I love you.

Exactly a year ago, when I first met Park Dara, I would have never thought of saying those words to her.

Never.

To be honest, she gave me a fright when I first met her.

Winter has just started when our homeroom teacher announced that we have a new classmate. Most of the people in the class were curious. A lot of rumors were already circulating way before that person came. Some said that the new kid was expelled from his last school because of gang trouble. Some said that he was sick and wasn’t able to continue his schooling in his previous school.

Well, rumors were rumors.

They only hold a tiny bit of the truth.

Everyone was proved wrong when she entered.

Yes, she’s a girl.

But it wasn’t her gender that made us all stare. Her appearance was most appalling. She had her head half-shaven and her sleek, long hair has the shocking shade of hot pink. Although her face looked innocent enough, her stares were intense.

If looks could kill, she’d definitely qualify the death row for killing everybody who met her gaze.

She gave an impassive introduction of herself; that is if lazily writing your name on the board and throwing the chalk backwards, almost hitting the teacher with it, count as an introduction. Our homeroom teacher was the strictest person in the school, and I expected him to get angry or ballistic. Instead, he just said, “Okay, welcome, Ms. Park.” He paused for a second to scan the room and turned to the new girl. “Take that vacant seat at the back,” he instructed.

Vacant seat at the back?

Wait…what?!

There were five other vacant seats in the room. Most of them were way in the front though, and the only vacant desk in the back was the desk next to me.

Great.

Whispers filled the room as she slowly made her way to the back, not even giving a second glance to a group of boys whistling appreciatively at her. She dropped her bag beside her desk and sat grumpily on her chair.

I had a feeling that like me, she was not comfortable with the seating arrangement.

When the lunch bell rang, I was relieved for the break. Just sitting next to her was causing me great anxiety. It would have been easier for us to warm up to each other if she would at least talk to me, but she just stayed silent during the whole class. Come to think of it, I haven’t said a word to her, so why would she?

I removed my lunch from my bag, along with an apple I bought in the market earlier. But the moment I placed it on my desk, slender, feminine fingers snatched it away and I sat there gaping at Dara’s disappearing figure.

The effect on everybody was instant. All guys were asking me if we knew each other while the girls, obviously jealous of the guys’ attention, were giving me scathing looks. Over the hubbub, I only managed to say, “I don’t know her.”

Park Dara was enigma.

A puzzle I don’t think anyone has solved.

Almost a week has already passed since she became my new seatmate, but a conversation still hasn’t happened. She barely talks and when she did, she only addresses the teachers. She remained apathetic to her fellow students, even to her growing number of lovestruck fanboys and jealous girl haters.

The only interaction I had with her was her getting the apple I was supposed to eat during lunch. I let her get it, firstly because, it looked like I had no choice and second, because I liked seeing her smile. I’m not sure if it was just my imagination, but I swear I saw her smile once, but only for a second, because she returned to her stony, cold demeanor once again.

I just gave her the fifth apple when a group of girls from another section came in our class, demanding her to get out and settle something between them. Dara stood up, her face showing no emotion at all, and calmly followed them outside.

Worried she might get hurt, I followed. But when I found her, she was already walking away from the group, who was looking at her with so much hatred in their eyes. She beat them singlehandedly according to one of the juniors who saw them fight.

“But she’s so…” I began but didn’t finish. I saw Dara glaring at me, apparently annoyed by my intrusion. With a huff, she went back to the classroom, casting me a disgusted look once in a while. I couldn’t understand why she was looking at me like that. I was just concerned about her. New students usually get oppressed and I guess, with her popularity among boys, she’d be the target of groups of girls who have a knack on bullying. And judging by her small frame, she’d be sporting a lovely shade of blue and purple once those girls were finished.

But just like everybody else who assumed something about her, she proved me wrong.

Once the class ended, she rushed out of the classroom and again I followed her, wanting to say sorry if I offended her or something. I just didn’t like someone hating me, especially when we haven’t talked to each other yet.

She was a pretty fast walker and we were already a good distance away from school before I caught up to her.

“Dara-ssi!” I called but she kept on walking. Frustrated, I pulled her arm and made her turn to face me. I was shocked when I saw blood gushing out of her nose.

“What?” she scowled.

“You’re bleeding,” I replied. She was not supposed to be bleeding. If that younger student was right—Dara beating the other girls and all without injuring herself—blood shouldn’t be showing up. A girl must have hit her.

She hastily wiped her nose with the back of her hand, smearing the red liquid on her white blouse. I thought she would cringe at the sight of it but she just stared at it like it was commonplace.

Without letting her object, I held her hand, this time using less force and towed her to my house which was a block away. There, I gave her a first aid and let her clean herself up. She was a bloody mess and she looked somewhat grateful that I let her use the bathroom. She left immediately after that, leaving me to savor the first and only word she said directly at me.

What.

Yes, it was a single word.

But it was definitely enough for me.

Because at last…

…after five days…

The puzzle finally talked to me.

A/N:

This fic's going to have chapters less than 5...LOL

And it would mean the world to me if you check this fic out, Whispered Lies. :3