*Geek Boy*
The coach stopped to drop the cheerleaders off first.
Ellie descended from the upper deck. Her eyes locked with mine and my breath caught.
Her soft pink-glossed lips parted as if she were about to say something, then the other cheerleaders and jocksâwho had all been on the upper deckâflooded around her and the group spilled out of the coach onto the dark sidewalk. I could still make out her hair through the tinted glass windows of the coach, glowing golden in the darkness, as they collected their suitcases from the luggage compartment and swarmed into the hotel.
I watched until that glow of gold had vanished.
Ellie Kent was here. On the trip. According to Nerissa's clipped explanationâshe was annoyed that her sister was also hereâthere was a Cheer and Jock convention taking place at the same time as our maths trip. Unlike usâwho would spend the first week in the Harvard dorms and the second week in a hotelâthey would be spending the entirety of the trip in the hotel.
I still couldn't catch my breath.
A truck had rammed straight into my chest the moment I'd spotted Ellie across the parking lot. It had happened hours ago, before I'd gotten on the coach at school that took us to the airport for the plane ride and subsequent coach drive here. Yet, it still felt like a scene out of one of my dreams. The wind had caught her hair, billowing back the golden strands so they glistened almost iridescently in the sunlight. Her large aquamarine eyes had widened, her dark cherry pink lips parting. And, at that exact moment, the sun had risen from behind her, rays dancing over her tanned skin.
I still wasn't convinced I hadn't dreamt her up.
I glanced away from the window to find Catherine's eyes on me. I tensed, expecting a snarky remark.
Still keeping you a secret huh?
I told you it wouldn't work out.
You two clearly don't belong together.
Instead, she just smirked and looked away, her fingers fiddling with the camera she wore around her neck.
I frowned, a strange sense of worry twisting in my chest. I shoved it down and glanced around. The lower deck was where all the mathematicians had sat.
Catherine and Nerissa sat in one of the four seats on the other side of the aisle. Nerissa, who had perked up once her sister had left and the coach had started moving again, was discussing the latest discoveries of bacterial use in genetic engineering. The two West High students opposite herâa reedy blond and a plump brunetteâlistened avidly.
In the seats opposite me were Theodore Reyes and Lilian Fabris. Lilian was describing to him their itinerary for the trip. Theodore occasionally glanced up from the small metal device he was strategically deconstructing and reconstructing, to murmur one word answers.
There were fourteen mathematicians in total, seven from East Hight and seven from West High.
As we arrived at the dorms and were assigned our rooms, I tried to keep my mind off Ellie.
As you can guess, I failed.
*
A week flew by, filled with university classes and educational activities. Too soon, something I was both anticipating and dreading happened: we moved into the hotel.
Mr Meyers and Ms. Kensignton stood a few feet away from me, debating over whose course was more challenging as they checked us in at the front desk.
Nerves had worked my insides into a frenzy. While Ellie and I had texted and called, I hadn't seen her in person for the last week, and my heart was thrumming with both excitement and fear.
Ms. Kensignton, glaring, snatched the key cards from Mr Meyers before she spun to us. She cleared her throat. "As you should be aware, we expect you all to behave properly, in accordance with the utmost respect you should have for us and the officials who provided us with this amazing opportunity. Of course, we trust you completely to behave as such." She fumbled with the keys then smiled before handing me the first one.
I nodded and murmured a thank you before heading towards the lift. According to the key card, my room was on the fifth floor.
As soon as I'd walked away, Ms. Kensignton and Mr Meyers began bickering again.
"Will, wait!" Nerissa looked up from her conversation with Catherine and the West High students. Their cards all read 'Ground floor.' "Come down to the Common room at 9:00, we're going to play a Trivia quiz."
I nodded and she and a few students disappeared down a hallway.
Theodore Reyes, Lilian Fabris and a few of the other students joined me at the elevator a few seconds later. Theodore's card read fifth floor. Lilian's brows furrowed as she glanced down at the 3 marked on her card.
The elevator doors slid open and we stepped inside.
Lilian's gaze touched on each of the key cards, her lips twitching into a frown at the '3's on the two other exchange students in the elevator.
Her gaze slid to me.
Before she could speak or the elevator doors could close, Mr Meyers looked up from his argument to shout something about not switching key cards. Her expression twitched with irritation before the elevator doors shut.
Besides the conversation in French being held by the exchange students, the elevator was silent. Lilian and the exchange students got off at the 3rd floor. Lilian glanced back regretfully before the doors closed. Theodore and I both got off on the 5th floor. Our rooms were next to each other.
As soon as I'd swiped into my room, I plopped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Ellie's face floated into my mind and I sighed.
I should read, or do work, or practice mathematics. Something. Efficiency was the most crucial part of life. Efficiency equalled success. Wasted time couldn't be recovered. But instead of doing anything, I just alternated between staring at the ceiling and watching the clock.
I'd promised to skype James later today, around 1:00am. Nothing really mattered till then.
It was starting to look like I was going to spend the entire evening staring at the ceiling. So when the clock hit 9:00, I stood and headed downstairs to the Common Room.
The elevator opened on the ground floor and I stepped out, wondering what Ellie was up to now. Probably not playing a trivia game.
Could I be any more of a geek?
I was thinking about her, imagining her smiling with her friends, when, abruptly, I froze.
Emerging from a hall opposite from where I stood, was a girl. Her frame was lithe beneath the fluffy dark pink bunny onesie she wore. The hood, complete with bunny ears, was pulled up, but failed to capture the wayward blonde curls that spilled over the front of her pyjamas. The onesie's feet mimicked bunny feet, the colour vivid against the carpet. She padded into the empty hotel lobby.
Then Ellie looked up.
And my heartâlike it always did when I saw Ellie Kentâstopped beating
*
Hello my lovelies,
So I haven't updated in a while, unfortunately. Initially, it was because I was having difficulty writing this story and because I was working on a novel I intend to publish soon. However, recently I've been having a little difficulty settling in at University (BTW, I got into the Uni and course I wanted so thanks for all your prayers!!) and writing my wattpad story ideas have been a relief for me.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the update.
P.S. Thank you to all the kind people who left encouraging comments while I was away. I really appreciate you and you are one of the reasons why I can't give up on this story :)
God bless
xxx
Yemi Everest