FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

"Okay, Hera Hunter, let's give a little work to your brilliant brain and learn something about the Merchant of Venice for real," Hera muttered under her breath. She opened the book and took out the pencil, ready to focus and to take notes. 

However, she was easily distracted by the way Hunter spoke. His perfect pronunciation and the way his lips moved compelled her eyes to stay focused on them. Every word coming out of his mouth felt smoother than silk and sweeter than nectar. His deep, rich voice filtered through the air like music, and Hera could listen to him forever without getting bored or tired. 

Hunter explained the bond between Bassanio and Antonio and how their relationship played a vital role throughout the play. They seemingly shared the ideal friendship where one was wholly willing to lay his life on the line for the other. 

Hera noticed how pleased and impressed Hunter seemed while he spoke about friendship. As per what Hera understood till now, she decided that Antonio was in love with Bassanio. She couldn't differentiate whether it was bromance or romance, but it was love for sure. Hera smiled to herself.. She couldn't help imagining Hunter and Eric in the role of Bassanio and Antonio, respectively. 

'Oh, imagine one of them being gay for the other.'

Hera thought amusedly. 

She covered her mouth with her hand when the giggle threatened to break out. Hera found an easy way to remember all the characters of the play. She imagined Hunter's friends playing the role of different characters. Now she could easily understand the drama more precisely. 

Meanwhile, Hunter wrote the name Portia on the board, the protagonist of the play. He described her as the beauty with brains. She was an intelligent, quick-witted, gorgeous heiress. 

Hera scowled in resentment and mentally scoffed as she imagined Bianca stepping into the role of Portia in her imagination. For Hera's displeasure, the Queen bee of their school and the captain of Hunter's gang fitted the description too perfectly as the beautiful, intelligent, wealthy heiress. 

Grinning secretly at the scenario playing in her mind, Hera pictured Evelyn performing the role of Jessica, and her Lorenzo had to be none other than Danny and loved how their love story concluded. 

Michael played the short role of servant Balthazar, and for being Bianca's best friend, Samantha earned Nerissa's part as Portia's servant. 

Hera couldn't curb the jealousy when Hunter concluded how in the end, Portia was able to marry her true love Bassanio. 

'What the fuck?'

Hera cursed as she imagined Hunter and Bianca getting married in the end. She instantly swapped Hunter's role as Bassanio with Eric's Antonio. She nodded with a firm determination and smiled to herself. Eric and Bianca looked good together in her imagination and thought they would make a gorgeous couple. 

'They should date in real life.'

The idea sounded good in her thoughts. 

'Later, when they get married to each other, Hunter and I can be their best man and bridesmaid.' 

Hera couldn't stop the pleased grin that stretched on her lips. 

Leaning forward on the desk, Hera folded her hands under her chin and studied Hunter's physical features while he slowly paced back and forth on the dias as if he owned it. His hand touched the knot of his ink blue uniform tie, righting it in its place before running his fingers through the thick mane of his charcoal black hair. 

It didn't take much time for her infatuated brain and her love-struck heart to get distracted again. Hunter's character shifted from Shakespeare's play to the real-life bossy one in her vision. She imagined him as the hotshot CEO, prancing around arrogantly in front of his employees in the board meeting room. 

'Oh, what a fine-looking boss he would make!'

She thought, letting out a dreamy sigh. 

'Hot as hell.'

'Powerful and dangerous. How sexy!'

"If you have any doubt feel free to ask," Hunter said, the sweet velvet of his voice cutting through Hera's thoughts. 

Shoving his hands into his pant pockets, Hunter leaned his hip against the table and crossed his ankles. He ran his eyes around the classroom, and Hera's heart missed a beat when he looked at her. 

Lifting a brow at her questioningly, Hunter tilted his head to the side. Begrudgingly Hera realised his attention never once lingered on her until now. Though, his gaze didn't stay on her for more than a second. 

'Ah, look at this motherfucker, what a showoff!'

Hera knew he enjoyed the attention, and much to her displeasure, the girls kept interrupting him, asking doubts in between, and Hera thought it was silly. 

Hunter taught everything with such clarity that even Hera's dumb brain understood it. If the stupid girls were still having doubts, then it could mean only one thing. Either they were pretending to get his attention, or they were really dumb, but either way, Hunter answered and clarified all their queries patiently and politely. 

Throughout the narration, Mr Know-it-all didn't even glance at the book once. Flipped open, it stayed on the table untouched, pages fluttering now and then because of the air rushing in through the opened windows. He explained everything with so much confidence as if Shakespeare himself had taught him every line of his play word by word. 

"Alright then," Hunter spoke, quickly capturing everyone's undivided attention. "I want you to write a ten-page assignment about the play. Let's see how much you've learnt or remember," he said. 

Hera's jaw dropped in disbelief, her eyes widened. A second or two passed, and no one had dared to object yet. Hera grimaced at what Hunter suggested. Wasn't the burden of homework by the teachers enough that he was adding more to the torture? 

"How would you know if we've written it or not? It's not like you're going to check it anyway," Hera muttered more to herself but judging by the way Hunter raised his eyebrows, he heard it. Holding Hera's gaze, Hunter gave her a blinding smile, and Hera's brain conveniently forgot what she was thinking a second ago. 

"I won't be checking it, but your English teacher will," Hunter supplied helpfully, and Hera's scowl of disapproval only intensified. "It'll be your homework, and I'll inform Mrs Wilkins about it later," he decided. None of the boys dared to go against the president of the student union council, and the girls were only too eager to get his attention or impress him. 

Hera cursed under her breath when no one objected. 

"So it's done. Let's take a ten minutes break before we start with physics," Hunter said. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he took it out to check the message. 

Goddess:

I hate you.

Hera had just sent him a short message. 

Tearing his gaze off the phone, he lifted his head to look at Hera. She was annoyed she couldn't pull a reaction out of him, for he had maintained a perfect poker face. He pocketed his phone, his purple eyes still glued to Hera's green ones. 

"Hera, cell phones are not allowed inside the classroom. You know right that I can write you another detention slip for tomorrow?" he asked, standing to his full height. Taken aback, Hera glared and flipped him off.