Gym. Gym was the worst possible class in the whole of the universe. Who thought it would be okay to get a bunch of students — who the majority of them were bossy and competitive — to participate in exercise?

I always wanted the teachers to separate the loud and athletic students from the quiet and reserved students like myself. I had no shame in saying I wasn't athletic.

We still didn't know who got onto the cheer team. None of us had gotten told, but there was some gossip about who did well and who didn't — and Cadence's and I's performance had been talked about quite a bit. I wasn't one for attention, to be honest, I didn't particularly like it because it meant being friends with snobby, self-centred people, but I really did hate attention. I preferred being by myself because it was quite reassuring knowing I had myself to look after, not worry about everyone else. But now I've got new friends and it feels really nice.

But it's been on my mind, I was a very impatient person and not knowing who was on that cheer team, really agitated me. It was even worse knowing people like Stephanie and her sidekicks knew and no one else did.

I followed my friends into the gym hall and my heart instantly dropped when I could see all the boys sitting down on the bleachers, talking and drinking. Paying not that much attention on us girls. Some were looking around, checking out people, and of course, no attention was on me.

Would Theo be in this class?

My stomach swirled and I immediately felt sick to the core. Things like this, where you have to be grouped with other people you don't know or don't particularly like, or where you have to do gym but with other people — boys — would be watching. It didn't feel reassuring and it actually made me feel scared.

My eyes subtly scanned across the whole line of boys. Looking at them as a whole, they did look good. I had been only into dark haired boys. Not boys who were blonde, or boys who were ginger. Now it was my personal preference — and I could be quite picky even though I have no place to be since no boys(s) were interested in me — but dark haired boys had always been my type. It had never changed.

I hid myself discretely behind Charlotte — who was tall enough for people to not even see me — and I looked closer. Straight away, I was able to find Theo. He stood out. Always. But he didn't just stand out to me, he stood out to everyone. I breathed in and out slowly as I saw his dark hair scraped back, like he had run his hands through his soft hair multiple times to get it perfect. His scar was exposed once again and I still wondered where he got that from. It made me curious. His gym top clung itself to his body. I also wondered if he needed a new one. He was talking along with his friends, loud echoes of his voice beaming all throughout the hall. His laugh, it echoed too. It was nice. I wouldn't normally comment on someone's laugh, mainly because it sounded weird. But it felt different when I was describing his. It felt normal.

He had his hands clasped together in the space between his legs that were spread apart naturally. His head was craned to the side as he continued to laugh and talk with his friends. He looked like the word, perfection. He looked as if he came up with that word. He was simply, perfection.

I felt my heart beat quicken. I was scared that he would have to be in the same room as me, especially when it was a class I was utterly terrible in and where my body was most exposed. I didn't necessarily like my body, I was just, skinny. Too skinny, in fact. People in the past, like my grandparents, they'd comment on it and ask, 'have you eaten?' 'You're very skinny, aren't you?' 'Have you got some disorder?'

Yeah, that hit hard.

I tried my very best to break away my eyes from him. But it was hard. It was like I was drawn to him.

Girls had again grouped up into their friendship groups and I couldn't be more happy that I wasn't alone like I thought I was going to be this year. I was super thankful to have friends. I would of most likely been known as the 'loner' kid if it wasn't for Angel taking me in on the first day.

As we continued to walk further into the hall, that meant I was in the spotlight more. I wouldn't normally feel so insecure and self-conscience, but knowing Theo was in this class. It made me so damn nervous that I could be sick.

Just like how I knew it was going to be, I felt the same, tingly feeling on me. Like so many times that it had happened. I just knew someone was watching me and that made me feel even more nauseous. Couldn't people just keep to themselves? Why was it for other people to feel like they could stare?

I was nobody important!

That feeling of someone watching me, finally went away. I couldn't feel more relieved. I quickly readjusted my shorts — they were tight, like super butt tight. It was either that I had a thick butt — that I had randomly grew over the Summer — or it was the fact that I have had these shorts since freshman year.

I hadn't grown like I had thought I had. I hadn't made the progress like I wanted.

With a mixture of things going on right now — those warning messages being one. I felt even more conscience that they could be in this class right now I wouldn't even know it.

I gently prodded Angel's arm. "Do these look okay?" I asked, lifting up my gym top slightly. I turned to look back at Angel and saw her attention wasn't on me, it was on someone else. I wasn't annoyed by the fact she wasn't looking in my direction, but more curious than ever. I followed her eye line and my mouth hung open. Mike.

She was looking at Mike and he was looking at her. I smiled to myself and decided to leave her be.

"They look fine, if anything it shows your ass more." Cadence said, answering my question. I turned to her and laughed, immediately dropping my top back down.

What ass?

"Listen up everyone!" A whistle was then blew and I looked over to the teacher who was holding up her hand trying to get everyone's attention. Miss Louis. She was divorced for a reason.

People stopped their conversations and immediately went quiet. "This is how it's going to work. You're going to get into pairs then I'll be grouping you up with another pair." Her voice bellowed throughout the hall. I gulped and dug my nails into my palm. I couldn't help it. It was like a stress reliever.

From the corner of my eye, I could see someone raise their hand. She was a small girl. Very pretty. Why was everyone so pretty?

"Yes Olivia?"

She dropped her hand. "Why are they here?" She pointed glumly over to the boys who were sat down watching. I also wondered why they were here. I really hoped we weren't working with them.

"They are going to be paired up with you for today. It's only temporarily since this is your first gym lesson. No more questions." She said bluntly and Olivia groaned, rolling her eyes.

Oh, well, fuck.

I bit down onto my nail and rocked lightly back and fourth on the balls of my feet. For some reason I could feel the same tingly sensation on the side of my face. It was back.

It was an odd feeling and I also remembered how I looked around and saw that it was Theo who was watching me in the diner at work not that long ago. It felt like that. I still didn't know why he was watching me. Maybe he had a problem. But why would he have a problem when we hung out together and also walked to class together too?

Did I do something wrong?

"What are you waiting for? Get paired up!" Miss Louis shouted and I froze. Who was going to pair up with me? I felt scared to ask one of my friends to work with me just in case they wanted to work with someone else, or maybe even work as a three. Even then I would let them because I hated confrontation-

Suddenly an arm was latched around mine and I looked over to see Cadence looking down at me with a smile. "You're with me." She said and I let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness.

"You're with her today but I'm with her next time!" Angel said, glaring at Cadence. She also wanted to work with me? In the knick of time, I managed to catch the reaction of Charlotte. She didn't look like she cared one bit.

"Whatever." Cadence stuck her tongue out. I chortled and their childish behaviour and straight away saw Miss Louis heading over. The darn whistle around her neck. She better not blow that right here because I'd go deaf.

"You two together?" She asked, jotting something down on her clipboard and a piece of gum was in her mouth. She chewed on it loudly. So she was one of them people.

I could hear her mouth smacking together each time and I felt Cadence nudge my arm. I could tell she was thinking exactly what I was thinking.

Miss Louis looked up from the clipboard, and expectant look on her face. Oh yes, she asked us a question. "Yes, Miss." At my confirmation, she jotting something else down on the clipboard.

"Alright. You two girls will be paired up those boys there," she shrugged and took on last look at me, "and tie your hair up, this is a gym class." She walked off and I could see her roll her eyes. What was it with everyone today?

Everyone had been so moody. I, in fact almost fell over at lunch, I almost bumped into several people when walking to class — even my friends noticed how weird today was. But what was even more weird was that it only happened to me. Not to any of my friends.

I felt like a target.

"Oh no.." I heard Cadence mutter under her breath and she tensed from beside me.

"What's the matter?" I asked, confused. She nodded her head in the direction and I followed her gaze. That was when I felt my heart drop several feet and I wasn't even tall.

"Oh fudge cakes." I mumbled.

Theo and Marcus were stepping down from the bleachers and my eyes dragged down Theo's figure. I knew he wore shorts a lot but he seemed to look good in anything and everything. That was what made him even more attractive.

"This must be some sort of mistake." Cadence clutched on my arm and I was frozen. Mouth slightly agape as I watched them get closer and closer.

Then they stopped. Right in front of us. They were tall. Their heights overbearing us.

"What's up girls?" Marcus said, raising his hand as if we were about to high five him. "Too slow." He said as he retreated his hand back down.

I tried to keep my gaze away from a Theo but it was so damn hard when I could feel his eyes on me. Why was he looking at me? Did I have something on my face?

No one knew that we had hung out together. No one knew but us and that felt kind of daring.

"Hi I'm Marcus." He said, extending out his hand for Cadence to shake. She hesitated at first but then she shook his hand. She slightly nudged my arm and I looked at her. I watched again, in confusion and she covered the side of her face with her hand whilst her eyes were flicking over to Theo and back to me.

I bit the insides of my cheeks to try and stop myself from laughing from this ridiculous outcome and redirected my gaze to the floor. Marcus and Theo had already immersed themselves into their own conversation to notice our fooling around.

"Mrs Anderson!" I jumped from the sound of my name and I looked up to see Miss Louis glaring at me. I felt heads turn over towards me and I stared wide eyed at her. "Hair up! I won't ask you again!" She shouted and I gulped. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Yes Miss." I said and quickly pulled off the hair tie from my wrist and pressed it in between my lips whilst I got my hair up into a high ponytail. I tied it up and pulled out some loose strands. I hoped I didn't look weird. I never really liked having my hair up if I didn't look at myself through the mirror first.

"She's such a bitch." Cadence said beside me and I nodded in agreement. She was.

Everyones heads then turned away from me and just about caught Charlotte. It looked as if she was glaring in some way over at us. But most likely towards Theo and Marcus since she seemed to have a problem with that lot anyway.

I looked back over to my group and very regretfully met the eyes of Theo's. His arms were crossed over his chest and his head was cocked to the side. He looked as if he was thinking about something but looking at me also. I always did that. Zone out then realise I was actually eyeing up someone and they looked scared.

I quickly redirected my gaze to somewhere, anywhere other than him. But he ended up clearing his throat.

Cadence nudged my arm again. I didn't look up at her already knowing what she was nudging me for. I exhaled a breath and Theo cleared his throat again. Why?

"So, are you single?" Marcus asked, looking at Cadence. I felt her tense beside me once again but I knew Marcus was asking for a friend. Didn't he have a girlfriend?

As I looked in the direction of Theo again, it was as if everything and anything, phased out. All the sounds of loud chatter and laughter, the sounds of the basketballs being slammed down onto the ground, and the occurring sounds of Miss Louis screaming at some other kids for no reason. She really was a bitch.

But everything zoned out. Blurring and muting everything around us.

My eyes dashed away from his green piercing eyes, then back to him again. I noticed how he wasn't just looking at me or genuinely staring. But he looked as if was trying to tell me something.

Why? Couldn't he just use his mouth?

I rocked back and fourth on the balls of my feet faster and and my eyes were still connected to his — longer than necessary. I saw his eyes flicker down to my hands and I furrowed my brows, making my forehead crease. Then he did it again. His eyes were flickering between my eyes and down to my hands.

I looked down at them and the realisation hit me.

I slowly unclenched my fingers and I silently winced at the after pain. My palms had red dents embedded into the skin. The bad thing was, was that I didn't even know I was doing it.

I cleared my throat and avoided Theo's stare.

He must think I was doing it for attention.

"Should we get started then..?" Cadence asked awkwardly as she starred at Marcus with a weird look.

Marcus nodded enthusiastically and swung his arm around a clam and collected Theo, dragging him over to the basket balls that were in the bags. Theo dragged a hand through his hair again and I saw his biceps flex.

I watched as they both retreated and I felt someone tap my shoulder. "What was that about?" Cadence asked and I continued to stare forward.

I watched Theo get out the ball and bounce it up and down. "I honestly don't know." I murmured.

Throughout the whole of gym, we had played basketball. We created our own two teams and Marcus wanted to do it so it was girl and boy against the other girl and boy team. I wasn't too fond of that idea, especially when I was paired up with the none other, Theo.

We managed to win and lose one game. It was mainly Theo and Marcus playing against each other and they were very good. They did do sport for fun so there shouldn't be any surprise there.

"Dribble it." Theo said from behind me making me jump out of my skin and for the ball to drop from my hands. I looked back at him and sent him a shocked look before running after the ball that had so happened to roll away. I grabbed it and Theo walked forwards over to me. "Do you know how to dribble?" He asked and taking in my silence, he extended out his hand, and for whatever reason, I passed him the ball.

He stood back, his hair falling over his face as he looked down and bounced the ball. Then he looked back up. His eyes narrowed at me, "Watch me."

I gulped and watched. I stood back with my arms crossed over my chest and watched as he bounced the ball up and down quickly in firm motions a couple times, before he was dribbling it. He did it in such a way that looked therapeutic.

He then flicked the ball with one hand and it ended up slipping easily into the hoop that was ten and a half feet away. He made it look so effortless.

He looked over at me, a half smirk placed on his lips. "You think you can do that?" He asked, eyes hooded as he took in my pale, straight face. "Okay we'll start off easy then." He said and he walked over to the ball and picked it up. As he came back over I could see Cadence sending me a big double thumbs up and a smile, just before she got hit in the head with the basketball.

I giggled and shook my head, focusing my attention back on Theo who had the ball in his hands. Then he passed it to me. "What do you want me to do?" I asked, my voice monotone. I absolutely hated gym class.

He stayed silent for a few seconds and I looked up at him. He wasn't looking at me, he was looking elsewhere. Me, being the nosy little person I was, I looked across the room to where he was looking at.

I almost dropped the ball.

A high pitched giggle made its way to my ears and Cadence quickly turned to me with wide eyes.

After finding out Stephanie was going to be in my English class and that she was also going to be sitting next to me; I dreaded going into class. Luckily since it was the first lesson and Mrs Cleveland was practically testing Stephanie to see if she was a good fit to stay in our class, Stephanie had been on her best behaviour. She glanced at me a couple times, but none were glares or evil scowls like she'd normally give me.

But it was up until the end of the class when I was walking out, she almost made me trip over. I looked at her and she didn't say anything. It was like she didn't even do it but I knew she did because I literally felt her foot catch onto mine.

Even Angel had seen it with her own eyes and I was sure other people did too — though they'd never come forward because they were too scared to get on the bad side of Stephanie — that was the bad thing with high school. You want to be popular and have good friends, you want to be known for being popular compared to being known as a snitch.

So no one snitched, especially about Stephanie.

Theo grunted, drawing me back in. He combed a hand through his dark hair and his scar on his forehead flashed out from the loose strands. "Come on. Show me what you got." Theo said after a while.

My eyes seemed to catch onto Stephanie's from all the way from across the gym and she stared at me. Then at Theo.

Seeing that I was in no way paying attention to what he said, I could see Theo looking back over at Stephanie. She looked tense and her manicured nails were grasping onto the drinks bottle in her hand. She looked like she was going to break it to pieces. Her face was drained from any colour and she stomped her foot, dragging her friends out of the hall with her.

Miss Louis called after Stephanie but gave up after two seconds. What a good teacher she was.