CIRCUS!

Chapter 1: Talk to me

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E D A

How are you? My name is Eduarda—Eda for short!

I am someone you probably bumped into on the side walk, but you simply strolled past without acknowledging my apologies, despite the fact that you were the one who caused the collision. I am someone who can be invisible to the naked eye simply because I appear to be unremarkable, unimportant, and unworthy of notice.

However, do not be alarmed; I do not despise myself. I gradually came to accept the truth pushed upon me by others who took their time criticizing me, or what is now referred to as bullying.

It's fine. I chanted in my head whenever I found myself in a position where I was forced to concede defeat.

I am someone who wishes to be happy, who wishes to be useful to those I care about, and who is not afraid to stand up for what is right.

Only, I'm not that someone.

I barely have any friends and those I consider as my friends slowly turned their backs at me for trivial reasons I'd rather not dwell on too much.

"Edward, get out!" The football captain barked at me, and I crept past them, squeezing between the trash can and the cold steel locker door.

Edward, the nickname or label they went along with. Despite my attempts to refute them, it's no use. They never listened to me in the first place. It's not as if I have a word either. My opinion was never sought. I am as effective as a ghost whom they would see only when in the mood for banter.

To my dismay, the bell eventually rang, and I immediately fumbled my way down the hallway and into the massive double doors. It's always a struggle for me to enter my afternoon class, not because our teacher is a monster, but because there is a seat assignment, and I was fortunate enough to get next to Alexis Donovan. The one and only Alexis.

He's the Ken-doll of teen chick films. He is a jack of all trades and a master of all things. A man who has been flawlessly crafted by the gods and endowed with unworldly talents. It's safe to say that I look up to him a great deal.

Though I make every effort to maintain a safe distance between us for his protection. Anyone who comes too close to me induces Geno Barrueco's wrath. I'm going to crown him King of the school. Every word he speaks is the law. Nobody, not even the professors or the principal, appears to be able to argue with his statements. I must have done something unforgiveable to Geno for him to make my life a living misery.

I carefully strolled down the isle, my shoulders hunched low as I mentally prepared the words I'd use to greet Alexis once I reached my seat. My heart pounded hard against my chest when Geno suddenly booted on a chair, bringing me to a halt. My lips curved into a frown and my palms began to sweat as the malicious laughter of the students who were watching me with pity rang throughout the lecture hall.

I swallowed hard, biting my tongue in an attempt to force a word forth, but nothing came out. Please, make this stop. I squinted my eyes tight and pressed my lips together. I inhaled deeply while mentally counted to three.

I got this! "I'm sorry," I flashed Geno a faint smile before bending down to hoist the chair upright and rushing up to my far-back seat, however, Alexis was nowhere to be found.

My head swung around, searching for him, and I panicked when I sensed a figure sitting next me; I instantly spoke with concern, "Y-You cannot sit here, Alexis is—" I came to a halt in the midst of a sentence when I recognized who it was.

"You're looking for me?" he yawned. His tired eyes glowed with tenderness as he raised them to mine. As I watched his delicate fingers comb through his thick and gorgeous jet-black hair, butterflies crept in the pit of my stomach. I could spend an eternity watching him easily be attractive.

Plus, he's the only nice person who could look at me in the eyes.

"Hey, are you alright?" he grabbed a hanky from his pocket and lowered his hand down near my bare legs. I instantly flinched away, tugging the hem of my skirt lower in hopes of hiding my hairy legs from his vision.

"I'm... I'm okay," I flashed him a brief smile before shifting my focus to the teacher in front of us. I dare not look at him for more than a few seconds, lest I will melt under the intensity of his eyes.

"You're bleeding."

"What?" With anxious eyes, I whipped my head at him, only to catch him staring at my leg as a trickle of blood cascaded down from my scratched knee. I instinctively bent down to wipe it with my hand by a hand stopped me from doing so and instead, he pushed his hanky on my palm.

My brain exploded with the thought of his hand skimming against mine.

"Meet me at my locker after class. I think I got a plaster--" He offered politely, but before I could respond, I felt an eraser bounce off my head. I rubbed the spot where it hit and immediately shot my head up to see who it was.

Geno.

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Exams can be extremely difficult for those who lack academic hope, such as myself, so instead of spending my weekends at some hot party, I joined a school organization founded by the school's student president, who was gracious enough to host a meeting for those who needed to catch up on certain lessons or were about to fail the semester, hard. For example, I am.

"Eda, over here!" a heavenly voice beckoned my attention. I turned around immediately and saw Athena waving at me from next to my allocated seat.

"Hello, Athena, I'm sorry I had to finish my shift at the Barden—" With a smile on her gorgeous face, she immediately dismissed my concerns.

I withdraw my statement; there were two persons in this godforsaken school who were kind to me. It was Athena and Alexis.

They just so happened to be twins.

However, unlike myself, I find it difficult to be friends with Athena due to her hallowed reputation. As with her brother, she maintains a flawless image. She is the student president of the school and the volleyball team's captain. I've been intending to approach her, but whenever I see her associates, I cower.

How dare I attempt friendship with someone who is obviously out of my league?

"It's fine, Eda. Today, only a handful of us are present. Because the most of them are undoubtedly attending Geno's birthday party tonight, we're literally waiting for the first ten tables to fill up so we can begin the group huddle!" She perked up as she gently patted her small hand across my back, which I found extremely reassuring.

"Are you sure you're not going to the party?" I had no idea what had gotten into me, but the words spilled from my mouth abruptly. My eyes widened at the realization but Athena just laughed my shocked expression off.

"Me? Pfft!" she giggled charmingly. "There is no way you're going to catch me at that type of affair!" As she grins, she flashes her flawless set of gleaming white teeth.

"I'd better hope I don't catch you rubbing elbows with those punks," a man stood behind her, his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Athena and I both leapt in fear, but quickly recovered our composure when we realized it was simply Alexis—Wait, what? What is he doing at this place?

As if hearing my thoughts, Athena quickly elbowed her twin in the stomach, a surprised expression on her face. "Don't you ever sneak behind our backs like that!" she said.

Alexis simply chuckled, his smooth dimpled cheeks raising upwards as he wore a cheeky smile on his gorgeous face. How is it possible for a man to be so perfect? My concerns vanish simply by looking at him. He makes me feel incomprehensible emotions that I'm unlikely to ever be able to articulate to him. If there is a man who is deserving of love and all that the world has to offer, it is he.

as well as his lovely sister.

Such perfect creatures, so unlike my mundane self. I can't even pass Math, and yet here they are, performing charitable acts for dumb students like myself.

I sat quietly and tossed my bag on the table, so absorbed in my thoughts that I missed Alexis standing next to my table while his sister began the huddle.

The sound of a chair being dragged to my location startled me aware. As I watched Alexis place the chair next to mine, my heart began to race like a madman. "Are you not taking your workbooks out?" he questioned, leaning his head to see my congested face. I moved my head reflexively away from him.

"W-What are you doing? You're not part of this club," I bit on my lip as I tried to control myself and attempted to look at him straight in the eyes.

"My sister compelled me to substitute one of her tutors," he mentally counted the tutors who had escaped the temptation of attending Geno's party of the century.

There are a total of three tutors, plus him. There is a tutor for each major subject, ensuring that all subjects are covered by the tutors assigned to them. The organization's mission is to reduce student repeaters and to assist the school's scholars. Then there's me, seizing the opportunity to make friends in an organization that was clearly not designed for networking.

I needed to pass Mathematics too. SO, I guess that's a plus?

"Where do you find difficulties?" Alexis snapped me out of my trance and I found him flipping through the pages of my workbook. I instantly dived on top of the table to cover my poor answers to save myself from the humiliation, only to be replaced with a greater embarrassment. The loud sound of my body colliding against the wooden table caught everyone's attention.

"Are you guys okay, back there?" Athena looked over at us but specifically, her eyes were throwing daggers at her twin.

"Y-Yeah! He just... he just tried to check my workbook," I raised my hand in an ok sign before plopping back onto my seat after recovering from my sudden outburst.

"Are you alright?" A cheeky smirk danced across his lips, and it was the most seductive thing he had ever done in my perspective. It helped me forget how easily he stole my workbook from my purse and browsed aimlessly through my astronomically inaccurate equation solutions, which were vandalized all over the pages.

"No, you took me by surprise. Good thing you're cute," I grumbled out loud, unknowingly, until my words dawned in me a tad bit later. "S-Sorry!"

"So, you think, I'm cute?" he suddenly, asked. His head c****d to one side with a slop-sided smile on his beautiful face.

"Y-yeah... and you're nice," I chewed on my bottom lip as I tried to avert my attention into my workbook. I fished my pencil case from my bag and started to work on an activity which I answered wrong during class.

"Hey, we're still talking," My pencil case suddenly was snatched from my hand and is now, in his. His fingers played on the little teddy bear keychain.

"W-What is it?" My brows wrinkled with unease. His authoritative tone reminds me of Geno's, who surely pushes me to the brink on a regular basis. In nervousness, my fingers pressed into my palm, nails digging deeper. I wanted to bolt out the door immediately.

"I'm sorry. It's nothing," he released my pencil case and placed it gently in my hand before standing up and dragging the chair back to the empty table where he got it from. My eyes followed his movements as he confidently strutted to where his sister stood. I watched him whispered something to her before exiting out of the lecture hall.

For some reason, I felt stupefied and dejected.

I inhaled deeply before attempting to solve the problem equation in my work book.

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A L E X I S

I frightened her. I swiftly retreated, rising up and withdrawing for the time being. I cannot afford her to be terrified of me. No, I will not allow that.

Against my will, I walked over to my sister and whispered to her, "Mission abort. I f****d up just now." Then, I walked out of the lecture hall without taking a last glance at her because I know that if I did, I wouldn't want to leave.