I hate him.
I leaned back in my chair and stared straight ahead at my English teacher, Mr Sullivan. He finished writing something in neat cursive writing on the board and turned around, smiling. He had a nice smile, I admitted reluctantly. Actually, there was nothing wrong with his ability to look hot.
That was the problem. He wasn't just my teacher. He was my mum's boyfriend, too.
I hate his guts.
No one asked him to waltz into my peaceful family life and screw everything up. He tried to be kind, I guess. But taking away my mum is never okay in my books.
It wasn't like I had much of a social life and could escape that way. Being petite, shy and owner of a name no-one could pronounce besides, I was easily overlooked. And unless you count the red-haired guy next door that I used to play with as a kid, I was friendless, too.
"Eloise?"
I was startled by Mr Sullivan's voice in my ear. I flushed red as a slight tittering filled the air around me. "Yes?" I croaked out, struggling to sit up straighter.
Mr Sullivan pretended to sigh, then smiled and sent me a little wink. I ignored it. Who the hell does he think he is?
"Eloise," he began again speaking slowly and clearly, as if I were a five year old. "I was just welcoming a new student to the class. This is Edmund, everyone."
My eyes swivelled over to the door, where a dark-haired boy was standing. He had the most intense brown eyes I'd ever seen, and to my embarrassment, they were directed at me with a quiet amusement reflected in them. I wrenched my gaze away and felt my cheeks grow warmer.
Mr Sullivan hadn't finished, however. He took a quick survey of the room, and then said something that would be the starting of every crazy thing that happened after that.
"Eloise, would you please share your workspace with the new student until we get another desk brought in?"
I cringed inwardly. Stop picking on me! Reluctantly, I shoved my books over to one side of my desk and slid my chair over, too. It made a screeching noise in the silence, and I jumped slightly.
"Edmund, would you please take a seat next to Eloise? Now, as I was explaining about the subjunctive verbs…"
I didn't look up as Edmund sat down next to me and placed his books on the desk. The last thing I wanted to do was make eye contact.
Then Edmund leaned over toward me.
"Sorry," he whispered.