t w e n t y - t w o
"Dum spiro spero." - Anonymous
TURN OF THE TIDE
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Sunlight slanted through the classroom window as William fought sleep with the strength of a dying warrior. His eyes felt raw, heavy from his lack of sleep-possibly from a few shedded tears as well. His first plan for the end of the day was to take a well-needed nap; he'd decided he wanted to at least take care of himself physically if he would be struggling emotionally.
Three days had gone by: the first as dull as a grey London sky, the second rather uneventful, and yesterday had been spent in a state of melancholy, however dramatic that might be. William was tired. Thus, the reason his face slipped from the cushion of his hand every minute, head lolling to the side with sleep.
His second plan, of course, was to finish his homework for once.
It was a mistake, William.
Those words had been reverberating around his skull for those past three days, bouncing from front to back to side to side. A constant reminder. A constant stream of arrows to his heart. William didn't know if he was being dramatic-he was a dramatic person by nature-or if his heart really had broke, been pierced, which seemed rather silly. They'd never really been together even once, him and Lucien.
It had been one night.
It was a mistake.
Just one single night.
"With Christmas break ahead, I thought it best we finish up this unit with something fun." Professor Thompson cleared his throat. "A project."
A chorus of groans sounded from his classmates, disappointment evident. A project? William, too, groaned.
"Ah, I don't want to hear it. I'll be giving you two weeks to finish it, which is already more than enough time, as well as designated class time. Your partners have been assigned at random, and there will be no switching." Professor Thompson flipped through a stack of papers. "You'll get your partners before the end of class. Until then, begin your reading for tonight. Just two chapters."
William eyed the book resting in the top left corner of his desk, glanced at the clock, then back at his book. He resorted to staring out the window instead. It was hard for William to focus in a classroom; the noise, every little sound, made it almost impossible to focus.
There was no blackbird chirping on the windowsill to distract him, nor falling leaves. They were struck bare, winter sneaking up on the academy quicker than expected. Alas, William found himself glancing at Lucien; a habit he knew he'd have a hard time getting rid of.
Lucien flipped a page of his book, posture as perfect as ever. He was the perfect picture of composed, especially in comparison to William's slouched position. As if Lucien felt eyes on him, he shifted in his seat, glanced upwards, and returned back to his book. William looked away.
"Alright, time for your assigned partners." Professor Thompson began reading off a list of names. It wasn't until the end of the list that William felt his heart leap in his chest. "And finally, William and Lucien."
His eyes flitted toward Lucien. His back straightened, yet he didn't dare turn around to face William. What were the odds? Especially with Lucien's father watching his every move. He wouldn't be surprised if Professor Thompson would be forced to switch partners because of them.
YOU ARE READING
He Bleeds Flame ✔️
Romance(bxb) After a year of surviving an all boys boarding school, William Brown thought he had finally navigated the ups and downs that the rich, private school had to offer. He'd even managed to make a few friends, as well as a rightful enemy. Lucien Ha...
