2 Pretending Not To Know

At the moment we passed through the door the bell rang, and Autumn started running. I quickly sped up as well, since we had to go to classroom 3-1, which is on the third floor. Autumn ran up the stairs, skipping every other step.

"Wait! You're too fast!"

I was breathing heavily, and my face must have looked like a tomato too. I wondered if he was that fast naturally, or if he was using his powers. Either way, he ignored me.

I arrived in front of the classroom, huffing and puffing and trying to take my breath back. I groaned to myself, wiping the sweat off of my glowing face.

"Why did I run? It wouldn't have mattered if I were a minute late… he's not that strict."

Even though my hair was a mess, I entered the classroom.

"Larissa! There you are. You're a little late, but I'll let it slide because we haven't started yet. Take your seat."

"Thank you."

I was still somewhat out of breath, at least that much that it was noticeable in my speech.

"Don't be late next time. Anyway, now that everyone's here, let's get started. Last year we-"

I was too overwhelmed to follow Mister Evans' math class. The realisation of someone from my school, from my class even, being Thundergirl. And, not even being a girl as well. Thundergirl is a crossdresser. Thoughts like these crossed my head while I mindlessly solved differential problems. The first hundred minutes of the day passed by, and the first break started with the humming of the buzzer. While I packed my bag, Autumn walked up to me.

"Let's spend the break together."

Bluntly, he said those words, to me of all people. The classmates still left in the room looked at us, and even Mister Evans glanced for a moment. Autumn is an outcast, and that outcast asked to spend time together with Lara. That was what everyone was thinking, while I was wondering what happened to that 'pretending not to know each other' he told me about.

"Uhm, sorry, I'm spending my time with my friends."

It just didn't feel right at all. I wouldn't want to spend time with an outcast like him, others would be making wrong assumptions about us. Hastily, I closed my bag and exited the classroom to join Chris and Maddie. Autumn just vacantly looked at me for a while, before heading his own way. He didn't seem to mind my response.

"Was that Autumn asking you out?"

"Good thing you refused, I wouldn't want to spend any of my precious time with a loser like him."

He wasn't necessarily asking me out, but it might have been that way for him. Maybe, he thought that now that a girl knows his secret she would fall in love with him. Or spend time with him. Well, that isn't the case, Autumn. I have no interest in you. We arrived at a table in the cafeteria and settled down.

"So, what did he ask you?"

"Oh, he wanted to spend the break together."

Both Chris and Maddie laughed loudly at my response. Everyone in the cafeteria looked our way, while I was quietly peeling my tangerine.

"Really? What a weirdo."

"Haha, I know right? I'm glad I had the excuse to-"

"He can die in a hole if you ask me. There's no need for him in this world."

And that was the moment I stopped in my tracks. What Chris said made the hand lifting a tangerine piece to my mouth stop, and left my mouth ever so slightly open. It was long enough for them to notice.

"You okay there, Lara?"

"Wait, do you really care for him? Shouldn't I have said that, about your secret boyfriend?"

"Lara, you actually care for him?"

While Maddie asked if I were okay first, she quickly moved over to Chris's view. It was disgusting. It made me realise how easily Chris has manipulated her, and possibly me as well. Tears started to well up in my eyes, but I kept them as small as possible. I was overwhelmed with thoughts again, for the second time that morning. Christine and Madison continued to make comments and laugh cynically, but I couldn't hear them. I didn't want to hear them, so I blocked them out.

"Hey-"

Madison noticed it too late. I haphazardly grabbed my stuff and sprinted to the obscure restroom behind the Gym. They didn't follow me. The buzzer went off again, and I heard a lot of people going to their class. But I didn't go. I cried in one of the two sole toilet stalls in the restroom, a lot.

"No… No! There's nothing to cry about. They're just… just assholes! Saying stuff like… that..."

My words were screwed from the throbbing feeling in my throat. I exited the stall and went to splash water onto my face at the sink. When I looked in the mirror, I saw him.

"So, are they really your friends?"

Autumn was standing at the back of the restroom, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over each other. I jolted and rapidly turned around, and his eyes met with mine.

"Wait, you can't be here! This is the women's… restroom..."

"I guess, but I've been in women's restrooms before you know?"

He chuckled and looked way livelier than when I met him at the front door, around the corner.

"Anyway, I saw what happened in the cafeteria. I followed you all the way."

"That's creepy."

"Depends on how you look at it. I just didn't want you spoiling my secret to every one of your friends, so basically those two."

Autumn was awfully calm about the situation. His secret could've been spread around the entire school already, but it seemed like he trusted me with it. Upon realising that my teary reddish eyes were still present, I went to splash water onto my face again.

"Or no one, I should say."

I stopped washing my face and gradually turned around.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the way they made fun of you for talking to- no, for having someone else talk to you was just depressing to watch."

He put his hands in his pockets and removed his back from the wall, before walking towards me. Processing what he just said was tough. He only continued after he arrived in stood next to me, near the exit of the restroom.

"Christine and Madison just don't seem like good friends, if you ask me. That's all."

Autumn opened the door and held it open for me. I don't remember staring blankly at him, but I assume I did.

"Oh, and we have Physics next, in classroom 3-6. You know how mister Zienburg is. We gotta hurry!"

With the realisation, I hastily got my things together and sprinted out the bathroom. Though he started to run after I did, he quickly overtook me on the stairs with his step-skipping manoeuvres. We couldn't be late, as Mister Zienburg is at least a million times stricter than Mister Evans.

After getting a yellow card and a five-minute speech about being late from Mister Zienburg, I sat down at my usual spot. When I was seated, I noticed Chris and Maddie had switched places with other classmates. Two unfamiliar people were now sitting left of me. Autumn was already sitting in the back of the class with an empty table next to him.

"Larissa!"

I did not notice Zienburg addressing me prior to this.

"Ah! Sorry! I wasn't paying attention."

"That's the problem. Again, what would happen if I were to shoot the ball that way, with and without air resistance? Explain."

I had no idea what he was talking about. All the eyes of the class were on me and were probably looking at my worn-out face.

"Sorry I don't-"

"This is a recap from last year, maybe even the year before! Well, does anyone else know?"

Someone else raised their hand and answered. Mister Zienburg asked me if I understood, so I lied when I nodded. I didn't want any more of this day, I needed it to pass quickly. I wanted to set things right with Chris and Maddie and forget about Autumn and Thundergirl completely.

Yet, something happened far from what I wanted. After this painful first day of school was over, he walked up to me while I was unlocking my bike.

"Wanna come over to my house?"

Perplexed as I was, I looked at him blankly and gave a nod as a response. I am still not sure if that was the answer I wanted to give, but my instincts told me it couldn't be the worst choice of my life.