Dark Reality 7-Book Boxed Set
Page 84
Chapter 7
The second of two electronic bells sounded and signified that Gabriel was late for his third period English class. His meeting with his academic adviser had taken far longer than he had estimated. Additionally, he had to meet with the school nurse, the principal and had received a tour of the campus from the student council president Evelyn, an overly enthusiastic girl with braces on her teeth.
When the tour was finally over, Gabriel proceeded to his first class at Harbingers High School. He consulted the campus map Evelyn had given him and arrived at Mr. Adams’s third period English class. He rapped his knuckles against the door, lightly at first. There was no response, so he knocked louder. A tall, lanky man with gray hair opened the door and accepted his late pass signed by the principal.
All eyes focused on him as he entered the classroom. The unfamiliar sensation of discomfort resurfaced. Unsure of exactly how to manage it, Gabriel shifted his weight from one leg to the next, waiting for instructions. But he did not receive any. Instead, he received a formal introduction.
“Class, your attention would be nice. Okay. Direct your eyes to the front of the room, please. Thank you. People, let’s welcome Gabriel James,” Mr. Adams rambled with a pronounced nasal twang then directed him to sit at an empty desk near the rear of the room.
As Gabriel scanned the room, he saw many unfamiliar faces; most were unremarkable, but friendly, nevertheless. One male student among them did not seem altogether friendly, however. Though seated, Gabriel could tell he was tall and athletic. He watched Gabriel through narrowed eyes, all the while wearing a crocked smile that revealed a single dimple in his right cheek. Gabriel met his gaze, did not look away, but matched the dimpled boy’s intensity. His intention was not to be confrontational. He merely wanted to make plain that large athletic high school students posed no threat to him, that he was not intimidated in the least, that he felt no fear. Gabriel watched as the boy with the dimpled cheek ran a hand through his spiky blond hair and turned to the person sitting next to him and whispered loudly
“pretty boy” then laughed. The person to whom he spoke did not share in his laughter. Neither did Gabriel.
Gabriel intensified his stare, his face expressionless. He guessed that his posture and stony aspect warned the dimpled boy off for he immediately fumbled with his textbook and submerged himself in its content with urgency.
Satisfied that the fleeting incident between him and the boy with the dimpled cheek had been adequately handled, he scanned the room again quickly. Mr. Adams had finished his rather winded inaugural presentation and ushered Gabriel to his desk. Upon closer inspection, he realized the seat assigned to him was next to someone he had seen before. His desk was beside the girl with the green eyes from earlier in the morning.
Her eyes were cast down, likely examining lecture notes. She looked up as he brushed past her desk, locked eyes with him for a split second. Without warning, his pulse rate accelerated again.
Gabriel struggled to understand the occurrence. His reaction to her was completely alien to him, yet not entirely unpleasant. He decided it would be beneficial to speak to the green-eyed girl. He reasoned that it was imperative to forge friendships as they were a necessary element of his integration process.