Merula 3:2

Chapter 3:2 -Headaches and stalkers

Finally a new week and a new class. Don’t ask me how I survived the weekend. After the hallway incident and the exploding light bulbs I did my best to avoid Rogan and it seemed like he did the same because I didn’t see him at all. The few times I did see him and our eyes met, because our eyes always meet no matter what, he was the first to turn his head away and walk in the opposite direction. The tension in the flat was gone, now it was mostly awkward and that wasn’t so hard to survive. So I survived just fine.
Mr Stone met me at the school’s gate. I should have known.
-Congratulation miss Sword, you are now one of my pupils. Let me tell you from the start that I do not allow any slugs in my class. Just so we’re clear.
He handed me my new schedule and walked away.
Even though I had arrived early I was almost late to my first class. I’ve said it before, my sense of direction is bad. But I found the classroom at last. Somewhat nervous I opened the door and stopped in the doorway. The students all looked at me with bored faces.
-What? One of the boys asked.
-Excuse me, but is this class 5A?
-Yeah. Who’re you?
-I’m…
I didn’t get to finish my sentence as I was interrupted by a cough coming from behind.
-You’re in the way, a familiar voice told.
I was paralysed, fate couldn’t be this cruel could it? Slowly I turned around, hoping the voice belonged to someone else. It didn’t. It was Rogan.
-What are you doing here? Are you stalking me? He asked with cold eyes.
-I…, I didn’t know what to respond.
I was obviously stalking him according to fate’s wishes.
-Move, will you.
He shoved me out of his way and I was left there with my mouth wide open. Then I was further pushed inside the classroom by mr Stone.
-Everyone, this is miss Edith Sword. She’s your new classmate. Be nice, mr Stone said with a bored voice as he introduced me. –Miss Sword, take an available seat so the class can begin.
Mr Stone pushed me in the direction of the only two available seats left in the classroom. Here comes the good news, they were far away from Rogan and they were in the back of the classroom, my favourite spot. So I happily, except for the tiny detail of sharing the same classroom with Rogan, let myself be shoved to the back. Of course I understood that the back seats were the least popular for those who are keen on studying and that it is often the troublemakers of a class that ends up here. This class didn’t seem to have any troublemakers. I guess mr Stone allow them in his elite class, But now he had me. It is not my fault that he judged me by my looks. That is his own stupid fault. He was going to regret it someday. Until then I was going to be invisible.

Already after the first lesson was I in trouble. A blond girl who’d stared furiously at me in class dragged me to the toilets and pushed me to the wall.
-Don’t think for a second that just because he talked to you that he cares about you, she said and waved her platinum paled hair.
Who was she talking about?
-He is mine, she emphasised every word.
Ah, now the piece fell into order. She was talking about Rogan.
-So you’re the stalker, I said to her.
-What stalker? She said surprised.
-Lindy right?
-Yeah.
-He’s all yours, I said and patted her shoulder as I left the toilets.
When she returned to the classroom she looked confused at me. I must have been the first not to want Rogan.

Lunch. Oh, lunch. I never thought I could feel this starved. The morning classes had been hell. Which was actually great as I’d never felt this challenged before. And I’m sure I would appreciate the challenge a lot more after lunch or maybe after a few days when I had sorted out the mess all this new knowledge had created in my head. On a empty stomach everything in my head was spinning and made no sense at all. Right now, standing in line in the canteen waiting for food to fill my craving stomach, the afternoon classes felt like Mount Everest towering over me ominous. When I reached the salad bar and was filling my plate with various greens my phone rang. I pulled it up from my front pocket and viewed the display. A number I didn’t recognise. I still answered.
-Hello? I asked and put the phone between the chin and shoulder.
-Edith Sword? A male voice asked.
-Yes.
-Meet me in the library.
He had a very familiar voice.
-I’m sorry but I’m in school and I don’t have time to meet a stranger who doesn’t even tell his name. Where did you get my number?
The caller hung up on me.
-Rude, I mumbled and continued to the warm foods.
My phone squeaked. I’d go a message from the same number.
“Meet me in the library. Rogan”
Ah, that’s why I recognised the voice. Why couldn’t he just have said so? I continued to fill my plate and was just about to find a free seat when my phone squeaked again.
“Now. Rogan”
I sighed. I really didn’t want to see him at all, especially not on an empty stomach. Couldn’t this wait? My stomach growled but that didn’t stop my curiosity from growing. What could be so important for him to skip lunch and meet up with me, his least favourite person on earth? I hesitated. That’s when the third message came.
“Right now. Rogan”
I looked around in the canteen and sighed. There were no available seats left, the cafeteria was filled to the brim. Oh well, I might as well feed my curiosity if I wasn’t going to eat anything else. I smuggled out some crisp bread and set off to the school library. On my way there I saved Rogan’s number under the name Impatient ass and nibbled on my piece of bread.
I found him in the furthest hid away corner there were in the library.
-What? I asked straight away.
-I advise you not to mention to anyone that you stay with my family.
I sniggered, was this it?
-What? Why not? Is there a special girl you don’t want to get the wrong idea of us living together?
Rogan furrowed his forehead.
-No…
I didn’t let him finish.
-Then are you embarrassed because the girl you kissed on impulse is now living with your family?
I had been waiting to get this question out of me for a long time. If you could call a week a long time.
-It’s not that.
-You are afraid of rumours. You vain person.
I left before he could stop me. Once again he had managed to piss me off. And for this I had missed lunch. The afternoon didn’t look promising.

-Soo, how was school today? Mandy popped up in the bathroom as I was brushing my teeth.
-Fine.
-I heard you got into a new class.
-Yes.
-Which one? She asked curious.
-Rogan’s, I muttered.
-Oh, her smile disappeared and was replaced with compassion. –I see. Will it be hard on you?
I looked her straight in the eye.
-Piece of pancake, I said dryly and Mandy smiled.
-He’ll probably test you.
-He already has.
The bathroom lamp flickered.
-You know, I think he likes to quarrel, Mandy continued.
-Tell me about it. What is it with this lamp? I said slightly irritated and glared at it as it kept flickering like a butterfly.
-It’s probably loose. Anyhow don’t let him get to you.
The lamp popped and died, leaving me and Mandy in complete darkness.
-Loose did you say? I’ll say it’s dead.
Mandy laughed.
-I’ll get another one.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick