A new (class) mate
1010 Words
Zonish settled down in her spot and put her head down on the desk, fidgeting with her fingers under the table. The class settled down as the teacher came in. As the lesson proceeded, Zonish tried very hard to concentrate on the topic being taught.
Just then, their principal came in. The teacher stopped teaching and turned towards him.
"Ah! Don't stop. Continue, continue. I just came to hand over your new student. He transferred during the vacation. " The principal brought the boy in from the corridor.
The entire class was gushing and blushing from his sight. He sure had a pretty face. The boy, however, didn't seem to take any notice of anybody. He had his head hung low, and just bowed to the teacher.
"Is it really just a coincidence? " Zonish thought in her head.
"Here, come and introduce yourself to your new classmates. " The teacher urged him to stand in the middle of the room.
"Hello everyone! My name is Fazi. I transferred here from the city centre. " The boy introduced himself.
Zonish instantly had her thoughts racing. Did a hunter family just move into town? Were they tracking her? Was that the reason she didn't have any lead in their activities in the area? Were they planning something big to trap and get rid of her once and for all, without any mistake, like the last time?
As if to answer her question, the teacher asked the boy, "Did you move in with your family? "
The question visibly saddened the boy.
"It's alright if you don't want to share. Go take a seat behind Zonish. She too transferred not long ago. " The teacher pointed in her direction.
"Are you kidding me? Of all the places, you had to make him sit just behind me. Really? " Zonish was literally screaming in her head, but smiled as courtesy as the boy walked past her.
Fazi pulled the chair and sat up with a loud thud. Everyone was startled and the whole class started murmuring.
"He looks angry" Said one. "Do you think he is depressed? " Asked another.
"He doesn't appear to be the violent kind, " remarked somebody.
"Enough.Get back to the lesson everybody. Zonish, help Fazi find the page we are on. " The teacher shouted at the top of her voice.
"Me? " Zonish asked, pointing at herself.
"Yes you, please" She yelled again.
" OK" Zonish sheepishly nodded and turned back to find his book. She almost had her eyes closed to avoid eye contact and literally felt for the book with her hands. Fazi looked up at her for the first time. He saw her fidgeting over his book, trying to find something.
"Are you blind? " He asked, turning the book over to her hand.
"Who me? " Zonish asked again with that sheepish note, looking up at his face, eye to eye.
" Unbelievable, " Fazi rolled his eyes.
"That wasn't so bad. That wasn't so bad. " Zonish thought in her mind as she turned the pages to the current chapter and quickly turned back.
She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Ah? " She answered surprised.
Fazi came to her ears and whispered, "Mark.Where is the mark? "
Zonish's pen fell from her hands, " Mark? What was he talking about? What was he suggesting? Did he think I had anything to do with his Mark? "Zonish had her thoughts all over the place. Her heart was pounding yet again. Was it because of his warm breath over her shoulders or was it because of the question he asked? She didn't know.
" Will you please hurry up and mark the portion that's being covered right now? " He thrust one pen and the book into her hands once again.
" Oh! You want me to mark. Alright. Alright. I will mark. "She quickly ticked the paragraph they were doing and handed his book back.
She heaved a deep sigh as she heard him murmur something like " What a weirdo " under his breath. He seemed clueless after all about her identity, her true self.
She sighed again, saying, " hhhhmmm, what a relief, " just as the bell rang.
" What relief. Did you forget about the practice? " Bass hit her on the head.
"Oh yeah! No! I mean yes, let's go. " She said as she sprang up on her toes.
She thought she heard a chuckle from the back.
"Do you always hit her on the head like that? No wonder she's such a c***k. " Fazi chuckled again.
"Who are you calling a c***k bro? " Sofi instantly came to her rescue. " Come to the court if you dare. Let's see who the crackhead is here. " Sofi dared him, glaring at him from his table.
"I had been dying to, " Fazi stood up with a bang on his desk. The shy , meek exterior of his vanished in an instant as Zonish saw the malice of a hunter flash in his eye.
"Cut it out, boys. Stop it. What are you fussing about? Let's go Sofi, " She literally pulled Sofi away from the fumming Fazi. She had to push her friends away from the classroom towards the gymnasium, where they had their practice.
" What was that about? Why were you harassing the poor kid in the classroom? " Zonish asked them once they were inside, running the treadmill.
" Harass? "
"Kid? "
"Poor? "
" Who are you calling those? He was the one bullying you. Are you blind? " They all gushed over her together.
"Alright, alright . I take it all back. My bad. But let's not get into any trouble or fights, alright. Let's concentrate on what matters and ignore the rest. Done? " She asked, looking at them with her warm smile.Her friends nodded and smiled back, "Alright, alright. "
Just then, the entire gymnasium went pitch black , as if in a power cut.
- Writer
