Inferno Part 3

~21~ The Game

Ellie's POV

Once I process, I literally put my head on Lance's desk. This is awful. I feel him put his hand gently on my head, and softly keep it there, doing what he can for me.

After a minute I look up, and he moves his hand. "What class did he skip for this?"

He looks up Nolan's schedule. "Mrs. Rhodes, Science"

I nod. "Where is he now?"

He looks again. "PE with Nick"

I nod as I get up and start to walk out.

"If you are planning on spanking him, do it in the lounge," he says sternly.

"I'm not," I say, not even turning around.

I get to the gym and Nick chucks a dodgeball at me. Normally when he does this, I laugh and pelt him with it back. I don't even crack a smile as I drop the ball.

"Whoops! Should have read the room. Sorry, Ellie," Nick says apologetically.

"Where's Nolan?"

Nick points to Nolan, pelting a kid with a dodge ball, and jumping quickly to avoid another one, grinning like a fool.

As soon as he sees me, he drops his ball and runs over.

"Hey mom," he smirks. Once he sees my face, he loses his smile.

"Why are you mad?"

We walk to a private corner of the gym, and I cross my arms. "Just heard you skipped Science class. Why?"

Without missing a beat, and keeping his posture totally relaxed, he shakes his head. "I didn't. I had to go to the bathroom."

I school my face too. I have this same gene. The bullshit gene. Jake and I both have it perfected. He's about to see how good I really am at it.

I nod. "Heard you were gone for a while. What took so long?"

He acts embarrassed. "Mom, I really had to go to the bathroom. These things take time."

Oh, this kid is good. He's perfecting the craft too. By the time he's a teen, we're screwed.

I just nod again. "You not feeling good?"

"I am now. My stomach was hurting."

"Is that why you were so crabby this morning?"

"Yeah"

"Then why couldn't you have just told me that?"

"Wasn't a big deal."

"If you're not feeling well, it is a big deal."

"Mom, I'm missing this class now. It's my favorite. I promise I just had to go to the bathroom. Call Mrs. Rhodes and ask her. I came back to her class."

"You're telling me the truth?" I ask, studying his face.

"I promise"

Dang it. I would totally have believed him. Either I'm losing my touch or he's a freaking master. I'm going to have to work on my craft. Do they teach classes for this?

I nod and leave, inwardly seething. So, what do I do? I call my idiot brother.

"Hey Ellie!" He says cheerily.

I click the pen I have on my desk to try and keep myself calm.

"Remember when we were 10, and you told me you hated me and I cried? Dad spanked you and then you cried?"