I was just about to say goodbye when Amelia linked her arm with mine with confidence that I wasn’t expecting.
“You a freshman, June?” she asked as the three of us walked toward the school entrance.
“Senior,” I answered quickly, irked by her statement.
Then again, how could I blame her for asking? I barely came up to her shoulder.
“So are we. Which classes do you have today?”
“Are you guys twins?” I asked, not bothering to hide my curiosity.
“Brian’s a year older than me, but he got into some trouble last year.”
“Amelia,” her brother snapped, shooting her an icy glare to shut her up.
“I have English first,” I interjected, to diffuse the tension.
“Lucky you. I have science. It’s so lame.” Amelia groaned.
Brian looked at me indifferently. “I have English too. If you want, I’ll show you where the classroom is.”
I was just about to accept his offer when I felt Amelia’s nails dig into my arm. I shot her a look, but she was too distracted to pay attention. It was almost like she and every other student swarming the hallway had just fallen under some kind of spell. Something, orsomeone, had caught everyone’s attention.
“Oh fuck. He’s back,” I heard her murmur.
“Who? Who’s back?” I craned my neck to see what was going on.
“Hunter.” She sighed slowly. She said his name so gravely that it sent a chill down my spine.
“Who’s that?” I asked, unsure whether I should laugh or be afraid.
“Nobody. Stay away from James Hunter.” Brian narrowed his eyes, making me shiver. “Shall we get to class?” he suggested in an attempt to redirect my attention.
I shrugged. “Okay.”
But I couldn’t move. I stood in the hallway and listened to the increasingly fervent murmurs from the crowd.
“James Hunter’s back.”
It echoed across the hall as if everyone was chanting it.
Flirty remarks peppered the chatter.
“Did he go to the gym?”
“Is it me, or is he even more bangable than before?”
“Juvie must’ve been good for him,” another commented.
Annoyed by all the swooning, I followed Brian. Besides, I had no intention of getting lost on the first day of school. So I waved goodbye to Amelia and tagged along with her brother.
At some point my curiosity got the best of me, and I turned around.
Standing on my tippy-toes, I tried to identify the individual who’d captivated the entire student population.
A guy flanked by a group of friends walked down a giant staircase at the end of the hallway. His imposing stature stood out from the crowd. Maybe it was because unlike the others, he didn’t wear the uniform jacket, or maybe it was because his perfectly tailored dress shirt fit him like a glove, accentuating his broad, muscular shoulders. His loose necktie hung over his sculpted chest, making him look effortlessly disheveled. But what stood out the most to me was how he strutted down the hall. He sauntered like a lion returning to his pride. I was astounded by how rapt the girls were as they waited for him to acknowledge them with his dazzling blue eyes. Oblivious, he passed by all of them with a small, cocky smile on his mouth.
It hit me that I’d just watched a documentary on peacocks yesterday. What a coincidence.
