There is something about the new girl that makes her uncomfortable. Emily can't pinpoint what it is. There's a strange feeling that settles in her stomach whenever their eyes meet.

The feeling moved towards her throat, forming a lump, while they were changing in the locker room earlier that day. She was bending forward to unzip her bag when she had the sudden feeling someone was observing her. When she lifted her head and gave a circular look to the room, nobody seemed to be paying attention to her. She sighed and was about to focus on the task of opening her bag again when she had the most overwhelmingly terrifying vision: the new girl's hands motioning down toward the edge of her shimmering blue top, sliding the soft fabric over what seemed even softer skin, exposing a beautifully toned stomach. Emily gasped at the sight, her eyes closing immediately shut. She shook her head and pressed her lips together, feeling a little bit like she was drowning, feeling a little bit like she was flying, feeling a little bit like she was dying, feeling a little bit like she was suddenly about to start living.

"Hey...you're Emily, right?" A soft voice interrupted her inner struggle.

Emily looked up, her hands clumsily leaving her half-opened bag for the second time. There was the new girl, standing in front of her in nothing but a dark purple bra.

"Yeah...yes, you're right...that's my name." She replied her eyes focusing on everything but the girl in front of her.

"I was wondering if you could share your locker with me. I don't have anything to lock mine yet."

As she spoke, the new girl tilted her head to the side, dark brown locks falling, bouncing, prettily across her skin. Her mouth was curled into a strange smile, a bit mocking, a bit taunting. Emily couldn't tell if it was on purpose, but she couldn't detach her eyes from those disturbingly full lips.

"yes, I can share, here..." She said, opened her locker with a shaky hand before backing up suspiciously fast.

She pulled her gym clothes out of her bag and turned towards the other direction, changing as fast as she could. For some reason, she had never felt so nervous in her life. Part of it was due to the fact that, for some unknown reason, she had the strangest need to impress the other girl, but it was also due to the urge, almost as powerful, to run away from her.

She was tying up her shoes when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you Emily", said the new girl with a bright bubbly smile, stressing on the pronunciation of her name.

"Anytime! By the way, if you need any help getting to know you're way around the school, I'm here." She replied a bit too eagerly while anxiously pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Mhm, you shouldn't say such things, I might be tempted to accept your offer."

Emily chuckled, her cheeks taking a rosy pink colour, and her eyes shimmering noticeably.

"You should. My friend was in your Spanish class this morning and I heard you made quite an impression on Mr. Lozano when you arrived fifteen minutes late."

The new girl erupted into a loud heartfelt laughter.

"Okay, I wasn't that late." She paused, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip in a thoughtful matter. Her eyebrows lifted questioningly and the hint of a knowing smile crossed her features. "So you've been talking about me with your friends?"

"Well, everyone at school does. You're the new girl." Emily replied, stumbling over her words, her eyes shifting towards her shoes.

"Oh right, yeah, new girl, hot new topic. I get it."

"Don't worry, they'll soon find something else to talk about." Emily replied, trying to fit her humongous bag along with the new girl's possessions. "We're the only ones left. We should hurry or your might be late to class again."

The other girl started walking towards the door with a bouncy step, Emily following a few steps behind.

"I'm Maya by the way!" threw the new girl over her shoulder opened the locker room's door. She stayed there, waiting for the other girl to catch up.

"Nice to meet you Maya!" Emily exclaimed, the last words getting lost into a giggle.

She paused into the doorframe, getting lost into the dark brown eyes of the girl in front of her.

"The pleasure is mine", Maya replied in a suddenly whispery tone of voice.

Emily swallowed hard and quickly looked away.

"We're going to be late", she said, using that as pretext to run away from the sudden rising tension.

When Emily thinks back at that moment, there's an odd feeling that settles in her stomach and she isn't sure she wants to know what it is.