What Happened in High School

CHAPTER ONE

I first met them on the first day of school in high school. We are from different towns and graduated from different schools. I was feeling shy, excited, and nervous when the bell rang. I stood beside my friends while waiting for the announcements. There are still students enrolling on the first day so the teachers still need to divide us into three sections. We waited for an hour before we assembled to go to our classrooms. I kept on fiddling with my hands while waiting for my name to be called. What if none of my friends would be in my section or class? I am an introvert and I will be having a hard time adjusting to new people. I took a deep breath after the announcements because I was separated from all of my close friends. I had some classmates from elementary school but we aren’t that close. As expected from the first day of classes, you will do the self-introduction and then the teacher will assign you to your seats. I was seated on the last row and two tall boys were seated beside me. I don’t really mind sitting beside them. I just hate it when we stand up because I am a pocket girl and the height is too obvious standing with them. We spent the first day playing around because teachers are still busy finalizing the enrollments. They let us go home earlier so I and my friends decided to walk home.

“Hey, there are a lot of good-looking people. Some of them are in our class.” Said May one of my friends

I am silently listening to what they are saying. May and Jessica are in the same class so they can understand each other well.

“Yeah, I noticed that a boy named Vladimir is good-looking. How about in your class?” Jessica seconded and asked me

“I don’t know. There are some boys who are good-looking.” I said shrugging my shoulders since I am not really interested

“Aren’t you in the same class with your ex?” May said teasing me

I glared at her before answering.

“Can you stop saying that? It was just puppy love for an elementary student. It wasn’t even that serious so stop saying he was my ex.”

They laughed before making a gesture of zipping their lips.

We arrived home while telling stories about the first day of school. On the second day of school, I was relieved when my so-called ex was transferred to another class.  They only exchanged some students but the seating arrangement remained the same. I was busy writing notes when the person beside me spoke.

"Hey." he said

I ignored him since I'm not sure if he is talking to me.

"Hey." he said again for the second time

I was listening to what the teacher was saying attentively when he grabbed my pen. I looked at him with a frown on my face.

"What?" I said

"Nothing." he simply said while grinning

I extended my arm while waiting for him to return my pen. He stared at my arm confused.

"I need my pen."

"Oh. Here." he handed me my pen back

I focused again in class when the other person besides me spoke.

"I'm bored."

"I know. I'm starting to get sleepy." the other person answered

I am starting to get irritated because the two people on my left and right keep on speaking.

"Will both of you keep quiet? I'm trying to focus on the lesson." I said staring first at the person on my right before looking at the one on the left.

 The two of them pretended to listen to the teacher by looking at the blackboard. They started chatting again when the bell rang, which means it’s time for the next lesson. I was hoping that they would stop when the next lesson started but they continued chatting. The voice of the teacher is loud but hearing them whispering to each is making me lose focus. I turned to the person on my right.

“What will you do this weekend? Will you hang out with us?”

“I’m not really sure since I have some household chores to do.”

“Hey! I can’t remember your name but can you talk about your plans after the class?” I said 

“I’m Jackson.” he answered while extending his hand asking for a handshake. 

“So can we focus on the lesson now?” I said shaking his hand

“Sure.” he simply said

“The same goes with you…” I told the person on my left while trailing off my voice 

“Allyson here.” he said extending his hand

I sighed as I shook his hand. I never thought that it would be the start of a chaotic school year. I am thankful when they decided to listen to the teacher. I am trying to be a good girl because it is still the early days of school and I still don’t know most of my classmates very well. During the break, the other students from other sections came to our room. I can already hear my rowdy friends outside and then I saw them peeking at the door so I gestured to them that I was coming. I met them in the small garden beside our room.

“You didn’t tell us that your seatmates are handsome.” Jessica said nudging me

“Who?” I asked back

“Your seatmates. The one on your left and right.” May added

“Ah. Since you asked and seem interested, the pale one is Jackson and the moreno is Allyson.” I said nonchalantly

“Don’t you like any of them? Maybe a crush or something?” Jessica said

“No. I just want to have a quiet school life. They are annoying and talkative.”

“I think you will get along. You just need to adjust for a few days and you would be talkative as well.” May said

“Your ex is here.” Jessica whispered while pointing to a familiar person

“I told you not to say that.” I told them

“Do you see that person beside him? That’s Vladimir, the one I told you that is good-looking. He doesn’t look bad right.” May said 

“They are friends already.” Jessica whispered again

“Why are you whispering anyway? Stop trying to connect us together. That was already in the past.” I said pinching them

They made a gesture, zipping their lips. We parted when the bell rang to go to our respective rooms.

I don’t want to admit it but I am thankful that my seatmates are friendly. The girls around me are also friendly so I am thinking everything is going smoothly. I just find it odd that the boys around me are way too friendly. My classmates in elementary school weren't that friendly before and I don’t really have a male best friend. The days pass by as usual but I still can’t get used to my two seatmates. It was raining one day so we stayed inside the classroom to have the flag ceremony when I heard my seatmates chuckle.

“You’re really cute.” Jackson said

I frowned as I looked at him. I am below his shoulder when we are standing so I have to look up. Allyson sat down on my chair then looked at me.

“Now you don’t have to look up. I am already on your level.” he teased me

“Will you two stop it!? We are getting ready to have a prayer.” I hissed at them before pulling Allyson to make him stand up.

They stood so close to me that I felt suffocated having them stand beside me. Imagine standing between two people who are way taller than you.

“Do you really have to stand that close to me?” I whispered to both of them

“It’s fun standing like this.” Allyson said

I gritted my teeth so as not to get annoyed. 

“Whatever.” I said to cut the conversation.

I’m afraid the bickering will go on if I keep on minding them.  We were waiting for the teacher when Jackson started noticing things again. I saw him extending his hand again. I ignored him because I wanted to rest first before the start of the lesson. He extended her arm in front of my face so I was forced to look at him.

“What now?” I asked

He pointed to my hand, which confused me.

“What do you need now? Can’t you just tell me? I can’t always guess what you need and want me to do.”

He grabbed my left then compared it with his right hand. I rolled my eyes at what he did. I already know what is going to happen next. My hand is way smaller than his and it can easily be hidden.

“Even your hand is cute. Allyson look” he told Allyson

It caught Allyson’s attention so he also compared my other hand to his. They are having fun comparing their hands to mine. They were giggling loudly so they caught the attention of our classmates.