It was two weeks after the whole Cathy incident and since then, Cathy hasn't bothered her much to Ayla's relief. Kyle hadn't been in school since which was normal but starting to worry her. Every year, for three months Kyle would stop coming to school, no calls, visits, email or news of him. It would be like he just vanished from the face of the earth and then he would return as if nothing happened and everyone would act as if nothing was wrong. But every time he was more aggressive, fitter, more quiet and less cheerful as before. She tried asking him multiple times but he just told her it was a generic condition that needed to be away for sometime to get treatment. But whenever she asked him of the condition he would always give her a different totally made up name and over time she finally gave it up.
But that wasn't the issue, it wasn't yet time for him to leave.
"Come on Alya, he's old enough to take care of himself, and if he was missing the whole city would be looking for him. Nothing wrong happened, so pull yourself together and focus" she said mentally.
She was sitting alone in biology class when the teacher walked in.
"Good morning class, sorry I'm late"
"Good morning Miss Gabriela " the students chorused.
"A student will be transferring to this class, you already know him but still I want you all to treat him well, okay?"
" Yes, Miss Gabriela!"
Ayla zoned out almost immediately as Miss Gabriela started speaking, she couldn't care less who came to the class and let alone, she didn't even know the names of her classmates and was sure she wouldn't recognize them outside school so one more person at this point didn't really matter.
"So as you all know Alex Knight, Alex please take the empty seat next to Amanda" A funny looking girl, Amanda waved back at him. Alex stared at her with pure disgust before walking right past her
He got to Ayla table "Move" he ordered the boy sitting next to her his eyes fixated at her, the poor boy scrambled.
"Found you" he arrogantly smirked and she was too stunned to speak.
"Let's all settle down " Miss Gabriela's voice broke the trance between them. Ayla hurriedly looked away.
"Today's topic is reproduction, can someone tell me what they know about reproduction?"
Alex raised him hands "Yes, Alex"
"Reproduction is when a boy and girl come together to have sex like what I'm gonna do to Ayla" The class went silent everyone waiting to see what she would do.
"Haha" Miss Gabriela gave a nervous chuckle, "Good example Mr Knight but please refrain from using names next time okay?" "Now moving on reproduction is the coming together of a male and female for the purpose of mating now this topic is very important. Young people just start sleeping around without realizing the consequences I mean there is STD's, teen pregnancy which in most cases leads to abortion"
"Miss Gabriela?" a girl gestured.
"Yes, Cindy"
"Why are we learning all this stuff, I mean it's just sex and if you are not careful I mean so be it "
"Cindy, if you don't have something better to say then you keep quiet and stop disturbing my class. You all don't realize the severity of the situation. Millions of young girls die each year because their body can't handle pregnancy, some become permanently disabled, not being able to have any other kids. You know what assignment all of you"
"Arrrrhhhhh" the class groaned, some glared furiously at Cindy.
"Your sitmate will be your partner and I want a full presentation on the dangers of teen sex due next week. And I'm serious, this will be worth 20% of your grade and any one who fails to submit will have a punishment and I am not kidding, you got that" her voice came clear, authoritative and final.
"I guess we are partners, we should start packing. "
"Yeah no thanks" Ayla stood up and packed her books " How about, I do the work and you show up next week, I don't need anyone pulling me down"
"Excuse me?"
She looked him directly in the eye " Look I know this means nothing to you, but it means a lot for me and I can't have you mess this up, alright so do your thing parties or whatever and leave this to me, alright"
"I'm all about having fun but you don't get to think of me that way when you don't even know me."
"Yeah, and you made it pretty clear how you are today, like seriously in a class room."
"I didn't mean it like that"
"Whatever " Ayla picked up her jacket from the chair, books and some other stuff and let him standing there feeling intrigued by her.
....
Ayla went to the cafeteria to get lunch. "Next" the huge lunch lady said
"Good afternoon ma'am"
"Hmmm" her huge grunt came out. She scooped
"I actually don't like pickles, so can you please don't add it" Ayla asked in her sweetest voice possible. The lunch lady set down her huge spoon.
"If you don't want the pickle then don't have the food" the lunch lady spoke in this huge Latina accent.
"Geez" Ayla muttered under her breath. The lunch lady raised her eyebrow at her but didn't say anything. And she still ended up with the pickle.
"Now where do I sit?" Ayla said just loud enough for her to hear.
She glanced at all the tables, the popular jerks who were at the centre of the cafeteria were full of popular kids and their lame old jokes. The wannabe popular kids were mimicking everything the popular kids said or did which was pathetic. The nerds were in the far end close to the trash cans, which was not a good place to sit. The art geeks who think they are gonna paint the next Mona Lisa were just next to the nerds. The international students, clique, the drama club, everywhere was full. Her eyes wandered off to, the rear end of the cafeteria an empty table, probably not good but at this point she didn't care
She walked a sea of eyes and settled in. Halfway through her lunch, Alex pulled the chair next to her.
"Mind if I sit?" he asked, already sitting down.
"Well, you didn't exactly wait for a reply" she responded and returned to her lunch.
"Look I'm sorry about what happened in class and I thought you might use some company. This table is barely holding together"
"Well, is the only one right now"
"Oh, right, let's talk about us being partners"
"There's actually nothing to talk about I'll do all the work and you'll just show up, but if we're being far I will let you handle the research stuff, at least you can say you did something and" she continued yapping oblivious to a pair of cold eyes boring holes into her.
"Hey is it me or the temperature just dropped, it's freezing in here" she instinctively wrapped her hands round her body and glanced over her shoulder. She froze, Kyle
"It's not what it looks like!" she stammered "we're just lab partners right Alex?"
"It doesn't matter, I mean it's not like the two of you are dating, are you?" Alex asked mockingly.
"We aren't" Kyle responded coldly looking directly past her "just friends "
"Then you won't mind me asking her out," Alex taunted, wrapping his hands across her shoulder.
"Not at all" Kyle answered back cooly "Good luck "
"Hey guys" Cathy walked up to them.
"Bloody hell" Kyle cursed under his breath, but Ayla caught it and giggled
"What's go funny Ayla?"
"Nothing Cathy."
"Excuse me" Kyle said and left
"Kyle, wait" Cathy screamed as she ran after him.
"That serves her right," Ayla smirked.
"Yeah," Alex answered, putting his arm on my shoulder. I gently removed it and walked away.
Just as Ayla walked off Alex took his phone out and dialed a number
"Yes, I got her but she's a little bit tough. Hmmm, don't worry I give you two weeks she will fall and then our plan will be in motion"