Bubble Gum Kisses
CHAPTER 21

**Kapittel 21** ***Vanessa***

**"How come it's not on the map though?"** I pulled the map out from my back pocket. I'm sure it was three buildings to the right from the registrar's building, where I originally was. Dang, did I get myself lost?

He suddenly swept to my side with his guitar in his left hand. I brushed my eyes on the instruments and noticed there was a beautifully designed pick stuck on the strings near the tuners. It was probably made of acrylic or resin since it was transparent, and had blue flower petals extending from the edge to the flat part where there laid two faces and above them read the words Ben & Ben. His favorite band, maybe?

"Let me see," he said and leaned closer over my shoulder, looking at the map. I ignored the beads of sweat forming on my temples and under my jaw. Nervousness crept in my knees as I felt his minty breath fanned over my neck and his light- scented cologne invaded my nose while he checked the campus map I was holding. I was sure he wasn't making a move on me, right?

"It's this one," he suddenly spoke, pointing a thick, calloused index finger on a teeny part on the map. Taking a little peek, I realized that he was pointing at a small square just right beside the Chivalry building, where I recently was before coming right to this building.

"Wow, it sure is small," I commented, looking at the small spot.

"It is, and is usually mistaken as the book center as its so small that it becomes unnoticeable," he commented before taking a few steps back, standing up straight and pointing to a certain place on the right. "Just turn right, you'll replace the entrance to the center."

I looked in the direction where he was pointing and saw a larger building, making me sigh in relief. "Thanks, you're a great help. I thought I was lost and was gonna be late after you said that this wasn't the book center." "It's no problem."

"I'm Vanessa, by the way," I extended my hand to him since I found it rude just dash off without introducing myself to him. He might be my first friend here too. "Uh, I thought it would be a bit rude to suddenly go away with just thanks that bear no sincerity, and it's my first day here, so..." I trailed off when he stayed silent and just stared at my hand I was offering.

He let out a small chuckle reverberating from his throat before taking my hand. "Asher."

"Like the name from the bible?"

"Mom said I was a blessing to her and dad's lives, so they named me after one of Jacob's sons from the bible, Asher, whose name meant blessing. So... yeah," he explained, giving me a small smile, and I swore to the odds, it made me feel that my day was about to end happily.

"Nice meeting you, Asher," I told him as we shook hands, and he replied: "Likewise."

It seemed to me that my first day of school wasn't so bad after all.

"Anyways, thank you!" I said before going off my way.

It didn't take me long to arrive the book center as it was only a few walks away. Like what was illustrated on the map, it was between buildings larger in stature with only a small space between them, but not too small that people couldn't pass through it. It was like an alley. A smile stretched on my face as I walked to the entrance and reach for its doors.

"Shut it, motherfucker!" a shout came through my ears, startling me. I halted on my spot and squinted my eyes in the left alley, and that was when I realized the alley had people parking in it. The sunlight was being blocked off mostly by the building's façade, so I couldn't see their face clearly, but there were subtle rays striking them enough that I could see their feet and clothes. The guys were wearing dark blue coats, and the girls were wearing the same clothes as mine. They were Trinity Knight students!

They were resting their backs against the wall, smoking puffs of cigarette. One guy was holding a bottle of beer. All of them positioned sturdily on their spots, like they were covering up something. I squinted my eyes even more, and my soul almost jumped out of my body when it registered into my mind what they were concealing behind. There was couple having sex behind them.

"When are y'all gonna finish?" one of the guys asked, he was clearly the impatient one in the group.

"Oh come in, let them be. Aren't you having fun watching them?" asked another guy with a grin, he was glanced at the couple before smacking the guy's derriere and the latter moved his hips faster, which caused his girlfriend to whimper. "You're fucking gross, Laz," said one girl, waving off the wafting smoke to her direction.

"But you just sucked my dick earlier? Doesn't that make you gross too?" he shot back, to which she rolled her eyes and reply, "Whatever."

"Anyways, classes are almost starting. You guys should finish already," said another girl.

"Says the one who sleeps in class," the impatient guy said.

"Gosh, shut it!" she rebuked and smacked his arm, to which he laughed.

I stared at them blankly before turning away and walking forward to the book center's entrance. It seemed even though this was a private school and all the quality education it could offer, there were still wayward students who let their hormones go on a rage and control them. I shouldn't be surprised, I guess since teenagers are mostly the same. I'd seen worse and I'd seen better in the previous school I was enrolled to, anyway.

**I got my books faster than expected** and arrived at my class on time with the cost of my legs shaking and lungs burning. Running from one building to another and taking stairs to the fourth floor was a sport since the building's elevator was only exclusive to instructors and Student Council Officers, per se the student handbook. Luckily, there wasn't much effort for an explanation to Mr. Boro, the math instructor who was already expecting me in his class. When the bell rang for the class to start, he introduced me to everyone so I only stood on the platform, in front of my new classmates while staring at the wall until he told me where to sit. I was assigned to sit at the back, beside a dark-haired ebony girl with the sleeves of her uniform rolled up to her shoulders and face wearing a welcoming smile.

"Hi! I'm Georgia but I prefer being called Georgie," she introduced herself cheerfully as she offered me her hand, her nails adorned with bright colors and cutesy designs. I clandestinely looked at Mr. Boro, who was now facing his back at us while writing the current class objectives on the board. I turned my attention back to her and took her hand for a handshake. I almost gasped when I noticed that her hands were very soft, like a child's hand. It was obvious that she'd never done any hard work using her hands, maybe for writing only.

"Nice to meet you," I whispered with a small smile on my face. This was it, a little start of forming a friendship in this school, I hope I could have one genuine friend in this school and some acquaintances at least. I couldn't count the guy I met earlier-Asher, as an acquaintance as we only met for a bit of time and hadn't asked him to be one. Hopefully, we'd meet again.

"I'm the vice-captain of the cheerleading squad, by the way," she added as we pull our hands away, it made me wonder if she was just sharing it or bragging about it or warning me not to do anything against her as she and her squad will pick on me. Though, I hope it was just sharing it.

"Mhmm-mm, I see." I slowly nodded before grabbing my newly bought mathematics book from my bag and turning my attention to Mr. Boro as he began to discuss the entire lesson.

As moments passed by, the lesson became a bit harder, and the explanation of the equation slowly became more complex to understand, but I managed to keep up with it by listening and looking at how the instructor presented the formula. The notes could be done later after he discussed the entire topic or when I get the entire picture. I was focused on every word coming out of his mouth when I felt a small tap on the sleeve of my uniform. I turned around and looked at my new seatmate, who was staring at me with confused eyes.

"Why aren't you taking notes?" Georgia asked, then turned her head back to the front and watched Mr. Boro scribble new sets of formulas and expressions on the board.

"I'm kind of busy understanding the process," I whispered, not taking my eyes off the board. "Taking notes can be done later."

"Are you sure? I mean, they're complex problems."

"Would I be panicking and taking notes if I don't understand them?" I retorted.

"Oh," I heard her made a small gasp. "Will you help me understand this later then?" she asked. I watched her hand burning as she wrote faster and faster, keeping up to Mr. Boro's pace. "Mr. Boro usually clears the entire board after he finished discussing the topic. I can lend you some notes if you haven't copied all in return," she added.

I almost narrowed my brows in confusion, thinking how she could be so trusting in my words. I mean, if I were her, I wouldn't believe the other person to understand a Math problem easily. Maybe she was not like how I thought of her when she shared that she was the vice-captain of the cheerleading team? Hm, who knew. But at least this situation would make it easier for me having an acquaintance, at least. I didn't want to graduate in this school a loner.

**

Thank you for reading Bubble Gum Kisses! To keep up with my works, future works, and endless frustrations on Twitter: https://twitter.org/RiosMorpheus**