Thomas took a notebook out of his backpack and put it on the table in front of him. He took a pencil and opened his math book, when he felt a vibration on his left thigh. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. A short message displayed on her home screen: "Hi, it's Lara. We can see each other straight away at… ”. He pressed the notification and discovered with surprise that Lara asked to see him where he was already. He replied with a short, "Ok, I'm there." then went back to his revisions. The calculus in front of him was giving him a headache, and this unexpected parenthesis would undoubtedly do him the greatest good.

Lara arrived a few minutes later in the library, her gaze searching for Thomas. Her bag on her shoulder, she wandered the aisles without finding the one she was curious to see. She quickened her pace when she finally found him, sitting at one of the tables in the middle of the room.

— Hi ! Lara exclaimed before sitting down across from Thomas.

— Hi, he replied. You wanted to see me ?

— Yeah, I wanted to talk. Sorry I didn't update you before, I have a very busy schedule.

— That's what I understood. You…

— So you're French like that? she cut off.

— Uh, yeah that's it.

— I think it's the first time I've seen a French in this school, she said, all smiles. Did you choose to come here?

— Actually, my high school is sending students overseas for the first time this year, and I was nominated to come here. I didn't really choose the destination.

Thomas noticed that Lara was making a weird pout.

— But I'm very happy to be here, he smiles.

— Is this your first time traveling?

— Yeah it's the first time, although it's not as relaxing as I thought.

— You must miss your parents, right?

— A little, obviously, but my host family is cool so that makes it easier. And you, you…

— What are you working on here?

— Uh, next math homework, I'm having a little trouble with the last problem.

— Wait for me, I'll go get something that maybe can help you, she said, slipping away.

As she disappeared between two shelves, Thomas came to his senses, fogged up by this meeting as unexpected as it was mysterious. Lara was a very curious and talkative young girl, so much so that he couldn't return a single question to her. Why was she interested in him? He was not popular, certainly not the prettiest boy in high school, nor the smartest. His life was far from hectic, and the only thing that stood out was his presence here at Harvey Benjamin High School. Other than that, his life was very mundane.

A few minutes later, he saw her come back in the distance, carrying in both hands the instruments of what he could very quickly consider a nightmare. As she walked in his direction, there was no doubt, she held two tall glasses filled with crushed ice and a brown liquid he knew all too well. Thomas greeted Lara's return with some fear, wondering what his real intentions were.

— Here, she said, handing him one of the glasses. I didn't know what tastes you would like so I stuck with a classic.

— Oh, thank you, answered Thomas, surprised by this delicate attention.

— I know that the first time was not too successful for you, but I told myself that we must fight evil with evil. And then, it was kind of thanks to this drink that we met.

Lara took one of the straws from her fingertips and pushed it into the heap of looted ice in her glass.

— Nothing better than a little distraction to make homework more fun, she said after taking a sip.

— I think I needed it, this homework didn't take my eyes off me.

— Show me, maybe I can help you.

As Lara approached, Thomas shifted his chair slightly to the right to give the girl some room. She stood, her glass in her left hand, then pointed at the math book at the exercise Thomas was trying in vain to solve.

— Do you see that number? she asked.

She leaned over slightly to support her point and her head was only inches from Thomas's face. Her sweet scent inhaled the air and intoxicated Thomas who then saw only a finger dancing across the page of his book, ignoring the girl's explanations without realizing it. It was even closer when she turned her head in Thomas' direction, which he instinctively did the same. He could then gaze into the beautifully blue eyes of the young girl and the time that passed then seemed to last for hours. Thin white lines in his irises formed a mesmerizing vortex, which he stared at, obscuring everything outside, until the hearing of his name pulled him out of his thoughts.

— His name is Thomas, and he's helping me with an assignment.

— He’s French, what can he help you with? asked a deep voice.

Thomas blinked several times as if to get out of a long nap and then noticed that this voice belonged to someone who was unfortunately starting to become quite familiar. Peter stood in front of him, accompanied by the two male cronies of his gang.

— Math is universal, it doesn't change from country to country, Alicia replied. I have to pass this exam, and then you're not the one helping me anyway.

— Come with us, you will review later. The exam is only a month away.

— Yeah I'm coming, go ahead, she said to the three boys.

Lara took her glass in one hand and her bag in the other, then gave Thomas a look.

— Sorry, I have to go, we'll talk later, she apologized. I text you when I'm available.

— Ok, bye, Thomas said with a wave of his hand, as the girl walked away.

He remained there, alone in front of his notebook and his mathematics book, still as lost in his problem but now with a very fresh granita at his side. Never would he have imagined a more surprising and sudden encounter than the one he had just experienced, with a person he hardly knew anymore. Definitely, she felt like a squall on Thomas, coming and going just as sharply, leaving her head loose, filled with clashing feelings.