Сумерки

           AsIwalkeddowntheaisletointroducemyselftotheteacherandgetmyslipsigned,Iwaswatchinghimsurreptitiously.JustasIpassed,hesuddenlywentrigidinhisseat.Hestaredatmeagain,meetingmyeyeswiththestrangestexpressiononhisface-itwashostile,furious.Ilookedawayquickly,shocked,goingredagain.Istumbledoverabookinthewalkwayandhadtocatchmyselfontheedgeofatable.Thegirlsittingtheregiggled.

           I’dnoticedthathiseyeswereblack-coalblack.

           Mr.Bannersignedmyslipandhandedmeabookwithnononsenseaboutintroductions.Icouldtellweweregoingtogetalong.Ofcourse,hehadnochoicebuttosendmetotheoneopenseatinthemiddleoftheroom.IkeptmyeyesdownasIwenttositbyhim,bewilderedbytheantagonisticstarehe’dgivenme.

           Ididn’tlookupasIsetmybookonthetableandtookmyseat,butIsawhisposturechangefromthecornerofmyeye.Hewasleaningawayfromme,sittingontheextremeedgeofhischairandavertinghisfacelikehesmelledsomethingbad.Inconspicuously,Isniffedmyhair.Itsmelledlikestrawberries,thescentofmyfavoriteshampoo.Itseemedaninnocentenoughodor.Iletmyhairfallovermyrightshoulder,makingadarkcurtainbetweenus,andtriedtopayattentiontotheteacher.

           Unfortunatelythelecturewasoncellularanatomy,somethingI’dalreadystudied.Itooknotescarefullyanyway,alwayslookingdown.

           Icouldn’tstopmyselffrompeekingoccasionallythroughthescreenofmyhairatthestrangeboynexttome.