[Is he asking me out?]

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Mr. Samar, my new homeroom teacher, instructed me to sit beside the girl who was sitting in the third row's last seat. Every step to the last bench to the girl with a heartwarming smile makes my feet heavy to move.

Hundreds of questions flowed through my mind regarding the girl who will be going to my partner. Not like she can bully me, after all, I am Katie Buffett, known as a delinquent back in Miami. Still, I want a friend who will help me get through the shit that goes on here.

It feels like all my weight has been transported to my feet and that isn't enough to stop me, so someone put on nearly 22 pounds to just increase my misery.

I did a quick reality check to confirm, but no, there is nothing on my legs to stop me from moving. My legs are still my legs and my body is still my body. I haven't turned into a Lego model.

Alas! I reached the bench and dropped my bag on the desk. I turned to the front and observed every student's reaction, some with their jaw dropped down, the bewildered one pinching their arms, to test if they are still in the real world.

If I were in their shoes, my reaction would have been no different. Who am I kidding? I would have poked the arm of the newbie to know if they are for real. Thank god, they aren't poking me, not that they have the guts to.

I would be getting furious stares if they could read what goes in my mind. I turned to the girl beside me. Here comes the moment of one-to-one conversation. I had thoroughly planned out this part, so now I just have to get over this introduction thingy.

"Hello! You here?" The girl waved her hand in front of me.

"Uh...um...yeah...hey." I forced the syllables out of my mouth. Katie Buffett, woman up!

"Great! So how is it?" She asked curiosity dancing in her eyes big-dark-brown orbs. I had noticed that in India, people rather have black or dark-brown eyes.

It's rare to find any other eye color here. The same goes for hair. Indians have naturally dark brown hair which just looks like black, however, it's brown usually.

Every girl is a beauty and the way they handle themselves is beyond impressive. This is something we can find common all over the world. The god has created the female figure to be like that. Wait! I shouldn't be thinking about this right now.

"To earth, dear!" She whisper-shouted. I should stop zoning out in my ideologies, especially in public.

"Oh yeah! It's a pleasure to have you as my new," I glanced at the bench and said; "Bench mate, I presume." I blurted out. Wow, such a sweet girl I am! People will have diabetes if I speak to them like that.

"Fo shizzle, and why only bench mates, we can be friends too." Oh! Already offering to be friends, not that I minded. Glad she ain't an introvert.

"Friends, you sure?" I can't help but smirk, tell people in my Miami high school, that today someone asks Katie Buffett to be her friend, and it will be the hot tea of the day.

"The moment you step your foot into this class, you were my friend, at least from my side. See, how rude of me to not introduce myself first. I am Mishika Gupta." She introduced herself while putting her hand forward, and I kindly reciprocated the gesture.

"Hello Mishika, I am glad that you are my first friend in this school," I said as a pleasantry.

"I will be back in few, just going to the class teacher. Meanwhile you can settle down." She said and left the desk.

I guess they called their homeroom teacher, a class teacher because she went to Mr. Samar.

I was perplexed about what to do next. There was chaos in the class. I feel like standing up and shouting to the whole class, that you haven't seen a foreigner ever in your life?

I do expect them to say in return no and embarrass me.

Enough with focusing on those who can judge me back. I am gonna focus on the surroundings. The classroom walls were pale white and there were five fans on the ceiling with the windows on the left side of mine for ventilation.

Wait they don't have an air conditioner? How am I gonna survive the heat? I mean it's a little hotter than Miami here, so it was somewhat bearable, but do I have to bear the heat for the whole time? I am going to talk dad about this.

There were a total of four rows in the classroom and 6 columns in which the desks were placed. Although two people have to share a desk, you can sit alone with your bag, accompanying you as a partner.

There was this cupboard placed in the left corner of the class opposite the door. There wasn't a teacher's table in the room. Weird!

Mr. Samar was sitting on a chair facing one of the front desks near the window. There were two boards in front of me. One of them is a smartboard used for projecting videos, whereas the second one is a normal green board.

"So how is it?" She again asked, bringing me back from my reverie.

"What?" I don't know what she is asking about.

"How do we find our classroom?" She asked with the same excitement as before.

"Well...It's not that different. Teacher desk is missing." I admit.

"For more space, there is no teacher's table in our classroom, he likes it that way, however it's present in other classes." That means he is weird yet organized.

"Seems plausible! What about the logic of two students sitting together at a joint desk? It's not a lab, now is it?" I preferred sitting alone at my desk.

"For more students in one class and making everyone acknowledged of the partner's duties, our school prefers it this way." Mishika explained.

"Thoughtful enough!" I commented.

"So, how is India treating you? You aren't facing any problems, right? You can come up to me anytime if you need my help or need me." She said.

I know better than to trust anyone that fast, however, she feels reliable. A person who will not break my little heart, that's who I want right now. Dramatic enough!

"Thanks, Mishika I appreciated that." Such a sweet girl meeting with a devil in disguise.

"First of all, cut the formalities out because, we are friends and there are some rules in friendship that must be followed at any cost like; 'No sorry, No thank-you', and second of all just a thank you will not work missy!!" She dramatically exclaimed. Another dramatic person, my life is full of them.

"Now Madame what do you want? Will you bully a cute pie like me? Just so you know, I am anything but a trouble." I clicked my tongue in last with a wink.

"Oh I am scared now. Although you give me the troublemaker vibes, I must say you are anything but a trouble for me. Let's just be good friends?"

"It's a tricky question isn't it? To become good friends, when I don't even know you and vice versa." I voiced out my thoughts.

"Indeed, well, in that case we should start to know each other."

"Not a bad idea! Okay, I have a very important question?" I asked

"Ask away!"

"You know how American high schools are? I feel like you do because you didn't ask me anything about Americans yet." After noticing her enthusiasm to know my viewpoint about things so that she can offer me help, I got this gut feeling.

"I am just an icing on top for you girl, because I know everything about American high schools, that will help you here." So far the one thing common in us is our smugness.

"Oh my! What an icing on top. May I ask how?" I am proud to be an American, and seeing people know about America really makes me proud.

"All thanks to Wattpad. I love to read high school stories and while reading it I get to know how things are there. I even confirmed with people if things are really that way."

"Wait, you also read books on Wattpad?" I was stunned. You know the feeling when you meet a stranger who is also a Wattpad member.

"You also?" She pointed to me with her index finger while reciprocating my expressions.

"Ya-huh!" I said in a duh tone.

"So, tell me about how things are here? I get to know, neither cheerleaders nor the varsity team exist in India in highschool." I still can't digest the fact that there is no cheerleading team, not that I am complaining but still.

I can't believe the fact they don't even have a varsity team or a season game here. That was such a heartbreaker for me. I couldn't get over this fact.

"It would be a shocker for you to know American school's clichés are something you wouldn't come across here." She said.

"You must be kidding me right now?" Dude, am I in a parallel universe?

"I don't think so." She claimed.

"Do you have tags? Tags as in populars? Jocks? Nerds? Delinquent?" If Indian schools are so different, the tags shouldn't exist as well.

"We do have tags but not like the jocks, the troublemakers, the nerds. However we got some students who are famous among the students for their talents. We never give the famous student a tag like 'the Populars'."

"Of course people are tagged because of their skill and their personality. Tags are just like drugs, the longer you stay under the influence of them, the nastier it becomes for you." Tags are something that all American high school students are bound with.

There will be a moment when you don't want to be a nerd, a popular, but just yourself.

"Let me just compare, that will help you understand how tags here influenced oneself and everyone around."

"Go ahead!"

"If there is a straight-A student, who likes to study, in your class, how people will call out that person?" She asked

"Nerd" I answered. Calling someone a nerd seems like calling a dutiful cop a robber. They both are doing good things yet we disgraced them.

"Do all those students like listening that they are called nerds?"

"No, not at all, because that's offensive to them. Anybody would get vexed that people who don't even know their name, call them out from the tags," I explained.

"If there is a straight-A student, who likes studying, we don't call them a nerd but a topper because they scored the highest marks among the students, but the thing is even after getting tagged we all are equal. They feel appreciated and proud that they are the toppers. Students wish to be, also parents ask their children to be a topper."

"Don't they get teased or bullied because of that?"

"We tease our friends only, who is a topper, in a friendly way. Not a person whose name we don't even know." Mishika proudly exclaimed.

"That's so good. Isn't it pathetic that someone got bullied because they are smart but shy?" What a dream school it is for those who just got bullied because they are an outcast or different.

"It's not like students don't get bullied here, they do, but bullying barely results in hitting and fighting. The bullying is always ugly, in which way it is. For removing bullies from our school, we have an anti-bully squad as well."

"What role does the anti-bully squad play?"

"It's for fighting against bullies. In each class, a responsible boy and a girl are appointed as members of that squad. It's hard to tell your problems to adults, so we have chosen those students ourselves who can help us in times of getting bullied."

"The school taking initiative for these kinds of things is a big thing in itself." I solemnly admitted.

"I know right! One thing you want to know about Indian school is that students are divided into three categories." She said and waited for my response.

"Enlighten milady," I said with my fake posh accent and bowed down. In the process, I banged my head on the table and whined. Every head turned towards me. Way to go Katie! Nice way of getting spotlighted.

"I swear she bang her head by herself, I didn't touch her," Mishika said and everyone just laughed off.

"Guys...I was being serious." She muttered and sat down.

"Awe...It's okay, it's just I am foolish." I comforted her.

"I just make them laugh, so thanks to you Kat." She chuckled and I joined. This isn't that bad, that I thought it would be.

"But seriously, tell me about categories." I insisted.

"Okay, so there are First Benchers, Middle Benchers, and Backbenchers." Huh! And what's all this?

"What's all this?" I voiced my thoughts.

"First benchers who sit in front of the class, most of them are toppers, as they usually sat there along with their friends, not that they can't sit anywhere but the front, it's just they prefer that.

Middle benchers are the students who sit with their friends' group in the middle. They are usually involved in themselves, which doesn't mean that they aren't friendly, but kind of introverts.

Last but not least backbenchers a.k.a. troublemakers. They are the students who would make the whole class laugh. Toppers can be last benchers too." Things are weird, that's what I can conclude.

"So, we are backbenchers, huh?" I asked with a smirk. We are talking so comfortably, that it doesn't feel like it's our first time meeting and talking.

"Pretty much!" She grinned wolfishly.

"What thing you were saying about groups earlier?"

"You really concentrate on details Kat!" She admitted

"One of my specialities!" I smugly replied. I like it when someone genuinely compliments me.

The fact that you rarely get complimented

I like the quality over quantity Catie!

"See, we share our smugness, we are a lot alike on basic stuff."

"Yeah, I noted that."

"All classmates have their friend circle/ group, as you have yours when you sit in the cafeteria." She explained, and there was this expression flowing in her eyes which I can't put my finger on. The emotion gets lost as fast as it had shown and is now covered with a smile.

"So you got your friend circle?" I asked and that emotion came back again but just like the last time it disappeared quickly before I could even name it out.

"I got acquaintances. By the way, you should know everyone will come to you and will introduce themselves." The way she changed the topic to the one I will definitely get distracted by, was enough for me to know she was uncomfortable. I let it slide for this time but maybe in the future, I will ask her or get to know it by myself, if we will be good friends.

From the side of my sight, I peeked at the same boy who helped me when I didn't ask for it. He really has to resemble facial features compared to Ezra. He has more fair-skinned than Ezra, but it's tanned compared to mine.

He was sitting at the last seat in the row near the window, talking to his friends. He turned towards my direction as if he had sensed my stare, so I suddenly jerked my body in front. The boy returns to talking with his friends.

Wait! Why am I comparing him and even looking at him?

Because he looks like your crush!

Yeah, exactly that, but he just looks like that and looks can be deceiving. Period.

Well given the possibility he can be your...

Shut up now Catie! One more word and I will talk to you kindly.

Anything but that!

And that's how you handle your friction-ness conscience. Kill em with kindness.

"Kat! You still here? Why were you staying at the window?"

"Oh sorry! I was just feeling hot and there is no air conditioner here." I nearly choked at her words.

Yeah sure, you feel hot Katie!

I presume you really want some kind words from me? If not just shut up.

No! Not really!

"Most schools here don't have air conditioning in it. They say it's bad for one's health. More like they don't want to spend money on that. In every school office they get it." She ranted and I am just thankful she didn't notice that I wasn't noticing the window.

I asked her for a timetable. She passes me her ID card and flips it over. She had fitted her timetable into her ID card, so I requested her to help me in making one for myself.

I get my ID card from Mr. Samar after introducing myself to class. So we quickly made the timetable and fit it into my new ID card. My ID card was different from Mishika's as mine was temporary.

I heard the bell ring and indicate that our homeroom period is over so, Mr. Samar stood up and left, he must be having some stuff to do. While all the class stood up and started roaming around. I stood up and picked my bag.

"Hey, Mishika let's go to our next class, homeroom is over, otherwise we will be late and that's the last thing we want today, right?" Before she could say anything I held her by her wrist and made her stand up.

When I approached the door, all of the students were watching me as I walked toward the door.

"What? Is there something on my face? If not stop staring. C'mon, don't you have a class to go to? Mishika come! Why are you just standing there?" I said in front of the whole class. Enough with their stares, someone gotta tell them to stop that, and that someone is me.

"Um...Kat, you know in Indian schools we never change our class after a period is over. We have a specific class and teachers will change classes as per their schedule. Also, this isn't homeroom, this is our classroom, and Samar sir is our class teacher, who is responsible for the class." She explained and I am confused to see what's happening.

"If this wasn't the homeroom class so, what was it, that we were just sitting and talking?"

"That was zero period, where we are free to do whatever we want. Since this is the start of the second semester, we don't have any work to do so we were just chilling. It's just like the homeroom, but it's called zero period and this is not your homeroom, this is 10-F (10 grade F section), our class." She explained, but Arnav told me that we have to change our class... wait...he lied to me. OMG!! He is so dead. He told me that because he knows I will embarrass myself. He started the war and I will make sure to end it now.

"Oh, sorry! I just get perplexed with all the things going on." I apologized and went back to my seat.

And as there was no teacher in the room, the introductory part commenced. One group from the first row came up to me and introduced themselves. Some of them just introduced themselves and asked me how my first day was going so far.

There were also those in the first row who were excited and got the nerve to ask me, "Am I for real?"??' and other absurd questions like that. Being the sweet girl that I am, I just nodded off to the obvious ones.

Mishika was having a fun time seeing me putting on the sweet act.

"Why they kept asking, is this all for real?" I asked furiously.

"Because it's not daily that we see a foreign student, let alone from America come and study in Indian schools, but I guess they will come around." She answered my question and I guess I have nothing else but to give them and myself some time. meanwhile, I have to kill Arnav.

The teacher entered the class when the first row of people had completed their introduction.

After every period when the teacher left the line will follow from where it is left, they will come and fire me with some questions after introducing. Not that I don't want to talk to them but lowkey it was all irritating.

'No, no, no please don't leave me like this, with them. Again.' I want to shout out loud and try to teleport my message to the teacher standing in front of me who is leaving the class now, though for the former one I don't have the courage and the latter one isn't helping, but I swear I was boring holes in her head but she just left me here.

The period was over and then finally it was the turn of the last group of the last row. Now, I hate to admit that I am not suddenly bored. C'mon, it's the last batch and I am done.

Yeah! Yeah, that's

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net