Chapter 7 : Newbie

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•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

They are portals for ancient Greece.

Humans who spoke directly to gods.

One famously known as Pythia,

priestess to Apollo.

An Oracle to the gods.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

I sat at my desk -- my cheek on my left palm while my right hand aimlessly tapped the tabletop with a pen.

I was bored.

Which wasn't normal since one of my favorite courses was Ancient Greece. Pedro sat at the farthest side of the classroom, his legs stretched out before him as he faced our tutor with the same expression.

Pedro and I shared the same Greek class. Zion was in my history and French class while Hunter was in all others.

I know what you're thinking. Why Hunter of all people?

I wish I could answer that myself. Pedro seemed to be in thought as he kept biting his lip. Then he caught me staring. His eyes grew wide in surprise before burying it with a smile and a wink. The thoughtful Pedro had suddenly disappeared.

He's hiding something.

"Now isn't the time to be ogling a Peterson," Dimitri said from my side.

I frowned at him. He moved into my position -- hands on his cheek -- and wiggled his eyebrows in a sultry way. I rolled my eyes and elbowed his ribs but he steered clear from the hit with a laugh. Dimitri was my sitting partner, which was nice but he gets unbearable on some occasions.

"Alright, class..." Mr. Copperbottom, AKA, Mr. Metallicbutt, tapped his fingers against the whiteboard. "....we've completed our recap on all the prominent greek festivals. Now we're going to talk about ritual practices in Greek culture."

He walked to his table, sipped coffee from his mug then clicked his tongue before placing it down. "Now, can someone--"

Our class door was pushed open and every student in class -- including those dozing off -- snapped into alert mode. Our principal walked in with his assistant. They were followed by two young guys and one female.

"Good morning class." The principal said. "We won't take much of your time."

He walked to Mr. Copperbottom and they conversed in low tones. The whole time the Principal was gesturing to the three. I turned to them, noticing their faces for the first time.

Newcomers.

I smiled and watched them closely. One guy was busy picking his nose with his small finger before glancing at the ceiling. Sorry to say, but he looked stupid.

I moved to the second guy. From the distance, I hardly saw his irises but I could swear it was green. It sparked my interest while leaving me hesitant. He was strange.

The female by his side was smiling too much for me. It's as if she can't wait to start learning. Her brown eyes were too huge for her face and somehow, her teeth resembled a piranha. I need to avoid her.

What surprised me most was the second guy's expression. He didn't show any signs of shyness or nervousness. Instead, he was smirking. His eyes sparkled with interest while surveying the class like we were hidden gems ready to be explored.

"I don't like that guy." Dimitri rested both elbows on his table. He scrunched his face as he examined the newcomer.

The green pair of eyes passed over me and I unconsciously shivered. Why does he keep scanning the class?

I looked around to see if I was the only one affected by his gaze. The other girls watched the newbies with so much intensity. Others had their jaws working fast as they quickened their gum chewing.

Com'n, they aren't that hot. Why do they exaggerate appearances?

The guys had speculation written on their faces, especially Pedro. He observed the two males like they were potential juveniles. It's strange to see newcomers act differently from normal.

Who comes to school with mischief written on his or her face?

"Okay then." Mr. Copperbottom clasped his hands together. "These are our new students -- Henry, Emily, and Liam."

Liam.

The green-eyed newbie is Liam.

"So students," Mr. Copperbottom continued. "Please do well to treat our recruits with the kindest gestures. They need to feel welcomed."

Not a second later, the class snickered. Pedro pulled a sly grin.

That's not good.

The principal and his assistant walked out without a second glance, leaving the class in silence. Mr. Copperbottom moved to his mug and sipped his coffee.

He clicked his tongue again before turning to us. "We've gone ahead in our topics so I've decided to pair these newbies with three of my best students. No offense to the others."

Someone coughed but he ignored it. Our tutor scanned the class until his eyes landed on Dimitri. "My kind gentleman, could you be so kind to relocate your seat?"

His jaw dropped. "What! Why?"

"Because Mr. Stillanki, I'm pairing one of these students with Penelope so chop-chop." He gestured for him to rise.

Dimitri muttered words under his breath. Something that has to do with 'metallic' and 'butt'. He rose to his feet, packed his bag and books before walking to one of the empty seats. He carelessly dropped in it and kept muttering in low tones.

Mr. Copperbottom had a satisfied smile on his face. He lowered his mug to the table. "Now, I'm assigning Emily to Pedro, Liam to Penelope and Gwen--"

Someone shot a hand up.

Mr. Copperbottom frowned before conceding. "Yes, Gwen."

"Let me oversee Liam."

The class turned silent at her boldness. I bet a good percentage of them were surprised she could actually speak. Gwen cleared her throat as nervousness trickled through.

She pushed her glasses up. "I mean, please let me handle him and I won't let you down sir."

As she spoke, Liam watched her with mild astonishment. He pocketed his hands in the back pockets of his dark jeans. The movement dragged his shirt over his chest, highlighting the form underneath his red jacket.

Does he work out much?

"...Penelope."

My head snapped back to my tutor. "Yes?" I asked innocently.

Mr. Copperbottom narrowed his eyes. "I was saying Gwen could handle Liam if it's okay with you."

"Uh, well..." my eyes found Liam's green ones. He was watching me closely like he was trying to figure me out. "I'm okay," I replied too quickly for my good. The other newcomer stopped picking his nose and watched me with scrunched eyebrows. Gwen, on the other hand, looked relieved.

Mr. Copperbottom clasped his hands. "Then it's done. Henry will rather pair with Penelope, and Gwen--"

"Excuse me, Sir." The class went silent at the second interruption.

Liam continued without care; his voice smooth and composed. "With all due respect, I'm sure I have the right to choose my pair."

Our tutor scratched his bare chin as he thought hard about it. "Yes, but you're new here and you don't understand--"

"It would be right to choose someone I'm comfortable with. It makes it easier to learn." He walked to our teacher, removing the black glove from his right hand. It only covered his palm and left his fingers bare.

Combat gloves.

Liam stretched his bare hand in a form of greeting and Mr. Copperbottom took it without hesitation. The newbie continued. "Thank you for the offer, but I want to be with Penelope."

It was so freaking formal and it was the third interruption but our tutor never realized it. Instead, he nodded vigorously in agreement. "I'm sure you're right."

The class went quiet as a cemetery. Mr. Copperbottom never called someone right.

What happened to him?

Gwen's jaw went slack as she stared at them. She clenched her fists and stared down at her lap in defeat. For a moment, I could sense fear rolling off her.

Is she okay?

Emily walked to Pedro with a light blush on her face. She timidly sat by him. Pedro leaned closer and whispered something. She burst into a fit of laughter before stifling it.

Henry sat by a glum Gwen. His eyebrows were pulled together in slight disgust like he was paired with a nerd. It made me want to jerk-slap him.

"So you're the famous Penelope." Liam placed his bag by his table and sat down. His shoulder grazed mine and I jerked from the sudden contact.

He watched me with a lifted eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I responded in a clipped tone. It seemed meaner than intended. Thankfully, he ignored it.

He held his bare hand to me. "Nice to meet you."

I watched the hand.

Should I shake him?

After watching his interaction with Mr. Copperbottom, I couldn't bring myself to do that.

"I can tell handshakes aren't your thing." He dropped his hand and wore back the glove. "Though I don't mind."

His profile was delicate, making him look almost innocent. Locks of hair fell over his forehead as he carelessly removed books from his bag and tossed them on the table. His not-so-thick eyelashed rimmed his eyes, giving an ethereal look.

Pedro stretched his neck, watching Liam like he was a criminal. I gave him a good glare to drop it. Liam was a new student, he should give him some slack.

Mr. Copperbottom blinked incessantly, snapping out from his trance. He cleared his throat. "Okay. Back to our lesson."

"I need some catching up," Liam said from my side.

I decided to ignore him and kept my gaze on the board. A rosy scent overwhelmed my senses and my heart began a rapid beat. I squirmed in my seat, feeling my body heat up, and reflexively clenched my hands.

What's happening?

A hot breath washed over my ear when Liam whispered. "I need all the private lessons you can give me."

So, what do you think about Liam?

Don't forget to vote and comment.


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