Unrequited Love

Nikolai hates school, but just might find a reason to start...liking it.

I hate this place.

Nikolai thought as she slid into the cold wooden chair. She dropped her backpack beneath the desk and slowly clasped her hands together, biting her lip as her palms immediately started to sweat. She blinked several times to clear her conscious of any and all thoughts, knowing, from prior experience, that it would do no good to have anything on her mind when he walked in. Pushing her large, red-rimmed glasses further up her small, pert nose, she looked up when the hairs on the back of her neck stood proudly at attention and immediately felt her heart spike to a dangerous new level in her chest.

 

He was here.

One of the lords of the freshman class strutted in the classroom as if he owned the place, and Nikolai had to stop from slapping herself.

Idiot! Of course he owns the place. His father's one of the school governors! She licked her lip and started chewing on the thin piece of flesh, heart stopping immediately when fire brown eyes locked gazes with her onyx ones.

 

Tall and muscular for his sixteen years, Apollo Hawkins, was the epitome of gorgeous. An all around athlete and rich boy extrodinaire, he was,very popular. Silvery blond hair sat a top his head in a tangled mess, but, the more Nikolai looked, the more she noted that it suited him quite well. His eyes stood out like a fire raging above a sheet of snow, and burned anyone if they had the guts to stare into their debts for more than two measly seconds.

 

No one was dumb enough to do that. No one except Nikolai.

 

His bag was slung above his shoulder as he stalked further into the room, his eyebrow raising in a silent question when Nikolai failed to tear her gaze away from his. His long lips twitched slightly, and if it was a smile Nikolai couldn't tell, because it was gone only moments later, a scowl replacing it. Oddly, he was running his gaze up and down Nikolai's form, and she tore hers away, feeling red hot fire as it swam to her cheeks. She bit her lip and stared at the desk only inches away from her face, hypnotized, and squeezed her eyes shut, breathing deeply as he strolled right by her to get to his seat in the very back of the classroom. Feeling more self conscious than she had in all her fifteen years of existence, she pulled the tattered cream sweater closer to her bony body and prayed that he didn't take any more notice of her. Staring at him in private was one thing, but to have him notice and take note of the interest she had in him, was a complete other. Nikolai couldn't afford to have him know anymore.

 

The very air that surrounded him seeped deep into her lungs, and she caught a whiff of Apollo, of the strong, musky scent she was sure was his perfume, and prayed that it didn't leave her being.

God I am so pathetic. She hated herself for even looking at him, for feeling this way, for....

 

"Ms. Love?"

Nikolai snapped her head forwards when she heard her last name, and pushed her glasses even further up her nose. She blinked almost stupidly as she looked at her advanced placement English teacher, Mr. Chambers as he stood patiently waiting at the front of the classroom. A large, heavy looking stack of papers was snugly fitted into his left arm, and the other was tucked casually into his khaki pant pocket. He winked at her sincerely, then addressed the rest of the class.

 

"Everyone settle down. The results are in."

 

Those seven words sent the entire classroom into a state of chaos: male and female students alike shot off their seats and began speaking heatedly with each other, almost everyone questioning Mr. Chambers all at once to elaborate on his words. The man in question smiled brightly, though inched backwards a few paces at the attention and forcefulness of a few of his female students, and walked the distance to his teacher's desk and dropped the stack on top. He clapped several times, prying open his lips to yell when it was apparent that no one would take more notice.

 

"Yes, yes. You're all very excited, but settle down, please." he said again, encouragingly this time, and Nikolai shifted in her seat. She didn't miss the way his eyes would stray from her to someone seated in the back--she had her suspicions, but she didn't allow them to stray--and the way he would smile in a coy, knowingly sort of way. She wrung her sweaty hands....

 

Mr. Chambers walked from his desk and directly towards the aisle Nikolai was seated. Her heart pounded against her rib-cage, and she all but hung onto every word the man started to say. "As I said before, the results, of this year's play...have been chosen." He smiled brightly, passing Nikolai to venture further down the aisle. "And, your new Romeo is..."

 

Nikolai turned in her chair, ignoring the looks of scorn and hate directed at her by most of the cheer leading girls in the classroom, only to lock onto red hot ones that, again, were boring into her own.

 

"Apollo."

 

The females of the class all sighed in unison, and Nikolai was no less tempted than they were. She knew, from the moment that he entered for the part, that he would get it. There was simply no one else more talented an actor, than Apollo.

 

He was perfect at everything he did.

 

Apollo broke her gaze to nod to Mr. Chambers, no emotion appearing on his fair face, and leaned back comfortably into the chair, soaking in all the unwanted attention. He looked bored, Nikolai noted, that she was tempted to hide her mouth and snicker until she died, but she couldn't. It wasn't in her nature.

 

Mr. Chambers' smile widened as he turned, and Nikolai had a sinking feeling enter her stomach. Her heart started pumping far more blood than she was sure she needed and her knees bobbed noisily against each other. She chewed fervently on her lip and swallowed a lump as Mr. Chambers stopped directly beside her chair.

"And little Nikolai here," he looked down at her, and Nikolai shifted again, feeling the eyes of each and every occupant of the room as they zoomed in on her prone form, "Is this year's Juliet."

 

The noise level rose out of control.

 

Deftly, Nikolai heard curses and more protests from girls than she did boys, but as Mr. Chambers walked back to the teacher's desk, she chanced a look behind her. With her heart hammering almost painfully in her chest, she turned, and could've died as Apollo was gazing intently at her, like a lion taking in every inch of it's juicy prey. He was expressionless one instant, and in the next he smiled. It was small, and fleeting, but Nikolai was sure she saw the small upturn of his lips clearly, and the attractive shine in his reddish-brown eyes. He raised his head to take a better look at her, and as quickly as he could, winked once, twice, and a third time before turning his gaze away, and though the smile left, the painful hammering of her heart slowed until it was relaxed, almost contented, and her cheeks was lit afire once more.

Maybe being Juliet wouldn't be so bad after all.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

Just a lil something I cooked up, not sure if it's all that great, but...there it is! Thought I might try the short story thing for once.