14 The Same Class As Ryan!

"So, you like her?", asks Leroy all of a sudden.

"What?", questions Ryan, puzzled as he turns to look at his friend, Leroy.

"Goldie. The girl from this morning. I saw how you looked at her.", responds Leroy directly, with a knowing smile and a wink.

"..."

Without one word in response, Ryan turns away, ignoring the question as he continues walking ahead.

Leroy follows after him, not letting Ryan escape as he continues his merciless teasing.

"...saw how you wouldn't immediately let go of her even after saving her successfully. 

Hah!", he chuckles.

"You like her, don't you?", he asks Ryan with a naughty smile.

The fact that Ryan was being all dodgy about the topic meant that there was something real there. The girl had definitely caught his attention!

'Wow!'

To Leroy, it was intriguing, to say the least. He had never found his friend so attracted to a girl or anyone at all that he would willingly hold them affectionately in public for more than 3 seconds, even if by accident.

But with Goldie, it was completely different. Ryan had held her for nearly a whole minute!

Ryan sighs, exhausted. Of course, Leroy wouldn't let him live it down.

He himself didn't know why exactly he had held onto that girl for that long. Perhaps it was because he was just stunned by her beauty, he didn't realise what he was doing.

In any case, if he couldn't understand it himself, how could he explain it to Leroy?

"What's it to you? Do you know her?", questions Ryan, in an attempt to avoid the topic altogether.

Yes, that girl was pretty and caught his attention. Yes, he would like to see her again, if he could. 

More importantly, Leroy seemed to know her. He called her by name.

If Leroy knew her, then that would be good, because then he could tell him who she was. Not that he cared or anything…

It was only, he was just curious since this was the first time he ever saw her and she virtually ran away from him. That was abnormal behaviour. It was only reasonable that he would want to know why she would act so weird.

It wasn't like he definitely wanted to see her again, or something...

"Hahaha! I think you might have finally found your type!", exclaims Leroy in excitement, reading his friend like an open book. 

It was impossible to hide anything from Leroy. He knew him too well.

"This is nice… first time you showed interest in a girl. Of course, you like her.", says Leroy, throwing an arm across his friend's shoulder as they keep walking.

"Don't be ridiculous. Who likes anyone that quickly?", questions Ryan to his teasing friend.

"I just think she's pretty."

He responds honestly.

"Exactly! And… you're in luck."

Leroy adds with a teasing smile. 

"Yes, I know her. She's a friend!", he boasts.

"And you'll be seeing her sooner than you think.", he winks again.

"Huh?…", questions Ryan, confused.

"What does that mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough.", responds Leroy mysteriously before shifting his gaze to the descriptive golden plate hung high above the class entryway which they had just arrived at. 

The words, "CLASS 12A" were boldly inscribed on the golden descriptive plate.

"We're here. Class 12A. I'll be back. Make sure to keep a spare seat!", says Leroy with a bright smile that could light up the day and with a nice, friendly pat on his friend's shoulder before jogging off.

"Keep a spare seat?..."

Ryan begins to question Leroy only to find him already jogging off in a hurry.

He seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere and be back before the first period and could not wait behind for much longer. 

"Bye!", chirps Leroy, happily with a wave as he quickly disappears.

"Hah…", Ryan sighs, a warm smile lining his lips as he watches his friend leave.

'Leroy…', he reasons fondly, looking back up at the number plate of his class.

Leroy was such a unique character.

'Keep a spare seat huh…', he smirks.

Sure he would! He was glad that they were both in the same class this time. They would have more time to hang out together.

This year would certainly be fun!

___

Back at the Notice board…

"Jasmine Simons…", murmurs Jasmine as she searches for her name.

"Oh, Found it! I'm in class 12B!

And look… Leroy's here too. Just below my name!"

Jasmine chirps excitedly, finding her name.

"But I can't find yours yet… that's odd", murmurs Jasmine as she scans through the list.

Indeed, it was odd. Goldie was usually part of the top ten names in her class of thirty students. Her name should have been easily found somewhere at the top. Unless…

'I'm in a different class!'

Goldie reasons, turning to look at the next list for her grade with dread.

She directs her gaze to the list for class 12A, scanning from the top…

"Cory Adams… Michelle Sanders… Ryan Muller…", she murmurs, spotting Ryan's name high up on the list.

This was his class. She hoped that she would not see her name in this class. Not after what happened earlier this morning…

…and right there, at number 6 was her name, 'Goldie Markell' boldly spelt out on the list for class 12A.

She was in the same class as Ryan!!

"Ugh!"

Goldie faints, slumping to the ground weakly as her legs give way beneath her. She just realised... her woes were only beginning!

"Ahh! Goldie?... Goldie!", Jasmine panics as she sees her friend turn to mush and melt.

___

A few moments later…

Goldie stands, hesitating outside a classroom, staring at the golden description plate hanging above the doorway.

"CLASS 12A", it says.

'Yup. This is it.', reasons Goldie.

This was her reassigned classroom. The very classroom where she would have to sit in the same space with Ryan Muller, after screeching like a bird right in his face.

She had read the list over and over again, but no matter how many times she went over it, Ryan Muller's name was right there on the list for CLASS 12A. The same list her name was on. And her friend, Jasmine, just had to be placed in a different class this year.

She was all alone. Doomed to her embarrassing fate.

Standing outside, she could not tell what would be waiting for her inside, but naturally, she did not expect it to be good.

For one, she was late, so all the best seats would be taken away. And two, Ryan Muller, her crush whom she could not face, and whom she had so terribly embarrassed herself in front of just moments ago, would be seated right in there.

What's more, the rumours of what happened this morning must have spread around the school already. For sure, she would be getting a ton of weird looks on entry.

"Hah…", she sighs.

Whatever the case, she had to go in soon. For one, their new class teacher was already in class, probably starting introductions and taking attendance or something.

The sooner she went in, the better.

Mentally preparing herself for the worst, Goldie opens the door to her new class, "CLASS 12A", and walks in.

Instantly, she is greeted by silence and a flood of staring eyes, followed by hushed whispers.

"Hey, isn't that the school damsel?", asks someone in a hushed whisper.

"... screeched like a bird…", murmurs another in a barely audible flood of whispers.

The teacher stops addressing the class and turns to look at her.

"Can I help you, Miss?", asks the teacher with a polite, cheerful smile. 

'He seems nice. Thank goodness!', reasons Goldie. 

She was in luck.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. I'm Goldie Markell. I'm supposed to be in this class."

Goldie says timidly with her head lowered as she addresses the teacher very politely.

"Whoa… she's in our class??", someone whispers out loud.

Yet again, the teacher ignores the noise coming from the class and rather chooses to settle Goldie in first so he can easily get back to his activities.

"Oh, then there's no problem. We just got started.", responds the teacher with a smile. 

He really was nice. A young, handsome man in his early thirties.

"Take your seat.", says the teacher, directing Goldie towards the only empty seat in the class.

Instantly, the hushed whispers suddenly grow into a noisy buzz as the students seem riled up with interest.

Goldie, wondering why the students were getting excited, turns to locate the only empty seat in the class, just to find that it is a seat in the second row from the back, located right next to Ryan's window seat on the left-hand side!

The only empty seat in the class just happened to be the seat next to Ryan Muller!

The one person she wanted to avoid for the rest of her life!

'Oh no!'