DRAWN TO LOVE

Chapter 3-4

Tami POV

“Turn it up!” Lola shouted, already off-key as she drove “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston.

We kept singing along as we drove into the school compound straight to the parking lot.

“I hopped out of the car before I even allowed Lola to park properly, laughter spilling out of me.”

“Crap.” I’m already late checking the time on my wristwatch. Professor Samson will scold me. Thinking to myself.

The bell had already rung and I’m ten minutes late I slung my bag higher on my shoulder and shot Lola an apologetic look.

“Girl see you later!” I called, half-running down the corridor.

She laughed, waving me off. We weren’t even in the same class, but guilt still pricked me as I left her behind.

I rounded the corner at full speed, clutching my books, when I crashed straight into someone. The impact jolted my books to the floor.

“Sorry!” I gasped, bending to gather them, He also bent helping to pick my books up, and when he straightened, only then noticing the stranger’s face. He wasn’t in any of my classes, I would’ve remembered. New guy, I thought, but the sting of embarrassment vanished the second I looked up. For a heartbeat, the hallway went quiet. He wasn’t just unfamiliar, he was striking. The kind of face that held you hostage. My pulse, frantic from running late, stumbled into a different rhythm altogether. For a dangerous moment, I forgot about the ticking clock, the waiting professor, everything but him. My cheeks warmed as he handed me some books with the hint of a smile.

“Thanks,” I said collecting the books from him, and then slid past him as I made my way to class.

My heart was still drumming from that unexpected collision minutes ago. I’d barely shaken off the heat in my cheeks when I reached my classroom door, late and dreading the professor’s stare. I reached for the handle, only to sense someone behind me. I glanced back and there he was, the stranger I had bumped into. For a split second, my breath caught. Great. Now I was late and flustered, with him standing close enough to hear the uneven rhythm of my breathing.

The door creaked open, and together we stepped inside. Every head turned towards us at once. The professor’s gaze locked on me, heavy with disappointment.

“Morning,” I said, flashing him a smile as if I wasn’t late.

“Late again,” he said, his voice sharp enough to slice through the silence. “Care to explain why Miss Davis?”

I was only ten minutes late before I bumped into a handsome stranger now my ten minutes turns into only God knows what the time is now thinking to myself, but I dare not say it out loud.

Heat crawled up my neck. I wished the floor might open and swallow me. Standing beside me, he seemed unbothered, calm, as though lateness were a choice.

The professor sighed, gesturing toward him. “And since you’ve all noticed, this is our new student. Get used to seeing him around.” He said.

I sank into my seat, mortified, while he offered the class a small smile. Of course. Not only had I made a fool of myself in front of him, but he was now the newest face I’d be seeing every day.

“Find yourself a seat in settle in,” said Professor Samson.

The professor’s words blurred into background noise as he moved through the rows. Every step tightened the knot in my stomach. Then, without hesitation, he chose the seat beside me ignoring the one that was offered to him. his presence is sharp and consuming. I could feel him there without even looking like a secret written in the air.

“Hi I’m Olive”, Oliver Thomas, said. He extended his hand to me for a shake immediately he was seated.

“Wait what?” I shouted.

All heads turned to look at me. Even the professor stopped what he was saying.

“Are you ok Miss Davis?” asked the professor.

“Yes sir,” sorry I muttered

He continued with his lecture not saying anything else to me.

“Holy s**t,” he was my bully and my crush when we were in grade 6. He was a notorious class bully who picked on you constantly teasing, pranking, and maybe even embarrassing moments in front of classmates. How the hell did I not recognize him?

I will have to ignore him and pretend that I don’t know him, cause I don’t know if he remembers me also. Expect that if he ends up finding out through my name.

I just hope he doesn’t cause he might end up tormenting me like he did before. And I am not always the type to get noticed. But he already did that when he decided to sit beside me now Brittney the popular girl won’t stop staring. Brittney is like royalty herself, tall, with long legs and a figure that drew every eye the moment she entered a room. Her hair, sleek and golden-brown, flowed down her back in perfect waves, and her skin glowed under the lights. Her smile was sharp, polished, the kind that could slice through a crowd. Yet, if you looked close enough, there was always a tiny flaw she worked hard to hide the faint scar along her jawline, or the way her left shoulder slouched ever so slightly when she forgot herself. It didn’t dull her beauty, if anything, it made her power feel all the more untouchable, because she had mastered the art of turning imperfection into mystique. And her stare kept prickling the back of my neck. It was the kind of look that said, “Who do you think you are?” Honestly, I wanted ask her the same thing I hadn’t invited him here either! and I swear I heard half the class inhale at once. I tried to act normal, scribbling nonsense in my notebook.

He’s hand is still hanging up for a shake but I ignored it. But he later withdrew.