Chapter 14: Highschool (1)

"Okay, class..."

"..."

"Who can tell me the answer to this equation"

Warren, the physics teacher asked, scanning the entire class with her scrutinizing eyes as she waited for someone to answer the question on the board.

And she didn't need to wait long, as a student wearing glasses raised his hand, stood up, and answered her with a confident tone.

"101.5"

"Correct answer, Mr.Rathaway"

Upon hearing that he was correct, Hartley promptly sat down and shot a smug look at Barry, who was sitting at the back of the classroom, as if proclaiming his superiority.

Barry, of course, didn't miss Hartley's subtle move as he could only roll his eyes in annoyance and helplessness in response.

Honestly, Barry didn't know how to deal with Hartley. Unlike a typical bully, violence wasn't an option for him, and he wasn't like Flash, whom Barry could just mock in return.

It felt more like dealing with a rival, someone constantly attempting to outdo him in almost everything.

"Sigh..."

Barry sighed and just decided to let things unfold as having a rival wasn't necessarily a bad thing, even if it could be annoying at times.

And this one-sided rivalry between Barry and Hartley began when Barry answered a question that Hartley couldn't. From that point on, Hartley started bothering him like a persistent fly.

If only Barry just stayed quiet and shut his mouth...

Who would have known that Hartley was such a prideful fellow?

Barry couldn't have anticipated it, as Hartley was a new face, and he didn't know anything about his personality until today.

"That's it for today. Don't forget to answer page 71 in your book, that'll be your homework for this week"

"Got it, Ms.Warren"

"Off you go"

Warren waved her hand and impatiently shooed away the class, urging them to leave the room and head to their next class.

As Barry exited the room and headed toward his next class, he happened to bump into Caitlin, who was heading in the same direction since they were classmates in this particular course subject.

"Hey"

"Hm"

They exchanged a swift nod, a silent greeting passing between them, as they commenced their walk in unison toward the science room, their destination for the next class.

Both individuals remained silent, neither inclined to initiate the conversation first as an awkward hush hung in the air, persisting for an extended period until a gentle voice finally shattered the atmosphere.

"How... have you been?"

"...!?"

Barry was taken aback, almost tripping in surprise. Fortunately, he managed to regain his balance just in time, but his face was etched with disbelief as he gazed at Caitlin.

In the preceding weeks, Barry had made attempts to engage her in conversation, but it had mostly been a one-sided effort. Therefore, Barry's astonishment was quite natural given the context.

After all, that was the first time Caitlin had ever initiated a conversation with him.

Under Barry's intense gaze, Caitlin felt a rush of embarrassment creeping over her as she shyly averted her gaze, attempting to conceal her expression behind a veil of modesty.

'Cute...'

Barry swiftly cleared his throat and straightened his posture, dispelling the initial shock and adopting a composed demeanor.

"It's okay, how about you?"

"...the same"

"Ah, I see"

"..."

The ensuing silence enveloped them once more, but Barry was dissatisfied with the quietude. Taking action, he stepped forward and positioned himself in Caitlin's path, halting her progress.

"...?"

Observing Barry's serious countenance, Caitlin couldn't suppress a sense of nervousness as she patiently awaited his words.

"Let's skip class"

"...???"

*****

[10 minutes later...]

Seated in class, Barry projected an air of composure, attempting to conceal any traces of embarrassment. Beside him was Caitlin who maintained her customary stoicism, yet a discerning gaze might detect a subtle blush adorning her ears.

It all unfolded a while back when Barry, acting on a spontaneous impulse, invited Caitlin to skip classes. His purpose was to take her to an arcade, allowing her to release pent-up stress or frustration.

Barry uttered those words without much thought, only realizing the imprudence of his action after Caitlin declined, leading to the current awkward situation they found themselves in.

And recalling the incident, Barry couldn't help but facepalm at his own foolishness.

"Ugh"

Despite his intelligence, Barry often found himself lacking in emotional awareness.

However one couldn't entirely blame Barry for his lack of social finesse since he has rarely interacted with girls before let alone tried to befriend one, especially given his past focus on investigations, causing him to neglect his social skills.

"Ehem..."

"..."

"So, about earlier..."

"Okay"

"Hm?"

Barry tilted his head in confusion, a virtual question mark hanging above him as he tried to process Caitlin's sudden response.

"You meant to ask me out earlier, right?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"Okay"

"...?"

Barry blinked repeatedly, his expression shifting from confusion to surprise as realization dawned on him. His eyes lit up with curiosity as he stared at Caitlin.

He pondered what could have triggered such a sudden change in her, considering that Caitlin, who usually appeared reserved and rigid, was attempting something outside her usual behavior.

Barry even speculated that Cisco would be taken aback upon learning about this, given the extensive information he shared about Caitlin with him.

And Barry could only wonder if all his hard work was finally showing results.