Three

"Is the author of the book successful in bringing out the loss of life?"

The question rang in my ears at a distant. But I didn't want to think about it. To me, there were other issues. I had a freshly divorced mother with me. I was living with one kidney. My skin was burnt and ugly. And I was afraid of the traitors.

But the most haranguing problem was Mr. Blue eyes who was sitting inches away from me.

It had been fifteen minutes, but he had acted as if I had never existed.

"Mr. Rivers could you be able to express your personal opinions to the class?" Mr Lennox requested and Mr. Blue eyes stood up with an easy grace.

His personal opinions? On what?

I was looking at his fingers which were constantly tapping the table.

"The author is very frustrating. Her language is so lengthy and very descriptive. She has not been able to make the reader happy. And the main character, Scarlett O'Hara is stubborn, selfish, pitiless and very ungrateful..."

"I don't agree." I blurted to myself.

Mr. Lennox was looking at me.

"That was from his perspective Miss Waltz. We would want to hear from you if you may," he grumbled.

I avoided Mr. Blue eyes and sheepishly stood up.

"Scarlett O'Hara was a beautiful young lady. She had many admirers but she couldn't be happy. So she ruined herself. She ruined the beauty she had. She ruined the freedom she had. And most of all she ruined her own family; her own home. In this regard, we should expect the character to be stubborn; and even selfish cause she's trying to protect everything that's still left for her. So I see her as a strong woman. The author is very successful to make the reader understand this."

Mr. Lennox nodded approvingly.

"That's what Ms. Waltz thinks about Scarlett and the author. Who else would like to express their opinions?"

A girl stood up and said something to which I was not listening.

Mr. Blue eyes was wincing beside me.

But I was happy with myself for saying the truth.

"I didn't like the book anyway," Mr. Blue eyes began, avoiding me, " it's totally a sad story."

"Sad stories are true, there are not fairytales," I replied looking down.

"I guess you are a sad person if you love a sad book," he remarked looking straight at me.

Again, I stood mesmerized by the blue ocean in his blue eyes. There were the same color, naked blue.

"And you must be the happy person," I admitted, half smiling.

Mr. Blue eyes dropped his gaze away from mine.

"The happy prince was not happy, Scarlett," Mr. Blue eyes said to me. I was stupefied.

Did he call me Scarlett?

Before I tried to sort it out, the bell rang and the class was dismissed. Mr. Blue eyes had already gone by then.

***

"Did you enjoy Literature today?" Shane, my new friend asked me as we were having lunch at the cafeteria.

"Not much exactly, what about you?" I asked.

"We were marking maps today. I did not enjoy it very much." He stated, playing with the pasta tangled in his plastic fork.

"Do you go on dates?" He asked me suddenly.

I was shocked.

"I'm not into guys much. Why do you ask?" I stammered.

"No it's nothing. You might not want to date anyone here..."

"Why? What's wrong with them?" I asked again.

"Here guys date for advantage. First date and you loose your precious gift of purity. So don't go with anyone you don't know," he said.

"What does that got to do with me?"

"They might know that you are a virgin and hunt you down. They like the unexperienced," he murmured in a low voice.

"Oh."

"Anyway, don't trust anyone here." He warned me.

That includes Shane as well, I thought to myself.

Suddenly, Mr. Blue eyes entered the cafeteria. His jaw was fixed straight and he walked with easy, graceful steps. Despite everything, he looked angry.

"Who's he?" I asked Shane.

He directed his attention towards Mr. Blue eyes.

"That's Adrian Rivers, the Romeo and the Head boy at school. His father is the owner of Reinforce limited. You might not even believe, but he has his own BMW. Believe me, he's the richest kid in Florida. But don't try to be friends with him, he's not the nicest person here," Shane explained.

"Well he looks angry..." I muttered to myself.

"He's always like that. God knows what's going on in his damned head..." Shane keeps saying as if he had heard what I had said.

Just then Ziara Parker appeared and approached Mr. Blue eyes or Adrian.

And the next minute she was throwing her hands around him, forcing him for a kiss on the lips.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Ziara asked Adrian, her faces inches apart from his angry angelic face.

"Don't make any scenes, Ziara," he warned her.

"I'm your girlfriend! Don't I have the right to know why you are angry?" She said.

What? Adrian has a girlfriend?

"Not anymore, Ziara Parker. Whatever that's been going on between us, it's over. I'm ending our relationship right here, right now." Adrian said without much feeling.

"Are you out of your mind? YOU WONT EVER FIND A GIRL LIKE ME!"She shrieked.

Adrian dismissed her with his hand.

"Actually Ziara, I had never liked you. So I guess it's over for us. Goodbye, Sweetheart. Don't break your heart."

He walked away and left Ziara crying on the floor.

After the scene, Shanes spoke to me in a 'I told you so' voice,

"That's what happens to girls here."