Amour et espoir
Chapter four — Letters and projects.
Summary: Nostalgia hits hard, but what will happen when you're forced to work with the most narcisistic guy in school for an exposé?
The reader is insinuated to be from east europe.
[Taglist: @guacimara @onlysamflower-blog (if anyone want to be tagged write me a dm or in the comments !)]
Iubire,
How is life in France? Me and Anatolie miss you lots.
School started and we got a new teacher, Ms. Coja, she's our new history teacher, but she doesn't compare to Ms. Radu, you were right, no one teaches it better than her. Besides that, the teachers have been on our ass all this time, and the work in the gardens is tiring. We have a new student, Carolina, she's nice, we're friends. Anatolie joined a football team after school, i watch him play sometimes. I've started to like Ralph, you think he'll like me back, he's giving me the eyes. Have you found any cute guys in your school? How is he? Give me some descriptions,im curious, do you intend to ever marry him? Tell me everything about it.
Your dear friend,
Caleria
P.S Anatolie misses you a lot.
You smiled at the letter,remembering Ms. Radu, your favorite teacher who taught history like no one else. You've been happy to hear Caleria, the girl who thought she'll never date ever since childhood, finally having sparked feelings for a guy. You and Caleria knew eachother since you started school. You became pretty comfortable with eachother and no professor or classmate could ever recall when you weren't together in the halls,out of school or at lessons. The bond of teenage girls doesn't break and never will.
Draga Doktorstaev,
I hope your doing well in France and that your impecabillity at being flawless and at the same time an idiot did not wash off. I fear i need you back here, Caleria is making my brains a mush with her new found love interest, and to think she said she'll never have a romantic interest in her body. Besides that we have got new teachers, Ms. Radu quited too, i think she married our physics teacher. Besides that i've joined a football team, the coach praised me, i think i might have a chance at going trough the world playing. How have you been? I feel like you are beeming with happiness over there,but don't forget about us.
With respect,
Anatolie
P.S. Caleria misses you like crazy.
You smiled at his note,grazing delicately your fingers over it, with no doubt Anatol was a boy with pride,joys and fuffiled promises. While you and Caleria met at school,with him it was another story, being family friends as long as you remember, your fathers both working in the same place, having formed a childhood friendship with the boy. Anatolie was sharp,quick witted and a tease at most,while still holding up being one of the best in his class. Normally out of you three, he was the one who found new places to find and get into some minor trouble.
Sighing in happiness,regret and nostalgia washed over you, realizing you actually moved and won't see them, only after this school year...and that you have to get ready for school.
Putting the letters nealty back in their packets, you ushered yourself to the mirror in your room,fixing you hair from last night,putting on a headband, and putting on the blue dress you've got as an gift, which matched the headband. Putting on your Mary Janes from your first day and retreating downstairs.
You noticed your father already at work,your mother preparing breakfast and an indeed grumpy young boy eating like the food insulted him. Drinking your tea you took your goodbyes and ruffled the brown haired boys hair before taking your bag and leaving.
As you entered the school you felt being watched again,and you were right,the sunshine was looking, okay more like staring at you,you look at him back masking your uneassiness because your parents did not raise a poltroon. Taking your eyes off of the one eyed boy you look around to spot Michelle and Simone walking as you catched up with them talking about...Laurbrac?? What did you miss?
''You need to fill me in'' You said smilling with them as Simone started to talk, Michelle quickly shutting her up as you entered the school. In the end you got it, Michelle definetly has a crush on Laurbrac,of course, after they both got sent to the office,they cant seem to take their eyes off eachother.
First was latin,in which you may have not picked up a one sided hatred for the man as he handed out which ranged from seven to six and lower to four, as he made derogatory remarks towards the students,putting your paper on the table you looked at it as ha gave you a side way glance,having 15 on the paper before muttering something like 'these damned girls should not be here' as he handed out the other result.
Another one sided hate was not from you, but rather from your history teacher who gave the paper back to Didier with an perfect 17, walking over to Annick giving her the paper back and saying it should be neater next time....oh well, Didier looks handsome today.
''Doktorstaev!'' she said as you kept your breath in before she gave you a side glance before reccuntatly sayin 16. You smiled at the paper as you almost wanted to say somethig vlugar back,but those thoughts were interrupted as you felt Didiers glance from the front lookig back at him,smilling as he quickly turned back,feeling another stare down your spine as you turned to the side seeing Descamps staring you down before adverting his gaze to either the front or Didier,honestly, you did not really care,as long as you had a 17 in history that was it.
See now besides History you enjoyed just as much english,it was a secondary language you needed to learn in school besides your native one and french so hearing Ms. Couret said you've got a 17 really made your mood higher as you smiled at your paper.
As you got to literature, Laurbrac and Annick had the highest grades, happy to hear from the professor you were boosting the girls average, not really wanting the boys to out-do you. As the teacher told you to page thirty eight,talking abut how they were going to do an expose with the classmate sitting next to them as an experiment,happy that you were alone in your bench you sighed in relief,and even if you were going to be put with someone it'll be either Pichon, which from you've seen is an actual sweetheart, and Annick which was quiet calm and rational, meaning nothing will get out of hand. That until Pichon asks if theyre alone what will they do, putting Annick and Pichon together, Joseph's idiotic friends starting to oink and tease him about it, as you rolled your eyes,looking back at the teacher,who noticed you being the only one left without a working partner.
You take a deep breath in, expecting the teacher to just tell you you'll be doing the project alone,and that's fine with you, never been big on sharing things any-..why's he looking across the room and back at you? Oh no no no,please god,please-
"Judging by your last projects,there isn't much of a choice, Descamps and Doktorstaev." The teacher said and you almost choked on air, I'm sorry WHAT, Descamps? You mean the one who's an asshole? The one who humiliated your friend? Oh hell NO.
You looked at Simone and Michelle who were already turned around, a flabbergasted look on their faces as you slowly turned your head to look at Descamps,who was already looking at you,as well as his friend Dupin...and also the whole class. You know what, forget falling on your ass down because if a rope is embarassing, this – this was beyond HUMILIATING. Whispers went around the class as you adverted your eyes from Descamps, as you mentally checked to ask if you can do the project alone.
"Remember, the grade is half of you partners grade" The teacher said as the students, well...shit.
The school bell rang and Joseph and his idiotic friends oinking down the stairs, gosh they really were degenerates. After getting told no by the teacher like three times you sighed defeated walking out, noticing Joseph standing there with Dupin before eyeing you all the way as you walked out of the school. Spotting Michelle and Simone sitting on a bench,discusing their project, after taking notice of you Michelle standed up looking worried, while Simone looked at you sympathetically.
''Oh god,i'm so sorry for you'' Michelle said hugging you as Simone patted your back sympathetically nodding in agreement.
"Truly,how did you get paired with him..did you ask the teacher for a resigning?" Simone said as Michelle let go,Simone hugging you.
"YES,i did! You know what he told me? 'Madmoiselle this costs worth the grade,do you want me to fail you?' " You said mocking the teacher,sighing, already dreading this school even more. ''May god give me the patience and not the power vecause if he will,i'll strangle him even before starting the project, i mean,how the fuck did i get stuck with an asshole like him for the project?! This is so unfair'' You huffed, sitting down with Simone and Michelle as Michelle smiling "You know we've got good news," you raised your brows as Simone went beet red smilling like an idiot.
"Our Simone has an boyfriendd" Michelle smirking raising your brows even more in shock, Simone looking down at the concrete smiling
"His name is Eugene and hes back home from Albania"
"That's amazing Simone, im really happy for you Simone" you said smilling as you hugged her tight, as Simone laughing as you went to the next class....you swore she looked longer at Jean Pierre yesterday but maybe you were just imagining things.
Class finished and you started to leave the school,but not before cursing yourself for being paired with the sunshine.
Walking out of the school, the gates closing after as students ushered faster out of the school,you notice Descamps with his usual friendgroup of assholes,you muster up the courage to walk to them, as they notice you walk over they just shake hands and just..walk? Well okay, that just makes your life easier. Walking up at him you start to question why he didnt go to the literature and reassign partners..actually you didnt even hear him complain but you thoughts were interrupted as you came to a stop looking up a the slightly taller boy,his hands in his pockets as he looked down at you with the same neutral expression he had...you think? Or do you just not notice the way his gaze lingers on your hair and the way you hips move when you walked to the next class.
He feigned nonchalance as he put his hands into his pockets,how much deeper are those pockets? Jesus. "We will do the project at my house. 7 PM,dont be late,I wouldnt want to wait for the girl who fell on her ass in PE." He said with that same infuriating smirk of a smile he had like the first day he pointed at you. Your eyes twitched as you tried to remain all calm and be the bigger person.
"Alright,i understood, thank you." You were kind of glad he suggested..well more like being an asshole for no fucking reason,but oh well, better than your younger brother thinking you liked or even had an spark of romantic interest towards HIM.
"And also,dont do that thing with you eyes its annoying'' Descamps said turning around,flashing you that SAME narcisistic smile as you almot lunged at him.
6:50, Descamps house, you stood in front of his apartment, well his parents. Bracing yourself....wait why are you anxious? He's not a big idiot to do dumb things right..right? You knocked on the door two times before hearing some shuffling seeing Descamps in a normal attire,some pants some dark blue shirt, wow, not the nest colour but it suited him a litt- hell no. You were wearing a powdered pink dress, as he looked you up and down before feiging nonchalance, clearing his troath, a shadow casted on his eyepatch. "You came early, colour me surprised" he managed to spit out. At least hes not being as big of an ass as he is at school. "Oui," you said avoiding his eyes, "you're going to let me in?" you said as he looked as if his thoughts got cut, standing out of the way,throwing his head to the side for you to follow him. You entered the kitchen walking over setting your things down,you bag on the floor as he sat in front of you on the other end of the circular wooden table taking out your books. The house was warm, warmer than outside, it smellt like tullips and rain, probably because a window was open.
"So, do you have any ideas?" you say as you sat in the chair pulling out your pens, as Descamps shrugged, fiddling with his pen looking as unintrested as possible. "Don't know."
"Alright, let's see, we can write it about our Lyceeum?" you suggested raising your brown
He looked at you like you were a vase "Weird,"
"..Alright,'' You noded pursing your lips as you thought about it.
"Poets?"
He did a huff of laughter "Too much to write,"
"Music?"
"Boring" He said huffing
"Well then what? I've got no ideas, if you're so smart think of one" you said furrowing you brows.
A beat of silence passed as you both just..looked at eachother, just...thinking.
"...How about our opinions of the new program?" he blurted as you looked at him more, thinking if its good enough to entertain the idea before nodding "Yeah, that'd work, like a students view" you said as you lightly smiled, as his eyes somewhat brightened as you both started to write in you notebooks.
After awhile you looked at him, really looked as he concentrated on writing. It was so weird seeing him focus on something besides messing around. His ashy brown hair glistened in the low light of his kitchen. His eyebrows furrowed when he wrote something wrong, the way his eyelashes fluttered over his brown eye skimming over. His cheeckbones getting caught in the light, the moles on his lower cheek staring back at you. The way his pink lips were licked by his tongue as he refreshed them, going back to writing. The eyepatch on his face which somehow looked attractive right now than it ever did. You could count every single mole on his face, he had a mole around the left upper part of the nose, the one s on his right cheek looking like they were made to sit there all pretty. If it wasnt for your brain,you'd still be gawking at THAT asshole who humiliated your friend...but he was a handsome asshole....wait,what were you even saying? Joseph was just a person you shared a class with, who, coincidentally, was an ashole, yeah, thats what he was....but oh the smoke smell that radiated from him reminds you of the day you first laid your eyes upon him...and the pine,oakmoss smell he had...right like how he smelled when you had your mails mistaken..how you touched hands....wait what were you even thinking?! You shook you head as you started writting again,feeling somoane ele gwaking at you, but you didnt dare to raise up your head.
After awhile, you finished and looked at the clock on the wall....oh my...it was already 9 pm?! You needed to get home, as you stood up, you started collecting you things, Descamps running his eyes over before realizing your putting your things in, his eyes betraying a hint of...dissapointment?
"Already going? Already tired of me?" He said smirking as he stretched smirking. You took one good look at him before you started to put your notebooks in your bag "Yes, i am, its late and i need to go hom-" she said before the front door opened, a woman in her 40's walking in before looking between you and Descamps as a smile crept on her face "Good evening,and oh my! Joseph never brings girls home,whats your name miss?" She said smilling before you realized the implications as you stammered a response "Ah no no no,this is all taken wrong, we were doing an expose, im his classmate" as his mother looked at Descamos who suddendly found the floor very intresting. "Aha, one of the new girls in the school? Thats intresting" she said before intrerrupting "Maman, shes just a classmate, she is the girl we got our mail confused with" he said also stammering. His mom hummed appreciatively before giving you and once over smiling. "ah, now why didnt you say so? Im so sorry for the mix up, we promise we read none,my Joseph will walk you home"
As you tried saying no the sweet woman refused, and so did you and Descamps,a rather annoyed start to walk to your house.
After a while of awkward silence he spoke up as he walked,keeping his gaze far in the distance as you passed that mail office where you first talked. "What kind of name is Doktorstaev even?" as you looked at him from the concrete to him you looked...confused. "Its east european..?" you said before looking back down as he took his gaze away for a second to look at you "Knew you were an immigrant," he said before looking back at the scenery, you almost said something mean back before he cut your circuit of words "you speak french pretty well for an immigrant" was he trying to...compliment you..? You almost smiled at that confusedly "Thank you,i learned it in school," You said slightly smilling at Descamps as you came at a stop in front of your house
"Thank you for walking me back," You said catching yourself slightly smilling as Descamps looked at you, really looked at your face as you both subconciously leaned in, your faces studying eachother. You leaned in. He leaned in.
As you stared into eachothers eyes you've seen the same infuriating moles as he looked at your lips. You froze.
"I hope you wont make a fool out of myself and yours at school and show to everyone how much an idiot you actually are." He said laughing as he left,leaving you dumbfounded. THIS ABSOLUTE PRICK-
After an shower,you decided to choose the option of reading a book before your phone rang loudly on the nightstand.
