SUTTON

TAMARYN

It's the first day of school. After quarrelling about who would take us to school and throwing a few things at each other, my mother dropped us off.

It's senior year, the school's buzzing, the cheerleaders are looking for recruits, and the nerds are already halfway through their textbooks.

I walk up the steps, my brother behind me as usual. I bump into literally the hottest, sexiest boy, causing my brother to collide with my back. The boy looks down at me “I am so sorry, I should have been paying more attention” he says genuinely. My brother, the tool that he is jumps between us “you need to watch where you’re going dude” he says to the boy, who apologizes again and walks past us.

The first period is Biology, I sit in the first column at the second desk. I never had a lab partner, everyone avoids me. Who would want to hang around the weird girl?

Mr Brown the headmaster enters our class and speaks a few words to Mr Hernandez and motions for someone to come in. In comes the guy from earlier, he is tall, black tousled hair and he has such strong arms. “Class, meet your new classmate Sutton Malaki, he will be joining us for the rest of the school year.” Mr Hernandez snaps me back to the present when he motions Sutton to my desk. Sutton walks over casually, looking surprised to see me again “the girl with the hostile boyfriend” he sorta acknowledges me sitting down. Not getting the joke I ask what boyfriend he means. “Mr Watch where you’re going” he imitates my brother Jeffry. Totally horrified and feeling way too uneasy I answer him “Eew No! Jeffry is my brother and sorry about that anyways”.

“So what’s your name,” he asks me almost flirtatiously. I look at him surprised, no one ever really cared to know my name or look at me that way. I am practically invisible. “Tamaryn,” I tell him. Just then Mr Hernandez gets us working.

After the bell rang for the second period and everyone had left Mr Hernandez came up to me “I know you have gotten used to having your own space, so I apologize for the inconvenience” he says.

“It is alright sir. It was getting kinda lonely anyways” I answer sarcastically. “I feel you will be a good influence on Sutton, but if he proves a nuisance to you I will move him,” he says apologetically.

“I don’t think that will be necessary sir,” I say, he nods and excuses me.

The next day was the same, mom and dad were at each other’s throats again. This time, however, we had to walk. Because dad had to take the car today. “Typical, I think they do it because they’re sick of us,” my brother said annoyed. I was just worried we would be late and I’ve never been late for English. A car stopped next to us, the driver's side window rolled down "Hey, hop on" Sutton asked but my brother didn’t want to. “If you wanna walk, fine. I don’t want to miss English” I told Jeffry, feeling annoyed at his childish behaviour. He promptly responded, “yeah, I will walk. Gladly!”. Ignoring him I got in the car. Sutton looked at me sympathetically “I know how annoying siblings can be. I have a brother too”. I gave him a small smile and nodded. We drove in silence. Country music was playing, he was humming to it softly. He looked so happy, genuinely content with life at that moment. He looks to me and smiles, a very warm smile. Does he like me? No, nobody likes me. Could he really like me? “Why?” I suddenly ask him. I wasn’t planning to, but it slipped. He looked at me puzzled “why what beautiful?” He asked me. I thought about dropping it but I decided ‘heck it’. “Why are you being nice to me?”

“I like you, you different” he answers smilingly and for the first time I feel something other than rage, I feel really happy “just different huh?”

“Yep. They don’t get you, but I do” he told me. I nodded looking straight ahead. We drove in comfortable silence and reached school with 20 minutes to spare. Jeff is going to be so late. I opened the door to climb out, “Sit till the bell rings” Sutton requested carefully. I thought about it for a second and dropped back into the seat closing the door.

“You know Tamie, I would really like to be more than just classmates,” he says leaning over, looking into my hazel eyes. Just an inch from my lips. I try to swallow the nervousness away and ask “Oh? What would you like to be then?” Realizing how sweaty my palms are getting, I rub them against my jeans. Leaning in even closer “how about friends, and from there we let things take their own course” he suggests putting some distance between us until he is leaning back against his door. Finally getting my senses back I reply “Sure, you would be the first though.” baffled he asks “your first friend?”

“Yep, not very popular,” I answer him. He further enquires about the classes and I agree to tutor him.

The day went by fast. Jeffry reached school during the first period and Sutton was being extremely nice.

After the last bell rings, Sutton puls me to one side and again hovers over me. “I was thinking I could drive you to school and back as payment for our afternoon sessions” he whispers into my ear, his warm breath on my neck. Feeling a little flustered and out of breath I answer “I can’t, I have higher-level math classes after school”

“You are such a nerd” he teases and nips at my ear with his teeth. I smile feeling dizzy, the sensations he is causing to my body mixed with the scent of his cologne are messing with my brain. “I will come and pick you up, what time do you finish?"

“At five” I answer pushing him out of my way. He winks at me and walks off. I pulled myself together and headed in the opposite direction to Miss Hamilton’s class.

I wasn’t able to pay attention during the whole lesson, so thank God I had read up on this topic prior. Miss Hamilton asked me to stay back after everyone had left “Is everything okay Steward, you seemed preoccupied.” She said with concern.

“I am sorry, I just have a lot of other homework and I am tutoring the new kid,” I said hoping to sound tired and not anxious. She understood and nodded “then off with you, go do your homework."