CHAPTER ONE

The warning bell rang having everyone shove and squeeze through the doors as they hurried in class leaving the poor Jean behind, tripping. She knelt down scouring the area for her glasses without any luck whatsoever when a blurry tall figure had held her hand. “Are you looking for this?” the voice whispered warmly in her ear, she looked up to meet his graze but couldn’t make out how the blurry figure looked like. He places them on its rightful spot on her face quickly regaining her vision she blushed thanking the man who was wearing glasses as well. He was handsome and young his dirty black hair barely combed or styled as if he had just woken up, he was neatly dressed and looked no more than twenty. Although she had just met him, he looked oddly familiar but she couldn’t place a finger on it. As he extended his hand to aid her up, she thanked him hugging her books against her chest flinching, she had forgotten the fact that she was still in school nearly late for her third period class. He flashed a warm smirk, messing her hair as she motioned her in the classroom.

The school year had just started and Jean was entering her second week as a junior in Webby High School. Although she was smart, she had weak points with computers and photography, she was sure they had mixed her schedule with someone due to the fact that she didn’t signed up for the elective class. She was shy and didn’t like taking much pictures of herself, which was a complete turn off to most guys who found her really cute when she removed her spectacles. Unlike her brother, she wasn’t conceited and good with the camera as everyone would hope, she rarely took self-pictures and only did one for the school profiling. She was considering on dropping the class when her professor, Mr. Birch, had introduced the man who had helped her not too long ago in front of class. Tilting away from her designating computer the fully assess him he flashed a knowing smirk at her.

“As some of you may know, this is Tristan Carols he had just graduated last school year and is currently attending Webby College. He is one of my favorite students who had helped the video productions club for four consecutive years catching most of our proudest moments with his passion of photography. He is also planning to follow his father’s footsteps to become a photographer.”  He said sincerely praising the young man besides him.

Jean was at awe she couldn’t believe someone so young could be so talented so passionate of his work, so he was the young man behind the scenes, he was the one who handled the school’s yearbooks, ID’s any anything that dealt with the schools profiling and major events. It was ironic how she’d want to avoid others from looking at her picture but he himself had probably stumbled on them. It was shameful and embarrassing what if he was secretly humoring her? She thought, panicking at the spot. Jean was too busy panicking she had drawn so much attention towards herself as shown by the numerous eyes that watched her, eyes filled with curiosity.

Mr. Birch turned towards her direction lifting an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Miss Beck, is something wrong?” Jean shook her head, her face heated from her blush. “Sir, May I be excused?” Mr. Birch nodded as Jean exited the class and dashed towards the girl’s restroom. Jean buried her head in the flooded washbasin this seemed to be the only way she could help herself calm down. This would cool off her heated face, as well as give herself some time to think.

 She heard a knock at the entrance door, she wondered why someone would knock when the door was open and free for anyone’s disposal, if you were a girl of course. Tristan had let himself inside still wearing his trademarked side smirk.

“What are you doing here, this is the girl’s restroom!” she screamed stepping back cautiously. “I was just worried, are you alright?” Tristan stepped closer handing her a handkerchief from his back pocket. Jean nodded accepting it. Tristan chuckles, taking it from her hand as he rubbed it against her damp hair. “Usually someone would find it weird if they found you dunking your head on toilet water.” He half joked, now combing down her wet strands with his delicate fingers. Jean blushed taking a step back. “Like I said w-why are you in the girls b-bathroom.”

It was trespassing, and a violation from the school code. He could even get in deep trouble considering he is no longer a student attending her school. Tristan took a step forward, having her step back, the pattern continued until Jean was back flat against the wall as he leaned towards her with an a few inches above her head. Jean looked away shyly he was too close literally invading her personal space.

“Like I said, I was worried.” He whispered, inching his face closer to hers. Jean could feel her heart racing. She was always nervous whenever she was talking to people and now being in a close distance to a guy she barely knew, she was at her limit. He smirked his expression was rather serious while examined the beauty’s façade. “Just as I suspected, you don’t have friends do you?” Jean’s face flushed once more, she couldn’t take this harassment any longer. “That’s none of your b-business.” She muttered her voice shaking as she avoided his eye contact. She wasn’t good with people and really wished he could step back, but he didn’t.

Once more, Tristan shamelessly continues to interrogate Jean who was close to breaking down in tears, this time his face was poised near her ear. “Do you have a boyfriend?” he cooed, his breath tickling her ear, Jean hesitated it was a personal question and chose not to answer.

“I’m sorry too personal.” He apologized removing his hand from above her this time patting her head like a child. “They’re probably worried about you, shall we head back?” Jean nodded following him from behind. Her cheeks were still hot, her glasses kept fogging up, her hard beat was still racing and her feet felt surprisingly weak. She was nervous, but it was different, it’s not that stage fright kind of nervous feeling she had when she interacted with others, it was more of her being speechless when he talk to her alone, when her heart would suddenly begin to beat fast, and she couldn’t understand what she was feeling at all.

Like a gentle man, he moved aside to let her in first. Mr. Birch along with the rest of the class had eyed her as she walked in. “Miss Beck where have you been?” before she could answer, Tristan drapes an arm around her shoulder. “I found this young lady stuck in the girl’s restroom, someone probably pulled a prank on her, and she was close to having a mental breakdown.”  Tristan lied; Mr. Birch examined Jean, nodding as he took the bait.

“At least you are alright Miss Beck, please take a seat.” The man then faced Tristan, “it’s always a pleasure to have you here Tristan.” The man’s words were affectionate towards his former student. Tristan drapes an arm to the man besides him; compared to the teacher he was a lot taller and treated the elder man more of a friend than a previous teacher.

“I’m always willing to help Mr. Birch I don’t really mind helping around to mentor your students.” His eyes directed to Jean who was more of a shock than Mr. Birch was, as seen by how her jaw dropped down on the floor once she heard him say that.

“Really, it would be an honor. You really are a nice man Tristan.” Mr. Birch childishly teases Tristan’s hair as if to act more of an elder brother towards him. He turned towards Jean’s direction where he quickly flashed a sly wink. Once more, Jean’s heart began to race and her obvious heated blush began to show as she turned away.  Once he got the expression he hoped for her to make, he continued to thank the man besides him. “No prob. Third period sounds nice since before that I could go straight to lunch and College.”