Chapter 3

Alex observed the smaller girl who seemed to be rooted in her spot. After she had gotten over the shock, and frankly disgust, of being sneezed on, she allowed to her eyes to fully take Avery in. She analyzed her from her messy bun of chocolate brown curls, her soft freckles dotting her nose and cheeks to the way how her frame almost seemed to tremble as Alex looked at her.

"Hm," Alex hummed before she brushed past Avery, her friends following in tow.

Avery let out a sigh of relief as she watched Alex's retreating figure, her body instantly relaxing. She couldn't help but send up a silent prayer that the situation didn't go as poorly as it could have. Given her reputation, Alex Rivers was not someone that was to be messed with.

Avery could only hope that she and her school mates (those who gathered to watch the altercation) would forget that this had happened and she would never have to hear about nor think about it again.

The weight of her embarrassment lightened as the school bell rang, signalling it was time for her to get to her first class. The students who were once crowded around her scurried off to go to their individual classrooms, giving her space to breathe. She was never a fan of crowded areas.

Avery walked briskly to her locker to find Carson leaning against it.

"What did I tell you about not dying while I was gone?" he joked, standing up correctly. His locker, coincidentally, was right next to hers. Opening it, he presented her with a box of tissues. "I think these will come in handy for next time," he winked before chuckling.

Avery felt her cheeks flare and she held her head down. She groaned, "Carson, I can't believe I did that."

After she had gathered her books from her locker, he swung his arm over her shoulder. His fingers caressed it in an expression of comfort as he led her to their class.

"Hey, don't worry about it too much," he attempted to reassure her, "Give it a few hours and everyone will move on to the next piece of drama."

When they reached their classroom and Carson had opened the door, Avery's anxiety sky-rocketed as the eyes of her peers in her Calculus II class seem to shift to her position. Carson gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before they parted ways and went to their separate desks. It was Avery's idea at the start of the term that they should sit far away from each other, so as not to distract themselves. She was starting to regret that now. Her mild social anxiety and the occurrences of merely just 5 minutes ago, left her feeling embarrassed and isolated.

Avery opened her notebook and tried her best to follow along with the class.