Lost Girl Ch. 02

It took three vain attempts before she finally grew frustrated, and as the late bell echoed loudly through the long, brightly lit hallway, Claudia's fingers worked faster against the face plate of her combination lock.

She barely had time to register the presence of someone behind her before a large hand dislodged the lock from her palm, and with a swiftness that was enviable, the individual twisted the dial a few times before pulling the latch open with an audible click. Curious as to who it was that had come to her aid, Claudia turned around to face them, and on discovering that it was Tristan, she lifted her brows in amazement.

"Hi."

"Hello," Tristan replied.

"Thanks for helping me out," she said. "Never can seem to get those darn things open."

"No problem."

An incredibly long, awkward moment passed as they stood there simply staring at one another, and it could have gone on forever if not for the fact that Claudia finally spoke up in a voice that was laden with curiosity.

"What's up?"

"That girl you were hanging out with in the cafeteria..." The look on Tristan's face was expectant as he waited for her to respond.

"Kimi?"

He nodded, but didn't follow up with any more words.

"What about her?"

"I've been trying to talk to her for awhile. But there's a lot of other guys who have a crush on her and it's been pretty difficult to get her attention." He paused for a moment, then cleared his throat before finally continuing on. "Anyways, I was wondering if you could teach me how to sign."

"Why? She's not deaf."

"I know she Isn't," he said. "But if I learned a bit of sign language, I was thinking she might finally notice me."

"You want me to teach you sign language so you can impress her and get her to go out with you?"

"Basically." He briefly averted his eyes before once again meeting her gaze. "Why? Does that sound really bad?"

"No, not at all. I think it sounds really sweet."

A wide grin crossed his face. "So you think it'll work?"

"I don't know. But you can't be for certain unless you give it a go, right?"

His already wide smile grew even more. "I've got free time afterschool today. Think you'll be able to meet up with me so you can give me my first lesson?"

"Maybe." She turned around to open her locker, and after retrieving a few books and a three-ring binder, she slammed it shut and turned back around to face Tristan. "I might be meeting up Kimi, though, so I'm not entirely sure if I'll be free just yet."

"That's cool. Maybe tomorrow, then?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Great. What time?"

"Just meet me by my locker after your last class of the day, okay?"

"All right, cool," he said. "I can do that."

"Anyways, I'm late to class. So I better get going now."

"Okay, later," he said as he watched her walk away. "And thanks."

She waved over her shoulder and with brisk steps, made her way towards her biology class.

* * * *

As Claudia crossed the threshold of the biology lab, the door swung shut behind her, slicing through the faint din of conversation that filled the room. The scent of iodine and chlorine entered her nostrils, along with the vinegary smell of some chemical that she couldn't quite identify.

The soles of her boots squeaked loudly as she walked across the shiny linoleum floor, and with numerous pairs of eyes following her movement, she made her way towards the teacher, who was a middle aged man with thin wire frames and short hair that was graying just slightly at the temples.

Seated on a tall stool, he was gazing down at what she guessed was an attendance sheet. He didn't bother to look up as she came to a stop beside him, but he did ease out a long, faint sigh through his nostrils, as if to indicate dissatisfaction.

"Name?"

"Claudia Strauss."

He maneuvered the tip of his pencil along the sheet of paper until he located her on the list, then placed a tick mark next to her printed name.

"Take a seat."

Walking slowly so that she could scout out an empty space, Claudia wove her way through the rows of black-topped lab tables until she reached an open seat. She placed her book bag on the floor, then situated herself on a tall stool before cracking open the textbook that had been assigned for the class.

As with every other class that she'd attended earlier that day, Claudia felt like an exhibit in a traveling freak show. She could feel the stares of the other students as they unwaveringly eyeballed her, and although she knew they were simply staring out of curiosity, she couldn't help from feeling uncomfortable.

As she was skimming through her textbook, the teacher continued to take attendance, and after reaching the last name on the list, he passed out copies of the seven-page course syllabus. He was four pages into reading it when the door swung open, and as he rested his gaze on the tall, broad shouldered figure that stepped into the classroom, a disapproving look crossed his face.

"Name?" Mr. Grant asked.

"Lucas Good Blanket." He said it listlessly, and with barely so much as a glance in the teacher's direction.

"I'm guessing It's a waste of time to even ask, but do you have a valid excuse for being half an hour late to my class?"

"Nope." He causally sauntered towards an open stool, and with a loudness that seemed purely intentional, dragged it away from the lab table so that he could plop down on it.

With his naturally stern looking face, Claudia could tell that Mr. Grant wasn't the type of teacher that most students would think of starting trouble with. But as she gazed at Lucas, who was wearing a defiant look on his face that seemed to dare Mr. Grant to implement disciplinary action, she came to the realization that he was getting a kick out of the attention he was receiving.

Clearly displeased at being interrupted, Mr. Grant pushed a sigh of exasperation through his nostrils, and after retrieving a syllabus from the stack of papers that was on his desk, walked slowly towards the table where Lucas was seated.

"I don't tolerate tardy students, Mr. Good Blanket." A frown creased his forehead as he looked down at the young man from over the rim of his glasses. "Normally I lock the door five minutes after the beginning of class, but since this is the first day of school, I'll allow you to remain in attendance."

He placed the syllabus in front of Lucas, and with a tone that held a warning, he added, "I strongly suggest you attend class in a timely manner from now on, or you'll find yourself repeating this course over summer."

As he turned and walked away, Lucas uttered a loud scoff, but didn't offer a word of rebuttal in response to the words that the teacher had spoken. Still watching him with the same steady gaze, Claudia found herself pleased that Lucas had chosen to sit at a table located two rows in front of her. This not only allowed her to openly stare at him without getting caught, but also gave her the opportunity to see how he interacted with the attractive girl who was seated at his table.

Wearing a softly feathered hairstyle that framed her round face, the girl offered Lucas a flirtatious smile, and after receiving one in return, assisted Lucas in locating the page of the syllabus that the teacher was currently reading from.

So engrossed by the sight of the girl actively flirting with Lucas, Claudia tuned out of most of the words that the teacher was saying, and in the process, failed to realize that her name had been called out.

"Is there a problem, Miss Strauss, or is your zoning out a habit that we need to address?"

Having effectively been brought back to earth, Claudia averted her gaze to Mr. Grant, who was pinning her with a look that made her immediately go hot with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. What?" She mumbled the words lamely.

"Page six of the syllabus." His tone was sharp, letting her know that time was of the essence. "Starting from the paragraph tilted 'homework and special assignments', I want you to read aloud what is printed."

Claudia quickly flipped through the pages of the syllabus until she located the section, and with her gaze planted firmly on the sheet of paper, she began to read. Quite some time passed before Mr. Grant finally allowed her to stop, and as another student picked up where she had left off, the sting of embarrassment finally began to wear off.

It was at this moment that she finally allowed her attention to drift back in the direction of where Lucas was sitting, and on noting that he had turned his head to sneak a look at her, she allowed her eyes to lock with his.

He gave her a wink that literally made her heart skip a beat, followed by a small smile that was openly flirtatious. Claudia coquettishly lowered her eyes in response, but as she once again lifted her gaze, she saw that he was still earnestly staring at her. Without even realizing it, she leaned against the desk so that her body was angled in his direction, and with soft eyes that clearly displayed her interest, Claudia lightly bit her lip.

He responded by allowing his smile to broaden, but before their moment of flirtation could be taken any further, he turned his head to focus his gaze back on the syllabus in his hands. Although slightly disappointed that they were no longer flirting, Claudia realized that it was just as well, because she didn't want to get busted by Mr. Grant, who clearly had no qualms about embarrassing students.

Yet no sooner were her eyes squarely focused on the sheet of paper in front of her, did she sneak another peek at Lucas. It wasn't just the wide expanse of his manly shoulders she was eyeing, but those long, narrow braids that brushed his hipbone. They were so neatly fashioned that she couldn't help wondering if he'd braided them himself, and if not, she was envious of the woman who got to run her fingers through his hair.

Probably Misty.

As soon as the thought ran through her head, a smidgen of guilt coursed through her, and she averted her eyes so that they were no longer focused on him. Although Kimi had assured her that Lucas and Misty were just casually sleeping together, it still didn't make it right for her to be so flirtatious with him, and she knew she was treading on thin ice by flirting with a guy who was technically taken.

But damn if she wasn't tempted to continue doing it, and knowing all too well that even the briefest of glances would only fuel her desire, Claudia slyly let her gaze drift in the direction where Lucas was sitting.

Not slyly enough, apparently, because as her attention landed on him, she saw that he was checking *her* out from the corner of his eye. Simultaneously, they broke into a smile, but the moment they shared was brief because the bell rang, signaling the end of fifth period.

In the mad rush of students who were eager to exit the classroom, Claudia lost sight of Lucas. But as she crossed the threshold and headed out into the crowded hallway, she couldn't think of much else besides navigating her way through the throng of students that were pouring out into the corridor. Along the way, she decided to stop off at her locker, but as she saw who was standing directly in front of it, a sense of unease swept through her.

With an intentness that was palpable, Misty watched as Claudia approached the locker. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth became tight as Claudia gradually closed the distance between them, but it wasn't until they were face to face that Misty could fully unleash the intimidating energy that she possessed.

"Lucas is off limits, slut. Leave him alone."

"Excuse me?"

"He's off limits," she sharply repeated. "My friend told me you were flirting with him in biology."

"Look, I don't know what you heard, but - "

"So you *weren't* flirting with him?"

Unable to deny that she was, Claudia fell silent.

"Just as I thought," she said. "You are trying to get with him."

"No, It's not like that."

"He's not actually interested in you," she said. "He's just after an easy piece of ass."

"So I guess that explains why he's with you."

"Watch yourself, bitch." Her eyes were little more than slits.

"Look, I'm not going to fight you over him, so you can just chill, okay? Whatever it is you two have together, I'm really not trying to destroy it."

"Thanks for the reassurance, but I wasn't worried," she stated. "Just though I'd let you know that Lucas is already taken."

"Cool. So we're done here." Claudia opened her locker and after slipping her biology book into it, she slammed it shut and turned back around to see that Misty was still rooted in the same spot. "Why are you still here?"

"Why are *you* still here?"

"I'm trying to get past, but you're blocking my way."

"No, I mean why are you here in this school?" Misty asked. "You don't fit in and you never will, so what's the point of even sticking around?"

Claudia said nothing in return, but she did offer a stare that matched the fierceness of Misty's.

"Word of advice," Misty said. "If you're going to flirt with a guy in this school, you better make damn sure that he's single, because girls on the rez won't hesitate to kick your ass if you mess with their boyfriends."

"Right. Well thanks for the warning," she said in a tone that was laced with sarcasm.

Claudia maneuvered her body so that she could access the path that Misty was partially blocking, and without so much as a glance backward, headed down the hall toward her next class.

* * * *

"So tell me again the very last thing that she said to you," Kimi urged as they headed down the flight of stairs that led away from the entrance of the school. "Repeat it, word for word."

"If you're going to flirt with a guy in this school, you better make damn sure that he's single, because girls on the rez won't hesitate to kick your ass if you mess with their boyfriends."

"Seriously?" She lightly snorted. "Did she actually think that was supposed to scare you?"

"I guess." The wind blew through Claudia's hair, causing her to reach up and brush it away from her face.

"How lame. And the fact that she even approached you shows how insecure she is."

"It was stupid of me to flirt with him." A faraway look came into Claudia's eyes as she recalled her and Lucas's moment in biology class. "I knew he was with someone. What was I thinking?"

"He's not *with* her," Kimi said. "They're just fuck buddies, remember?"

"Yeah. But still..."

"And besides, flirting is harmless. I do it all the time with guys I'm not even interested in dating."

"I can't believe Misty's friend was watching us the whole time." She lightly shook her head and eased out a long sigh before continuing. "There I was making a complete fool out of myself and I didn't even know it."

"Would you chill?" Kimi retrieved a chocolate bar from her backpack, and after breaking it in half, handed the portion to Claudia. "It's seriously not that huge of a deal. I mean It's not like you had sex with him or something."

"I just feel stupid. And now everytime I go to biology class, I'm going to feel all weird and awkward."

"I wonder who her friend is that was watching you and Lucas?"

She lightly shrugged. "I don't know. Could be anybody."

"Well she only hangs out with like four people in the entire school, so it can't be that difficult to figure out." Kimi took a large bite of her chocolate before continuing to speak. "There's this girl named Megan who's like her bff. She has a really high ponytail with a pouff in the front, and wears her eyeliner pointy like catwoman."

"I don't remember seeing anyone like that in biology, but she could have been sitting behind me, so I'm not entirely sure."

As they reached the curb where a line of cars where idling, Kimi scanned the numerous vehicles to see if she could spot her ride. "Anyways, I wouldn't worry about it. Just keep going to class and act normal. Don't let anyone intimidate you."

"Uh-huh." With her attention directed elsewhere, Claudia barely heard anything that Kimi was saying, and felt a knot in her stomach at the sight that was playing out before her eyes.

Noticing that she was only halfway paying attention, Kimi followed Claudia's gaze until her eyes came to rest on Lucas, who was ardently making out with Misty outside of the double doors that led into the hallway of the school.

"Oh my God," Kimi said. "Is he kissing her or trying to swallow her?"

Claudia's tongue, which felt heavy and dry in her mouth, seemed incapable of moving an inch, so she was unable to do anything except stand and sadly stare in silence. She would have continued to do so if not for the gentle poke she felt in her back, and on turning around to see who it was, she was greeted by Kimi's brother

[Hey, what's up,] he signed.

[Hey, Tyler,] she signed back. I see you survived your first day of high school.

[Barely.] He connected his thumb and forefinger into a circle before making an angry face.

[Who's an asshole?] Having suddenly joined the conversation, Kimi rapidly signed while staring intently at her brother. [And what did they do to you?]

Tyler gestured towards a group of jocks who were congregating at the other end of the parking lot, then narrowed his eyes before looking back at his sister.

[What did they do? Tell me.]

[Nothing,] he signed in response. [Don't worry about it.]

From the look on Kimi's face, she was clearly unwilling to do as Tyler said, but before she could offer any rebuttal, a loud honk cut through the air.

"There's my mom," she said to Claudia. "You ready to go?"

"Yep."

Along with Tyler, the two girls headed for an aging white minivan that was idling at the curb. But before they could reach it, they were intercepted by Lucas and Misty, who were crossing the parking lot to get to their own car.

As their paths nearly collided, Misty gave them both a dirty look, but Lucas contradicted her by offering a friendly greeting.

"Later, lost girl."

As he looked at Claudia, she glanced at him, and with barely a mumble of "bye" in return, she continued following Kimi toward her mother's car.

As they clambered inside the aging minivan, both girls were greeted by Kimi's mom, who also offered her son a hello in sign language. Once everyone was bucked in, Kimi's mother shifted the car into drive.

Knowing that she shouldn't, yet unable to resist from doing so, Claudia gazed out of the passenger window, and as the car made its way through the parking lot, she kept her eyes peeled for Misty and Lucas. On noticing that they had reached his pickup truck, she saw that Lucas was opening the driver's side door, and as he turned his head to look at the passing minivan, Claudia willed his eyes to meet hers.

In the span of a few seconds, they somehow managed to share a look, and as his gaze met hers through the glass of the passenger window, Claudia's heart did a somersault. Although brief, the look they shared was long enough to inspire a fluttering in her stomach.

It wasn't until the minivan exited the parking lot and made its way along the road that Claudia realized she was being pulled in deeper. And although she knew that she was entering dangerous territory, she didn't possess nearly enough willpower to stop what had already been put into motion.