“Ugh,” I grunted again, compulsively shacking my head with the noise. Two girls rounded the corner at the top of the stairs and I glanced tentatively in their direction, and I instantly regretted it. Disgust and loathing was written plainly upon their young, attractive faces. They took one look at me and their noses instantly wrinkled. ” Oh, for God sakes. I don”t stink as well, you stupid, upper class moron- ” the thought cut off, my mind completely stalled and then restarted only to stall again. I shook my head, trying to kick-start my brain and shove it into gear. I was horrified at the noise the filled the hall. Teenagers milled around me, pushing past the reach the racks. My gear was scattered on the floor. How long had I been standing there, staring? Staring at what? And why was my heart thudding, giving a beat to all the commotion the students were making. Memory was slowly returning. I spun and looked to the ground where my gear lay scattered upon the blue floor. His huge, brown eyes met mine. My mind stalled again and everything went spinning.

My blue desk supported my numbed head as I rested from the shock. An elbow jabbed continuously in my side from the dick head assigned to sit beside me. His deep, annoying chortle resonated in my ears. I blocked it out and lay my head back down. The background noise of kids struggling over maths problems or mucking around with their mates played somewhere in the back of my mind, though none of it registered. I heard the short blonde teacher call my name, a slight twinge of worry twisted amongst her usual irritation. Ronnie”s throaty speech responded and then cut off. I groaned. Daydreams assaulted my mind. No. Not daydreams. Real dreams. I’d fallen asleep. Dreams flitted through my mind. His eyes haunted me. I swear I was talking in my sleep. My face was pushed in from the flat desk, as I started awake. His eyes were the first things I saw as he rustled me lightly awake. His dark Asian face was close to mine. Too close. My heart thudded loudly and I was amazed no one heard.

“You should probably come on out,” He said, his English perfect, though with a slight accent in his singing voice. He smiled. It was sweet, I noticed, and it sickened me. I stumbled up. I had been sweating in my seat and my back stuck to the chair. I stumbled out, knocking everything on the way. The door was too narrow so I had to turn sideways. He chuckled behind me. I grimaced in embarrassment. Upon throwing my gear carelessly in my bag, one of the only two left on the rack, I fled quickly down the stairs, tripping over my huge feet and almost falling flat on my face. I rounded the corner and sighed gratefully at the sight of my blue painted and peeling bench over in the distance located inconveniently half in the sun and half in the shade. I retreated to the familiarity to think, and reflect. His cool, dark eyes still sparkled in my mind, haunting me. Consuming me. Filling me. I shuddered in repulsion. Or was it happiness, or hope? I don’t know.

I don’t know.

After a few minutes of sitting and staring off to space I got up and walked briskly to the bus stop. I hoped it hadn’t already left. My Ipod appeared automatically in my hand, and the screen flickered to Space Lion, my most recent favourite song. I turned it up full, cutting off all other noise. Finally, silence. A place I could think.

The eyes followed me home.