Alorah Reagen

Sometimes, I do not understand people.

One minute, they looked happy and did not care what others might think of them. Someone who was not conscious of their surroundings as long as they were content with their group of friends. Then a minute after that, they did things you didn't expect them to do.

Everyone in the classroom formed their own group of friends, chatting about their day or something that is trending these days. We were having our 20 minute break before the next class begins, and some of the students left to buy their snacks, so there were only twenty people here, including myself.

And these were the 20 people who witnessed an event poured upon me, and I literally meant poured upon me.

Tension was the only thing felt in the room.

Speechless as everyone was afraid of uttering a single sound because once the pin dropped, whispers and gasps will erupt.

I stared at the man in front of me, disbelief etched on my face as I tried to comprehend what had happened to me. I had no clue what crime I committed for him to do it. The cold and sticky feeling made me itchy, but I didn't attempt to relieve it.

I'm scared. I was afraid that I might offend someone without realizing it.

He stared at me as he lowered the empty bottle of soda, and that very moment made me wince, which caused the pin to drop.

"What was that for, Hayes?!" Layla yelled furiously at the man in front of me. I clenched my hands secretly as I tried not to tear up. I hated being placed in this kind of situation.

Julian didn't say anything. His body tensed up as he stared blankly at me for a few seconds, his lips forming a thin line.

Before I could try to avert his gaze, he turned around and walked back to his group of friends, who were shocked yet amused by the scene.

"Alorah! Are you alright?!" Amelia said frantically. I didn't give her my attention as my eyes were still on Julian. Did I do something to hurt you? That was what I wanted to ask.

"Amelia, look at her! She's in shock, and her blouse is drenched in orange Fanta. Would you be fine after suddenly being poured like that?" Layla snapped before shrugging off her jacket and using it to cover my see-through shirt.

"Sorry, sorry. That was the first thing that came out of my mouth." Amelia went and grabbed a fistful of my wet hair, moving it behind me, "Alorah. Please, say something."

Before I could utter a word, the bell rang, and the sound of familiar footsteps came close to our classroom. How was I able to hear that? Let's say that I have good ears.

Mr. Stoll emerged from the doorway, and his eyebrows knitted as he wondered why all of his students were up. He followed their gaze, and his eyes widened when the two pairs landed in my state.

"Ms. Reagan, what on earth happened to you?" Mr. Stoll questioned as he walked toward me. I pulled on the jacket that Layla lent me and fully covered myself.

"Sir, Jul—"

"It's nothing, sir. I didn't notice that I shook my soda until I opened it, and it sprayed all over me." I smiled as I said the words with ease. My smile widened when Layla and Amelia looked like they wanted to rip my head off for defending the person who was the cause of this mess.

I did it so that I could avoid any more trouble. I didn't know why Julian poured his drink on me but if I threw him under the bus, who knows what he'll do next.

Mr. Stoll stared at me for a few seconds before letting out a laugh, which caused me to join him.

"Those sodas are really a handful. Be careful next time, Ms. Reagan. Or better yet, go for something healthier next time instead of buying those god awful sodas. You kids are still young, so you must take good care of your body." He grinned and patted my head, "You should probably change out of your clothes. You don't want to feel icky for the entire day."

"Will do, sir!" I grinned back before grabbing an extra shirt and a towel out of my bag. Good thing I came prepared in case something went wrong.

"Sir, can we accompany Alorah to the restroom?" Layla asked, and I looked at her skeptically.

His eyes roamed over the three of us before settling on Layla.

"Ms. Elsher, I don't think that will be necessary as Ms. Reagan will only be changing her clothes. If you guys go with her, who knows how long you three will be gossiping in there. The answer is no."

"But!"

"Layla, I'll be fine," I gave her a reassuring smile and started maneuvering my way out of the classroom. I stopped in my tracks when I felt a gaze burning my temple. I wandered my eyes around the room before they landed on a pair of black eyes, staring back at my brown ones.

Our staring contest lasted a few seconds since I didn't want to attract any attention. I broke it by smiling at Julian before leaving the classroom, not giving myself another second to see his reaction.