Chapter 3

"Good morning class, please quiet down. My name is Mr. Matthews. I hope we all have a good year together. If you need any extra help in my calculus class, please feel free to approach me any time during the year after class has finished. Let's begin."

Mr. Matthews was a short guy. I would guess only about 5 feet as I was taller than him. His hair was brown but greying around the edges and he had light green eyes. As he started teaching, I had this gut feeling as if I was being watched. Mallory always says I have an overactive imagination, so I tried to brush it off as first day jitters. However, when I glanced to the right, I noticed a boy in the row behind me watching me intently. He had sandy blonde hair shorter on the sides and a little longer on top. His eyes startled me, they were a deep blue reminding me of the ocean in the winter. He just stared as if he were searching into my soul for something hidden within me.

When class was over, I quickly grabbed my things and headed to English where Mallory and I shared our first class together. I wanted to tell her about the boy in calculus, but I was a little worried she would think I was being paranoid.

"Oh, my goodness. Did you see the new kid? Too bad he doesn't have an older brother." Mallory was talking a mile a minute before she even hit her seat. "I mean seriously if he had an older brother, and I was single I would totally be trying to be neighborly with them."

I couldn't control my laughter at her serious expression. "And how do you know he doesn't have an older brother? Did you talk to him yet? And how can you be thinking about other guys. Just because Jayden went off to college, he is still only 10 minutes away. I thought you two were doing good?" I stated the last part as a question because I know things were touchy between the two at the end of summer, but I thought they had patched things up before he left.

They had been together since Mallory, and I were 15. She was a freshman, and he was a junior. I always said it is because of them I have hoped for love at first sight. This was Jaydens second year in college. He went away for his first year then came back to attend Maine Media this year as he decided he wanted to go into photography.

"Yeah, Jayden and I are fine. Maybe I want to be neighborly to see if he would be good for you." She said as she wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"Mallory you are something else. I don't need a man! I am perfectly happy focusing on my future career. I don't need a man coming in and messing up my plans." I said as I turned to the front as Mrs. Dillinger walked into the room. She had almost white hair, but we all think she dyes it. She must only be in her thirties. She is very soft spoken and holds the room in the palm of her hand when she reads.

I didn't want to have this conversation again with Mallory. She doesn't understand my resistance to dating. I tried once to date a boy named Tommy when I was a sophomore, but unfortunately it didn't end well. I had taken him to meet my mom and it literally felt like we were sitting in an interrogation room instead of my living room. I know I shouldn't base any future relationship I may have on that one situation, but the way Tommy pretty much ran for the hills I couldn't help but worry. If I ever decided to date again, I would seriously consider keeping it a secret from my mom until after the wedding. But, as long as I am living under her roof, I know it will be impossible to date anyone. Mallory is lucky to have such an understanding, carefree mom.

"We shall see Perri, we shall see." Mallory quietly whispered as class started.