Instead of sitting far away from Skylar, I decided to sit next to him. It was the same seat I took the last time we had a class in that room. Hmph. I even saw the mischievous smile on Skylar’s face as he watched me walk across the room towards him. Despite the noise from my classmates, I could still hear Skylar’s whisper.
“Looking pretty as always, Azora.”
I sneered at his remark. His compliment might bring me some comfort, but I could hear the sarcasm in his tone. I turned to him and glared. “Shut up,” I warned.
I was surprised when he straightened up. The smile on his lips grew wider as he leaned his face closer to mine. I held my breath as I clearly saw his brown eyes.
“What if I don’t? What will you do, Zor?” he asked, his voice husky and low.
I forced myself to look straight ahead even though I could feel Skylar’s intense gaze on the side of my face. “Go on pestering the lives of others, but don’t waste my time,” I said angrily.
I heard him laugh, softly enough that only I could hear. He leaned even closer until I could feel his hot breath on my ear. “As you wish, Zor.”
He fell silent after that. I didn’t hear Skylar’s voice again, except when he was answering our professor’s questions. But I could still feel his gaze on me, like he was staring at me the whole time!
And I was not wrong. Our professor called Skylar and made him stand at the front. The professor asked him a question, which he answered correctly. Some of our classmates even clapped.
Professor squinted and nodded. “Go back to your seat and don’t let me catch you staring at Miss Briones again.”
I held my breath for a second. That bastard!
Skylar just smiled and walked back to our seats at the back of the classroom. I even saw from the corner of my eye how my classmates turned their eyes on me, as if teasing me about Skylar. I clenched my fist in annoyance. Why on earth was he doing this?
Skylar was not like this. He wasn’t the type to seek trouble, and this act of his would make him suffer for a while. I promised myself that.
He winked at me before sitting back in his seat next to mine. Now, more eyes were on us, and I was thankful that our professor cleared his throat.
“Do you want to learn or not?” he asked.
My classmates fell silent, and I didn’t notice anyone moving. They were all looking at the front. Good. Very good.
When I slightly peeked to my side, it was not good. It was bad because I saw Skylar. Although he was not staring at me, he was glancing at me from time to time, like stealing glances. Tss. Why did I even think of sitting next to him?
Right. Because he insisted earlier that I had a relationship with Anthony. Well, it was true on my part and I was just curious how he got that idea. I mean, I did not hear any gossip about that. Because if there were rumors spreading, I would have felt it from my classmates. But they were all silent. Yes, they were stealing glances at me, but it was because Skylar was putting on a show.
So I assumed that he did not hear it from gossip. I knew that Skylar was hiding something from me and I needed to know what it was.
After the class, instead of rushing out, I just sat there in my seat. It was eleven in the morning yet, and my next class was in the afternoon so I had plenty of time to waste. And I decided to waste it on Skylar.
He didn’t move either. He stayed in his seat, arms crossed, occasionally glancing at me. Maybe he was waiting for me to stand up, while I was waiting for him to stand up too.
Some of my classmates who stayed behind in the classroom noticed. The girls raised their eyebrows while the boys grinned. One even patted Skylar’s shoulder as he passed by our seats.
Talking about men and their egos.
Soon, it was just Skylar and me left in the room. The professor had left earlier, and I knew he wouldn’t come back until the afternoon. He usually ate outside the University. I saw him last time outside the campus gate.
“Zor,” Skylar suddenly called. “Aren’t you hungry?”
At his question, my stomach growled. I heard him laugh, and I sneered. I wanted to bring up what he said earlier, but my tongue was tied. I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
I was surprised when he handed me a biscuit. “No thanks,” I said, crossing my arms.
“Accept it. Your stomach is already complaining,” he said with a laugh.
My nostrils flared, and my eyebrows furrowed even more. I glared at him. “Forget it,” I said, turning away.
“Mmm…” I heard him bite into the biscuit he opened. “What are you still doing here, Zor?”
“Why keep calling me Zor? Are we close?”
He coughed at what I said, then grinned. He swallowed his food and took a sip from the bottled water in his backpack. He put it back beside his backpack.
“Why? You don’t like it?”
There was only one person who called me that, and it was Anthony. And I didn’t like it in the first place. “Stop wasting my time with your petty pet names.”
“Wasting your time?” He clicked his tongue. “I just asked what you’re still doing here. Don’t you want to eat? It’s almost twelve.”
I looked at the wall clock and he was right. It was almost noon and my stomach had been growling since dismissal.
I sighed. I turned to Skylar who was still staring at me. “It’s about Anthony,” I whispered.
I saw his eyebrows rise. “What about him?” he asked. His lips curved into a smile that made him look odd.
I furrowed my brow again. “I don’t believe that you heard it from gossip. Tell me, what made you think that I had a relationship with Anthony?”
Skylar shrugged and stood up without a word. “It wouldn’t be fun if I told you right now.”
He grabbed his backpack and walked out of the classroom. I exhaled in frustration. I quickly gathered my scattered things on the table. I should have packed them earlier.
“Skylar!” I shouted in frustration as I quickly slung my backpack and ran out of the classroom. “Skylar Angeles!” I yelled angrily in the hallway.
But I couldn’t see him among the many students scattered in the hallway.
Frustrated, I stomped my foot. How many weeks until I’ll get to see him again? Didn’t he know how hard it was to find him among the many students at the University?
Annoying!