Chapter four: Their first interaction
1511 Words
Amelia woke to the sound of her alarm.
For a moment, she lay still beneath the blankets, staring at the pale morning light spilling across her ceiling.Then her eyes shifted toward the wall clock. It was 7:02 AM and it was a school day. A groan escaped her lips.She rolled over to grab her phone from the bedside table but froze halfway.
The memory of last night rushed back immediately.The post she saw last night was a recent post from Ken Ryder.The photo was a picture of him shirtless with his abs on a display. Amelia could still remember the irritating confidence and stupid smirk on his face. The way he looked directly into the camera as if he knew everyone would stop scrolling to look at him.The memory made her frown.
"Ridiculous," she muttered.
Yet her heart betrayed her by beating faster. Annoyed with herself, Amelia tossed the phone back onto the table and headed toward the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom and dressed in her school uniform.
she walked downstairs and found her mother already setting breakfast on the table.
The moment Mrs. Hart saw her daughter, her face brightened.
"Good morning, sweetheart."
"Morning."
"Did you sleep well?"
"Good."
"How was your night?"
"Good."
Mrs. Hart blinked.
"That's all?"
Amelia shrugged.
Her mother sighed but smiled anyway.
"Come eat before it gets cold."
Amelia walked to the dinner table and sat down and quietly began eating. The silence between them wasn't as sharp as it had been before, but it still lingered. Mrs. Hart watched her daughter for a moment and then she suddenly stood up. and said to her,
"Wait here. Let me get ready. I'll drive you to school."
Amelia looked up.
"I'll be late."
"You won't."
"Mum—"
"It'll take five minutes."
Amelia tried arguing but before she could, her mother was already halfway upstairs.she just stared after her mum. Five minutes later, Mrs. Hart was already ready.Amelia shook her head in disbelief. She didn't say anything to her, she just walked straight outside to the car as her mum followed.
The drive to school was surprisingly peaceful.
Her mum tried asking much as she could not go bring up a conversation so as not to make her daughter uncomfortable.
When they pulled into the school parking lot, Amelia immediately spotted Sophia. She felt a relief washed over her. A familiar face and also
that one person she actually wanted to see when she arrived at school.
Sophia was standing beside her mother's car, waving excitedly.
"There she is!"
Amelia stepped out of the car.Sophia's mother and Mrs. Hart exchanged friendly greetings before both women drove off to work. Sophia waved goodbye to her mum while Amelia just stood and watched her mum leave.
Then they turned toward the school building together.
"Ready for another day?" Sophia asked.
"No."
"Fair."
They laughed softly.
For a brief moment, Amelia felt lighter. As they approached the main hallway, loud voices echoed through the building. There was shouting, laughter and also cheering.
Amelia frowned.
"What is that?"
Sophia didn't even look surprised.
"Oh."
She rolled her eyes.
"Ken Ryder is here."
Amelia immediately looked at her trying to understand while his presence would be causing a noise.
The closer they got to their classroom, the louder the noise became.When they stepped inside, Amelia stopped.Her jaw tightened instantly. There was Ken Ryder who was sitting on her desk with his shoes resting comfortably on her chair. Around him sat Jason and other students.They were laughing loudly as though they owned the room.
Sophia was just tensed.
"Oh no."
Amelia began walking forward.
"Amelia...." Sophia called out
It was already too late because Amelia was already walking towards the group.The entire group noticed her approaching. Jason then nudged Ken.
"The owner of the seat is here."
Ken slowly turned his head.His blue eyes landed on Amelia.For a second, neither of them spoke. Then he lazily leaned back.
"Find another seat."
The classroom suddenly went quiet.
Amelia stared at him in disbelief.
"Excuse me?"
Ken lifted an eyebrow.
"You heard me."
Amelia looked genuinely confused.
Then she asked calmly,
"Are you okay?"
The students exchanged surprised looks.
Ken blinked.
"What?"
"Are you okay?" Amelia repeated.
His friends started laughing.
Ken narrowed his eyes.
"Why would you ask me that?"
"Because you don't seem normal." she replied
The laughter instantly died and the room became silent. Jason nearly choked and then Ken slowly stood.The smile on his face which was friendly was not anymore. He walked toward her, one step and then another. Until he stood directly in front of her.
The difference in height suddenly became so obvious.Most girls would've stepped back.
But Amelia didn't.
"Normal people," she continued calmly, "move when the owner of the seat arrives."
The other students just sat on their sit staring at the scene happening. Nobody has ever talked to Ken Ryder like Amelia just did.
There was slow grin spread across his face.
But Instead of looking angry, he looked amused.Dangerously amused.
"You've got a mouth on you." he said
"So I've been told." she replied
Jason looked like he was witnessing history.
Ken studied her face for several seconds.before he leaned closer to her, not enough to invade her space completely but enough for the atmosphere to be changed.
"You're lucky," he murmured.
Amelia folded her arms looking him straight up in his eyes.
"Lucky?" she asked
"I'm in a good mood today."
She scoffed and gave a smile of disbelief
"Congratulations."
A few students snorted. Ken's grin widened.
He didn't further saying anything to her he just stepped aside.
Amelia sighed silently thinking that all this was over but when she walked closer to table her eyes caught her chair. There was muddy marks from his shoes that covered the seat.
Her irritation then returned immediately.
"Hey."
Ken glanced back.
"What now?"
She pointed at the chair.
"Clean it."
The entire classroom froze by her commanding voice. Jason's eyes nearly popped out of his head.Ken stared at her and laughed.
"No."
Amelia's patience snapped as her anger increased.
"You make the mess and expect somebody else to clean it?" she asked
"Sounds like a personal problem." he replied with a smirk on his face and turned back to where his friends where while ignoring her
Her eyes flashed in angered as she was about to answer when Sophia rushed forward.
"Okay!"
Sophia grabbed Amelia's arm.
"We are not doing this."
“Sophia...” she called, turning to her friend in disbelief, silently asking if she had witnessed the same arrogant display.
"No." Sophia signalled towards her to be calm
Sophia quickly wiped down the chair herself.
"Sit down."
Amelia was reluctant before she sat down. Sophia then leaned closer to Amelia and said.
"Trust me. He's not worth it."
Ken on the other side returned to his seat. But something felt different. He hasn't been treated like this before in school and Amelia was the first person to treat him the way she did.
Jason stared at him.
"Dude."
"What?"
"What was that?" Jason asked
Ken shrugged.
"Nothing."
Jason laughed.
"Nothing? She practically brought you down."
“i wasn't in the mood today“ he said not even sure if what he said was true
Ken turned his gaze toward Amelia who was already opening her notebook ready for todays class and behaving like as if nothing had happened between them earlier.
For some reason, that behaviour of hers annoyed him and also interested him.
“Interesting” he said to himself with a smirk on his face
While still on his thoughts, the teacher entered, forcing everyone into their seats and then the class began.But throughout the lesson, Ken found his attention drifting again and again toward Amelia whose attention was just focused on what was being taught. She remained blissfully unaware of his stare towards her.
Her thought was just that she simply defended herself. But what she didn't realize is she had just attracted the attention of the one person Sophia had warned her about. And that attention would make the coming weeks far more difficult than she could possibly imagine.
By the time the final bell rang, Amelia felt exhausted.She packed her bag while Sophia chatted beside her.Together, they made their way downstairs toward the school gate.
The afternoon sun painted long shadows across the pavement.Students flooded past them.Cars lined the street.
Sophia glanced at Amelia.
"You know most people would've run away from that confrontation."
Amelia adjusted her bag.
"He was sitting on my desk."
Sophia laughed.
"Fair point."
they continued their conversation on what happened today as they reached their usual spot beneath the oak tree and waited for their mothers.
But neither of them both noticed the pair of blue eyes watching from across the parking lot.
Ken Ryder who leaned casually against his motorcycle was just giving gaze which lingered on Amelia for a moment. After which a slow smile appeared.
Is Amelia ready for what is coming to her
- Writer
