"Lucinda, get your bum out of bed; you're going to be late for school!"
Lucy wakes with a start to pounding on the door and groans at the sound of her mother's voice, one of the only two people to always call her by her full name; the other being her father.
Damn. The summer holidays are over for another year and I have my first day back to school today. Can't wait. The excitement is building so much. New lessons. New teachers. It's going to the best year ever! Anyone noticed my sarcasm yet?
"Oi, sleepy head! Move your arse!"
Lucy covers her face for protection as she is hit by a pillow, hard. She slowly uncovers her eyes to see a blond haired, blue-eyed girl standing over her a.k.a. Kayla, her best friend. They have been best friends since pre-school, kind of forced together at first given their mums have been best friends since pre-school as well but it soon became apparent they were like two peas in a pod and still are very much now. Nothing could tear them apart.
She shuffles in her bed to see the less than amused look from Kayla. "What? You said move my arse, so I did."
"Excited for the first day?" Kayla, lays on Lucy's bed, her feet resting on one pillow, flicking through a magazine.
Lucy sits on the end of the bed, brushing her long brown hair into a high ponytail, the only way she can keep it neat for school. "Oh yeah, real excited Kayla. Gonna be the best year yet!"
"You don't have to be like that. Anyway, I heard we have a super-hot new PE teacher this year. He's taught at Hillcombe for a few years but this year he is teaching our year too!"
Lucy turns to see Kayla, staring into space no doubt trying to picture what he looks like. "Do you have a name for this super-hot teacher?"
"Yes!" Kayla pauses to stand and surveys Lucy's chosen outfit for today. "Mr. Hottie."
"I meant his real name you idiot!" Lucy laughs while throwing a cushion off her bed at her.
"Oh, uh, that would-be no." Kayla moves to the other side of the bed to place her hands, on Lucy's shoulders. "But I hear he gets a tutor group this year which means some people get to see him every day and more than once." It better be me.
"Where do you hear this stuff from?"
"I have my sources."
"And your sources can't tell you his name?"
"Nope, but then, we'll find out soon enough."
"Right come on, or we will be late." Lucy grabs her bag from the desk chair and pulls on Kayla's arm who doesn't move an inch. "What?"
"You're really wearing that?"
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Lucy's eyes travel the length of herself and back up to look at Kayla. "It's just jeans and a t-shirt."
"Yeah but it's so plain. Where's the logo on your t-shirt and the little short skirt you'll most probably get told off for wearing to school because it's inappropriate?"
"You know I don't own any clothes like that."
"Well, maybe you should." Kayla huffs and walks out the door with an amused Lucy behind her.
"Hey girls, have you seen the new PE teacher yet?" Kayla and Lucy look up to see a fellow Year 13 student, Rachel, join them outside Room 5 waiting for registration to start.
"Don't think so. What's his name?"
"Mr. Ryan and oh. my. god he is to die for. I'd let him help me stretch anytime." The girls all share a laugh when a deep voice speaks from behind them.
"Good morning. Glad we are all so chirpy on the first day."
Lucy can't help but drop her mouth open slightly at the man stood before her. He must be 6 feet tall at least. His black hair is neatly gelled back with a spiked fringe and his blue-eyes seem to sparkle before her. She rubs her side as an elbow comes into contact with it, looks to see Kayla looking at her and realising she was staring intently, feels herself blush with embarrassment.
You idiot. You absolute fucking idiot. You were totally checking him out and made it so damn obvious.
"Morning Mr, eh...!" Lucy answers knowing that the moment has probably passed by now, but he seems to not mind.
"Ryan. Mr. Ryan."
Why does she look so familiar? Those eyes look familiar. Don't be so stupid Josh! How the hell would you know a 6th Form student? And she obviously doesn't know you. She must just remind you of someone.
The girls hold back squeals in the knowledge that they have the new hottie teacher as their form tutor this year as he allows them to go into the classroom early. Kayla and Lucy bag two seats at the front and suppress scowls when they see who walks through the door next.
"This is room 5, right?" Lauren Delver: the high school bitch! Thinks she owns the place and almost always gets whatever she pleases. That includes boyfriends.
Lucy narrows her eyes at the new addition to their class stood in the doorway.
Why did she have to be in our form this year? She's gonna totally hog all of Mr. Ryan's time. What am I saying? He's a teacher, it's not like anything could happen.
"Yes, come in. I'm Mr. Ryan, your new form tutor. Take a seat anywhere."
"Gladly, Mr. Ryan." Lauren shuffles in, skirt barely covering her bum, okay so slight exaggeration there, but it may as well have been that short; fitted t-shirt and heeled boots.
"What the hell is she wearing?" Lucy whispers to Kayla as they giggle watching her trying to sit down at the front table by the door without flashing her knickers.
"The kind of outfit I suggested to you this morning. We are the highest form of seniors now; we should be more daring in our last year."
"Why is she trying to not show her pants? It doesn't usually bother her." The girls giggle more, catching the attention of Mr. Ryan.
"Girls, something you'd like to share?"
"No sir, sorry." Kayla is thankful when he turns away leaving her to her thoughts again. Why does he look so familiar? "Sorry sir, but do I know you from somewhere?" Kayla asks the question causing him to look up from what he is reading.
"I highly doubt that, don't you, Miss..."
"Kayla. My name is Kayla."
"Kayla. It seems unlikely, yes?"
"I suppose so, sir." Kayla returns to her thoughts as the bell goes for the beginning of the day and the rest of their tutor group file in taking the remaining seats, some being forced to separate from their friends.
The class quietens down as Mr. Ryan leans against the desk at the front in the space between it and the tables, directly in front of Kayla and Lucy causing them to smile at each other and raise their eyebrows.
"Okay, first I'll register you and then we can play a game I like to call Ice-Breaker: Get to Know Your Class Mates." Everyone groans, and Mr. Ryan settles them down by reading the first name over them. "Lucinda Adams."
"Here sir, but I prefer to be called Lucy please." Lucy raises her hand as she answers and doesn't know how to take the look she gets from him. It's like confusion mixed with recognition mixed with disbelief.
Lucy Adams? She can't be. But it's no wonder I recognised her earlier.
"Lucy, of course." Mr. Ryan smiles and continues down the register all the while watching for who puts their hand up at the sound of their name, so he can try to remember them all.
Lucy can't stop thinking about the look he gave her, almost as if he knew her.
Don't be so silly Lucy. There's no way he could know you, seeing as he's never taught you until this year.
Thankful when the bell goes and that they didn't have time for his little get to know everyone game, which is beyond stupid because they all pretty much know everyone anyway – it's only Mr. Ryan that knows nothing about them all (and Lucy is quite happy not sounding like a dating ad by listing all the things she enjoys and doesn't enjoy), Lucy grabs her things and heads for the exit faster than she ever has, only to trip over right in front of her new teacher and fall towards him.
The class erupts in laughter as her folder falls to the floor and two hands stop her from going the same way. Lucy looks up to see slight amusement in his eyes and realises that she is full on against his body right now.
Straightening herself up, she quickly takes a step back, "S-Sorry sir."
"More haste; less speed next time, Miss. Adams, eh?" Lucy can't help but feel there is slight teasing in the way he said her name so formally.
"Yes, sir." She makes way for the door but is stopped by his voice once more,
"Oh Lucy, your folder!"
She turns to see him bending down to pick it up of the floor. Actually, bending over, is probably a more appropriate way to describe it. Glad that everyone has already left the room, she moves forward to take it from him, careful not to look at his face given how flustered she felt when she saw his shorts pulled tight over his arse as he bent down.
"Thanks sir." She hurries out the door before he can say or do anything else that will give her cause to show how much she is already starting to develop a crush on him, mere minutes after having only just met him.
"Oh my god! Did I seriously just fall onto Mr. Ryan on my first day?" Lucy asks the question with the all too obvious answer, as she stops beside Kayla stood outside the classroom knowing she will now get told off for being late to first lesson. Luckily it is the first day, and they are always more lenient given some people might have new classrooms they've never been to before to find.
"Yes, you did! You are so lucky Lu! I'd give anything to fall on his body and feel his abs under his t-shirt."
"How do you know he has abs?"
"I sense these things."
Lucy shakes her head and laughs, as Kayla waves her off before heading off to the right to find her first class. Lucy enters Room 6, quickly apologising for being late and finds a spare computer, thankfully at the back; in the corner with no-one next to her, so she can begin another year of sinking into the background; ignored by everyone.
Or so she thinks.
Rebecca Louise
