The old new kid

           The whispers swirled around the hall faster than he could walk. Barely a half hour within the building and there were very few who didn’t know that Demetrius Finley had once again graced the mere mortals with his presence.

            It’d been a busy weekend of implanting documents and memories to get himself back into the school system and he now owed a few too many favours for his liking but if he planned to move forward, he would need greater access to a certain teary-eyed wonder.

            “Demetrius?”

            The boy stopped, forcing his most accommodating smile.

            “Haley,” he said. His eyes twinkled with a delight he didn’t truly feel. “Been a while.”

            His former classmate skipped to close the final distance. “It’s been years. Shit. What happened? Were the rumours true?”

            “Tell me what they were and I’ll let you know.”

            Haley spared a conspiratorial glance about the hall before leaning in to fill him in. It had barely begun, but the gossip was every bit as tedious as he remembered and the girls no less eager to share it. “They say after what happened with Zane, the state forced your parents to either homeschool you or commit you to a facility. Are you back for good?”

            His lips quirked upward in the faintest show of amusement. He remembered the day, of course. At seven, he’d decided he was through with formal, human education and wouldn’t endure his classmates for a moment more. Zane had been…gracious enough to offer his services.

            “Nah. I was off on mission work with the folks. I’ll tell you about it sometime, if you’re interested. Saw the world, learned a lot about myself. I wish more people could. When I think about all the people I’ve worked with, the lives I’ve helped change...school almost seems silly after all that.”

Demetrius cast a deliberate glance to his watch.

“Hey, it’s great running into you but I gotta go. First period’s French and I wanna make a good first impression.” The words passed his lips smoothly, his disdain for the mundanity of it all concealed behind an air of readiness to please.

In the classroom, he located Jamie standing by the window with a pair of girls. She didn’t notice him, not until her present company whirled around with a gasp. All three turned to face him then, Jamie’s face growing pale at the sight of him.

“What’re you doing here?” she barely managed to whisper.

“You know him?” Sarah, the girl to her right, asked.

She didn’t respond.

Demetrius cleared his throat, not wanting it to turn into a scene when his intent was blending in. 

“Been a while, huh Sarah?”

“I’ll say.”

“You know him?” Jamie asked.

“Of course. Half the school does. He went to my old elementary school before that whole…uh…”

“All in the past now,” he said, hoping to avoid having her bring it up in front of the girl he was trying to convince of his harmless nature. “Okay if I sit with you guys? I’m still trying to get back into the groove of everything, you know.”

“Yeah, sure.” Sarah nodded to an empty seat. “No one’s using that one.”

Before further words could be exchanged, the teacher walked in and set the class to order. Jamie kept her eyes on him throughout the morning of classes. Each time he stole a glance, he found her gaze unwavering in their scrutiny of him. For his part, Demetrius offered a disarming smile each time but it only ever had her looking away sharply—at least until he did the same, then her eyes returned with renewed focus.

At lunch, he made a point to sit with Jamie and her friends under the guise he was still finding his footing. Sarah didn’t hesitate. She was as welcoming as he remembered and slightly less prone to pointless chatter and gossip than the general population. It made the meal a more tolerable affair—so much so that he had a few bites of his own lunch.

“You had to have been there,” Sarah said. “He was always getting into trouble—never in his seat—oh my god, Demetrius do you remember when you pulled Ms. Carrie’s chair at circle time? You were ready to swear on your sister’s grave that it hadn’t been you. I dunno who was more appalled, Cassidy or Ms. Carrie.”

He laughed, remembering the incident with a returning clarity. It hadn’t all been bad, he supposed. The others joined in the laughter, letting go easily as they reminisced on older times.

Only Jamie remained stoic. 

“You alright, Jamie? You’re quiet today,” Megan said.

In place of any response, the girl kept her eyes locked on him. They bore into him, looking for a hidden motive he’d done too good a job of hiding.

“Don’t tell me you’ve gone shy on us,” Sarah teased. “Give it time, you’ll see he’s as hopeless as all the other guys running around here.”

Jamie shook her head. “That’s not it.”

“Then say something, he won’t bite.”

“If it helps, I promise I’m an idiot,” he said, a boyish grin taking shape.

It didn’t. Jamie rose with the excuse she needed to speak with the homeroom teacher before the next period. Demetrius watched her go, contorting his brows until they resembled hurt and confusion.

“Have I said something wrong?” He was the picture of innocence. Girls were often quick on the take when it came to reassuring others. Enlisting their help to break the ice he’d unintentionally built up would make his job easier.

“No, no,” Megan said. “I’m sure it’s got nothing to do with you. She gets in her head sometimes. Give her time.”

He nodded slowly. “Good. I’d hate to think I’ve already made a monumental mess of things.”

“Oh? Spill. You like her, don’t you?”

“Come on, it’s only my first day back,” he said, offering a coy smile that belied hidden intent.

“You like her!” Megan said, louder than Sarah had been.

“She’s gonna die when we tell her.”

“Hey, hey, slow down,” Demetrius said, playing along so well he managed to force a rush of blood to his face resembling a blush. “I just wanna take things slow. Yeah, she’s cute and all but I don’t wanna go rushing things. Lemme get my confidence back first. You won’t say anything, will you?”

“Fine, but we’re helping.”

“You will?” He looked from Sarah to Megan, his eyes glimmering with feigned hope. “I don’t wanna cause problems.”

“Don’t worry about it. She could use some loosening anyway. Leave it to us.”

Demetrius smiled, recognising he wouldn’t need to exert further effort in the charade. It was like they said, many hands made for a lighter load. If they worked to break Jamie down, he would be able to focus on his part.

There was no chance of him failing a second time.