Forever Has Lost Its Meaning

Chapter 4

The First One

"These are the controls," Isaac said "place the item in here. These gears help along with the process of fermenting."

I yawned as I watched the plump man show us a few buttons.

Antoinette was surprisingly interested and was taking notes in her notebook. Daisy was pretending to be a maid by dusting some buttons or levers with her feather duster. I hesitantly turned to the jerk who was staring intently at the gears in motion. I wandered away from them and went to Angelo. He was writing with his pencil into a black book. I looked at him in interest. I never would've imagined the artist to be into windmills.

I adjusted my neck over his shoulder.

He was drawing!

I should've known.

He was drawing a light sketch of the insides of the windmill. He had drawn with detail, showing all of the buttons and details of wood. Angelo turned his head to me.

Angelo grinned at me,

"Hi Gretel, are you enjoying the lesson?"

Our faces were a few inches away.

I felt an unnecessary blush creep in.

"Gretel?" He asked me

I opened my eyes and quickly went back.

"Y-yeah?" I said nervously.

"Are you enjoying the lesson?" he asked once again.

I nodded furiously and then walked back to Antoinette and Daisy in an awkward fashion.

"Okay class, I'm going to show you how to ferment something. This is a green grape from Hansel's farm." Isaac held a ripe and flawless grape. The minty green skin was literally shining and each grape seemed to be so plump and delicious.

The jerk began to smile lightly.

I would've groaned at the sound of his name but the grape looked so appetizing.

A girl even cried out in admiration, "Goddess, its Hansel's grape!"

Isaac placed the grape inside a door of the windmill. It began to crank and steam was released from the machine.

"In a few hours, the grape should be complete. In return we would get a white wine. I would let us all try a sip of it but Mr. Felix wouldn't allow us to do that. Instead we can drink some strawberry tea from Hansel's farm,"

Some girls squealed in delight.

The jerk continued to be bashful.

I never knew that the jerk was so popular. If they only knew the real jerk.

Isaac looked at his wrist and stared at his watch.

"Well class that was a fun day outside but class is almost over. Let's head back in,"

We all walked back into the school and walked back into the class.

As soon as we stepped in the class the bell rang.

The students gathered their books and then left.

I sighed in relief.

One more period of school and it's over, I began to walk to cooking class.

When I stepped into the room I saw four round tables, each one with four seats. There was a set of a stove and sink for each table.

One of the tables, the one near the window which had sun streaming in, had the jerk and Angelo, both seated. The artist waved towards me. I looked at him with my purple eyes and gave him a grin.

I sat next to Angelo, staying away from the jerk. Then Ivan walked in.

"Is it alright for me to sit here?" Ivan asked.

I looked at him curiously.

He had straight brown hair and purple eyes. Ivan wore a green vest with black button and a purple coat which went down to his knees. The sleeves were ended with white cuffs. Around his neck was a purple ribbon. He wore black striped trousers. I have to admit he looks rather dashing and resembled a prince. Not that I like him or anything.

"Sure, sit down Ivan," said the jerk.

Ivan gave us a kind smile.

"Thank you very much," Then he sat down next to me.

"Hello Gretel, it's nice to see you again." He said to me with a smile.

I nodded daintily.

"What are we making today?" I asked Angelo.

Then Joan walked in with Marian on her tail. Joan was a small old but kind lady with faded blonde hair under her white lacy hat which was decorated with a red flower on it. The elderly lady wore a sky blue shawl under her dress which was white on the shoulders and the bottom was tan striped with a green striped apron.

Marian was a slim young lady with shining blond wavy hair with a white bandana with pink flowers and a large ribbon on the back. She looked around the class with hazel eyes. She wore a dress which resembled Joan's.

It surprised me how Marian wasn't a student, since she looked so young. Angelo whispered to me that she was 20 years old and worked with Joan at the café.

"Hello class," Joan said in a kind and raspy voice. "We are going to make a omelet rice today."

I heard someone say yes in delight.

I turned and saw Angelo with both of his hands curled into a fist and were in the air. Angelo was smiling brightly. My eye brows rose.

Angelo straightened out his hands and looked at me and began to blush.

"Sorry," he chuckled nervously, "I love omelet rice. I'm really glad that we're making it."

I never knew his favorite food was omelet rice.

"Glad that you have some enthusiasm, Angelo," the elderly lady laughed.

"Now class, we're going to hand out the ingredients and then the tools," Marian said as she began to hand out eggs, oil, milk, and cooked rice to each table. Then she placed frying pans on each stove.

"Be careful," she warned everyone.

"The first step is that we are going to is to prepare the egg. Crack the egg and then beat it. You will each make your own."

Ivan started to cook swiftly.

Angelo was beating the eggs with sparkles in his eyes.

The jerk was whistling happily as he began to crack eggs.

I, on the other hand, was cracking eggs and getting large pieces of the shell into the eggs.

I destroyed an egg while trying to lightly crack it on the edge of the bowl. I began to get frustrated.

I felt strangers' eyes on me.

"She can't do anything,"

"I heard about what happened in math,"

"I was there. She ran out crying because she couldn't solve a question."

"How pathetic. Hansel must've spoiled her into a princess."

My anger began to rise rapidly.

The egg I was holding in my hand was shattered as I clenched my hands. I slid out of my chair and stood up. I turned my head toward the voices and was about to open my mouth.

I saw Ivan looking at me with concern eyes.

"Do you need help?" he asked me.

I nodded stubbornly, feeling both embarrassed and nervous.

Ivan smiled.

He lightly grabbed one of my hands and began to guide them. Ivan helped me crack the egg and then brought my hand to the bowl. I felt myself blushing; he really did seem like a prince. Not only that but I also felt my heart rate increase.

Ivan began to hold my hands while helping me pour the eggs into the frying pan. My mind went blank throughout the entire thing.

The finished product ended up looking like a picture in a cooking book. My mouth began to water as I looked at it.

"You did wonderful!" praised Ivan. I turned my head in surprise, "I didn't do anything. It was all thanks to you that it came out so perfectly." I said rapidly.

"Since everyone is finished. Dig in!" Joan said, clapping her delicate hands.

Marian went ahead and handed out spoons.

"I can't wait until I eat!" Angelo said joyously as he was handed a spoon.

The artist did a small dance in his seat which was him putting his hands in the air and then moving them in a circular fashion. I would've laughed at him like how the rest of the class was but I still had my hands held by Ivan. I kept my attention stuck onto that. I couldn't tell whether I was happy or sad by the fact he was holding my hands so gently.

"Ivan, you can let go of my hands now," I said slowly but hesitantly. I had the small hopes that he would continue to hold on.

Little did I know that Ivan would be my first crush.