Inexperienced

Chapter 1
A gloomy cast of shadows clouded the sky. Small drops of rain leaked from the clouds onto the pavement. I sat in the back of the cafeteria, absent mindedly picking at a bagel and watching the natural phenomenon. Nature was a mysterious beauty to me. No matter how many times I’d seen it rain, I always found myself in awe at its simple grace.

My stomach gurgled inside of me. Food was not appeasing to it. I set the bagel down, brushed a few crumbs off of my hands, and stood up noiselessly to drop off my tray. The lunchroom was filled with inane chatter. I mostly blocked it out.

I retreated back to my lonely table and once again stared out the large window, watching the rain pick up its pace as it was falling. I pulled out my journal and started writing notes. This was a norm for me. Instead of actively chatting with other classmates, I usually huddled in the back of the cafeteria, writing about whatever crossed my mind. It was my own personal freedom, the one time I could truly express every thought of mine without ever worrying about any form of judgment.

For just a few brief moments, my mind is able to connect with the pen in my hand and I no longer have to think – I can just write. I can just be. That’s something you don’t have the opportunity to experience very often.

The loud bell signaling the end of lunch rang and all of the students started filing out of the lunchroom. I snapped the lid of my pen back on, threw my things in my backpack and shuffled out of the cafeteria and began heading to my sixth period class, Pre-Calculus. With the new semester just starting, I hadn’t quite mastered the fact that Pre-Calc is on the other side of the building in the far back corner of the school.

I walked as fast as I could through the overcrowded halls, avoiding eyes and dodging flying backpacks. The warning bell had long since rung and I knew I’d be late.

I made a sharp right turn and entered the class room of Mr. Hender. He was a somewhat slightly overweight, old geezer with graying hair, who enjoyed lecturing us on the importance of mathematics.

I took my typical seat in the back of the classroom, one of the only tables with an extra open seat, and tried with great difficulty for him to not say anything about my tardiness. He gave me a slight warning look, but to my surprise didn’t mention anything. Instead he turned back to the white board and started writing several problems for us to work on.

I pulled out my math notebook and followed along.

A few minutes into class, we were interrupted by Mr. Hender’s door opening. I didn’t look to see who it was, figuring it was some other math teacher or educator. However, I heard girls begin to giggle with delight as whoever had walked in the room, was revealed. Obviously, it was no teacher.

I glanced up as Jared Kent walked into the room. This explained the girls’ flirtatious giggles and stares. Jared Kent was the most popular guy in the high school. A grade older than me, he’s ruled the school with an iron thumb since kindergarten. From football star to prom king, he’s done and won it all. And by all, I mean everything and everyone.

“Mr. Kent, can I help you?” asked Mr. Hender.

“I was moved into this class,” Jared said, a smirk on his face as he eyed a couple of senior girls that were gawking at him. He handed Mr. Hender a slip of paper and turned back to the girls, winking at one of them, which only caused another eruption of giggling.

I rolled my eyes. I never understood how girls could be drawn to such an egotistical player like Jared Kent. There was no doubt that Jared scored high in the looks department, but his overconfident downright cockiness and self-centered personality definitely knocked him down to me.

“Well, then, Mr. Kent,” said Mr. Hender. “Welcome to the class. Take a seat next to Miss Ember, please.”

My body froze stiff, the pen in my hand coming to a complete stop. Next to who? Me? Was this some sort of payback for all of my tardies last semester? No way could I spend an entire semester with an air headed jerk named Jared Kent.

Jared just shrugged and wasted no time plopping his backpack down at the seat next to me. He sat there, leaning back, his arms crossed over his chest. Maybe he was unhappy about sitting next to me as well? After all, we’d never said two words to each other before.

Mr. Hender recalled our attention and began explaining something we had already learned. I resumed my note-taking and glanced out of the corner of my eye, noting Jared hadn’t even pulled out any paper or writing utensil. I rolled my eyes and shifted my eyes back over to Mr. Hender and his lecture.

After a half hour of teaching, he passed back assignments. “This semester we are trying something a little new. Most of you are seniors, and as seniors, you’ll more than likely be moving onto college next year. In college, you’ll be expected to learn a lot of information on your own and be able to speak well in front of others. Therefore I’m going to combine these two together.” I looked down at the sheet in front of me and mentally groaned at what I saw. A project. “You and a partner will be responsible for creating a lesson plan and lecturing on a given topic within the next section of your textbook. And as for who your partner is, I’d say a quick hello to the person you’re seated next to.”

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. I glanced over at Jared who was looking at me with a slight frown.

Mr. Hender began passing back a second sheet of paper. “And as for today,” he explained. “I thought I’d give you the chance to work together on this homework assignment.” And with that, he left us to work on the problems in front of us.

I glanced over at Jared. He was staring hard at the problems in front of him, not even looking over at me, so I began working on my own.

A few moments later I noticed that Jared had relaxed back into his chair and pushed his assignment away from him.

I let out an inaudible gasp of air and glared at him Then I did something I never knew I had in me to do. I turned to him and said, “I’m not giving you the answers if I’m doing it by myself.” The tone of my voice was hard, and I felt just as taken aback as the look on his face told me he did too. Did I really just say that to him?

Shock had crossed his face, but was replaced instantly with his usual smirk. “Who said I was expecting you to?” he mused.

It seemed like the courageous girl that had just made an appearance a moment ago was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she’d been replaced by the usual meek and quiet girl I normally am. “I thought you might just want to know.”

Jared just looked at me for a moment and I could feel my face growing warm from his gaze. And then he did something that infuriated me more than anything. “Huh,” he snickered. The way he said it had lit a fire in me and I could tell from that single syllable that he couldn’t believe I’d made a comment like I had.

I let out a deep breath, trying to still the fire burning inside me, and rolled my eyes. Tension was building up inside of me. I can’t stand moronic jerks like him.

I turned away from him and continued working on the assignment, only to be distracted by a lighthearted chuckle to my right.

I glared at him, the fire reigniting inside of me. “Something funny?” I snapped.

He only laughed again before saying, “If you press any harder into the paper, you’ll snap that pen in half.”

I huffed and turned back to my work.

“Aww, did I hit a nerve?” came Jared’s voice not far from my ear.

I scooted my chair farther away before muttering, “No, but I’d like to hit a few of yours.”

Laughter erupted from my side and I chose to ignore it.

Within a few minutes he began working on his worksheet, to my surprise, and I felt a certain feeling of triumph knowing I’d at least made a point with not doing all the work.

“What’d you get for number five?” he asked after a few moments of silence.

I slid my paper over to him so he could check his answer.

“Are words too hard for you?” he murmured and chuckled slightly.

“Hah,” I laughed half-heartedly, easily signaling my annoyance.

I glanced over at him and he frowned slightly again. “Look, I know we haven’t really started off on the right foot here.” I rolled my eyes again, this time not hiding it. Like that wasn’t the biggest understatement. “But could I at least know your name? It’s no fun being strangers.”

“Well that’s where you’re wrong,” I said in a sing song voice.

He looked at me quizzically.

“I know exactly who you are,” I replied.

“Well most people do,” remarked Jared and I let out a huff of air while he laughed.

He stuck out his hand for me to shake. “Jared Kent.”

“I know,” I said, staring at his outstretched hand.

“And you are?” he asked.

“Austin.”

Jared withdrew his hand and chucked slightly once I looked back up front.

My head turned sharply, my eyes piercing with question. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” He smiled.

I gave him a demanding look.

“Your name, it’s just unusual for a girl,” he admitted. I just snickered and continued working on the assignment. After a moment of silence, I heard him say, “But I like it.”

Just as I turned to look at him, a slight blush on my cheeks, the bell rang, and he was already out the door.