Chapter Ten

I stared at the note in disbelief. I rubbed my eyes and read it again. Maybe I misread it. But it was the same secret admirer crap.

I found myself laughing. It was a dry humourless laugh.

"Okay whoever it is you can come out now. This was definitely funny". I waved the note in the air and glanced around the hallway expecting someone to come out from behind a corner holding his sides in laughter. But nobody did that, I only received curious looks here and there.

Okay, that was weird. But what if there's actually a secret admirer? I thought, checking again to see if there was someone lurking behind a corner and watching my reaction. No, it was definitely a prank. Maybe it was Sam, he loved messing around. Either that, or someone put the note in the wrong locker. The locker next to mine belonged to a hottie so that's a huge possibility.

I shook my body as if shaking away the thought of a secret admirer. I scrunched the paper into a ball and threw it away. Secret admirer my foot. A pig would fly before that happened.

***********************

Mrs Jones eyed us beadily, her ancient thick-framed glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose and all murmuring students held their peace. I smiled smugly.

They were murmuring because she said she was going to divide us in groups of twos for the food tests we were going to carry out now. Other science teachers let us choose our partners ourselves and that's exactly what these guys wanted. They wanted to work with their friends and frankly that's how it should be because the teamwork would be better that way. Not me though.

I did not want it that way. I'm sure you know why. No friends of course. If Sam was here then my choice would be different surely. For this reason, I was grateful that Mrs Jones was unusual.

I smiled looking around at everyone from my spot at the back end of the lab. Their rigid backs indicated their displeasure.

Mrs Jones was about to start pairing when the Elijah Dolly Samson casually walked into the Lab with all his glory. Olive High's Ladies man.

Mrs Jones sent him a scowl. "Care to tell me why you are late for my biology class Sam?" Yeah, another Sam. That was what most people called him by. I would never know what happened to the "Elijah". Samson was his surname for crying out loud. Since that's what he was called, I called him that too.

"Traffic was bad but I still take the blame". He smiled coolly revealing perfect white teeth. The girls were totally smitten by that one grin, some of them exhaled helplessly with dreamy looks on their faces. I couldn't blame them though. Once upon a time, I had a crush on һim but not for long. Besides he never noticed me. He was always surrounded by his jock friends and chicks from the cheerleading squad. Samson was effortlessly handsome. There was not one bad bone in his body. He seemed wild and untamed but at the same time he was charming in a gentle sort of. But the guy was a big time heartbreaker, he changed his girlfriends as often as he changed his briefs.

"You make taking the blame sound like an option". Mrs Jones scoffed.

"Wouldn't dare". He denied sweetly .

"Whatever you say, just sit your butt somewhere and let my class go on".

"Over here Sam". His close buddy, Catch— the same impudent idiot you know— motioned him over. Apparently he had saved a seat for him beside his. Samson made his way to him and sat down. Not before ruffling Catch's hair. I shook my head as Catch slapped his hand away. Kids, I thought.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted", Mrs Jones paused for a second to stretch out a neatly folded piece of paper in front of her. "Here's how its going to be. I call you and then I call your partner alright?"

Everyone except me grumbled in reply.

"I can work with that". Mrs Jones shrugged. "Rita Lodge and Peter Kirkman".

"Oh no". Rita and Peter said a little too loudly at the same time and we laughed. Obviously they didn't like each other. More pairs like this were bound to come up with Mrs Jones.

I did not care who I got as a partner. If the person was a slacker, even better, I get to to the work alone and faster. I could confidently say biology was my forte. And so she went on calling the names eliciting more groans of displeasure. We were only thirty I'm the lab so there should be fifteen pairs. She had just finished calling the eleventh pair when I heard my name.

"Alexandria Hamilton," I held my breath, "and Elijah Dolly Samson". Huh?

A few unpaired girls sighed in disappointment. I would probably be receiving death stares today. Samson turned and looked round the room, no doubt looking for me. Did he even know what I looked like? Maybe I should wave to him and spare him the trouble. His eyes met mine. Okay, he definitely knows me. He waved and flashed me a smile. Not knowing how to reply to that unexpected action, I nodded and looked away. A stiff nod at that. From my peripheral vision I saw him look away too and face his front.

Why, weird things keep happening.

After the pairing was done, Mrs Jones refolds the paper she had just read from and focused on us again. "That's it. Now go to your partners and carefully carry out the food tests like I have explained before and write down your observations and inference. Obviously all you need, the food substances, apparatuses, reagents and solutions have already been placed on each table for you. You can get your Lab coats yourselves. For those who have forgotten because their brains are already filled to its capacity, feel free to check your textbooks and for the guidelines and procedures. I would be going round to check your work as you progress".

Those who had their textbooks opened quietly shut it. They were embarrassed, thanks to Mrs Jones beautiful insult.

People who were changing tables gathered their things and moved. I remained on my table, It was a good spot. Samson shuffled over and sat on the high stool. "Heyyy".

I frowned. Why was he sounding like we were old friends? "Hi". I greeted back, rubbing my neck.

He held out his hand to me which I hesitantly took "I don't believe we've really met. I'm Elijah but they call me Sam. You can call me whatever you want". Insert eye roll here. Whatever I want right?

"Dog poop" There was a pause as we both realised what I just said.My hand flew to my mouth but the words were already out. Talking to a stranger like that I must be out of my mind. If it was a serial killer, he would surely kill me tonight. Before I could apologize for my slippery tongue, he chuckled. I looked up and his gleaming bluish green eyes bored into mine. His forehead creased as if a thought just popped into his mind. Then the corner of his mouth quirked up. Like my Sam, he was also tall. Maybe the same height.

This was the first time being this close to him, so I took in the sight. And to be honest, all things like I already have a boyfriend and old crush aside, he was really a wow. Those eyes like mixture of sapphire and emerald glowed against fair skin. A lock of his thick tousled dark mahogany hair hung lazily down the side of his face. He had angular features like a perfect sculpture. There was nothing artificial about him. He had natural good looks and he knew this. But that does not give him the right to play with the feelings of girls who liked him. That was the only thing I held against him and the only reason I put him in my black book.

𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦d.

"Hey". He said and I realized I've been staring. A flush crept up my cheek.

"I'm Sorry".

"Don't. It happens all the time you know".

I quirked a brow. "You're called dog poop all the time?" He certainly didn't look like one, not even close.

"What? No!" He was taken aback. "I-I thought you were apologizing for staring at me so intently".

Now it was my turn to be startled. "No. No! I wasn't apologizing for staring. Hell, I did not even stare". I crossed my arms and stuck my nose in the air. Happens all the time, huh. "You know what, let's just get this tests over and done with".

"Oh, okay. I'll get the lab coats". He chuckled again and went to get them. I exhaled heavily. I needed to put myself together before he came back.

I examined everything on the table first. We were going to start with the test for starch. I brought the little piece of bread and iodine solution forward. Samson came back almost immediately wearing his coat and handed me mine.

"Thanks". I took it and put it on.

"Wow doesn't this bread look savory". He reached out and took the bread in his hand looking at it adoringly.

"Don't even think about it". I drew my lips back in a snarl. Boys and their appetite.

He returned it and raised his hands up in the air in surrender and gave me a lopsided grin. "Bossy". The corners of his eyes crinkled as he added in a lower voice, "I like it. Damn sexy".

My brows snapped together, I regarded him with narrowed eyes. Was he trying to add me to the list of girls whose pants he has gotten into? Never gonna happen dude, I'm better than that.

"Get your note and do the recording. I'll do the test". I said sharply and got to work with my mouth set in a hard line leaving room for no further conversation.