14 A Girl Named Noelle

[Noelle's POV]

'I'd been noticing this for a while now, I'd been noticing…him. He'd changed. He used to look so goofy and cute but now Damon had something cold and sinister about him.

He seemed scary and weirdly smarter, at first I thought it was just my imagination and that he'd be back to normal soon enough. But then when I saw him speak to the teacher that day, I knew within me that something had changed about him.

I can't believe he caught me staring at him the other day, Ugh I feel like such an idiot. He didn't even smile or anything, he just…stared back, coldly.

I shouldn't be thinking about this.' These were the thoughts that passed through my head when I was alone in class. I arrived particularly early and was bored out of my head.

I scanned the class and saw some familiar yet unfamiliar characters, people whose faces I'd seen but didn't speak to at all and I felt lonely.

My friends hadn't arrived and I thought of what I could do to pass time, then he walked in. I looked to the door and saw his large figure begin to approach. It was Damon.

'Don't look up, don't look up, don't look up.' My face turned bright red as I felt him pass beside me. He radiated a cold, frosty aura that shook me to the bone.

I tried my best not to look at him and my attention was finally diverted when my friends arrived. I composed myself so as not to look odd and played along as we laughed and smiled together.

It went on like this for a while until the teacher arrived, classes went on as usual for a while before the teacher decided to make an announcement.

"Today class, we will be having a pop quiz," she said. 'Pop quiz! This is the worst, I haven't prepared at all for this, uhh why' I thought.

My grades weren't exactly at the best of places currently and even though I did my best, classes were…hard. I'd already caused enough trouble for my parents when I enrolled into this cram school.

Most of my classmates got better grades than me even without having to attend and this brought a sort of shame to my family and so I studied hard, hopefully my studying manages to pan out for me, I couldn't afford to fail this test.

"Everyone put your books and bags away. Damon, would you like to help me pass the question sheets around the class?", said the teacher and everyone in the class looked at the lone figure positioned at the very end of the class.

Everyone except me, I didn't want to get another one of those stares from him.

"No, thank you," he said and there was a large uproar of murmuring around the classroom.

I noticed the teacher frowning and began to think, 'oh no!, what if she punished him?, what should I do?' And summoning all the courage within me, I spoke.

"I'll do it, ma'am, if that's no problem," I said without thinking and immediately regretted it.

The teacher directed her gaze to me and said "Fine then, have it your way. Take the sheets from my desk and pass them around the class."

"Yes ma'am" I said, leaving my seat and hurriedly doing as I was told.

I passed the sheets without issue till I had one last sheet to give out and sure enough, it was to Damon.

'No, you can do this' I thought and I walked up to him and as I was about to drop the sheet, my body seemed to freeze.

'Oh no, move! Please!' My thoughts were in chaos and once again I was jolted back to life when he spoke.

"Uhm, can I have my sheet?" He said locking his eyes with mine.

"Oh I'm sorry" I said as I gave him his sheet and hurried back to my seat. I felt my face turn bright red and I was so embarrassed, but I wouldn't let that make me lose my composure.

Right now I only had one thing in mind and that was passing this test.

I took my seat and soon after the test commenced. It wasn't that hard for me thankfully and I answered most of the questions without worry.

However, only a couple minutes into the exam. I heard footsteps from someone behind me and looking back I was shocked to see that it was Damon, clutching his bag in one hand and holding his sheet in the other.

He walked up to the teacher submitted his sheet and left, and as I expected, the whole class was as surprised as I was and everyone began murmuring loudly again.

"Quiet!" The teacher yelled and the murmurs died down.

I felt like I had to speak to him, I was worried about him and hoped he was alright. I didn't know what I would say if I met him, but I was genuinely concerned about him.

And right then and there a newfound courage came over me. I was almost done with my quiz and hurriedly finished my remaining questions, submitting my sheet and leaving.

As I hurried out of the class and onto the corridor, I looked in both directions and sure enough there he was walking in my direction.

I froze, and simply stared at him and he did a good job of avoiding my gaze. He came closer and closed until he walked right past me and I felt my heart sink.

'No! I'm speaking to him' I thought and I summoned the courage to grab his arm.

He looked back at me with expectant eyes and I said "Damon, can I please speak to you?" I was so shy and flustered and I let go of his arm.

He turned and faced me, towering over me as he was way taller than me.

"Alright, I'm listening" he said with a cold deep voice.

"Well, I-I was wondering if-if you could" the words refused to leave my mouth. I just wanted to know how he was and if he was okay but that didn't seem to want to work.

"Yes? I have to leave so hurry it up" he said not breaking eye contact.

He gave off this manly vibe and spoke confidently and I couldn't help but admire him. 'Alright, I know what to do' I thought and I summed up all the courage I had within me to speak.

"I was wondering if you could tutor me in your free time." I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth, yes I needed a tutor but definitely not him, I couldn't think straight around him and if he tutored me that meant I'd have to see him everyday.

'I hope he declines' I thought, my face turning bright red once again.

"Alright then" he said as he opened his bag to take a book out, tore out a sheet of paper and wrote his email address on it and then passed it to me.

"Just email me the details, I have to go now" he said as he turned and began walking home.

I simply stood there, stunned and taken aback. It was easier than I expected but that was definitely not the response I was hoping for.

He didn't even smile or say goodbye and I didn't know if I should've been sad or happy.

I just stood there.