#thebestinfluence

"What are we doing at school early on a Monday morning? Why are we even in school on Monday," Tommy complained for the thirty first time that morning.

"Just cause."

"Just cause what? We don't have first period, and on Friday we weren't planning on showing up for second or third, or anything before eight period if we were even going to go to class."

"Tommy."

"Just tell me."

"..."

"It's because of the sophomore isn't it?"

"No."

"Then why are we headed to the sophomore wing, and don't tell me to see Sara."

"Okay fine. It' s about Felicity."

"I knew it. Isn't she a little too good though?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Ollie, she's cute but she's too innocent. You can't really expect to screw her...unless you don't want to screw her and the feelings are more than that."

"Come on Tommy, you know me," Oliver flashed his playboy smile in Tommy's direction.

"I do, and I also know that you weren't flirting with her after Thea's lesson, you were talking to her...genuinely talking to her."

"So..."

"So, you don't genuinely talk to girls unless you have no intention of hurting them...like Laurel and Sara."

"What's with all the questions?"

"Why are you dodging all of them?"

"I hate you Merlyn."

"You love me, now hurry up go stalk your prey."

"She's not my-"

"Hey Sara," Tommy said walking away from Oliver.

Oliver walked the halls of the sophomore wing quite a few times looking around for blonde hair in a ponytail, and painted nails, and glasses, but he saw nothing. Well he saw all of those things but everytime he checked it wasn't Felicity.

"The bell for first period is gonna ring in five minutes Ollie, I don't think she's here," Tom nudged him.

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Then why do you look like a kicked puppy?"

"I don't."

"You do."

"Come on. Let's go get some Starbucks. Come back for third period?"

"Second. Laurel saw me, and she said if I wasn't in class she'd kick my ass."

"I'd pay to see that."

"I wouldn't. Come on."

After their Starbucks Oliver and Tommy made it back to school just in the nick of time. The bell just rang as they slid into their seats for AP Calculus. Yes, neither Oliver or Tommy had the grades for AP classes, but their parents did have the money. Tommy gave Laurel a quick kiss before she rolled her eyes at him.

"I made it here."

"In the nick of time."

"All for you. Love you."

"Love you too you dope, now pay attention."

Oliver sat next to Tommy who sat behind Laurel. Their class started and Oliver started to drift off. He stretched his arms behind his desk, and felt the desk behind him-that was odd. Oliver would normally find his hands hitting against a textbook or notebook, or paper, or something but he had never brushed the surface of the desk before. He turned around to find the seat behind him empty.

Well there's a first time for everything Oliver thought. The girl who sat behind him was never absent. He never looked at her, or talked to her but she was always there. Every time he stretched his arms he could hear her pen moving furiously across her notebook as she took notes, she always had extra pens too. If Oliver ever needed a distraction he'd take a pen off her desk, and click it continuously until Laurel threw him a dirty look. The girl behind him always smelled nice too, which may have been one of the reasons why Oliver leaned his chair back closer to her desk everyday, but he wouldn't do anything. He wouldn't flirt with her or even turn around to look at her not with Helena in the classroom. She got jealous easily, and she had a tendency to cause scenes-her and her best friend Isabel along with the rest of the cheerleading team.

Oliver turned back to the front of the class and admired Miss.Coffee's breast-they really were nice breasts, perfectly plump and rounded. He bet her skin was soft and warm and-

"I'm so sorry I'm late Miss Coffee."

Oliver's head shot to the door. Felicity.

"That's okay Felicity, do you have your late pass?"

"Yes. I had gym last period. I finally got to touch the ball. I MEAN THE BELL. I CLIMBED IT AND...THE ROPE...I climbed the rope and-"

"I understand Felicity," Miss Coffee said over the laughter that erupted from the class as Felicity's cheeks turned red. "You can sit down."

Felicity nodded, and ducked her head keeping her eyes on the floor as she crossed the classroom. Everyone's eyes were on her so Oliver looked away. He knew that she was a good girl, an innocent one, and he knew she was embarrassed and he didn't want to make her feel worse. Even though he was itching to know where she sat, he kept his eyes on the white board. After several minutes the class returned to normal, and Oliver could look around the room freely. He tunred his head to search for Felicity but he couldn't see her.

"Mr. Queen. Is there a problem?"

"No Miss Coffee."

"Eyes on the board."

He nodded his head, and stretched his arms once again-paper. His hands felt paper that wasn't there before. He turned his head. Felicity was sitting behind him like she had everyday since the start of the school year and she was furiously taking notes as always. Oliver's moth dropped and he just watched her.

"Mr. Queen?"

"Miss Coffee," Olive replied not taking his eyes of Felicity.

"Is there a problem," she repeated.

Felicity looked up at him now and gave him a small smile.

"Yes."

Felicity raised her brows.

"And that problem is," Miss Coffee asked.

"I'm a dick."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm a dick. That's the problem."

"Well then...you should change that. You can start by paying attention in class."

Oliver looked at Felicity, who had ducked her head and was now pretending to write notes, for another second, and then turned to face the front of the class. He could feel Tommy's and Laurel's eyes on him before they turned their attention back to the lesson. He could feel the entire class looking at him before the eventually turned back to the front of the class, and he could feel Helena's gaze on him the whole time. Her gaze was practically burning a whole in the side of his head.

When the bell rang Oliver wanted to apologise to Felicity for not noticing her but then Helena's lips attacked his.

"I missed you over the weekend baby."

"Yeah, you too," he murmured breaking away from his lips looking for Felicity and he saw her blonde pony tail leaving the door.

"Where were you all weekend? I tried calling you a million times but you never picked up."

"I was busy."

"Busy?"

"Yes."

"But you weren't busy enough to go to Laurel's party?"

"..."

"I saw pictures on Instagram and Facebook Ollie! Why would you go to the party without me? Why would you go to her party?"

"Maybe because we've been friends since Kindergarten," Laurel cut in.

"Laurel! I didn't see you there! It's nice of you to invite Ollie to your birthday party. I'm sure more people showed up then, and it seems like no one forgot."

"Hey, a birthday I don't have to celebrate with you is good enough for me," Laurel responded.

"See you later baby," Helena kissed Oliver and left.

"Laurel," Oliver asked. "Why'd you say that? Your birthday is in March."

"I didn't want to talk to that bitch for another second longer. I still don't know why you date her."

"Cause-" Tommy started.

"And I don't want to know," Laurel finished.

"I didn't know that sophomore was in our class Ollie."

Oliver felt a sense of relief. So it wasn't just Oliver who hadn't noticed her.

"Me neither."

"Who Felicity," Laurel asked.

"Yeah. You did."

"Of course. She's been in AP Calc. since the start of the school year. How do you know her?"

"She's tutoring Thea," Tommy answered.

"She's sweet. Thea will do great. Felicity is incredibly smart."

"How do you know her?"

"Other than the fact we have class together? We're on the debate team together. Sometimes she misses practice because of her tutoring but she always makes the team, and she's there for every big event, and we always win...that's because of me too by the way."

Tommy chuckled and kissed Laurel, and the three of them made their way to their next class.

Oliver sat in AP History and sighed into his hands ignoring Tommy and Laurel being "cute" with each other when all of the sudden Tommy nudged him.

"You are not going to believe this."

Oliver looked up and followed Tommy's gaze. Felicity. She was sitting in the front of the class talking to a scrawny looking kid with brown hair. He sat next to her and she smiled and then the bell rang and she turned her attention to the front of the class. So she was in two of his classes. I''m such a dick he thought to himself.

Fourth period Laurel had civics and Tommy and Oliver had economics. Felicity was in that class too. Oliver just started looking for her in every class he went to and she was there in each of them. The only class she didn't have with him wasn't even a class-it was lunch. He wanted to talk to her after each period but as soon as the bell rang, she'd pick up her stuff and would leave. It also didn't help whenever they had a class with Helena and she'd make out with Oliver for about three minutes after the bell rang.

"It's Monday. She's coming over to tutor Thea. Talk to her then," Tommy advised.

That's exactly what Oliver had in mind.