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The Untouchable by sarahj
Number of reviews: 7
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He’s popular; there’s no doubt about it. He saunters in every day, assured that he has the respect of the majority of the year group. He can afford to put his hand up in class and get a question utterly wrong. He can afford to act stupidly and yet still be admired. He walks into class and heads will turn, his group of cronies beside him looking smug at the fact they’re hanging about with him. I trot in behind as if invisible to the world.
And I fell for it. I fell for his looks, the comments he shouts out in class, his talent for music and sport. I have become a stalker.
On Monday he’s in two of my classes, Biology and Maths. He’s intelligent. We’re in the top maths class and he sits on the seat in front of me. I sit and practice imitating his moves. When he leans against the window to his right, I do the same. When he rests his head on the desk in a bored manner, I copy. I read once that guys notice when you imitate them. Maybe one day he’ll see me doing this. In Biology, it’s pretty much the same seating arrangement. I watch from a distance and curse those bitches surrounding him who are able to hold a conversation with him. I just know if he ever came over to me we would be able to have a much deeper discussion. But I can’t…because I don’t think he knows me.
On Tuesday we share maths together once again, but on Wednesday’s he’s in none of my classes. Thursday’s my favourite day. He has basketball training that night and on a weekly basis, I take my spot under the oak tree outside the court and watch intently. He’s a genius at what he does, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes he’s not all perfect. Every time he takes the throw-in from the right side of the court, a member of the opposing team always intercepts. I know the reason why as well. It’s because he throws a split second too late after the whistle and moves ever so slightly to the left. Nobody else has realised except me. If he ever came over to the edge of the playing area I would tell him. But I can’t…because I don’t think he knows me.
Friday rounds up the week with double Maths. On the morning we returned from summer vacation and the new timetables were handed out, there was a unanimous groan from our class. Double maths last thing on a Friday. I thought this was the best news I’d heard all year. Two, full, uninterrupted hours with him.
So that’s it. I’m a first class, number one, fully qualified stalker. I can pinpoint his next moves in reference to mine. I thought my life was slowly heading for an unstoppable black hole if I didn’t change my ways. Fortunately life was on my side one day I prayed. I had been mistaken all along…he did know who I was.
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It’s Friday today. I’m sitting in my favourite class of the week, double maths. It’s been half an hour into the lesson and I’m having a shit time for once. Justin’s not been at school today and his seat is already taken. Maybe I’ll just have the concentrate more on my work.
I am clever. I’ve scored A’s in the majority of subjects and I always hand homework in on time but I’m never one of the people who win prizes. Those are the kind who can voice their opinions. Those who have something to say in class and will put their hand up voluntarily. I guess I’m just not one of those people.
The door to our stifling hot classroom is thrust open, and immediately I can tell from the shadow creeping across the carpet who it is. He walks over to Mr. Lumsden, our maths teacher, and hands him a brown envelope.
“Sorry sir, I was at the dentist.”
I can’t really imagine why he was at the dentist. He has perfectly straight and white teeth.
Mr. Lumsden peers over his thick rimmed glasses at Justin’s tall athletic frame, and folded the note up in his pocket. He nods, and signals for Justin to take a seat. Justin strides over to his usual place second row from the back, but stops mid way down an aisle.
“Um, where should I sit sir?”
Mr. Lumsden looks up and grunts. “Oh. Eh, just take that seat beside Francesca at the back.”
He looks around for a moment and before he spots the chair. I bet any amount of money he had no idea I even sat behind him in the first place. As he begins to make a move again, his friends turn and laugh at him being forced to sit next to someone like me. They clearly think I’m psychotic.
It’s funny; I always imagined this to be different. All the time when I’m thinking about him coming over to sit bedside me in my imagination, I’m always smiling up at him, being so welcoming. Now, as he unpacks his things, I can do nothing but turn away and stare out of the window, my cheeks glowing scarlet.
“So…which exercise are we doing?”
I snap my focus round straight into his eyes. I’ve never seen them this close up before, and I had no idea they were so blue. The sun’s playing with the colour and his eyes suddenly look electric. I can’t do anything more than stare into them. I try and say something, but lump springs up in my throat and just can’t do it.
He looks at me oddly and glances over at my work to check what we’ve been doing. I want to speak to him so badly, but I can’t. I just can’t do it. I take a few deep breaths and give myself in the head mentally. All year Francesca, all year you’ve been waiting to do this. God, you’re pathetic. I’m going to do it. I can do it.
“We haven’t done any exercises yet,” I rush. I don’t think he caught a word that just came out of my mouth, but at that moment I feel a wave of a whole new emotion. I feel a lifetime of weight lifted of my shoulders. I feel a new sensation burning across my skin as my cheeks reside to their natural colour. I can’t believe I never thought of it like this before. It’s so easy to talk.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that. What have we done so far?”
I breathe again, my heart fluttering. “Oh, well…we copied a bunch of notes down from the board but Mr. Lumsden’s taken them down now. You can copy what I’ve done already.”
My brain slows down to a standstill. I just managed…a whole sentence. I just talked to the boy I know inside out from a distance, but not once has been able to say his name aloud. I talked to him. I talked. To him.
He smiles as I slide the book across the desk and opens his own jotter.
“Um…do you have a spare pen I could borrow? Sorry, I was in a kind of rush this morning.”
Oh my God. I don’t have another pen with me. I start to panic and pick up my bag, frantically searching for one. If only he knew I would run out of this classroom right now to go and buy him one.
“I’m really sorry, I don’t have one. I’ve completely forgotten my pencil case today.”
He laughs at the state I’m getting in over a pen. Obviously he thinks I’m being sarcastic and joking around, but I’m not. I’m being deadly serious. If only he knew I would go to lengths to get him anything, even if it was a stupid pen.
He suddenly stops laughing and raises a hand to his jaw and groans in pain. I look across in worry. He sees my concerned face and laughs again.
“Oh no, it’s nothing. I had to get an injection and it hurts like hell.” He sits in grimace for a moment before looking back down at my books. “Hey, do you think you could copy up that stuff, into my books for m-”
“Sure,” I answer a little too speedily. Oh God, he must think I’m a complete ass. I take his books anyway and begin copying out the pages of notes using my neatest handwriting.
He observes over my shoulder. “Wow your handwriting’s neat.”
I smile and flip though his previous pages. His writing’s scrawly, messy and illegible. Of course, I already knew that. But I wasn’t going to admit right then to him I was a stalker.
I took me another ten minutes to finish and he was impressed. This was turning out to be the best two hours of my life. It’s funny how freely people use that term, “That was the best thing I’ve ever done” or “That hour was the best of my life.” But right now, I can honestly say this is the truth. When I say this, there isn’t an ounce of doubt amongst my thoughts.
I’m interrupted by Justin’s two friends sitting in front of us, turning round. They’re still mocking him about the seating arrangement, but do you know what he does? He tells them to ‘shut up’. He tells them off on my behalf! He actually knows who I am. I turn to him to say thanks but Mr. Lumsden’s voice suddenly penetrates my thoughts.
“Justin and Francesca. Stop disturbing the class!”
My natural reaction is for my cheeks to shine maroon as a few of the pupils at the front turn round to look at as. They probably can’t believe I’m talking to Justin in the first place. To be honest I can’t believe it myself. The fact I just got told off for talking to Justin stops me from turning beetroot. I feel so proud.
For the rest of the lesson we have to remain silent, but all the time I take quick looks over at him. It’s actually happening. He sits there unsuspecting, concentrating on this one question he’s been stuck on for about four minutes now. I oblige all too quickly when he signals for help.
I can’t believe how quickly the lesson passes. Quick as a flash the trigger for the weekend rings out through classes all around the school and through the window I can see the sea of pupils spilling out onto the asphalt. Quickly I pack my stuff away and follow Justin out of the classroom. I know he lives in the opposite direction from me but I could take a detour I guess.
At the gate of the school he spins round and is taken by surprise by standing right behind him. He smiles and nods in the direction of his house.
“You heading that way?”
“Um, yeah.” I lie. Hey, if he wants me to live there…so be it.
“Join me?”
He’s asking me to accompany him home. I smile and nod furiously. He laughs again. I love his laugh so much. I used to dream of knowing him so well, I would hear his laugh every day. He looks at me strangely and motions for me to go in front. It’s one of those ‘ladies first’ gestures.
I giggle and stride up to him. Wait a second…I giggled? I don’t giggle. I frown or scorn things or most of the time be completely void of any emotion. But now…
I know what it is. It’s Justin. He must have brought this whole other side of my out I didn’t even know existed. Like the flick of a switch I changed from personality today from my former invisible self, to someone who has character. But it’s not just that I’ve learnt today. I discovered something about Justin I hadn’t known for the past year. He knows who I am. And to me…this marks the beginning of a new era in my life.
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