Chapter 2
Chapter Two
A s the class reeled off their names, my heart pounded in my chest. This man couldn’t be our new teacher, surely not. This had to be a prank.
Mr Silver’s eyes drifted over to me, and I met his gaze, silence filling the room.
Why is he staring at me like that?
I finally looked away before turning to see the girl beside me staring at me blankly.
“Your name? You do know it, right?”
I whipped my head back around, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. So that explained Mr Silver’s curious gaze.
“Jain.” I smiled as he nodded with disinterest. “With an I,” I added, more from habit than anything else.
Mr Silver frowned before glancing down at the sheet before him.
“Jain with an I. Got it. Thank you, Jain, with an I. ”
There was a snicker around the classroom as I sank back into my seat. So, Mr Silver had a smart mouth. I was used to the comments about my strangely spelt name, another sign my mum was too young when she had me.
He told us to get out our books, and I noticed everyone did so somewhat obediently, which was unusual. Since mine was already out, I raised my hand cautiously.
His green eyes glanced over to me before he spoke.
“Is there a problem?”
“Uh, no. I just wanted to know what happened to Mrs Fern?” I asked innocently, wondering where my favourite teacher had gone.
He blinked before he answered.
“Well, all you need to know is that she isn’t here. Any other mundane questions? Or do you mind if I continue with the class?”
His voice was devilishly deep and fierce, and I felt like he had slapped me in the face.
What the hell was his problem?
“No,” I whispered.
“No, what?” Mr Silver drawled as whispers flew around the class.
“No, thank you ?” I offered, shrugging my shoulders with disinterest.
“I didn’t offer you a cup of coffee; I answered your question. You can refer to me as Sir. So, no Sir would suffice. I didn’t realise I was teaching basic manners today. I thought this was the final year of school?”
I tried to find my voice when I heard someone call out from the back of the class.
“I make her call me Sir when she’s on her knees.”
I scowled, turning around to see Harley pouting at me playfully.
“You wish,” I spat back, as a loud clap from the front of the table made me jump.
“Your extracurricular activities do not concern me, Harley. But if a girl were on her knees before you, I would imagine she would only need to call you ‘Sir’ if you were teaching her something, so I’ll leave that there, shall I?”
There were cries of laughter and hoots at Harley’s expense as he flushed furiously.
I couldn’t help but grin as I turned back to the front.
“Presentations are delayed. I’d rather do a test to see where you are knowledge-wise.”
There were curious murmurs around me, some happy as they hadn’t prepared for the presentation, the others pissed that they had a test.
Me? I’d rather not do any.
The test seemed to take forever as I gazed at my paper. I had no idea what half of the questions he was asking me even meant, let alone what the answers were.
We handed it in at the end of class, and I left it on his table, conscious that everyone else had written more than me.
“Anything else, Jain?”
I looked up in surprise, yet again finding myself staring at him. His eyes were flecked with grey, and they were narrowed at me.
“No,” I stammered as Harley walked up behind me, his arm around my shoulders as we walked away.
Mr Silver dropped his gaze immediately, collecting the papers into his hands as I turned away.
“Tell me you’re not hot for him too,” Harley muttered as I made a face.
“No, I don’t fancy our teacher, Harley.”
Harley rolled his eyes before slapping me on the ass, running away before I could punch him.
“That’s sexual harassment!” I shouted after him as he turned around, grinning .
“Only if you don’t like it!”
“Prick,” I muttered, stopping to pull my phone out. I located the text from Kate, seeing her remind me of the party tonight.
As if I could forget.
I walked down the hall, skipping down the steps that led to the Math block. Eloise was up against the wall, lip-locking with some faceless boy. I went to move past them when I clocked the trainers, my eyes lifting to see it was indeed Arden. So, the bad boy and the bad girl, what a surprise.
“So, fucking predictable ,” I muttered as I walked by, stopping when I felt a hand on my arm.
“What did you say?”
I pulled it back as Eloise strode away, sending me daggers as she did. Arden glared at me, his fingers gripping my arm.
“I said, fucking predictable.”
“Are you jealous?”
“Of the school clich? No.”
Arden laughed then, his lips pulling into a smirk as he pushed a fresh cigarette into his mouth. I took it from his lips, dropping it on the floor as he glared at me.
“Doe, you are jealous.”
“It’s Jain , Arden. I’m not jealous. You two are perfect for each other.”
I went to turn away when he spoke softly.
“Why? Because she’s hot too?”
Ugh .
“I’ve got to go.”
I couldn’t explain my reaction, but maybe I had hoped he wasn’t just another bad boy who wanted to bang his way through school. I’d known him for years, but this was the most I’d ever spoken to him .
“I’ll walk with you. I’ve got Math too. “
I refused to acknowledge him, annoyed that he had heard me muttering in the first place.
“Doe—”
“I hate that nickname.”
“Then I’m definitely gonna keep calling you that.”
I threw him an angry look when I saw my friends watching us in bewilderment from the stairway.
“Jain and Charter? That’s an odd sight.”
“Off you go, Doe, back to your little clique. The popular yet fucking clueless.”
I went to argue when Arden ruffled my hair, making it fall in my face as I let out a sound of annoyance.
“So, Charter?” Kate raised an eyebrow at me, sending Arden a dirty look as he walked away. “Hot but rough as fuck. You don’t want to get involved with the likes of him.”
“I can assure you I’m not interested in Arden Charter,” I hissed as Kate threw her glossy brown hair over her shoulder.
“Good. I like you and Harley together.”
I groaned as Kate pushed her arm through mine, her perfume filling my nostrils as I nodded to the others to follow us.
“Tonight, we need to dress the fuck up. Get ready at mine; I’ve got so much alcohol it’s stupid.”
Sarah slid her arm through my free one as the Math class loomed before me.
“I swear if Eloise goes anywhere near Henry, I’m going to lose my shit. She’s such a slut .”
Kate’s sapphire blue eyes darkened as she scowled at Sarah. “Henry won’t if he knows what is good for him. They go for her because she sucks anyone off—”
“Kate Gardener! If I hear you talking like that again, I will personally call your parents.”
Kate grimaced at the booming voice before turning to flutter her eyelashes innocently at our math teacher, who was glaring at her with disgust.
“What you do in your spare time—”
“Sir! Are you suggesting I suck——”
“ Kate !”
I giggled when the Math teacher pointed at his room, his face puce.
“Get into class now .”
“Yes, sir.”