Chapter 66: Chapter 66

I fought the urge to turn around and look into the forest green eyes that I could feel boring into the back of my head. I forced myself to take a seat and face the front of the classroom.

Despite my best efforts, I found myself unable to focus on the history lecture. Everytime I tried to tune in, I could not escape the feeling of being watched. It was as if someone's eyes were boring into the back of my head. I knew it was silly to think it was Romeo but I couldn't help but feel that it was him. I felt a tingling sensation all over my body.

"Ivy Young," Mr Mark called out my name, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I looked up at him. "Y..yes, sir?" I stuttered.

His eyebrows lifted. "You came in late, and you've been staring off into space instead of focusing on what I'm teaching. I've already spoken to you about your grades dropping. The SAT is coming up, and you need to get your head in the game." He snapped.

I swallowed a gulp down my throat, feeling my cheeks flush. "I'm sorry, sir," I muttered under my breath.

Mr Mark was right — my grades had dropped drastically, and it was starting to affect my SAT prep. My grade in the last test we did in class was a C, not the usual A that I usually get. I really needed to step it up and do better. I would be taking the SAT history section soon, and I need to be prepared.

"There is no need to apologize, " Mr Mark snapped." What's important is that you get back on track."

I blinked my eyelashes rapidly, hoping that my teacher would stop talking about me. But, I knew that wasn't possible. Mr Mark was just getting started.

"Miss Young," He said sternly. "I'm going to ask you a question about the material we've been covering in class. If you're unable to give the correct answer, I'll have no choice but to refer you to the principal's office."

I felt my stomach turn. I was in trouble. My gaze drifted to the board and I saw the words "Cold war" written in neat, black letters. I didn't even know what the Cold War was, I had completely zoned out during Mr Mark's lecture.

My mind raced as I tried to figure out how to get out of this. I knew I had to figure out a way to answer his question correctly, or I was in for a world of trouble.

I watched as Mr Mark glanced at the papers he was holding, then he faced me.

"What was the name of the Soviet Union's first nuclear weapon? Fat man, Little boy, Sputnik, or RDS - 1?" He asked.

I swallowed hard, my throat went dry. I had no idea what the answer was. I felt myself panicking as I glanced around the classroom as I would find a clue. All of a sudden, my eyes landed on the gaze I've been avoiding, and I saw his dark green eyes staring directly at me. I quickly looked away, but then felt his gaze linger on me. I wanted to ignore him, but then I saw him gently gesture with his hand, pointing out his ring finger. I looked away from me, unsure what he was trying to tell me.

"You're running out of time, Miss Young. Please, answer my question." Mr Mark's voice echoed in my head.

My heart was pounding.

Suddenly, it clicked. I realized that Romeo had been giving me the answer the whole time. He had counted off his fingers, with his ring finger being the fourth one. It all made sense.

"The answer is RDS - 1," I blurted out.

I didn't know why I trusted Romeo to give me the right answer. What if he was trying to mislead me? What did I have to lose? I didn't know the answer, anyway.

A look of suspicion crossed Mr. Mark's face as he considered my answer. Finally, he said, "Well, you're correct. I don't know how you got it, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. However, let this be a reminder to you to stay focused in class."

As I let out a sigh of relief, I glanced over at Romeo. He stared at me with a blank look on his face. I couldn't help but feel grateful for his help, even if I still wasn't sure why he had helped me. What was his motive? And, how did he know the answer? I knew he was not a serious student.

Finally, the history class ended and students began filing out of the room. I stayed in my seat. I wanted to thank Romeo for helping me with the answer, but I wasn't sure how to approach him. He was still in the class, his gaze fixed on his phone.

My stomach was doing somersaults as I contemplated the best way to approach him. I could feel my cheeks growing warm, and my palms started to sweat. It was silly, but I felt completely nervous at the thought of talking to him.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm my nerves. It's just a simple thank you. Nothing more, nothing less. So why was I feeling so flustered?

Taking another deep breath, I pushed myself to my feet and started to walk towards him. But then, I saw him rise from his desk and turn towards the door.

"Romeo!" I called out, a little louder than I'd intended.

I felt the eyes of the remaining students turn towards me, and my cheeks grew even warmer.

"Could you please wait a moment?" I asked him.

Romeo stopped in his tracks, turning to face him. With each step he took towards me, my heart raced faster. When he finally reached me, I felt his familiar scent fill the air around us. I clenched my teeth, trying to steady my nerves. I needed to get a grip on myself.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice soft and gentle.

I bit my bottom lip. "I… I just wanted to say thank you for - "

Romeo placed a finger over my lips, cutting short my words. "It's okay, don't worry about it." He uttered.

His eyes pierced into mine for a while, then he turned and started to walk away.

My hands curled into fists as I felt a rush of anger. What was his problem? What did he want? He'd been staring at me for the whole class, and then he had cut me off when I tried to thank him. Was he trying to mess with my head?