Leavers

The next few days were a mad rush. As the year above them were leaving this year, there would be a Leaver's Dance. Elena's year was responsible for decorating the hall.

The hall had been used for the distribution of yearly prizes on Saturday afternoon, so the earliest they could start work was Sunday.

Dining tables needed to be moved in, decorated and set; the old wood panelled walls needed to be covered to make it look a little less like a school hall; the entrance hall needed to be transformed into a resting area with couches and sitting tables.

It was hard work, but the students did it all themselves. Even if they were spoiled rich kids, they wanted to give the Leavers a great send off. Besides, it was quite fun, getting everyone together to work towards something big.

****

Before they knew it, Tuesday evening arrived.

The Leavers walked along the mile long path towards the hall talking to all the students lined up along the edge.

Tomorrow morning, there would only be a short, but emotion packed chapel service, and the leavers would officially be graduates. Everyone would be so busy with packing, there wouldn't be time for goodbyes.

----

Elena had a few friends in the year above, and so she was taking pictures of them in their black tie outfits while she chatted with them.

Next time this event was held, it would be her year, she thought sadly. But she didn't let the thought get to her - it was a joyous occasion and she was sure the same thought must be in the minds of the current Leavers. Tomorrow they would be walking away from the place that had been their second home for 7 years.

It's always sad to part.

Eventually, the last of the Leavers filed into the hall and the rest of the students made their way back to their dorms.

****

As there was still a little time before roll call, Elena decided to go to the library. Being who she was, she was never one to waste time.

Even if the academic year was over, there would be another. No harm in getting ahead of the curb.

She picked up her book list for next year, and headed to the Matthew's building.

It was a modern building which contrasted greatly against the old red brick buildings in the school, and it housed the latest in computer technology.

Honestly, most students had laptops and tablets of their own, so it was usually left empty. But Elena couldn't afford something like a laptop.

She swiped her access card and went through the turnstile. Not expecting to walk into anyone, she admired the architecture as she made her way to one of the workstations.

But walk into someone, she did.

"Oof"

The collision had made her lose her footing, but a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and steadied her.

Elena was quite tall, and didn't often come across people much taller than her. So by instinct she opened her eyes and looked forward to her own height. But all that met her was a broad chest.

Her luck can't be so bad, she thought. There were only a small handful of people she knew were this tall. But as she hesistantly lifted her gaze, her heart fell. She really is that unlucky.

It was Alexander. How did she keep walking into this troublesome guy?

Today, he wasn't dressed up like before. But after Elena had noticed it once, even with his scruffy hair and laid back casual clothing, he still looked spectacular. And even more so up close.

She stared at his face blankly until she saw a smile begun playing on the tall boy's criminally red lips.

Elena took a large step backwards, squeezed her eyes shut, and forced a large grin.

Before she could apologise, she heard a distinctive 'Tsk' from him, and she widened her eyes in shock.

His picturesque eyebrows were furrowed, and his teasing smile had warped into a sneer.

"Can you not do that?"

The acoustics in the library sent his voice echoing around the room.

Elena pursed her lips. More of the cryptic questions. For some reason, she didn't want to let this one go.

She breathed out slowly to calm her rising temper, before asking in the most polite voice she could muster.

"Not do what, Alexander?"

She didn't know how this guy managed to get under her skin so easily.

At first she thought he was going to ignore her again. But to her suprise, he paused for a moment and gently swiped the corner of his lips with his thumb, before saying,

"The fake smiles. It's ugly."

"Also, just call me Alex."

Ugly, he said.

She didn't conceal her feelings this time, and her hostility was on full display.

But just as her expression turned sour, his seemed to soften and perk up. This didn't pass her attention.

She thought he must be messing with her.

"Well excuse me, Alex. Sorry for bumping into you, but I'm going to go study now."

She skimmed past his side and made her way to a workstation and sat down.

She settled herself comfortably, opened up the school intranet where all course books could be searched and accessed, and found one of her course books for next year.

Just as she thought she would spend a pleasant 30 minutes reading, she heard the sound of a swivel chair being pulled near her.

Looking askance, she watched Alex as he turned the chair so the back was facing her and sat down, his arms leaning against the back of the chair.

He bent his back so his chin could rest against his arms, and started reading the book on her screen.

Elena also looked back to the book and tried her hardest to focus on the words, but she found it impossible with Alex leaning over her shoulder.

She swivelled her own chair to face him and waited until his gaze met hers. His eyebrows lifted questioningly.

Elena chose her words carefully. She didn't want to be polite but... She also didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention from this classmate.

"I can't focus when you're like that. If you want to read it, you know how to find it."

As she said so, she raised her eyebrows and motioned with her eyes towards a nearby workstation.

That annoying smile began playing on Alex's lips before they opened.

"Am I so distracting, to you?"

He said the last words slowly, and they carried a suggestive tone. Elena felt her ears heating up. It's not that she wasn't used to being propositioned. She was a pretty, popular 17 year old girl in a co-ed school, so it was pretty common.

But something about his low and husky voice, and probably also his devillish looks, made her heart quiver a little. But she brushed aside the feeling, and snapped at him.

"Anyone finds it distracting if someone they hardly know is craning their neck over your shoulder."

"Pfffffft."

Stunned, Elena watched as Alex, who was usually quiet and unsociable, stifle a laugh.

His midnight blue eyes twinkled, and a row of white, straight teeth materialized between his lips for a moment.

"So if we get to know each other, then there's no problem?"

Elena frowned but he was unperturbed. He motioned to the screen.

"I didn't know you studied history? You must be in the other class"

Due to people's differing schedules, there were many classes of the same subject in different timeslots.

She nodded.

History was one of those subjects where you got anything from the best students to the worst, so she wasn't particularly surprised he also studied it.

"You like it?" he asked, when it was clear she wasn't going to say anything.

Elena thought a bit more deeply. Did she like it? She wasn't sure. Learning about past events was interesting - but that isn't what history was about. You needed to look at the events critically and try to delve into the exact motivations behind those events, or what people may have been thinking at the time.

But is that why she chose it? She didn't really think so.

She needed 6 subjects, so she chose the sciences, one language, music, and history. History was a humanity that she found very scientific, so it was easier for her to adjust to compared to say, English Lit. or Drama Studies.

It was a lot of subjects to take at A2 but luckily she was a hard working student over the years, so music and her extra language weren't too much trouble.

Elena had taken a really long time to say anything, so Alex piped up quietly instead.

"I don't bite, I promise."

He'd obviously misinterpreted her silence and expression. Flustered, Elena quickly corrected him.

"No no no, that's not it. I was just thinking. I don't think anyone's asked me if I like any of my subjects before."

A faint frown crossed his features at her reply.

She added weakly, "So I didn't know what to say."

"Really? No one, ever? Not one person ever asked you if you like what you're studying, even yourself?"

His words pierced Elena's heart, and she felt guilty. When he said it like that, she realized the foolishness immediately.

School was supposed to be a place where people pick up foundation skills to take to university, work and the rest of their lives. By choosing subjects you enjoyed, it was supposed to take you closer to a future you would enjoy.

She knew about it, she'd heard it said in lectures held to prepare them for their subject choices, but it was true she had ignored it. And no one had ever questioned her enjoyment in the subjects she had eventually chosen.

She fully expected Alex to scoff at her, or throw some inflammatory comment, but instead he looked at her thoughtfully.

"Y'know the reason why I like it?"

She was quiet so he went on.

"Because there's so much we don't know, and will never know. So the whole subject is an unconditoned problem."

Elena's voice caught in her throat, but she eventually asked.

"An unconditioned problem?"

She had never heard the term before.

He nodded before explaining.

"Take maths right. There's always an answer - at least in school level maths. The question itself is designed to have one answer."

Elena agreed that was true.

"But in history, there's no way we could know everything that happened, just from a few factual pieces of evidence that have survived over years and years."

"That means there is no right answer. There's just a best guess."

Huh. Elena had never thought about it that way.

She saw the boy in front of her in a new light. She was intrigued by what he was saying, but sadly, it was almost time for roll call, and she needed to pack up.

"You think we could continue this conversation another time?"

He only raised his eyebrows in response, so Elena turned back to the screen and logged out of her account.

She heard his smooth voice call out softly.

"You going somewhere?"

She cast him an incredulous glance. Everyone knew roll call was at 7pm, right??

Walking back towards the turnstiles, she said her goodbyes.

"See you around Alex!"

"Yeah, see you." he muttered, but she was already out of earshot.