Forgetting Billions | ✓

03 | Forgetting History

JASMINE'S EYES widened at the effect of her reckless behavior. Shayan's knee jerked into the desk and his pencil case clattered to the floor before its contents exploded in front of them. A girlish scream left his lips, and she stifled a laugh, just to annoy him even more. She flashed him a sweet smile and twirled a loose curl around her finger as she patiently waited for their teacher to notice.

"What do you think you're doing, Jasmine? That pencil was aimed just a bit too close to my baby maker for my liking," Shayan muttered, frustration that he didn't bother to hide lacing his deep voice.

She shrugged as Ms. Vienna snapped at Shayan this time, sentencing him to an equal prison sentence in detention. He groaned out loud and rubbed his thigh with the side of his palm over and over again, but didn't do much else, reverting his attention back to Jasmine.

"No one calls me Jazzy Pants. And frankly, you lost the right to even think about me that way when you left," she whispered, shooting him a glare as the smile fell off her face.

"Oh, yeah? Think of you in what way exactly?" He wasn't mad anymore, he seemed like he was more intrigued than anything else. His palm continued to run over his thigh. He might have forgotten his anger, but it seemed as if the pain still jolted through him every few seconds.

"If I'm remembering correctly, that was a childhood nickname and I'm not the only one who calls you that. All your family does and I think of you the same way they would. The fact that you believe I see you as much more than that leads me to my next question; did you really miss me that much?"

She didn't take the bait and just shook her head, trying so desperately to listen to the lesson. All she could think about was what changed. How Shayan had flown back to their hometown without letting her know, how he had gotten his braces off, shot up five inches and was now towering over her at six feet and one inch

She had thought of him as more than a friend once before but now, it was in a higher intensity. She couldn't help but notice the way his muscles rippled under his black tee, or how his arms flexed involuntarily whenever he began to write. However, she could never look past his irritating voice and his way of over analyzing every situation he was in. She couldn't look past how he knew how to twist her words so that she would feel uncomfortable hearing them thrown back at her.

"You're undressing me with your eyes, Jas," he whined out loud, cutting their teacher off during her lecture once again. This time, he was off the hook with a stern glare and the lesson continued, but Jasmine couldn't ignore him this time.

"Shut up, Shay." She rolled her eyes and he groaned, letting his head fall forward on to his desk.

"You know how much I hate it when you call me that."

"It serves you right for how you used my nickname," she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe if you were nicer, I wouldn't have to resort to using your third grade nickname."

"Now, sweetheart, when have I ever been nice?" He smiled slightly, leaning in so close that she felt his breath tickling her ear.

"You were, before you moved away," she whispered and tilted her head so her hair became a shield of sorts, blocking her from his suddenly shrinking smile. Finally, a well-needed silence drifted between them before it was cut off sharply by the bell.

"Don't forget the homework and I hope everyone likes their permanent seats for the year!" Ms. Vienna called after the students as they filed out of the room.

Jasmine froze. Her and Shayan next to each other for the rest of the year? She would rather eat slugs. Maybe she could get her seating arrangement changed.