First talk

                           Nora's POV                

Days trickled by in a blink of an eye. Throughout the classes, I tried my best to make my presence non-existent around Liam. He rarely showed up in the school unless it was something important. And when he did, he would just attend the class and take a nap on the desk. This went on for a month and I slowly started getting used to having him around. Despite that, I didn’t fully let my guard down.

Today everyone was asked to assemble in the class. Our Physics teacher was going to announce the result of the mock test that was held last week. I dragged my feet reluctantly towards the desk. I had no interest in learning about it as I perfectly knew how ‘Brilliantly’ I had done in the exams. I was planning on staying back at home, but the teacher had to personally ask me to be present. Had I not attended the class, she would’ve definitely called my parents.

Like me, everyone in the class were fretting over the result.

Liam was already seated and was leaning back on the chair with his hands folded. Looking at how calm he was, I felt envious. He was probably the only person in the class who was completely chilled out about the results. And it was no one wonder he’d top again.

Sure enough, as the teacher entered the class, she looked at him with a proud look on her face. However, her countenance immediately changed when she spotted me beside him.

I scratched my head embarrassingly and avoided eye contact with her.

Ms Marie Jones was a middle-aged woman in her forties. She stood on the podium and began a long serious speech, reprimanding us about our horrendous result.

I held back a yawn and tried hard to keep my eyes open. I could almost mimic her words as nothing ever changed in her speech except for the classes.

“Now I believe everyone would pay focus in their studies and not slack off in my class.” the teacher concluded.

“Yes, M’am” the class replied in unison.

“And now it’s time for the student with the highest marks. Give a round of applause to Mr. Liam Keaton for once again securing full marks in the test.”

The entire class applauded cheerfully. Though it was no surprise, I’ve got to hand it to them for their enthusiasm.

Ms. Jones then landed her glare at me.

Sigh! It was my turn now.

“Lets now congratulate another deserving student of our class, Ms. Nora Shahan, for securing yet another D.” she continued sarcastically.

The class once again burst into applause, along with the crazy pounding of desks and snickers.

I stood up reluctantly from the seat and raised my head to look at Ms. Jones, who stared back at me with disgust.

“All thanks to you, the reputation of the class has been destroyed.” came her raging voice.

I lowered my head, my shoulder slumping as I pulled on tightly on my shirt and stood expressionlessly.

I was not the only student with a D. However, she only targeted me every single time. I count myself lucky for bumping into Ms. Jones making out with a student in the lab previously. Since then, I’ve become the target of her criticism. Not that I never fought back. One word from me and she would’ve been expelled right in that instance. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I was almost at the Principal’s office to lodge a complaint but was stopped midway by her daughter.

Ms. Jones was a divorced woman with a daughter who studied in middle school at Bradford. Somehow she had learnt about the whole scenario and begged me not to expose her mother, saying how she was the only breadwinner of her family and that she would be deprived of her studies and future if her mother got expelled.

I was no Saint Teresa, but I also couldn’t watch the young girl do part-time jobs while her mother kept spreading her legs everywhere. And hence I let the matter rest.

But I guess they took my kindness for my cowardice. Nonetheless, I only had to tolerate her for a year.

After having told her full, Ms Jones finally let me off the hook and continued with her teaching.

“I say Nora, why don’t you just leave the school.”

“That’s right, I’ve heard a dumb person can pass their IQ on others. Don’t infect our school hunk.”

The students who sat near me gloated and gave sarcastic remarks. From my peripheral vision, I could see Liam furrowing his brow in annoyance.

He must be despising me too, isn’t it?

“Just get out of the school already, your family can save a fortune from squandering it on a wastrel like you..” a high-pitched voice rang from the front.

I raised my head and looked at Reyna, who had a smug smile on her face. “Are you my sponsor? Where my family squanders money has got nothing to do with you.”

After a pause, I added. “And at least I’m not wasting it on having multiple surgeries. There, there. Your chin looks lopsided.” and pointed at her chin.

The group snickered, which was now directed at Reyna.

The latter's face changed drastically as she hurriedly removed her pocket mirror and checked her face. Noticing that there was nothing wrong with her chin, she gritted her teeth as she realised I had tricked her.

I smirked at her and gave her a ‘Come bite me’ look.

Ms. Jones had asked us to solve a practise set on Quantum Physics.

At that moment, I almost had a nervous break.

There were 10 questions, and I was still stuck on the first one even after 40 minutes. After attempting nth time, I was still nowhere near the answer. Grunting softly, I crossed out the answer one more time and collapsed on the desk with a bang.

Physics was really not meant for me.

Leaning back in the chair, I twirled the pen in my hand, thinking about my miserable life.

As I was lost in my thoughts, a hand drew closer to me before resting on my book.

Startled, I almost jolted out of my seat in fright.

Is he going to beat me?

Will this be my last day on earth?

All sorts of ridiculous thoughts flashed in my mind.

Hesitating, I turned to a poker-faced Liam who was pointing at the words he had written on the book. “Use this equation.” Hearing his deep and seductive voice, I felt like my ears were having an eargasm.

Inspecting the book, I found the equation written.

I gave out an awkward laugh. “Oh, Okay!”

Ah! So he was just helping me out. And here I was, letting my imagination run wild for nothing.

With the help of the equation, I could meticulously solve the problems. It took overall 20 minutes for me to answer the questions.

“Thank you!” I smiled at him cheerfully. For a minute I almost forgot of my fear towards him.

His hand that was holding the pen paused for a second before he continued with his work as if he heard nothing.

After getting no response, I didn’t press further and jumped to next exercise.