Collateral Love

I woke up at 7. Yup, I usually sleep till late, but today is my first day at this so called college.

"Ughhhh"

"Hm let's go"

.

.

I went downstairs and found my mum. She was preparing breakfast.

"I am going mum!" I yelled.

"Take this!" She replied.

I don't like breakfasts..

But I had to eat it. And just after I ate, I gave my mum a hug and went. She's lovely..but strict to rules.

"First day in college. I have no friends. Wow" I thought and entered the strange college.

I entered the college and there stood my teacher.

"She's beautiful"I thought.

As I entered, she greeted me.

" Hello! You're the new student.. Ms.. Ms. Astrid, right? "

"Yes mam!" I said and she gave a big smile.

She introduced me to the class.

"She's Astrid Young from LA. I hope you all will be her friends" she spoke with her brightest smile.

I said hello.

Then I turned my face towards the class. All were looking towards me.

"Am I a ghost?"

Well I looked back at the teacher, almost asking her my place to sit.

"umm... The place next to Noah is empty.. Go sit there"

I just nodded and sat beside him.

Woah. He's so handsome. Perfect face with oceanic eyes in which you can get lost. I was admiring his beauty in my mind. He didn't look at me, so I kept on looking at him for sometime. He isn't looking at me after all

Then I came in my senses when I heard a voice.

"You've been staring me for half an hour, mind to study?" said Noah gazing at me.

Oh shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! What will he think of me now. I lowered my head in embarrassment.

"I-I.." I was trying to reason my stupidity when he spoke again.

"Anyway, don't reason it, I know I'm just too handsome, it's not your fault.. I think you never saw a handsome boy!" he smirked at me.

Wow. He just admired himself.

I couldn't control this insult. I retorted.

"There's nothing like that. Don't be too full of yourself!"

He smiled evilly and then his gaze shifted from me to his book again.

Now who the hell is he laughing at? Well, it's not my problem... What a nerd!!!

I didn't do anything and just studied.

Yes, I studied..

Only studied, okay!?!

Astrid's POV

After a few minutes, I got really irritated by him. He glanced me a few times and smirked by lowering his head.

What is he doing? Is he insulting?

Me?

I can't take it anymore.. This insult.

"Mister, what's your problem? What are you doing??"

"You're just finding reasons to talk to me!" he said while grinning.

Enough. I can't bear it. I stood up and called the teacher.

"Mam.. I want to change my seat" I said.

"Why?" asked the teacher.

Ohno. I'm so crazy. I didn't even think of a reason.

"That.. Mam... Actually.."

Yeah! I got an Idea!

"Mam I forgot my book, and... She! She is sitting alone and she has a book"

Yeah I pointed towards a strange girl. I didn't know her, as I have literally no one I know here.

"Noah, don't you have book?" she asked him.

"Yes Mam, I do"

Woah. Can't he just neglect it?

"Then share it with her"

"Of course I have no problem" he said with a little smirk at me.

I don't get it. What's his problem.

I sat down with a little embarrassment. I don't know why everyone was staring me and at that girl.

After a while, when the class got normal, I looked at him.

"What's your problem?"I asked him.

" Huh, I should ask that to you. Can't you just study?"

Wow. Isn't he the one who is disturbing me? Guys are you with me?? *emotionalcry*

Oh these nerds...

I didn't do anything the rest of the class other than noticing his irritating glances. Oh yes, I studied too.

This college is beginning to become somewhat interesting. I don't know why, but my eyes, they automatically want to see him every minute. But I can't do that! He's a nerd. I got to know that. Why can't I accept it?

I tried to concentrate on the book. Book was lying in front of me, but all I could see was some letters written over it. I was not reading it, nor could I understand anything. I just wanted to have a glance of the one sitting beside me.

I slowly shifted my gaze towards him. He was staring me.

What the hell?

I quickly looked towards my book again.

"You really can't take your eyes away from me" Noah said.

What the hell yaar. He was also staring at me.

"Same goes for you" I said without making any eye contact.

"Huh" he sighed and a little laugh came out from his mouth.

I didn't react to this. I don't know about anyone or anything here. I should just concentrate on my studies. The moment I thought this, the bell rang. Yes, it was lunch.

"Lunch in the first period?" I spoke in air.

But he heard it.

"Oh, Ms. lost-in-thoughts, it has already been afternoon"

I don't know how time passed, staring at him or by irritating him, but it just passed.

I was looking forward to make a friend. Yes, I need a friend. I sat on the chair, alone. When a girl came to me. She looked around my age.

"Hello, you're Astrid, right?"

Astrid's POV

"Hello, you're Astrid, right?" she asked smiling at me.

I nodded. She sat down in front of me.

"Hello, I'm Ava" she said.

"Hi Ava" I replied.

"Can I sit here and have a talk?" she asked way too formally.

"Of course you can" I replied

She told me that she also came here recently. She asked me if I could be her friend.

"Well Of course! I also needed a friend" and ya that's how formally we became friends. We then had our lunch and shared some of our stuff.

After a while, it was class again.

"Ugh again that nerd.. Well I kinda like his irritating nature" I thought and then went back to my class.

I again sat beside him and he didn't notice me. I was quite disappointed.

Then he took out his book and started studying.

See, when you like someone, you just notice their every move. Don't curse me for noticing all this...

.

.

Wait, did I just say I like him?

No no, don't get me wrong, guys.

Let's continue.

So then he started studying, and of course I was looking at him.

"Now your stare is becoming annoying" Noah said.

I was startled and lowered my gaze in embarrassment. This guy has already embarrassed me so many times in just a day.

I studied the rest of the day and tried to prevent my eyes from seeing him. It's not like I like him, I just think it's an attraction.

The day ended and it was dispersal. I walked out of the college with Ava. She is a good girl, I can tell. I was surprised to know that we were to go in the same direction, so we have to take the same bus.

"Hey, Astrid, how about we do out work together?" she asked excitedly.

I don't even know her so well, but she looked like an innocent and a cute girl. I couldn't deny it.

"Sure, where?" I said with a smile.

"um.. We'll meet at the cafe" she said pointing towards the cafe in the front of our college.

"Okay, at 5?"

"Yes!"

Then we went to the bus and headed home. I reached home and she went to other way. I mean, it was somewhere near, I don't know. I didn't do my work, because I'll do that with her. I'm looking forward for tomorrow. It's really exciting to see him and irritate him.

It's 5, and I'm early here. Yes, we didn't come together because her mother would drop her here as she was going to some shopping. A minute later, she came. Her mother left already and I couldn't get a chance to see her. We worked for sometime and then we ordered coffee.

Wait. What am I seeing?

Noah is sitting on the table next to the next table. He didn't notice us till now, but if he does, I'll have to mark this day as "World Embarrassment day for Astrid". He will undoubtedly embarrass me here too. Out of the blue, I asked Ava to go somewhere else.

"Why?" she was quiet shocked.

"That... Actually.. I'll tell you later" I said.

Although we've been friends for a while, I'm still not so close to her. I can't tell her everything!

She agreed to me, when I felt a pat on my shoulder.

"Hey nerd"

And yes, he was here.

"Don't call your names everywhere. You'll be exposed" I tried to insult him a little so that he also gets to know how does being insulted and embarrassed feels.

"Hi Ava" he said to her.

I didn't know he knows her, I mean is friends with her.

"Hi Noah. She's not a nerd, okay?" surprisingly, she took my side.

"Whatever"

After a moment, we started to go, when he called my name.

"Astrid" he called.

Somewhat I liked it, the way he called my name. But its just attraction, for a few days I guess.

I turned back.

"Tomorrow's a test" he said.

"What?" I asked him.

Ava looked at me in surprise.

"You didn't know?" she asked me.

"What-when? I'm a fresher. I came today only, I'm not supposed to give this, right?"

Ava's mom came suddenly.

Emma (Ava's mom): Ava, beta we have to go now. Your father has to do some urgent work, he needs us.

Ava : But mom-

Emma : No excuses.

And Emma Aunt dragged her out.

Here, just me and Noah were left. I didn't want to talk to him, but I wanted to know about the test.

"What's with the test?" I asked him.

"Tomorrow, prepare your lessons according to the schedule that was there on the notice board" he replied.

What notice board? I thought. But I thought it's too stupid to ask this. So I said I didn't see the notice board.

"The schedule's too big. I hardly remember. I clicked a photo in the college, but I don't have my phone right now." he said with a little sad voice.

Soon he became happy, because an idea stuck him.

"Give me your number, I'll send it on your phone" he said.

I didn't want to do it at all, but life put me in this situation, when I have no friends, Ava's number is not available, only he can tell me.

"Okay" and I gave him my number by writing it in my notebook and tearing the slip.

"But still. I'm a fresher. Why am I supposed to give this test?" I asked curiously.

"You don't know Ms. Sophie, right?"

"...."

I didn't understand what he wanted to say.

"She is super strict behind her smiling face. She don't give a shit about who's new" he said a little angrily.

"Oh" I said.

"Well, Ms. Lost-in-thoughts, you didn't hear about the test in college?"

"I don't know why" I said, cause I didn't really know when all that happened.

"Your name is based on that, you were lost in your thoughts the whole day and you couldn't hear the announcements and that's why I told you about the test"

"Well Thanks"

"I'm damn sure you don't know where's the notice board either" he said while smirking again.

"Hm whatever..." I said, again a little embarrassed.