C6 CHAPTER SIX

The commotion increased as soon as the person yelled. More heads popped out of the class. Ria couldn’t help but stare, Damien had disappeared for one year yet she couldn’t believe he had become twice as handsome as before.

His face was more chiselled and his lean, athletic body supported his lean frame. His nose looked straighter and sharp and he had managed to keep his black hair a little bit shorter.

Naturally, Damien had dark eyes that could suck someone in, his eyes appear darker and though Ria didn’t want to be sucked in, she wasn’t scared of getting sucked in.

He was taller and his lips were fuller and set in a straight line, Ria wanted nothing than to crash her lips on his. He looked more elegant and handsome as he walked.

Ria tried to adjust her composure as Damien got closer to her. She tried to think of any comeback for any of sarcastic comments but she froze when his natural scent waffled into her nose and disappeared.

Ria turned and found out that Damien had walked past her without sparing her a glance. She blinked her beautiful eyes as she watched him walk away.

“Did he just walk past you?” Zara asked and Ria swallowed her saliva as she tried to wear a nonchalant expression.

“So what? He spared me a lot of spit though. Let’s go” Ria said as she started walking towards the class. She just wanted to take a look at him again. She hadn’t seen him for over a year, why couldn’t she get greedy?

They walked into the class and sat down and Ava scrolled through the pictures she had taken.

“Aishhh, Penny is always right. Drama is never ending” Ava said and Penny laughed.

“But I got to admit that he’s way hotter, I couldn’t stop clicking the pictures” Ava said going through the pictures she had taken again.

“I know right” Zara said as she pursed her lips.

“should also disappear for one year and come back more beautiful?” Zara asked and the girls laughed.

“I wonder where he had been the past year” Penny said as Janet turned towards where Damien was seating and conversing with his best friend, Jason. The latter didn’t look surprised to see him and was even talking to him with a smile.

Damien and Ria never got along. They hated both each other guts and hurled all sorts of insults at each other. They never competed though. Both were straight As’ students, athletic in their own rights. Damien was the basketball captain before he left and the post had to fall to the assistant after he left.

Jason laughed at something Damien said as Janet pulled her eyes away. No one could know she had a crush on Jason, Ria didn’t like Damien; it would be good not to get close to anyone near him.

She turned and saw Ria staring at Damien with a frown and let out a chuckle, “Why are you looking at him with a frown?” Janet asked as all the girls turned to Ria.

“I am also wondering where he had been the past year. He missed a whole year and then walked into the school freely. I think the school knows about where he has been the past year since he’s not repeating” Ria said and Zara nodded.

“He might have travelled” Zara said and Penny nodded.

“That’s true. He might have travelled and taken permission from the school” Penny added and Ria pursed her lips.

“How is he going to keep up? He missed a whole year. He might drop from being an A student” Penny said.

“That’s true. Might be hard for him to keep up though” Ava said and Ria chuckled.

“What are you saying? Damien is as good at me in academics, missing one year is no big deal for him and besides who told you he missed it?” Ria asked as her eyes settled on Jason as he conversed with Damien.

“What do you mean?” Zara and Penny asked and Ria smiled.

“Jason doesn’t seem surprised to see him. He probably kept him updated on whatever was happening in school including the academics” Ria replied.

“That also means that he didn’t travel” Ria added “since Jason kept him updated”

“Where could he have been then?” Janet asked slowly and Ria smiled.

“Who knows?” Ria asked and Janet laughed.

“That smile reminds me of how sinister you are. Don’t tell me you are planning on finding out where he was and making a dramatic topic out of it?” Janet asked and Ria shrugged.

“Who knows? Thanks for the suggestion though” Ria said and the girls burst into laughter.

“He just came back though, take it slow with him” Janet said masking her anxiety with a short laugh.

Ria laughed half-heartedly as well. She definitely wasn’t going to make a drama out of whatever Damien had disappeared. Since she couldn’t have him; she could at least protect or care for him from afar. She sincerely wondered what must have made him disappear from the radar for a whole year.

Something big must have happened, Ria told herself as she brought out her phone and went to the school forum. The news of Damien’s return was all over forum. There were different articles and people were wondering as well why he appeared after disappearing for a whole year.

Ria tucked her phone in her jacket pocket and turned towards Janet. Janet was looking somewhere else softly with her lips in a small curve. Ria raised an eyebrow as she followed Janet’s eyes. Her eyes widened.

Janet liked Damien?

She shook her head and decided to look again. She followed her eyes and frowned, Janet wasn’t looking at Damien, her eyes widened seeing who Janet was looking at.

Janet liked Jason?

Ria wanted to laugh and coo at Janet but she couldn’t. no wonder Janet said she didn’t like another or exactly has seen her type. If she liked her best friend enemy’s friend, she didn’t dare say it out either. It was then Janet’s previous testament made meaning to her.