I was alone in the classroom with Julian.
We stared at each other so intensely that within seconds our lips were locked. The kiss was deep and hungry. I parted my lips, giving him access as his hands slowly began to trail along my body.
Suddenly, a loud sound shattered the moment. My face tightened in protest as the noise continued to blast in my ears.
My alarm.
I was forced to sit up and it was then it dawned on me that I was having a dream.
And not just any dream....
A steamy dream about Julian Gade!
And even though, I was the only one that knew about it, I still felt embarrassed. I felt like a creep. This was the first time I have ever had a steamy dream about someone.
I took a deep breath in calming my racing heartbeat and deciding to forget about it. I was already running late for school. I only hope I don't have to come face-face with Julian in school. That would make me feel weird.
The next thing I knew, the car was already pulling into the school compound. But for some reason, today felt different.
I missed Julian.
I hated admitting it, but I missed the fact that we barely saw each other anymore. It was only today that I realized how badly I wanted to talk to him—really talk to him, face to face.
And ever since the dream I woke up to this morning, a part of me now yearned kissing him.
I took a deep breath in controlling myself as the Algebra II lecturer spoke. In this class I shared, o could notice some of his friends— Raymond, David, Pascal and Mabel were seated at the back.
They looked almost unreal — from their smooth glowing skin to the subtle sparkle of their jewelry and their perfectly styled hair.
My eyes zoomed in on Mabel Murphy and I had to admit that she was beautiful. Her burgundy hair fell neatly over her shoulders, framing her hazel eyes and naturally pink lips that needed no extra effort.
If someone like her was seeking Julian's attention, what chance did I possibly have?
Maybe he had only wanted to be friends with me from the beginning. And now I must have pushed him away with my strange behavior.
Since the incident near the tree, he hadn't texted me again.
I am sure he has just always wanted to be friends with me, and now I must have sent him off with my weird attitudes. Since after the occurrence at the tree side, he didn't text me again.
I shook my head, reminding myself that this was what I wanted. I wanted him to stay away. But deep down, I knew I was lying to myself.
I knew I already had a huge crush on Julian Gade.
As we were leaving for our next class, a very tall guy on glasses came to stand beside us. He looked neat, but from his exterior, you could tell that he was either an introvert or a nerd.
"I hope you paid attention to the lecturer quite well, because this time, I'm taking first place in Algebra." He said, adjusting his glasses and Camilla chuckled.
"In your dreams. Just don't cry when you come second again." She said then she grabbed my hands and increased her pace.
"Oh, he infuriates me!" She mumbled and I held back a laughter. I didn't need to ask her who that was. I could already guess.
It was the famous John. He fit all her description perfectly. An introverted nerd and who she competes with to be the top of the class.
She had once told me that the only benefit of her best friend, Jamie leaving was because she wouldn't need to hide her hatred for him, her supposed academic rivalry.
After Camilla stormed ahead, still muttering complaints about John, I felt the sudden need to clear my head.
"I'll meet you in class," I told her quickly before turning toward the restroom down the hallway.
The restroom was quieter than the hallway, but voices echoed from the corner near the mirrors.
A small group of girls stood there, touching up their makeup while chatting.
"I swear Natalie's new Gucci handbag is even prettier in person. I heard it's one of the limited edition," one of them said.
"Right? And did you see Pascal's new wristwatch? The thing was literally sparkling under the lights." Another girl replied.
I kept my head down by the sink pretending to wash my hands while the conversation continued.
"I heard it's worth more than some people's cars," Another girl said with a laugh. The girls giggled before one of them suddenly lowered her voice.
"Did you guys hear the rumor about Julian Gade's party?"
"Oh please. That party is invite-only. None of us are getting an invitation." Another girl replied girl said scoffing and a few of them sighed dramatically.
"And what about the Murphy Foundation Charity Ball this weekend?" another asked hopefully. "Can't any of us at least get an invite through one of Mabel's friends?"
"Sadly no. There are probably over a hundred other people hoping for one too." One of them replied and when I looked up noticing that everywhere was now weirdly quiet, I bit my lips.
Opps.
They were now all giving me a piercing gaze. I had been caught eavesdropping. Clearing my throat, I rinsed my hands one more time and without giving them a glance, I walked out.
I could hear a conversation erupting about me being the new student and I sighed. I was using my hands to get myself noticed.
+
Throughout the day I have been so unfocused. The only thing that has been on my mind is Julian and it was becoming concerning. I usually think about him, but today I couldn't stop thinking about him.
I guess it was because he hadn't texted me. I knew that deep down I was scared that he had decided to let me be. That he had realized that I wasn't in his caliber at all.
I sighed deeply as the lunch break bell rang, and as I and Camilla made it to the cafeteria, my face lit up remembering that Gabriel would be joining us today.
He had offered to seat beside me during our conversation online yesterday, and since I found it cool to make more friends, I gladly agreed. Especially since Camilla told me that he was one of the top students in science class.
I love intelligent people.
When we arrived at our usual spot, we already met Gabriel seated there and Camilla gave me a wink. She had already started shipping us, but I didn't see Gabriel in that light.
"Hey. How are you? You look stressed from class." He commented and I shrugged.
"I am stressed from life. The social class in this school is already giving me a running stomach. Like how can I get used to being subtly accessed to know how much my look is worth?" I complained taking a seat beside him and he chuckled.
"You'll survive. No one bites here as far as you stay away from drama." He remarked and I sighed for the fiftieth time today.
Sadly, I had fallen for the person with biggest drama surrounding him.
"Especially since you're not the type that's into chaotic stuffs," Camilla added and I nearly scoffed. What an irony.
I and Gabriel began to talk more about our interests. Surprisingly, I found out that he also wanted to go to Princeton like me. But mid-way during our conversation, Julian entered the Cafeteria.
He actually came!
And that's when I zoned off. My eyes stayed glued to him monitoring every move he made and when he sat down, his eyes began to scan around for something.
He kept searching, until his eyes locked on mine. His fingers, which had been tapping lazily on the table, suddenly stilled when our eyes met.
Was it me he was looking for?
The thought of that made my throat run dry. For a moment, it felt like the Cafeteria had faded and it was just the two of us. His gaze was intense and I could tell that he wasn't looking away any time soon.
Raymond was saying something to him, leaning closer with an animated expression, while David and Mabel seemed to be talking over each other. But Julian didn't react.
He didn't nod.
He didn't even glance at them.
His attention was still completely fixed on me. It was then that someone beside him shifted slightly.
For the first time, Pascal looked up.
I had noticed him before, of course. It was impossible not to. But I had never really studied him.
Now, I understood why people seemed slightly wary of him.
Unlike the others, Pascal wasn't usually smiling or joking. His posture was always relaxed, and he was usually dangerously quiet.
If anything, he looked less like a high school student and more like someone who simply tolerated the fact that he was surrounded by them.
His eyes followed Julian's line of sight until they landed on me. For a brief second, our eyes met.
His gaze lingered, calm but assessing, as if he was silently trying to figure out why Julian Gade had suddenly become so interested in me.
Then he leaned slightly toward Julian, saying something quietly, but Julian still didn't break eye contact with me.
And for some reason, that made my heart beat even faster.
"Jessica?" Gabriel's voice broke through my line of thoughts and it was then I looked back at the people in front of me, but when I looked at Camilla, she was silently studying me as if she had noticed where my eyes was coming from.
Oh gosh! I guess I was just making things more complicated!