Page 32 of Don’t Forget Me

“Don’t be like that just because he ruined your first day yesterday.” Camille turned her chair to face me.

“That’s who you’re talking about?” My voice rose involuntarily. My book fell on my lap as my gaze bulged when I realized that she’d been drooling about Ezra. There was nothing about him that could cause any sort of admiration in my mind toward him. Nothing except for his eyes, his hair, his stature.

No.

He was annoying and unattractive.

Camille had a wild expression. As if she didn’t understand just how much that guy infuriated me. I breathed in, closing my eyes for just a second to search for calm. Once I opened my eyes and looked back at her, anger still gripped my essence.

“You should go for it. Perhaps then he’ll leave me alone.” A soft expression curved at my mouth. Sighing, I pushed myself from my bed and grabbed my brown leather purse. My gifted MacBook from the school, leather notebooks, and quill pens were stuffed inside. “I have to head out. My next session is on the other side of campus.”

She seemed tense as I walked passed her. I could hear her muttering a quiet farewell to me once I closed the door behind me.

My next class was with Ezra, and hopefully, he wouldn’t sit next to me. I wished and hoped and yearned to be distanced from his obnoxious company. But as I walked past the thick threshold of the lecture hall, he was already sitting in the same seat as yesterday. Most of the chairs were occupied by other students. Some of them were also sitting on the bench-tops.

What was it with them sitting on tables to have conversations with one another? Were chairs not appealing enough to them?

And then a plan formed in my mind. If he wanted to annoy me, then I would do my very best to win his little game. I neared him, a sarcastic smile forming over my lips as I settled beside him.

“You’re not going to run away, are you?” he asked tentatively.

“You’re not going to breathe while I sit here, are you?”

“What did I ever do to you to cause such reactions from you? I’m simply trying to be your friend,” he questioned.

“I don’t make friends with morons who think they deserve all the attention of the world.” The edge of my gaze peeked at him, and I noticed the line his lips formed.

“What’s the matter? Has a girl never disliked you before?” I asked.

“That’s not what this is about,” he began.

“No, you’re right. It’s much deeper than that, isn’t it? You were raised with daddy’s money, maids rushing around your mansion on your every whim, and mommy buying you everything your heart desired,” I said. “Is that what this is about? Someone doesn’t do what you want, so you start to freak out and search for ways to manipulate the individual into doing your will. Starting with the talking and the cordialness.”

Ezra’s brows shot up before his expression was replaced with the same arrogance that made me want to explode. It just reminded me of Mario’s pride. His unwillingness to admit his mistakes. That was one thing that would always bother me about anyone.

How dare this boy believe he was worthy of my time? How dare he try to convince me to talk to him?

Talking required the act of opening one’s heart to another. And I didn’t do that.

“Well, it seems as though I got what I wanted. You just spoke more words right now than you have in the entire week you’ve been here,” Ezra said.

I groaned and rolled my eyes, switching my stare toward the front of the classroom, to the worn chalkboard at the center. I decided to pull out a book from my backpack as he continued to chat about his success in making me talk.

“You know, everyone said I wasn’t going to be able to make you talk. That I should give up, but here I am. The winner of our little contest,” he said.

I growled.

“I despise you,” I muttered.

“Do you? Or do you just find me irresistible?” he chuckled.

My energy seemed to drain as I fumed. I looked down at the pages before me. Skimming through the symbols inked on them, trying my best to force my mind to latch onto the words, but they slipped from my grasp at every attempt.

The class commenced moments after, and I thanked God for it. I was saved from suffering with the silence between us, although he seemed rather pleased with my stifling with the soundless conversation being held through our glances and glares.

It was only my second day attending lectures, and I already felt like I was falling behind.

I stared at the binder before me. I couldn’t believe how much homework I already had. How could this even be possible? The semester had begun yesterday. Then again, it was the Spring semester, and they already had a consistent curriculum since last September.