My Secret Love is a Billionaire

Chapter 2 – Acquittance

Claudya went from the football court directly to her painting classes. She tried to hide her messy appearance in the toilet at first. Luckily, she was wearing a large hoodie at the time and she could hide her recently made bruises. She passed her fingers a little bit, threw her hair all messed up because of the wind, and was all set up. She entered the class and mumbled some excuses, but the teacher loved her, so, knocked her head and made her sign to sit. Claudya waited to be seated in front of the easel before she sighted so hard that the teacher raised an eyebrow. She mumbled sorry and hid in the easel. The painting class was her third favorite place in the world. Her first and second were her room and a small place in the middle of nature where she liked to know that no soul knew it, only her.

But the classroom was so beautiful and peaceful. There were easels with blank pages and a small table with colors and brushes on one side and a small stool in front of the easel. Only kids with talent were accepted here, so it was very peaceful, everyone was painting something the teacher asked or something from their vivid imagination. It is understandable that Claudya was in no mood to paint anything, she just stood in front of the blank page and remembered what just happened.

She felt such a wave of frustration when she remembered everything. She was so damn weak and that was her curse. She could not raise against Tom and his pack of bullies and that was so damn frustrating. They were all cop kids and Tom was the sheriff’s kid, which made things easier for them and harder for her. Except for her mother, she couldn’t go to anyone to cry about what was happening to her. Until that kid showed up.

She was sure that any other of her colleagues would not interfere in a scene like that one, but not him, she thought with sadness. He is new, and that would not be good for him. Supposedly, he had just got transferred to Milhaven High school from God knows where, after the scene, he just caused he might just take his sorry ass and go back from where he came. Tom will not forget or forgive.

Claudya felt sorry for him and grateful, but it wasn’t like she could do anything. She thought she might just stay away from him to not put each one more in danger. She was used to being bullied, but certainly, he wasn’t so. The next time he saw him, she would just make a detour to not meet each other.

Not long after she had made up what to do, she heard the bell ring for the break. She went out of the class like a tornado, taking a surprised look from the teacher. She gave her a smile like everything was okay. She thought she had the last class and then she could finally go home from that hell called high school, but for the last class, she had to go and take the book because she had received the last warning. She would fail the class if she didn’t bring her book like everyone else. She sighed and went to the room where the teacher was in charge of it. Giving books.

She saw that there was already someone talking with the teacher, so she stayed nicely behind him, waiting. She looked a little bit at his back and seemed oddly known, but she could not be sure. Then she heard her name squeezed by the teacher she was waiting for.

“Claudya! Oh, dear! Could you show your new colleague here, Nicholas Smith, the school?” her jaw dropped at the same time Nicholas turned. He looked at her amused, she looked in fear.

“But Miss Amos, I came just to collect a book…” her voice faded while Miss Amos rolled.

“Sure dear, here is your book, but I want you to please show a bit of the school to your new colleague so he won’t get lost!”

Claudya was mumbling between her teeth but grabbed the book and shook her head once in acceptance.

“Come”, she said shortly, and passed Nick after she grabbed her book, not even looking behind if he followed her.

Nick was walking so confidently next to her that Claudya felt some anger towards him despite her feeling of gratitude just a few minutes ago.

“You ran because you were ashamed to thank me?” Nick asked.

The corridor was full and Claudya had to slower her walk to be in the same line as Nick to answer him.

“I am grateful for what you did, but you made a big mistake. You will be sorry for messing up with them.” She didn’t even have to name who, because he understood right away.

He grabbed her elbow and squeezed her into a small opening with a window that gave them a sort of privacy.

They were both surprised by his gesture and the feelings that were running from that touch. He looked at her for a short time before he would retreat his hand. But Claudya felt the electricity and his touch. He seemed shaken too by the touch. They looked at each other for a few moments before he would ask her with a thickened voice.

"I did not have the chance to ask you, are you OK?"

She noodled her head, not being able to speak.

" They should never have treated you the way they did," he said with a soft voice, " you are way too sweet."

He was feeling such an urge to kiss her soft lips. He was looking at her lips like a man he hadn’t eaten in days.

She saw him approaching easily on her mouth and her heart started racing like crazy, she could only think…’ Will he be the one giving me my first kiss? Please God let him be the one’.

He was so close to her mouth that she could feel his breath like mint and pine? Maybe. She wasn’t sure, all her feelings were all over the place and she had such an urge to moist her lips because she started to feel them like they were in the Sahara Desert. She was too afraid to move, not to spoil the moment. He touched her lips with his lips but he did not continue because he heard a noise behind him. The noise made, gently pushed Nick apart. Then she saw it was the math teacher! She was so ashamed that she went all red. He was having his arms crossed and was looking at them beating his foot on the floor, a sign of nervosity. There weren’t too many kids in the corridor, but the second-worst nightmare for Claudya was Pamela. Pamela was the most popular girl in school, aiming to succeed. She had blondes, blue eyes, and a wealthy family. Anything a man would want from his high school girlfriend, meaning she had the most gorgeous outfits and did not wear an item twice, and the pinkest customized Porsche in all parking lots.

The ‘Goddess” of the school and her two best friends were laughing about the scene, surely waiting for the teacher to move along and call her name when Claudya saw from the corner of her eyes how Pamela’s attitude changed when she saw Nick. Oh boy, that wasn’t good!

She saw her approaching and, with that honey voice that would make someone sick, told the teacher,

“Oh, Mr. Matthews I was searching for our new colleague to show him the biology lab. Please don’t do anything to him. He just got a little bit lost.” Meanwhile, she grabbed his arm and gave Claudya an evil look like ‘You wish this girl, keep dreaming!”

Claudya was feeling furious about this. She exhaled to not show emotions, thinking it was way too ridiculous to be jealous of someone you barely knew. They have even shared a small special moment. But she remained silent and looked at the teacher like nothing had happened.

The teacher looked a bit confused at all of them but knocked her head at Pamela and Nick and just pointed one finger at Claudya in the advertisement.

" Miss Smith, you know we don't accept this type of behavior in school. You have been informed!" and she turned with her back at them and left.

Pamela was trying to take Nick from there, but he did not move until he looked at Claudya, seeing her like she didn’t care. He let himself be dragged to biology class or wherever Pamela was taking him, because she wasn’t too bright at school, and the rest left as well. Mr. Matthews, Pamela’s friends, and Claudya were left alone. She looked at Nick’s and Pamela’s backs before they were around the corner and she had to admit to herself that they were just gorgeous together. Claudya felt like tears would start to fall from her eyes, but she could not allow such weakness to show at school.

She grabbed her backpack that fell at the heated moment she shared with Nick and went outside in the direction home with the bicycle.

There she could let loose all her emotions with no fear of what could happen.