Chapter 28: "Happy morning"
Nell stepped into the crowded lecture hall, scanning the room for an empty seat. The room was huge, with rows of chairs stretching out before her, and it was already packed. "They can't all be first-years," Nell thought to herself, her eyes scanning the sea of faces. She spotted two empty seats in the middle lane and made her way towards them.
As she approached, she noticed the couple on the right side being overly affectionate, so she opted for the left seat instead. A boy was sitting there, his face glued to his phone, and Nell assumed it was safer to sit there. "Can I sit here?" she asked, just to be sure.
The boy nodded without looking up, and Nell took it as a yes. "Thanks," she said, sitting down and removing her notebook and pen.
As she placed her hand on the chair, she felt something – a hand. She gasped, and the boy turned to look at her. It was Leo, the guy from the canteen incident.
Nell was taken aback, not just because she had held his hand, but because of who he was. He was dressed in his usual sleek attire , his eyes fixed on Nell's face.
Time seemed to stand still as they stared at each other, the tension palpating.
"Leo, can you take a look at this?" Gael's voice broke the silence, and Leo turned to respond. He then glanced at Nell, who was looking down, trying to compose herself.
She was wearing a cute yellow sundress with a matching pair of sandals, her hair neatly styled, and he thought she looked really cute in it.
The teacher, a middle-aged man with a kind face and a worn-out briefcase, entered the room. He was dressed in a crumpy shirt and trousers, with a pair of glasses perched on his nose.
"Welcome, everyone, to our first lecture of the semester. I apologize for the crowd; it's a joint class this semester, with both seniors and freshers attending. Please, seniors, help the freshers out, and let's make this a great year."
Realization dawned on Nell as she understood why the room was so full. She glanced at Leo, who was looking at her, and quickly looked away.
The lecture began, and Nell found herself engrossed in the lesson. Leo, noticing she was taking notes, leaned over and corrected a mistake she had made. "It's not like this," he whispered, taking her pen and scribbling the correct answer.
Nell blushed, feeling a flutter in her chest. The lecture continued, and Nell found herself stealing glances at Leo, who seemed to be doing the same.
The siren sounded, signaling the end of the lecture, and Nell was disappointed. She had enjoyed the time with Leo.
"See you next week, and make sure to submit your assignment on your mail," the teacher said, dismissing the class.
As they packed up,"Thank you very much for today," Nell said, smiling.
Leo turned to Nell and said, "No need to thank me."
"I'm Nellie," she introduced herself, standing up.
"Leonel," he replied, still seated.
As they waited for the crowd to clear, Nell thanked Leo again for standing up for her at the canteen. Leo looked at her, his expression softening. "Just be careful next time," he said.
Nell nodded, and they lapsed into silence. After a while, she knelt down and tied Leo's loose shoelace, her face inches from his. He
stared at the small figure Infront of him like his life depended on it.
"I'm done", Nell said looking up. Their faces were now so closed.
Leo stared at her beautiful features, her big brown eyes that just stared at him, her sharp nose and those full lips, he stared at it for awhile and thought how he will feel if he kissed her.
Leo's face turned red, and he immediately replied stammering, "Th...thanks."
"You're welcome," Nell said, smiling. "You could trip and fall; it's nothing."
Leo nodded, his eyes locked on hers. "My friends are waiting for me," he said, getting up and leaving the hall in a rush.
Nell smiled, feeling a flutter in her chest. She texted her friends on the group they created, "I'm done with class, what about you two?"
Gabby replied, "Same."
Tris chimed in, "I'm done, let's head to the canteen, I'm starving."
Nell smiled, she was really happy on her first morning."OK," she replied, heading out of the hall.
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