Ever read the signs all wrong? When you thought someone was interested. When their hand brushed upon your hand and that area of your skin got tingly, or when their long gaze bore straight into your heart. When you convinced yourself that everything you were feeling was mutual, and that it could be something. Anything. Well, I did. And look at how good that turned out.

***

Summer School: the place where the devil was conceived. Fine, that’s an exaggeration. But who places 30 student inside a school building in July? As if I haven’t suffered enough by going through the school year alone, and now they insert a graduation requirement that I’m forced to take. My seat is by the window, which at least allows me to gaze outside and daydream about being at home eating ice cream. The heat radiates through the open window and my eyes start to droop. I turn back to look at the clock, only to be disappointed about how it hasn’t changed from 9:00 to 2:30 miraculously. Whatever. My eyes move to the front of the room, where the teacher, cranky about being here herself, writes the word “Accelerated Biology”. Great. I look at the room around me, a standard classroom. All one-piece desks facing the front. How am I suppose to dissect a frog here? Aren’t there labs with large tables where we do this? I know! I’ll just slice it on my desk. I internally roll my eyes and start listening.

“I know all you guys are capable. You wouldn’t be here otherwise” she says. “These couple weeks, I’ll be your teacher. You may call me Ms. V”. Her sharp fashion style gives a “no nonsense” vibe, but that doesn’t stop people from acting out.

As soon as she stopped talking, George, the annoying white-turned-black kid who can be found any school day smoking behind the school, raises his hand. Without being called on, he yells out, “I thought your name was “Mrs. V”. Oh crap, this just got personal. Everyone in the room turns to Ms.-, Mrs.-, whatever her name is. If looks could kill, her stare would have dragged George to the depths of hell and back. “I’m going through a personal transition right now,” she says through gritted teeth. “And anyway, I’m not here to answer to some little boy still failing algebra.” Everyone erupted into rukus, discussing the dig. George just slumped back into his desk, unaffected by the rude, but still true, retort.

“Now,” Ms.V said over the noise. The noise slowly cleared.
“You need to bring a notebook and your textbook, which I will provide, to class each day.”

When she started ranting about class rules, and the “dollar bill rule” for girls, I allowed my eyes to wander. It looks like this class is a mixed bunch. People from the Arts electives, from the Science electives, and the AP electives. No one would admit it, but you could easily spot one of these. The amazingly outfitted children were obviously the Arts children. Their summer attire updated to the latest trends. The Science kids were too obsessed with their studies to worry about their appearance, and could always be spotted first in class, sitting all the way in the front. Then there are the AP students, myself included. We are kind of in the middle. Sort of stylish, but involved in school work nonetheless. Not to mention, I lack in the creativity department. Except photography. That I could do everyday. There’s just something about beautiful landscapes that attract me.

But there is another group that may be overlooked for their “inability to challenge themselves academically.” In other words, the Regulars. As in, only aiming to attend regular classes. Teachers don’t like to compare the academic food chain, but the Regulars are all the way at the bottom at this school. Drugs, unprotected sex, alcohol consumption can easily be linked to them. But I have started to notice another sector of this group. The kids who are really capable, but just don’t bother to find out, or are too quiet to voice themselves. But these students seem to be blended in with the rowdiness, so they aren’t distinguishable.

I come into focus on the current situation by the shuffling of bodies from their seats.
“What’s going on?” I say out loud absentmindedly. I start to stand in place when I hear a reply from my left. “To the lab,” the voice says. My gaze lifts up to a guy sitting next to me, and his eyes meet mine. Ever seen blue so blue it would put the sky to shame? Well that’s his eyes. And they were looking right at me. I fumbled around for my backpack, only to become more flustered. Okay, don’t freak out. He’s just a guy, any other guy ... WITH GODDAMN GORGEOUSNESS POURING OUT OF HIM. I felt his stare on me, my awkwardness making me blush. He took a couple steps towards me, making my heart flutter. As soon as I thought he was going to say something to me, he made his way out of the short isle-distance between us and out the door. I just stood there, looking at his back all the while. It wasn’t long before I found myself in the room, alone.

***

Okay Anna, what in the world was that? Didn’t we agree to not be weird around other people? He wasn’t even that hot. Fine, he was, but that didn’t mean anything to you. Now any chance of him even speaking to you is gone. See what you do?

I stopped myself right there. It’s a thing I do, talking to myself. Waiting for a reply. I once heard that everyone does it, so I guess it’s fine. Unless my inner self starts talking back, I suppose I don’t have to worry about being insane. I run out of the room and see the last students enter the lab room down the hall. UGH. Speed walking to the door, I catch it just as it’s closing shut. You know, this school has all doors automatically lock once they’re closed. Then, no one can open ‘em. From inside and outside, without a key that is. Which is insane, like why not have it open at least from inside. It’s for something called a “Burglary Containing Utility.” My eyes don’t have time to look around the room, because as soon as I step in, I’m standing in front of the class alone. Everyone has already paired up in two, and taken their seats.

“My my,” the teacher says. “Um, there’s a seat in the back somewhere, please go sit down.” She sounds like she’s done with the idea of teaching this class at all. I start walking towards the back, avoiding the looks of everyone. My gaze still down, I exhale in relief as I spot an empty stool. But I wasn’t prepared for what I would find when my gaze lifted. That’s right, I found myself staring directly into two round, deep blue eyes. S***.