Biohazard

Chapter 5 - Cassian Henderson

I can easily see that Eva isn't buying a thing that's coming out of my mouth, but I don't care anymore. I'm being slow for a reason, but not because I hate math at all. It's because I need to dodge Nolani.

"Alright, if you're done stalling so much, Cass," Eva starts hauling me along, "We can go to class and not get a late slip." I smile and try to forget what happened last night when I walk into the classroom and find my seat. Which is right next to the girl I've been sitting next to for the past five months. Still haven't gotten her name, though. Every time I open my mouth to talk to her, she keeps giving me a death glare. I don't know why she hates me so much, it's not like I'm that intimidating.

Except, I think she's more intimidating than I am, but it doesn't matter. Her thick black-rimmed glasses, tight ponytail, and beaded bracelet seemed to be her trademarked style.

I watch the clock on the wall tick and tick as the professor walks into the class and begins his lecture. Soon enough, right as the clock shows 10:30 am, Ms. Pine walks through the door.

"I've got a new student for you, Lawrence!" she tells my professor excitedly. Nothing's exciting about the student though.

Prof. Lawrence looks from the chalkboard and his array of chalkboard markers and gives Ms. Pine a grin, "That's awesome!"

Nolani reluctantly walks through the door and I watch Eva jolt up and wave at her. I groan and rest my head on the desk. My nose kind of hurts, but at least I don't need to look at her.

"Class, let's welcome our new addition," Lawrence introduces Nolani, "This is... um, hold on." I look back up again and watch him fumble with some papers on his desk and finally choose one.

"Yes, let's welcome Nolani Wether, to our class," Weak "hello"s and "hi"s echo off the walls of the room. Nolani's staring at her feet, seeming completely out of place. The room feels a lot colder when the wind blows in through the windows that were opened since the last class. I look at the clock again: 10:45 am.

"Um, I hope you have a good time with these guys," Lawrence loses his fake glee, "You're sitting right behind Cassian Henderson over there." Great. Why did she even come here in the first place?

"Cass, can you raise your hand so Nolani knows where to go?" I raise my hand hesitantly, glaring knives into the desk and Nolani glances up once to see where I was, then walks up to her seat with her eyes trained on the ground again. Suddenly the window's especially interesting when she breezes past me and sits in the chair right behind me. I sigh and squeeze my eyes shut, trying to just forget.

~~~~~~~

It's almost lunch, and I get ready to run out the door as soon as the bell rang. Just as I zip up my bag, the shrill bell rings and everyone stampedes out the door while I try to push my way through the crowd to the lunchroom. Not that I eat there, I have to wait for Eva near the lunchroom doors so we can buy some food in the mall next to the university.

I rush through the mass of people and find Eva leaning against the wall, scrolling through her phone. Why is she always here before me? I jog up to her and she looks up at me when I reach her, unamused.

"This is the 23rd time I was waiting for you," she pulls up the Notes app on her phone and shakes her head, "Not looking good for your initial goal of waiting for me longer than I've been waiting for you, Cass." I adjust my bag on my shoulder and nudge her to leave.

"Just you wait, Eva Arias," I pipe up, snatching her phone, "there's a lot more of the year to go!"

"Yep, sure thing," Eva struggles to turn her phone back, "Just give me my phone back already, you arse."

I laugh and hesitate before giving it back to her, "Hey, do you want to go to the coffee shop that just opened?"

"You mean the Macy's Coffee place?"

"Yeah," I rub the back of my neck and furrow my eyebrows, "I mean, I thought that was the one you–"

"I've been wanting to go there!" She's bouncing with excitement and starts strolling through the hallway to get to the exit, "how did you even remember?"

"I wanted to go there, too–"