Chelsea's POV

"Shit," I mutter when I notice Terry walking into the school hallway with Elvis and Victor. Not wanting to face him after yesterday, I search for a hiding spot, my head whipping left and right as I count how many paces left before he reaches me.

At a loss of options, I pull open my locker and bury my head in its confinements, hoping he will simply walk past without sparing my back a glance.

After a few seconds, I feel him pass and gradually lift my head, thankful to God that I guessed right, as he's a few meters ahead doing a weird handshake with his friends before proceeding to the classroom on his left.

Now the coast is clear, I bang the metal and stride to the class he just disappeared into, my chemistry textbook in my hand thus I foolishly came to school today with a pouch that can only contain my phone, pen and pencil, lip gloss, and eyeliner.

Why I brought this to school and not a bag big enough to contain at least an exercise book is a mystery to me. Adjusting the lab coat I'm doning on my slender frame, I tug down the grey crop top I'm wearing downwards so it doesn't expose my belly button as there's a little display of skin from where it stops to the waistband of my red leggings.

Strolling into the lab, it's just my luck that the only seat available is the one aside Terry's. Our eyes meet while I dance on my feet awaiting his reaction. He gives me a curt nod that surprises me and I offer him a quick smile in gratitude, climbing on the high stool unattractively.

Surprisingly, he doesn't utter any other syllable. Not even a fuck off or one of his cocky remarks. He also doesn't spare me a glance throughout the time we are conducting our practicals. Even when I spill methane, and it nearly touches his leg clad in the faded jeans he's sporting below a black vest, he doesn't say a word.

I'm a bit worried and grateful as the period comes to an end. Another stunning action of his is when he avoids my gaze while we pack up the few pieces of equipment used plus the way he bolts out of my presence the second we are done.

Mutely, I discard my lab coat, hang it on my elbow and grab my things, departing the lab room and heading straight for my locker hence it's lunch break. While putting in my combination, Uche materializes at my side, a perplexed expression on her facial features.

"Why the look?" I inquire, observing how the V-necked short-sleeved rose-patterned dress that halts at her knees suits her perfectly, though it's a different appearance to her than I'm used to.

"That's a flattering way to acknowledge your bestfriend whom you haven't seen since Daybreak," she snorts, clearly offended. At the slight twitch of my lips, she narrows her eyes at me. "Do not say anything about my cloth."

"But it suits you adorably." I chuckle, disregarding her warning.

"I said no comment!" She hisses, pointing a finger at me.

"Sorry," I laugh, raising my palms in surrender. "You haven't yet answered my question."

"What question?" She frowns in confusion.

"Never mind," I dismiss it, having no energy to explain, knowing she'll tell me what's troubling her sooner or later.

"Let's head to the cafeteria then," I sigh, slogging forward. "God, I hate that place."

"Me too," she groans, trudging beside me. "But today we can't help it as I'm certain you didn't bring lunch and my car has been taken away from me till Saturday."

"It was that serious huh?" I ask, recalling the look on Mrs. Chidi's face when she spotted her daughter and me seated at a boot during school lunch hour.

"Yeah," she grunts. "So we can't go out to eat. I fucking can't wait to be an adult."

"You and me both," I hum. "Let's simply go in there, get a pair of their tasteless burgers and get out of---"

I stop talking as Terry materializes from a corner opposite us and saunters our way. His eyes come off as trained to his device, though a second later he looks up, sees us, and pauses in his tracks.

Like a slow-motion movie, I notice him blink, stare between us and his phone, make a u-turn and wander back in the direction he came from. My mouth falls open at this and I swerve to discover Uche's expression mirroring mine.

"Did I see that correctly?" I interrogate, not understanding what I just glimpsed.

"That's what I'm talking about," Uche blurts, coming off as lost as she indicates at the location Terry just revised at.

"Huh?" I quiz, bewildered at her motions while presently in shock at the event that unfolded in my vision.

"His disappearance." She states, whirling to peer at me as she speaks. "Today at a corner. I had simply left the lady's room and was rushing to my next class. We almost clashed and I expected him to say something smart, maybe push me out of the way, rather he amazed me by stepping aside to allow me to pass."

"Same, he was acting weird in the lab, even offered me the empty seat at his side. Shockingly he kept quiet throughout the session," I confess, trying to put two and two together. "I didn't think much on it hence I concluded it was because I buried my head in my locker when he passed. Now, I'm not so sure."

"Could it mean he is scared?" She queries in a faraway voice that has me cackling.

"Why the fuck will he be scared?" I raise a question, middle laugh.

"You never know what's going on in Terry's head," is her simple reply as she clenches her fingers around my wrist, hauling me to the cafeteria.

"The big question is, 'Is Terry avoiding me the way I'm doing him?" I muse out loud.

"Of course Sherlock," she snorts as we step into the vast room. The murmurs dying at our entrance and all eyes channeling towards us. "Can't they all mind their business?"

"We are the only odd ones in their midst, so the answer to that is a big fat no," I whisper to her, and we continue our movement to the huge lunch lady at the counter.

My school cafeteria is just like any other, both the ones you have in your school and the ones you see on TV, there's no difference. A lunch lady dishing out food. The popular table at the far end of the room where the cheerleaders and soccer players seat.

The wannabee's table is scattered around them. The table of those who adore the stuck-up fools. That of those who simply are just there to eat. The nerd corner and other details you must know about.

After they are done staring, the conversation starts up again when they see nothing interesting at our end as we carry on our stroll to the lunch lady. The line is not much hence we came in late and so we have to stand behind 4 different girls, Diana the slut and her two assistants, Julia, and Bella. Weird that their names sound the same way, I know.

I stand behind a girl with brunette hair and pink highlights, discerning she's probably someone new whom I haven't met before as her back is to me. The line moves rapidly and soon it's my turn.

Ordering a hamburger, it gets handed to me in less than a minute and so I thank the woman with a nod and proceed to give space for Uche to get her food. The girl in pink highlights rushes past me to the lunch lady seeming to have forgotten something.

In my little lack of attention, I don't observe the big-boobed female blocking my view in a pink sports bra that shows more than enough cleavage above a thigh-length miniskirt that's a size too small for her frame. I stabilize my body from falling and turn with a glare at the culprit who with silver-blonde hair had the luxury of putting a heeled foot to trip me.

"Oops, sorry Chelsea," she gasps dramatically, her black eyes widening in fake concern. Her two assistants or minions who are clad in similar skimpy attire giggle at either side of her.

"Fuck off D," I growl, not wanting to partake in her drama today. To my relief, she catches on and snorts.

"I apologized, duh," she lets out and elbows me in the arm, catwalks, and makes a show to her audience who quietened down once again at the small exchange.

"Don't mind her, she's just jealous Terry got all in your face yesterday," The black and pink-haired girl asserts, coming to stand beside me.

"Who are you?" I interrogate, discerning her dark brown eyes, round face, straight nose, and full lips smeared with purple lipstick. Her eyebrows lined smoothly with eye pencil and long lashes coated with mascara.

"I'm Rose." She stretches out a palm, smiling to reveal white teeth designed with braces. "Also I thought what you and Terry did in the hallway was hot, I could feel the sexual tension."

"What was hot? And which sexual tension?" Uche finally appears at my side. "And what was Diana's problem?"

"She knows what I'm talking about," Rose wiggles her brows at me and walks ahead. "Also, you can call me Rose."

"What was she talking about?" Uche inquires, shifting her focus from Rose's retreating back covered in a jean jacket and black leather pants with black ankle boots.

"Never mind," I shake my head and drag her hand. "Let's simply get out of here, I feel suffocated already."

Freshy❤️