, catching up with friends or rushing to their lockers.

Reaching my locker, I spun the combination lock with practiced ease. I grabbed the books I'd need for the morning and stuffed the rest back in. My mind still felt hazy, lingering on the events from earlier... the dream, Jake, the quiet house.

Shaking the thoughts away, I slammed my locker shut and slung my bag over my shoulder. Making my way to the classroom, I avoided eye contact with everyone, as usual.

Once inside, I slipped to my usual seat at the back of the room, where it was quieter and out of the teacher's immediate line of sight. The seat next to mine was always empty, and I had grown comfortable with the solitude it provided.

Dropping my bag onto the chair beside me, I pulled out a notebook and stared blankly at it. The morning sunlight streamed through the windows, casting golden streaks across the classroom floor.

Classmates were trickling in, chatting and laughing as they settled into their seats. I tuned out their conversations, resting my chin on my hand as I idly doodled on the corner of my notebook.

My mind wandered again, and against my will, Jake's face popped into my thoughts... his smile, those dimples, the way he looked at me in the dream. I clenched my jaw, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks again.

"This is ridiculous," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head as if that would help. I had to focus. This was just another normal day, nothing out of the ordinary.

A few minutes later, the classroom settled into a dull hum as everyone waited for the professor. I was still absentmindedly doodling in my notebook when the door swung open, and our professor strode in with a stack of papers under his arm.

"Alright, everyone, settle down," he said, his voice firm but not harsh. "Before we begin, I have an announcement to make."

That immediately caught everyone's attention. The room filled with hushed whispers, students leaning toward each other in curiosity.

"It seems the rumors were true," one girl whispered near the front.

"Do you think it's the new student?" another voice murmured.

I perked up slightly, remembering the chatter in the canteen yesterday about a transfer student.

The professor smiled briefly and gestured toward the door. "Come on in. Introduce yourself to the class."

The door opened, and I turned my head out of mild curiosity, not expecting much. But as soon as I saw who stepped in, my heart skipped a beat, and my eyes widened in disbelief.

Jake.

He stood there casually, hands in the pockets of his uniform pants, his usual easygoing smile plastered on his face. His dark brown hair was slightly tousled, and those familiar dimples appeared as he spoke.

"Hi, I'm Jake Callister," he began, his voice confident but not overbearing. "I just transferred here, so I hope we can get along."

As he scanned the room, his eyes met mine, and I froze. For a brief moment, his lips curved into a faint smirk, like he knew exactly how surprised I was.

No way. No freaking way.

"Alright, Mr. Callister," the professor said, clapping his hands. "You can take a seat now. Let's get started with the lesson."

Jake nodded, his gaze still lingering on me as the professor gestured toward the only empty seat in the room... the one right beside me.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath, sinking lower in my chair as Jake walked toward the back of the classroom.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and casually plopped into the seat next to mine, giving me a sideways glance.

"Morning again," he whispered, his voice low enough that only I could hear.

I shot him a look, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my neck. "What are you doing here?" I hissed under my breath.

He just grinned, leaning back in his chair. "What does it look like? I'm your new classmate."

Great. Just great. As if my morning hadn't already been weird enough.

As the professor began the lecture, I tried to focus, but it was impossible with Jake sitting right beside me. His presence was distracting, to say the least. I could feel his occasional glances in my direction, but I refused to look his way.

The lecture dragged on, and I kept my head down, taking notes and trying my best to ignore him. But just as I was starting to settle into the rhythm of the class, the professor clapped his hands, signaling the end of the lecture.

"Before we wrap up for today," he began, "I'd like to announce your first big project of the semester. This will be a partnered project, so take a moment now to find a partner. I'll be explaining the details in the next class."

The room immediately erupted into noise as everyone scrambled to pair up with their friends. Chairs screeched against the floor as students moved around, calling out to one another.

I stayed in my seat, figuring I'd wait for the chaos to die down before making a move. It wasn't like I had anyone specific in mind, anyway.

Meanwhile, Jake was drawing a lot of attention.

"Hey, Jake, want to be partners?" one girl asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she leaned toward him.

"Jake, pick me!" another chimed in from a few seats away.

A small crowd of girls had gathered around him, all vying for his attention. I rolled my eyes, trying to suppress a smirk. Of course, he was already popular. With his looks and that annoyingly charming personality, it wasn't surprising.

Jake seemed unbothered by all the attention, though. He leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed casually as he gave the girls a polite but amused smile.

"Sorry, ladies," he said with a chuckle, his voice calm but firm. "I already know who I want to be my partner."

The girls looked disappointed, but I didn't pay much attention to them. I was too busy jotting down some notes, assuming he'd pick one of the many people swarming around him.

But then I felt a nudge on my arm.

I looked up to find Jake smirking at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Hey, Aiden," he said casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You wanna partner up?"

My pen slipped from my hand, clattering onto my notebook. I stared at him, dumbfounded. Out of everyone in the class, why was he asking me?

"You're joking," I said flatly.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" he shot back, his smirk growing.

I glanced around, noticing the surprised stares from the girls who had just been asking him. Their expressions ranged from confusion to annoyance.

"You don't even know me," I pointed out.

"That's why I'm asking you," Jake replied, leaning a little closer. "What better way to get to know someone? Besides, it would be more convenient because we live in the same house."

I opened my mouth to protest, but the professor's voice cut through the chatter.

"Alright, everyone, if you haven't found a partner yet, I'll be assigning them randomly."

Jake raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for my answer. I sighed, realizing I didn't really have much of a choice.

"Fine," I muttered, avoiding his gaze. "We'll partner up."

"Great," he said, leaning back with a satisfied smile.

As the professor dismissed the class, I couldn't help but wonder what I'd just gotten myself into.