Ali nodded as he stared at the vacant chair next to me.
Mr. Bradstone resumed, "Alright, where were we? Ah yes, the industrial revolution. Impact."
The class feigned interest, but I could tell most of them were more curious about the new kid. I leaned over and whispered, "Hey!" Ali glanced at me and gave a small smile but didn’t say a word. "Typical." I rolled my eyes.
Fiona spun around in her seat, flashing him one of her flirty winks. Still, no response. This guy was harder to crack than I thought.
The bell rang, mercifully ending the period. Everyone immediately started packing up, and Mr. Bradstone reminded us, "Read chapters five and six for tomorrow. Any questions?"
The room stayed silent, save for the shuffling of backpacks. Fiona, unsurprisingly, was the first to march over to Ali, followed by Ming and Nathan.
I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms, watching the inevitable circus.