After an uneventful study session I found myself walking towards my locker, sighing as I punched in the code before collecting my chemistry books.

Chemistry, along with math, was probably the subject I despised the most. My grades were alright, but it was way too boring and dry for my liking. Not that I found any other class interesting either, but at least I could cope with them.

As soon as I got my books and shut the door, I nearly jumped in surprise when I saw a taller figure leaning by the lockers. “Are you that surprised to see me?” the person smirked. It took all my will not to rub it off his face. Instead I just gave him a look before turning my back against him and walking away. “Hey, not so fast!” he said after me before I heard quick footsteps and a presence beside me. I sighed inaudibly again, but I still remained my cool. It was something I’d mastered well in any given situation, even when idiots were around me.

This idiot by the way is nobody other than Nichkhun.

Or as most people regarded him; the “prince” of the school. Stupid, really, but what did I know?

“I saw you sitting with that new girl,” he started off simply and for some reason I didn’t feel so heavy inside anymore when he mentioned Tiffany, who I assume he is referring to.

I looked up at him, eyebrows raised in confusion before I returnedto face the hall in front of me. “I didn’t mean to ask you, of all people…” he said this as if I was someone he’d rather not speak to, his tone dropping a little. I’ve learned to get used to it by now though, although I never understood his problem with me. “But could you like, put in a word for me or something? She’s pretty hot.”

Then he swinged a little until he leaned by the door frame to the classroom, hands leisurely placed in his pockets as he looked at me.

I swallowed the annoyance that was bubbling in my throat, simply giving him what I hope was an decline before I opened up the door and left him there. I could practically hear him grumble in annoyance. but I didn’t care. I was not a matchmaker, and definitely not for him.

It took a while before the teacher entered the classroom, papers in hand as he stood in front of the desk. As usual he greeted us before the lecture begun, and bored out of my mind I tried to pay attention to the class. Although all the formulas and what not seem like gibberish in my head, I still took notes and hoped that I’d at least remember some of it later.

“Sorry I’m late!” a familiar voice said, all eyes including mine went up towards the door. “I forgot where the classroom was… again.” a sheepish smile landed on the intruders face, bowing in apology before rushing towards my direction.

With a loud thud Tiffany sat down on the chair next to me, bag slumped on the floor as she greeted me with a smile. Silently I looked at her, acknowledging her presence before turning away to face the board again. The teacher continued talking about something irrelevant, so instead I turned down to write a message.

“Did you get lost?”

Carefully I slided the note to my right, discreetly so the teacher wouldn’t notice anything. Not that he could’ve seen much anyway, we were sitting in the back, but just to be sure.

From the corner of my eye I can see Tiffany look at the note in surprise, probably as I was the one who initiated the conversation. “Yeah, I’m still not used to this schedule,” she whispered before rummaging through her bag. “I’m still used to my old one back in the states, so sometimes I follow that one instead. And the building is so confusing.”

I nodded slowly, pen scribbling down another message on a new piece of paper before giving it to her again.“You should memorize your new schedule then.”

Silently she giggled, her head tilting a bit, letting her long hair fall over to the other side of her shoulder. She stayed like that for a moment, simply reading the note before turning to me again. “I thought this was the part where you would offer to show me around?” she asked with a joking tone.

Not really knowing how to reply to that, I just looked at her. It was not like I didn’t want to show her around; it’s a normal thing to do when it comes to new students. Yet I suppose she should’ve gotten shown around by now, it had already been a week since she arrived.

In the end I agreed. It wasn’t like she would take no for an answer anyway. “Yeah, I could probably do that someday.”

She smileed in triumph then, clapping her hands silently in excitement. “Yay! Thank you Jess!” she said a little too loudly, which earned us a sharp glare from the teacher. It caused him to start lecturing us about silence and respecting the teacher, but still my head repeated the nickname again.

So we’d gotten on those terms, I suppose. Was this the part where I gave her one too? In my head I go through typical nicknames for Tiffany, trying to find something that could match her, yet I fell short. Wasn’t Tiffany a nickname in itself?

When the teacher finally turned around again, I picked up my pen and place it on the paper as I tried to come up with some reply. It stayed there for a while until I finally managed to get some words on the white paper, not daring to look back at it as my eyes look down in embarrassment.

“No problem… Tiff,”

She didn’t say anything for the longest time, and already I felt the dread inside the pit of my stomach. Did it sound stupid? Did she think I was getting too comfortable? Maybe I shouldn’t have done that? Was it too basic?

Before I could even answer all of my questions, I hesitantly decided to take a peak towards the girl beside me. What caught my eyes and nearly blinded them was that same smile again. Yet the corners of her glossed lips seemed to stretch a little wider than usual, and her eyes seemed to spark with something I have never seen before. “Tiff… I like it,” she said after a while before tucking the note in a small pocket. Her eyes then turn to me, and judging by her small laugh I probably looked ridiculous by now; I could practically feel my eyes widen. “You look like a deer in the headlights!” Tiffany said, covering up with one of her hands to muffle the sound. Again I felt the teacher looks at us, but seemed to ignore it as he continued on with the lesson. It wasn’t as if it mattered; I was too focused on calming myself down. “Relax Jess, I told you I liked it. It’s cute,” she uttered and gazed at me intently through her small laughs, even when she calmed down.

Abruptly I looked at my notes. My stomach felt weird, the same with my lungs, as if they’d grown lighter. It was almost as if my whole body has turned into a feather, and I was scared of simply getting caught by even the slightest hint of wind.

For some reason the tip of my ears feel a little warm as I picked up my pen again and begun writing. The lighthearted feeling didn’t leave, but it calmed down a little by each passing second.“I wasn’t sure if it was okay, sorry.”

Again she let out a small giggle as she read my note, before a light pressure ended up on my shoulder. “There’s no need to be sorry, I want you to feel comfortable around me. We’re friends after all, right?” she said and I felt my heart quicken up its pace, beating a little louder than usual until it nearly stopped as she uttered the word “friends”.

It fell as something a little foreign to my ears, not really knowing that we had gotten that close, yet for some reason I didn’t mind. I actually liked the word as it silently rolled on my tongue, only for my ears to hear.