11 Morning Commute (2/2)
Sensing a weird silence, I glanced over at her and realized that she sat there glaring at me with a look of disdain.
”May I help you?” I asked in a cautious manner, careful to not provoke her.
”Nothing,” she said, turning her head away from me and so as to focus on the front of the classroom. However, she appeared to be in a foul mood for some reason...
Seeing that she's not in the mood to make a brief conversation, I didn't force it. I mean...usually, if not out of necessity, the two of us would rarely talk, so her not wanting to talk to me is an anticipated reaction. She'll probably get around it later on in the day or something.
The bell soon rang, signalling the start of class. I took out my notebook from my bag and placed it on the desk. I leaned my face on my left hand as I sat there, anticipating for the start of the boring math class of the day. With weary eyes, I stared out the window while twirling my mechanical pencil in my right hand. However, surprised murmurs from my classmates soon perked my interests, causing my vision to be directed back towards the front of the classroom.
There, instead of Mura announcing the start of homeroom, a boy with silver hair stood next to her. The boy had a friendly smile on his handsome looking face as he stood before everyone in the classroom.
”Everyone,” Mura started speaking. ”this is the new transfer student that will spend the rest of the year learning with you all. Go ahead and introduce yourself.”
The boy lowered his head slightly and smiled in a friendly manner towards everyone within the classroom. When his surveying gaze scanned over me, his smile slightly changed to express a more intimate friendliness. When my eyes met his gaze, the pencil that I twirled in the fingers of my right hand fell onto my desk as my eyes opened wide in shock.
”Hello everyone,” he began introducing himself. ”My name is Loyd Aksel Genose.”
A muffled series of giggles and chattering was audible from some of the girls in my class. This chattering between them wasn't a negative one. Rather, it was more out of excitement.
”You may sit in that seat right there by the window at the end of the row,” Mura said to the transfer student. ”The one in front of that gloomy looking boy.”
Loyd began walking over towards the empty seat before me that Mura had assigned his seat to be in. As he walked towards the seat, he quietly greeted those in his way as he passed by them. This in turn engendered excited chattering from my classmates.
”Hey Alev,” Loyd pulled the chair out from underneath the desk and sat down. ”Nice to see you again.”
”Right,” I nodded in response.
Within me, there existed a faint glimmer of happiness that was also laced with a strong uncertainty. This uncertainty is because Loyd knows my secret, the secret that I've kept hidden to the best of my abilities.
”Long time no see, Loyd.”