Chapter 1: Her

What does it mean to love?

Every few months, or whenever someone thinks they've found "the one", the same cliché question arises: "What does it mean to love?" Romance movies produced in the last two decades have attempted to answer this question, but in my opinion, they have failed.

It's not that they are incorrect, or that their approach is wrong, but I simply do not understand it. The formulaic plot of a man falling in love with a woman because she is pretty, and then overcoming various obstacles and misunderstandings before ending in a big wedding, is so tedious and repetitive that it becomes boring. Why don't they just figure it out in one sitting and solve their problems? I can never seem to understand why people love the way they do and then have to deal with troublesome emotions.

All those things that happen in the movies, where a boy falls in love with a girl, goes through idiotic challenges, and somehow manages to beat them, are all fictitious. In reality, when a boy falls in love with a girl, the girl usually gets disgusted by the boy and ignores him, but the boy is too much of an idiot to realize it and keeps chasing her until he crashes hard on the pavement.

This is not exclusive to boys; it happens to girls as well. A girl falls in love with a handsome guy in the martial arts club, and coincidentally, the "fist for brains" also likes her. The story goes that they live happily ever after with three kids and a mansion in the Hills, occasionally going to the Bahamas for vacations.

But that's not what really happened. Instead, the "fist for brains" strung her along, cheating her at every turn, even though it was so obvious to her. She refused to admit the truth before her eyes, and in the end, the girl gets dumped, and the "fist for brains" moves on to another victim.

Sometimes people are real idiots, yet now I'm turning into one of those same idiots.

What do I mean? Well, it all started on a Sunday morning in August 9, 2021

"Malik, wake up! It's already 8 am and you're going to be late for school. The bus is arriving in 30 minutes."

"Mom relax, I'm not late and i woke up like 2 hours ago to workout."

"Oh, Honey sorry i didn't realize you were already awake, I was too busy with work to notice."

"its fine mom, now is there breakfast?"

"Yeah, it's by the counter. Go eat before going to school and oh don't forget to lock up before leaving. ill be heading off to work now."

"Sure, bye mom drive safe."

Mom kissed me on the forehead before leaving for work and said goodbye.

After my workout, I went to eat breakfast before leaving. I was a bit hungry and needed a good meal. I glanced at the clock and realized I was close to being late, so I ate my breakfast quickly before taking a shower.

After about 20 minutes, I finished and waited for the bus. There were still a few minutes left before it was scheduled to leave, so I thought about what I would do today. It was certain that I would see my old classmates again, and the thought of it made me want to hurl.

The bus coming snapped me out of my thoughts. I went downstairs to drink some water before leaving. I knew I had to hurry up because last time I was late riding the bus, I was in detention for a week. But this time, I made it on before it left. The door of the bus opened, and I noticed that the driver was different this time. The old bus driver had been driving this thing for as long as I could remember, so for him to all of a sudden leave was strange.

I ignored it, despite the fact that he had been the one to pick me up since I was a child, but had also driven off without waiting for me, causing me to be late and get detention.

I gave a subtle nod to the driver, who nodded back and searched for a seat for me. Nothing had changed; the people I usually rode with were still staring at me like I was some sort of bug. I was glad to see that not everything had changed.

I noticed that the seats at the back were open, so I made my way over there. For some strange reason, there was another person sitting in my seat. Usually, no one dared to sit close to me, but there was someone sitting beside my seat this time.

I inspected my new seatmate and realized that she was a girl with long black hair and deep blue eyes, and a round face that matched. In my opinion, she was quite beautiful, and her dress sense was also cool - skinny jeans and a dark sweater, like the one I had in my closet.

I got closer and took a seat beside her, ignoring the fact that she had taken my favorite seat. I closed my eyes and waited for the bus to arrive at school. Although she may have been new here, I had no plans to talk to her. She may be pretty, but that was about it. However, reality did not go as I had planned.

A sudden voice interrupted my thoughts.

Surprised, I opened my eyes and saw the dark-haired, blue-eyed girl looking at me with a cheerful smile. Her energy was contagious.

"Hi, nice to meet you too," she said.

"What's your name? I'm Lorelai, by the way, Lorelai Hopper."

"Ah, I'm Malik, Malik Tirion."

I never expected the girl, or Lorelai her name, to talk to me, since she must be new there's a good chance she doesnt know of my own reputation, i wonder how shell react when she does know

"Huh, Malik Tirion, what a unique name. Sounds like a name from Game of Thrones if I recall."

"Yeah, I've heard that before." i said in an annoyed tone.

"Oops, I'm sorry if I came across as being rude. I just thought it was a cool name to have, that's all."

Her words made my heart skip a beat. What was happening to me?

"It's fine. I get that a lot. Your name is also cool, Lorelai. It sounds like something that came out of a novel."

"Thanks! My mom said that my dad was the one who named me Lorelai and that he named me after-"

I couldn't hear anything after that. I felt something strange in that moment that I couldn't explain. My face grew hot and my heart rate increased the longer I looked at her and listened to her enchanting, soft voice. Her blue eyes seemed to be holding me captive. What was happening to me?

"Malik, are you okay?" she asked, snapping me out of my trance.

I realized that I had been staring at her this whole time. I'm not very good at making first impressions, am I?

"Oh, sorry. I just got a bit distracted," I said, trying to play it cool.

"It's okay. I thought you had a stroke or something. You've been staring at me for a few minutes, so I was getting a bit worried," she said with a smile.

I felt flustered and waved it off, hoping she wouldn't think I was a complete weirdo.

I wasn't staring at you. I got a bit distracted, that's all," I replied.

She giggled in response, making my heart skip a beat again. What is happening to me?

"Malik, I was only joking," she said, still giggling.

Her laughter only made me more flustered. What was going on with me?

"Ah, yes, sorry about that," I managed to say.

Suddenly, the bus came to a stop and I realized we had arrived at school. It felt like the shortest bus ride ever.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Malik. See you around school," she said as she waved goodbye.

"Yeah, nice meeting you too," I replied, waving back.

As we parted ways and she disappeared into the crowded hallway, I felt a twinge of disappointment. I still had no idea why meeting her had affected me so much. But, oh well, life goes on.

I shrugged off my early encounter with Ms. Sunshine and planned to go to homeroom. Students crowded the school as they got ready for classes. Some ran in the hallways, getting chased by bullies, while others hurried to get to their classes. I could understand why, as some classes started earlier than most.

On the right were red lockers, on the left were blue lockers, and in between were white tiles that glimmered as if they were brand new. Above, there was a sign that read, "Welcome Back Tigers." The school's welcome back greeting always made me cringe, and this year was no exception.

I made my way to Room 402, where I had been studying for the past four years or so. The classroom still had the same green plaque with the white text that spelled "Room 402." As I opened the door, I was greeted by my dear old classmates. There were about thirty of us, so the room was a bit crowded but not too much. A whiteboard stood at the front of the class with a table in front of it.

For some reason, the room had a bright and lively vibe. My classmates huddled in a corner, and I was curious to know what they were up to. I asked my friend Neil, who was sitting in front of the class and not participating in whatever everyone else was doing.

"Yo Neil, what's going on? Did someone buy a new vape or something?"

"Hey man, I haven't seen you for a few months, I thought you might have died or something," Neil responded jokingly.

"Shut up, Neil. Now, can you please answer my question?"

"Sure thing, princess. There's a new kid in town, and ironically, she looks like a princess."

"What do you mean? We're graduating seniors, and someone actually transferred in? Are they crazy?"

"Whether they're crazy or not, the transferee is smoking hot. So, it doesn't matter to me that much," Neil said with a smirk. It didn't surprise me that Neil had found a new playmate, but I couldn't understand why he was bothering with her.

"So, Neil, why aren't you approaching the new girl if she's really as hot as you claim?" I asked, catching Neil off guard.

"Well, you see, she's not my type, Malik. I have other women to entertain, so it's all good," Neil replied with a distorted face.

"She rejected you, didn't she?" I stated.

"Yup, she did," Neil admitted.

I sighed, looking at my lovable yet foolish friend. I often wonder if he'll ever stop chasing girls left and right. It seems like he has a different girl every week. Though he acts like this, i know him well enough that even if he acts like that, he is still a kind person deep down, but I'm starting to question my own judgement =

"I know what you're thinking, but don't get your hopes up. Neil the king isn't going anywhere, and I'm here to stay," he said with a smirk.

"Neil, you were turned down by the new girl. You're definitely not going anywhere," I retorted.

"It was just a minor setback. Trust me, give it a few weeks, and she'll be all over me," he responded confidently.

I shrugged, feeling doubtful about what he said.

"Sure dude, whatever you say."

I ignored him and started checking out the new girl, but it was hard to see her as she was being covered by various people who were trying to talk to her. Despite my curiosity, I wasn't that interested in who she was or what she looked like, because in the end, she would probably end up avoiding me.

But Neil was the exception. He was the first friend I made when I entered high school, and despite people questioning why he was my friend, he ignored them and chose to have fun with me. At first when i met him i alsoo thought why in gods name he was associating himself with me, but then i realized that he was a tad bit worse than me in my opinion, though my classmates called me controlling and a bit of a neat freak, compared to Neil I start to feel better about myself.

Though he could be a bit douchy at times and somehow dated a new girl every other week, he was still someone I could consider a friend. Oh, and there was also another person, but he seemed to be absent as usual.

I took a seat by the window at the back of the class and admired the beautiful scenery outside. I hated this school, but I couldn't hate the scenery and peaceful surroundings. I never did understand how a beautiful scenery chose to settle in this shit show of a school.

I took out my phone to check the time and realized it was already 8:59 am. As soon as it hit 9 am, the teacher, our current homeroom advisor, swung the door open and entered the room. She strided into the room with her back straight and with a confident look that tells me shes not to be messed with.

"Good morning, class, and settle down now," the teacher announced.

My classmates complied and returned to their seats, no longer crowding the new girl on her first day. They seem to have been intimidated by the powerful aura she was giving out.

"Before we officially start, there's a new student who recently transferred, and I'm guessing you already know who it is, but let's welcome-"

I didn't hear anything after that because the moment my classmates scattered and went back to their seats, I saw her and was dumbfounded to say the least. Long blonde hair with deep blue eyes, wearing a black sweater and jeans. There was only one person I saw today with that appearance, and it was her, Lorelai.

It's not surprising for new students to transfer here at the start of a new school year. In fact, despite my hatred towards this school, it's well-known as a good school around the area, although in my opinion it's undeserved. What surprised me was that she transferred to my specific section.

The odds are low for that matter since there are six other senior classes that are graduating. Yes, my school is indeed popular. But for some reason, I was a bit happy. Why I am happy is a mystery since I don't recall achieving anything important in the last few weeks. Strange.

"Oh, hi Malik! I'm surprised to see you here."

"Ah, hi Lorelai. Likewise, I didn't think we would end up in the same class," I said.

"It's cool that we're in the same class. I thought I would be coming here without knowing anyone. I'm glad there's at least one person I know here," Lorelai replied.

I thought it was a stupid thing to say. We had only talked for a few minutes, and she was already considering me someone she knew. I didn't believe that counted as already "knowing someone." Yet despite that, I found myself smiling. It was strange.

Suddenly, the teacher called out to us. "You there, the two at the back, you're welcome to share whatever you were talking about with the class."

Instantly, all eyes turned to us, and the atmosphere turned odd for some reason. I ignored it, as I was used to dealing with that many stares, but I couldn't say the same for Lorelai.

"Ah… wha... uh… it was nothing… I was just saying hi to Malik," Lorelai stuttered.

I was surprised that she actually shared what we were talking about with the class. The teacher was also a little startled by what she said but shook it off before continuing.

"I see, well alright then. But pay attention first before speaking to your seatmate," the teacher said.

"Yes, ma'am," Lorelai replied.

The teacher nodded and continued. "Now, as I was saying, we have a new student. Let us all welcome her. Lorelai, please introduce yourself to the class."

Lorelai stood up, beaming with joy as if someone had gifted her a new puppy, and spoke in a bright voice.

"I am Lorelai Hopper from Orlando, Florida. I used to go to Riverview High School but I moved here due to personal reasons. I hope to get along with all of you."

The class burst into applause, cheering her on and expressing their excitement to befriend her. Someone even said, "I'll date you Lorelai," though it was unclear who said it.

"Welcome to Weatherside High School, Lorelai. Please take a seat so we can begin class," the teacher said.

Lorelai nodded and sat down next to me. I gave her a subtle nod, and she smiled back, igniting that familiar feeling in me.

"Before we start, I want to remind you seniors that this is your last year. Please follow my rules strictly. Enjoy it while it lasts," the teacher added.

The comment sounded a bit rude, but it was not surprising. I had encountered several teachers who were stressed out, underpaid, and overworked. What could I do?

"I almost forgot to introduce myself. I am Katherine Garcia, your homeroom teacher for this school year. Check your group chat for your schedule and get ready for your first period. That's all for now, students."

She strutted out of the room, her short black hair and light skin accentuating her oval-shaped face. I couldn't help but notice that she was quite beautiful.

"Hey Malik, do you know Lorelai?" my classmate asked.

All eyes turned towards me, and I felt a chill in the air.

Sigh.