Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Sebastian's eyebrows slightly rise at my basic brand suggestion, however, he doesn't protest or suggest a new one. With a small shrug of agreement, his eyes stray away back to his notebook, where he writes down the brand. We quickly divid the p's and start working on them independently. I get the easy ones - price and the production, which is effortless to me as I am familiar with the Starbucks menu and it's prices. I didn't admit it though, because the boy's presence alone is enough to make me distracted - at least with a familiar knowledge I'm less likely to lose my ability to think.
This means, however, that I have spare time to let my thoughts wander off to my mother. While Sebastian is scribbling something in his notes, I pull out my phone again, and debate if I should send another message to mother. I know she was hurt by me leaving, but she has always been so forgiving... no way would she still be so angry at me that she can't even pick up the phone to reply to my messages.
I draft a message. Mom, please write back to me. I'm worried. I'm still your daughter, who loves and worries about you. But you know there was no way for me to stay there. I had to leave to help us. Please, call me. I love you.
Chewing on my lip, I reread the message for the fifth time, each time rewriting it in order to sound more apologetic. In the end, however, I send the original message, knowing that those are my honest thoughts and feelings. I hadn't noticed that my leg is bouncing like crazy - a habit I got from my late father - and Sebastian is already staring at me with a spark of curiosity in his eyes.
"You okay?" Even though it doesn't sound like he is actually worried, I still appreciate the effort of being a humanly human. I push the phone back into my jacket, avoiding to look at Sebastian.
"Yeah, all good." I smile sheepishly, looking into his eyes.
Leaning closer to me, Sebastian smiles a wicked smile. A part of me freezes in surprise as he inches closer to me, not expecting this invasion of privacy, but the other part of me, the one lowkey attracted to him, wants me to inch closer to him.
"You know, I liked the first version, too." Sebastian winks and turns his gaze back to his notebook, clicking his pen as if to annoy me even more. I'm quite shocked at his blatant snooping, my mouth popped open in surprise to his unpredictable actions and honesty.
"It wasn't for your eyes, you creep." I roll my eyes and look around the classroom, steadily growing tired of this boy, despite of the growing smile on his face. Yes, he is incredibly distracting and out-of-my league hot, but I don't care for his invasion of my privacy.
Trying to distract me from looking at the serial-snooper Sebastian, I toy with the ring on my finger. It's an old ring meant for masculine fingers – it was my father's – but I kept it after his body was found, as a memory of him. I take it off and place it on the table, slightly spinning it. The ring is slightly too big on my finger, even though I wear it on my thumb, but I never take it off for too long. My dad once said that it protects him from evil, and I always hoped that it would protect me from my demons as well, but so far, the ring has only served as a memory of my dad. The demons always manage to return anyways.
Shuddering from the unwanted direction of my thoughts, I decide that I want to end the conversation with Sebastian, as well as the work in pairs, so I change the topic. "Are you finished with your part?"
My eyes stray back to his. He is already watching me, curiosity growing more prominent in his eyes as his face suddenly becomes dead serious. There is no trace of smile on his face and his eyes are no longer burning with amusement. He leans closer to me again, making my heart beat quicker in panic. What is it this time, you creep?
He hovers just a few inches away from my face, staring into my eyes and making me feel like I am in some sort of a magic show, with the magician trying to convince me to cluck like a chicken.
His eyes drill into mine, and suddenly a slight sense of fogginess encompasses me. All sense of reality momentarily slips my mind as I stare into Sebastian's unique eyes. They suddenly become the focus of my universe, holding my stare and compelling every other thought to leave my mind. There's only Sebastian and his beautiful eyes. Then his soft, quiet voice wraps around me like satin.
"Answer me honestly: who are you texting and why is it making you sad?"
Out of habit, my body pulls the ring back onto my thumb, and the mind fog is instantly gone. I avert my eyes and blink a couple of times, trying to clear my head and to understand what just happened. My eyebrows draw together as my eyes return on Sebastian's face. He is now staring back at me in confusion, his eyebrows mirroring mine and his mouth draping open.
My mind froze. What the hell? What the hell is his deal? My hand twitched, wanting to slap the shit out of this handsome fuckboy who doesn't know how to respect boundaries. Anger started to burn in me, flaring up in my chest and rapidly spreading to my cheeks.
As my mind finally starts to clear, I realize that I cannot explain what just happened. My mind really just decided to shut out everything except Sebastian, and it worries me. Anger flares up in me as I welcome the unwanted feeling of worry again. I don't deal good with unwanted emotions, and right now I want to blame Sebastian and his annoying lack of respect for personal boundaries.
"Who the hell do you think you are, asking me about personal matters when I don't even know you?" I hissed, trying to keep my voice down so my course mates wouldn't have one more reason to stare. "Is this some weird pick-up-line thing you're trying? Because it sure as hell isn't working." I snap, trying to contain the ever-growing anger in me. Once it's lit, I often have trouble containing it.
Sebastian's eyebrows furrow even deeper, while his eyes try to drill into mine once again. This time my mind doesn't fog up, probably because I'm too angry to even look at his pretty face. I scowl at the boy, and turn my head away, leaving him with an utterly confused look on his face. Thankfully for me, the professor speaks up before he can, and I can focus my attention on something else than him and his unexplainably confused face. Did he really think that his 'hypnosis' was going to work?
"Unfortunately we don't have enough time today to listen to all of your presentations, so why don't we end early today, and on Thursday we'll start with your presentations?" She smiles warmly, acting as if she's being nice for letting us go earlier. In reality, she probably has a credit card to empty or a curl to adjust. However, I'm actually thankful for the abrupt ending of the lecture. It only means that I can leave the presence of this rude, inquisitive boy sitting next to me, still staring at me with a puzzled look.
As a few students inquire about the format of the presentation and the length, I am impatiently waiting for them to finish. Of course, I write down the requirements and the notes that the professor gives, reminding myself that my education is far more important than some annoying, pretty boy, but I cannot find any interest in the topic anymore. All I know is that I have to get out of here for a calming cigarette in the designated smoking area whose location I have, of course, memorized with priority.
As soon as the over-achieving students are done with their questions, the professor dismisses the lecture and students begin pouring out through the small door. I try to pack my bag before Sebastian tries to speak with me again, but I am unsuccessful. With my back turned to him, I weirdly feel his presence as soon as he approaches me. The hair on my arms rise immediately with the anticipation of another weird remark of his. Without touching me, Sebastian tries to get my attention. "Avani, can we talk, please?"
Trying to zip up my bag quicker, I shake my head, speaking over my shoulder. "I'd rather not." Frustrated that the zipper had chosen this exact moment to get stuck, I quietly groan and give up on it. Picking up my bag as is, I start marching towards the door, hoping that Sebastian doesn't follow me. Unfortunately, he is right next to me in the hallway as soon as I exit the room, causing me to groan out of frustration again.
I debate running to my sanctuary in the backyard, hoping that he wouldn't follow, but a little voice inside me urges me to stay and listen. Maybe it is the same side that is attracted to Sebastian, or maybe it's the side that is just hoping that he says something stupid again so I'll have a reason to punch him. Whichever one it is, it makes me stop, surprising Sebastian, who stops as well.
I turn to him, crossing my hands on my chest. "You've got one minute, what do you want?" I am sure that Sebastian can hear the irritation in my voice, but his lips turn up in a smile as he stares down at me. It is only now that I realize how tall he actually is, towering over me like a dark shadow. I probably look like an angry kitten to him, and the thought of it only makes me more irritated.
"Listen, Avani, I'm sorry for invading your privacy. I was just genuinely, humanly curious of the reason for your sad face. Please forgive me." His voice is soft like silk, wrapping around me and making my insides melt. His eyes drill into mine, trying to convince me to forgive his misbehavior.
His apology works on my body. Without even realizing it, I'm nodding my head and allowing a smile appear on my face. My mind, on the other side, is not happy with my body's reaction and definitely isn't ready to forgive and forget.
I look away from him, trying to regain some control over my mind. Whatever it is about him, it's making my mind weak and susceptible to his weak-ass apologies.
The professor exits the classroom, briefly glancing at me and then staring at Sebastian for an uncomfortable amount of time. Her staring is so obvious that I'm sure Sebastian has noticed it, but his eyes never leave my face. After a few seconds, the professor seems to have had enough of the incredibly handsome Sebastian Johns, or maybe she's just gotten embarrassed by her lack of manners, and she strides away, her heels clicking unevenly on the hallway floor.
My gaze returns to Sebastian, who's trying to make eye contact with me, his face completely serious and slightly intimidating. It almost makes me laugh as he looks quite hilarious doing so for the third time already. Suddenly a sense of silliness comes over me, and with a last sentence, I resume walking towards the exit. "You know what they say - curiosity killed the cat."
"I'd love to get to know you, Avani." Sebastian confesses as I'm enjoying a particularly needed cigarette, which quickly extinguishes the anger burning in me. I become calmer with each inhale and exhale. "You intrigue me." My forehead wrinkles at his blatant honesty and unexplainable curiosity. There is absolutely nothing interesting about me, starting with my bleak childhood up until the boring brown color of my hair. I inhale deeply, holding the smoke into my lungs and appreciating the slight burning sensation that I have grown to love.
I exhale the smoke through my nose, seeming to impress Sebastian, who's eyes are instantly drawn to the dragon-like action. "I don't think it's a good idea." I tell him honestly, not wanting to bore anyone with my lousy beginnings and be judged for mine or my mother's life choices. There is no one in the entire world who I have bared my soul to, not before I left, not now. I honestly never thought that people would be interested in my story. After the first few sentences, the story always gets depressing, which would definitely make any listener feel awkward.
His eyes move up to find mine. It seems like genuine concern is reflected in them as he probably contemplates exactly how messed up my life was. In comparison to my life, his must have been amazing - he probably had a loving family with a younger sister, who looked at him with adoration as he drove her around in his brand new car that his rich daddy bought him. Being so attractive, he probably had no problem getting his way, which was definitely not the case for me. He would probably never understand me.
"Well, maybe we should start at something easy." He smiles lightly, revealing a perfect smile. My teeth, although in very good condition despite my love of cigarettes, are not as sparkly white, making me feel a tiny bit self-conscious. "For example, where are you from?"
Ah, the things he thought were easy.
I hesitate for a second, trying to formulate the answer in my head so it wouldn't reveal too much already. It was hard, especially because we have moved so much that I didn't think that I belong anywhere. Heck, maybe this shouldn't be so deep. He won't know the truth anyway.
"Nebraska. I'm from Nebraska." I take one last hit of the cigarette before grinding it in the ashtray on top of the outdoor garbage bin. I start walking inside, not bothering to see if Sebastian was following, because I can feel that he is. Something about me has made him curious and now I get the feeling that he's about to follow me everywhere, asking me questions that don't make any real difference for him.
He catches up to me easily, his eyebrows furrowed once again. "Then what's up with the accent?" He asks, looking at me quizzically. Ah, that. Of course. I shrug, deciding that his first question was actually quite logical. A British accent in America always tends to turn some heads.
"My mother. She married to an American and moved here. She's from England." A smirk appears on my face. "That's what's up with the accent."
As we enter the hallway of the first floor, another question comes my way, complicating everything once again and wiping the smirk off of my face. "Did you live in Nebraska for your whole life?" There it is. The part where it gets complicated to explain everything.
Irritation, mixed with anxiety, starts growing inside me once again as I try to calm myself. The calming effect of the cigarette starts to fade away, making my answer sound harsh. "No. Next topic."
Registering the sharpness of my voice, his eyes focus on my face again. "You're not really talkative, are you?" He grins, running a hand through his - surprise, surprise - perfect hair. Everything about his looks is so stunning that it's beginning to annoy me. Moreover, it's confusing to me as to why he's paying attention to me at all. In our small walk to the grand stairway, at least ten model-like girls pass us, their eyes glued to Sebastian. Why is he bothering with the clean-up committee member, if he's easily able to get the prom queen?
With a stony face, I begin walking up the stairs, anxiously waiting for another of his questions that will make the irritation grow larger. How does he know where to hit with the personal questions? He walks in silence for a while, probably contemplating what the next personal and deeply inquisitive question should be. My next class is Microeconomics - a class that I dread due to my lack of understanding of General Economics that was taught during high school. I hope that the professor will start from the beginning, making it crystal clear for the less-understanding students, so I don't fail the course just like I did in high school.
"Where's your next class?" Sebastian asks again. We're almost on the third floor and I'm starting to feel the lack of air in my lungs, yet Sebastian seems completely unaffected by the walk, making me feel self-conscious again. Really, why is he paying any attention to me? He isn't breathless or moving slower due to the amount of stairs, like I am. He even has to slow down so I could keep up with him.
"Room 412." I said, pausing on the third floor to take a breather. I was aware that my smoking doesn't particularly help with my inability to breathe normally after any physical exercise, but I'm not about to quit. Normally, nobody is obsessing over me and I can suffer in silence, trying not to die after each set of stairs.
A smile appears on Sebastian's face as he recognizes the room. "Microeconomics. How great, more time for me to get to know you." He winks, his bright smile turning into a side-smirk. His husky eyes catch mine as I listen in horror, wondering how to finally get rid of this guy. A quiet grown escapes my lips, but he must've heard it, because he laughs at my reaction. "Happy to know you can't wait for it, too, Avani." We resume walking up the last flight of stairs, and Sebastian already has the next question ready, and it makes me frown. "Did you just finish high school or did you have a gap year between studies?"
Annoyed at his progressively-more-personal questions, I reach the fourth floor and begin marching towards the class, forgetting my breathlessness and extreme fatigue from the walk. My shoe lace, who I still haven't tied, decides that this would be the perfect moment to embarrass me and make me trip. Without making a sound, I feel the exact moment that my feet malfunction and the ground begins to close in on my face. I reach out my arms to soften the blow, but a strong hand catches me just as I my palms are about to make contact with the floor.
When I look up, I'm not even surprised to see that my savior is Sebastian. With a large smirk on his face, he picks me up and steadies me on my feet. "You know, you should really tie your shoelaces." His eyes fixate on my old, worn-down sneakers and it makes me uncomfortable, just because I can see that his feet are covered with brand-new Vans sneakers.
Just with his one sentence, any genuine gratitude I had for him, evaporates. I murmur a quick, annoyed 'thank you' and continue towards the classroom, trying to act calm, as acting cool is definitely out of the picture now, especially with at least five people probably noticing my clumsiness.
"So, what else can you not tell me about yourself?" Sebastian acts thoughtful, scratching his chin and making my eyes roll in annoyance. "Maybe you can not tell me about your parents? Do you still live with them?" The playfulness in his voice disappears as it is replaced by a more serious tone.
My breath hitches at the highly personal question, even though I realize that they wouldn't seem as personal to a normal person. Wincing at the thought that I'm in no way a normal person, I turn my head to admire some paintings on the wall on my right so that Sebastian cannot see my face. I contemplate what I can answer about my parents without receiving the 'pity stare', and decide on a simple, "No, I live alone."
Before Sebastian can ask me any more questions, we reach the classroom. It is in an old-looking corridor that is still clearly waiting for its turn for renovations. The door isn't open, so I lean against the wall next to the door. I partially expect Sebastian to stop next to me and continue his quizzing, but he walks past me and goes straight for the handle of the door. Before I can even manage to open my mouth to say that we still have time and that the door is probably locked, he opens it, revealing a classroom full of people.
The professor is talking about something with a boy sitting in the front, his back turned to the door, so I quietly slip inside the room past the professor and glance around for an empty spot. There is an empty table in the front, but I quickly rush past it as I know Sebastian will probably try to convince me to sit there with him so he can continue with his questionnaire. Instead of sitting down at the empty desk, I secure a spot in the back, next to a blonde girl who politely smiles as our eyes lock whilst I start walking towards her.
When I sit down, I triumphantly smile at an annoyed Sebastian, who is standing next to the empty desk. I contemplate on being childish and sticking my tongue out, but the audience watching our little game, makes uncomfortable to do so. In the end, I opt for a playful, discreet wink.
Sebastian, on the other hand, is not feeling playful. He begins striding towards me, but his attention isn't on me. Instead, his unique gaze is now turned to my desk mate, who is practically drooling at the sight of him. My eyebrow shoots up as I wonder what the hell Sebastian is doing. Will he ask the girl to switch with him? Will she do it? He approaches the girl from her side of the table, leaning closer to her and flashing his sparkling white smile at her, probably causing her to lose her mind. His eyes are serious, despite the charming smile on his face, as he looks deeply into the girl's eyes. Then he whispers something to her, quiet enough for me not to hear, but for her to understand. The girl nods and quickly stands up, shocking me and causing a pleased smile to appear on Sebastian's face as he stares after her. Did Sebastian ask her to join him at the empty table? Is this some fuck-boy way of trying to make me jealous? Because I hate to admit it, but it is working.
My questions are soon answered, as Sebastian takes the girl's place next to me, causing me to feel slightly irritated and just a tiny bit excited that he didn't leave me for her. Despite my feelings, I know that an involuntarily shocked expression has appeared on my face as I wonder how he did it. Is he a magician? Is it just good convincing skills that he encompasses? Or maybe is it just his good looks that gets him whatever he wants?
Clearly amused by my shocked expression, Sebastian smiles at me, a playful flame dancing into his unique eyes. "Can't get rid of me so easily, Avani."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone