Chapter 2
Idris Academy was just a mile and a half away. That was one of the three reasons why Tessa cycled to school. The second reason was to go by the short cut she had discovered at the end of her middle school; it helped her avoid a lot of people and she was able to get some peace and quiet.
The last reason was to inhale the heavenly delight of mocha cappuccino and chocolate waffles made by the lone café, Java Jones which stood on Tessa's short cut path. Most of Tessa's indulgences were fulfilled in this quaint little café rather than the one she worked for.
At Java Jones, they had an amazing assortment of shelves of books, beanie bags instead of the traditional chairs and tables and large open windows that let in fresh air from the open fields adjacent to it. The food was especially scrumptious due to all the raw ingredients being produced at the field right behind the café. And the ones which topped them were the mocha cappuccino and chocolate waffles. In a few words, it was an introvert's paradise.
She was almost nearing school. And, as Tessa inhaled the last whiff of the divine fragrance, she closed her eyes with a blissful expression on her face. The next second, she heard the sound of two pairs of wheels crashing against each other. Tessa opened her eyes in horror to see the scenery moving upwards and she realised that she was falling.
"By the Angel! Aahh! Youch! You sonovabi-!"
Tessa stared at the velvety green eyes staring at her in concern. "Miss Gray, are you alright?" No way. Tessa thought. Not him. Tessa flushed and she gave a nod. "Here, let me help you, Miss Gray."
Tessa stood dumbstruck as she watched Student Body President, Gideon Lightwood, picking up her bag and her Baby. Gideon Lightwood was her senior in school and he was from London. It was rumoured that the whole Lightwood family had come to settle in the States due to certain misgivings in London. Tessa wasn't sure what that meant nevertheless, she couldn't help but always stare at him. Gideon Lightwood was an attractive, 6 feet tall with jawline game so strong that it was aesthetically pleasing. He was muscular and had thick sandy blonde hair. And the best part were his eyes; velvety green, with a hint of grey made his whole face appear ethereal.
Tessa realized that this was the first time Tessa had seen the Student Body President up close. He did look like a painting. Tessa was taken aback by the good thoughts that entered her mind; her normal plan of action when meeting a new person was to smile politely and stand mute. No thinking any further. Hmm, this is mighty weird, Tessa thought. A second later, she understood why. Gideon looked like the lean English version of Dean Winchester. Aha!
"Erm, thank you very much. I wasn't looking where I was going," Tessa said, finally opening her mouth. Gideon gave her a sweet smile and said, "Well, I believe that makes two of us, Miss Gray though I must say, I didn't expect any student to actually take this path to school." Dayum. That's so British. "I usually take this road to school and please, can me Tessa," Tessa replied with an equally sweet smile.
"Oh well, Tessa. It is nice to meet you," Gideon said while extending his hand. "Nice to meet ya," Tessa replied with a huge grin and she shook his hand firmly. Sweet friggin' Jesus. Tessa thought. Are all Student Body Presidents this nice? Are they nothing like the gross depiction by the movies? Phew. Tessa was relieved. If it had been a snarky jock, Tessa would have been in big trouble.
As they were near the school premises, they decided to push their cycles for the rest of the way. "So Tessa, tell me. Why do you take this road to school?" Gideon asked. Woah. My name actually sounds so good from the British vocal cords. "Well, I believe that one must conquer the banality of school by starting with a fresh mind. This road is quiet, beautiful and I simply love the smell of the-" "Mocha cappuccino and chocolate waffles," Gideon finished with a knowing grin. He laughed and said, "Wow. That is simply marvellous, Tessa. We have the same taste." "I know! It's so friggin'cool!" Tessa half-shouted in excitement.
"You're quite amusing, Tessa," Gideon said with that same sweet smile making him look like a proud parent. "Me? Amusing? Ha! You must meet my best friend, Sophie. She is the epitome of amusement." Tessa replied. Tessa wasn't sure if the light was playing tricks because she saw Gideon blushing furiously. "Soph- ahem- You mean, Ms Collins, the one with the hazel eyes, right?" He ran a hand through his neatly gelled hair. "Yup. She's awesome," Tessa replied with a big smile on her face, wondering how he knew her surname.
"Say, how do you know my name, Gideon? I've never talked to you before. You also knew my best friends' name. And that is a big surprise for me because we aren't very social with other people and so, the students barely know us." Tessa said. Tessa thought she saw that blush creeping upon his face again when he replied, "Well, uhm, I'm the Student Body President, Tessa. I made it a point to know everybody's name even if I've never talked to them. You see, people like being called their names." "You make a fair point, Mr Lightwood," Tessa said in her "best" British voice. "Blimey! That sounds strange!" said Gideon laughing and pretending to cover his ears.
"Tell you what, why don't you join us for lunch this afternoon? I'll introduce you to her," Tessa said much to her surprise. Normally, she would have never behaved this way. She wasn't sure why she had invited him to sit with her best friend and her for lunch but something about Gideon made her want to trust him and open up to him. He genuinely looked like he cared about people. No wonder they elected him as Student Body President.
"I would love that, Tessa. Thank you. Oh blimey! I gotta run, Tessa. I'll see you at lunch!" Gideon said and dashed into the school building. Oh my Chuck. She was going to be late if she didn't run too. Tessa ran up the steps to the adjacent building and dashed to her classroom. She reached 2 minutes before the bell. Oh well, she sighed. Today is definitely going to be a long day.