Mixtures 🤷🏽♀️

“I was paying attention.”

"Sure," came the instant reply, but this time it was the new student, whose name he still hadn't caught, who interjected. She inserted herself into the conversation without even glancing his way, her chin resting delicately on her palm as she faced forward.

Somehow, her casual dismissal irked him. He wanted her attention; he wanted those captivating eyes to be fixed on him.

"I was," he insisted, folding his arms defiantly across his chest, trying to ignore what her voice was doing to him.

“Oh, you were?” She challenged, spinning in her chair to fully face him, her eyebrows arching in a display of sarcasm. From now on, maybe he should be content with stealing glances at her profile because the second she met his gaze, those devastating eyes threw him off balance. It certainly didn't help that he still hadn't managed to take his seat.

“What’s my name, then?” She asked, oblivious to his internal struggle, leaving him no time to adapt to the situation.

Name? His head was empty. He had no freaking idea. Miles pursed his lips, avoiding direct eye contact, which only seemed to elicit a wider smile from Margo. The boy was clearly clueless. It was only her first day, or rather, the first few minutes, so she probably should have refrained from teasing him. But there was something inexplicably drawing her toward him, and the fact that he was cute was an added bonus.

Had she introduced herself? From the corner of his eye, he noticed everyone's attention directed their way. Apparently, his embarrassment was more important than whatever the teacher was discussing, plus this showed that she had indeed introduced herself. He shifted his gaze back to the clock.

Five freaking minutes? Why was time moving so slowly?"

Miles returned his gaze to her, rapidly scanning her chest before he could be labeled as a pervert, hoping to catch sight of a name tag, which was stupid cuz they didn’t have that. But she was new, and he secretly hoped she would have some form of ID hanging around her neck.

Disappointingly, she didn't. He diverted his attention to her face. Didn't people's faces typically match their names? Shit, who was he fooling? The gang leader that was caught yesterday was named Rosa; guessing her name based on her face was already a lost cause.

No parent would burden their child with a terrible name, right? He scratched his neck. The girl was undeniably attractive and quick-witted, but her parents probably hadn't foreseen her personality when they named her. Besides, a lot of ugly babies glow up as they age, right?

He cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably as he adjusted the already perfectly arranged books on his desk. He had made a decision, but why was everyone gawking at them? What was with everyone prying into his business today? Normally, he was the one bothering others. It didn't feel so great when the tables were turned, huh?

He glanced behind him, intending to signal Gwen for help, only to remember she was in the bathroom. Pav and Hobie were too far away to whisper the right answer to him, so he was on his own.

With one eyebrow raised and his face leaning into his shoulder, he whispered. “Ki ki?”

Silence hung in the air as all eyes turned to Margo, observing her reaction as if they weren't already aware that the boy's guess was damn far from the right answer.

Her shoulders quivered as she pressed her lips together, attempting to stifle her giggles, but the urge proved too strong. Peals of laughter burst from deep within her. Miles's cheeks deepened from a slight blush to a profound crimson, but amid the embarrassment, he found a moment to be entranced by her infectious laughter. He opened his mouth to retaliate, but not a sound came out.

“Kiki? Seriously?” She asked, barely managing to get the words out amidst her laughter. "What's the next line? —

“Do you love me?” The whole class chimed in, Hobie even harder.

Forget about his cheeks; this time, his entire body quivered with embarrassment. Unable to resist the urge, he let out a laugh before exclaiming, "I really hate each and every one of you!" He slumped down in his seat, arms folded on the desk, his face buried them. He continued muttering to himself, "But at least I tried," stealing a glance toward Margo, not expecting any particular reaction but hoping to salvage some semblance of dignity.

"True to that," she nodded, directing her attention solely toward him. "You gave it a try." She offered him a genuine smile, and he felt his heart lurch.

"And then failed miserably," Pav yelled from the back of the class, ruining the moment.

"I seriously despise you, man," Miles yelled back, the hint of a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips.