Marco grinned crookedly at Jean, glancing between him and Bertholdt. Already, he was starting to feel something strong for Jean. He just wasn't sure if it was positive or negative yet. Bertholdt elbowed Jean gently, shooting him a look that Marco could not see. Just then, the bell rang throughout the school, notifying students and faculty of the beginning of class.

Since it was the first day, most teachers wouldn't give the students any real work and simply focus on learning everybody's names. Well, the luck of the draw was that Marco's first block class got the most juvenile teacher in school: Mrs. Parker. Honestly, she would talk to a large group of 15 year-olds like they were in the second grade. So, of course, she played one of those junior high "games" of going around the class and forcing each student to repeat their name, age, previous school, and an interesting fact about themselves. Mrs. Parker began at Marco's end of the room, beginning with him.

"Hi there!" She beamed brightly at him with her toothy grin, "Why don't you start us off?"

The educator crossed her legs as she took a seat at the front of the room, all eyes fixed on Marco.

"Uh..." The freckled boy began, staring wide-eyed back at the class. "I'm Marco Bodt." He swallowed hard, feeling his face go a bright red. "I-I'm 15 and my last school was Nichols Middle." He glanced sheepishly at Bertholdt who gave him an expecting stare. "And I-I am a pieces."

The class' gaze shifted instantly to Bertholdt, mindlessly waiting for similar answers from him. The tall boy sighed lightly.

"Bertholdt Hoover. I'm 15, went to Barkell Middle, and I'm pretty tall."

He smirks, winking at Marco briefly as he too smiled. Mrs. Parker rolled her eyes,

"Yes, fine. Next?"

She looked to Jean, who was staring at the ceiling.

"I'm Jean Kirschtein. 15. Barkell Middle. And," he looked to Marco swiftly, "I've got a thing for freckles."

Marco's eyes bulged from his head at Jean, not noticing several snickers from the class and a glare from Bert to Jean.

As the other students said their names, ages, schools, and more-so boring than interesting facts, Marco couldn't seem to break his gaze from Jean. All the other classmates mattered not to Marco, they just sounded like muffled noise over his rushing thoughts. Freckles. He specifically said freckles, and looked directly at Marco. In the eyes. Was he hinting at something? Or could it have been a joke? Marco knew that he was putting too much hard thought into this, just like a crushing 12 year-old girl.

Finally, the bell rang yet again through the halls, indicating the end of block 1. The teacher instructed the students to pack up and head to their second block class. Marco heaved his binder-filled backpack back onto his shoulders, standing from his desk, striding across the room. Before he left, he glanced over his shoulder at Bertholdt and Jean to see Bertholdt talking to some blonde, intimidating girl, while Jean stared at Marco all too knowingly. Marco blushed lightly and headed out the door, into the crowded hallway.