Under The Mask

Chapter seven: Late, Lies

Cross skidded off the public bus. He had missed the school bus and was going to be late! He shoved past the gate guard and ran into the school, bustling through the doors. The halls were practically empty!

He spotted the homeroom and made a beeline to the door. He slammed it open as the bell rang. Mrs. Karen sneered at him. "Cross, don't slam the door!" He nodded, out of breath. The teacher scoffed and ordered him to his seat.

He slumped down against his chair, dropping his bag to the side. Nightmare looked at him, snickering. "How dare you hurt the door? That's my job."

Cross rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, really. You wouldn't know because I'm usually earlier than you, but when I'm not, Dream opens the door." He pointed at his brother. He was sitting beside another boy. His name was Killer. He was part of Nightmare's group.

Cross shrugged and looked down at his stuff. "Alright, class. Take out the assignment from yesterday. We're not doing the game because some boys decided to talk about explicit things!" The class groaned and glared at Michelle and Bethany. The group of boys were just explaining something to each other and the two bitches thought it would be funny to lie about them being perverts.

Cross sighed and took the paper out of his binder. He started to look around for his pencil, but it wasn't there. He sighed and looked to his right. Nightmare was holding Cross' pencil, spinning it around casually. He groaned silently and tapped his shoulder. "Hm? You need something?"

Cross tiredly pointed at his pencil. Nightmare stopped spinning it and took a look at the initials on it. C.P. He was silent for a moment. "Yeah, no. This is mine now." He shoved it in his inside pocket. That jerk.

Cross spotted Nightmare's backpack. He took a peek to see hundreds of pencils at the bottom, all sharpened. Of course. He needs his weapons.

Cross sighed and snatched a handful. Nightmare looked over. "Now that's just unfair."

Cross shrugged and shoved most of them in his own backpack, keeping one to write with. Nightmare looked down at Cross' paper and snickered. "You're doing it all wrong."

Cross raised an eyebrow. Nightmare rolled his uncovered eye and leaned over. "Here." He scribbled equations and formulas down on Cross' paper.

He made sure to explain how to do it so Cross wouldn't be like, "bish what?"

"And that's how you get the answer, 33." Nightmare mumbled so no one would hear. Cross' eyes widened and he slapped his forehead in self dissatisfaction.

Cross thought for a moment. The rudest, toughest, and most dangerous person in the entire school had just broken down a simple equation for him. He should show his appreciation in some other way than sign language or writing it down.

Nightmare was facing his own paper now, still as close as he was when he leaned over to help Cross. He swallowed up all his courage, a cough drop, and some water. He sighed and tapped Nightmare on the shoulder. The taller male looked over, an eyebrow raised.

"Uhm-"

"Cross! Stop flirting with Nightmare!"

The two looked up at the teacher. They took a moment to process it before their faces lit up with shock and blush. Cross dropped his pencil and put his hands up in defense, like it would do anything.

Realistically, Nightmare would have been the one flirting with Cross, but she didn't want to get on his bad side. It still didn't make sense, though. I mean, she herself thought that Cross was mute. Nightmare could practically sense the other's embarrassment as the class snickered, giggled, or shot them disgusted looks. Those were the homophobes.

Nightmare growled under his breath. He shot the teacher a death glare and said in a deathly dark tone, "Flirting wasn't involved, Mrs. Karen." To add effect. He snapped his pencil clean in half, only using grip strength.

Her eyes widened in fear as she fumbled to get her words out. "O-oh, is-is that-t s-s-so? Uh- uh, w-well then! Y-you may c-continue."

Nightmare grinned in satisfaction. The class was still staring, though. He gave them a sadistic, warning smile and asked, "What are you all looking at~? Keep it up and you won't be able to look at anything for the rest of your silly, little, pathetic lives~!" For emphasis, he pointed a sharpened pencil at his good eye.

The whole class didn't doubt that he'd stab their eyes out if they didn't stop staring. They all swung and twisted their bodies back towards their paper. Nightmare smirked and turned to Cross. "Yes-!!"

Cross' face was planted against the desk in shame, embarrassment, and defeat. Nightmare sighed and yanked his head up by his hair. "Well you can't do math like that-"

For the first time today he saw Cross' bandage. It was plastered against his forehead. His hair had covered it and blended with his pure white hair. Nightmare let go of his hair, letting it fall to recover the bandage. "What. Happened."

Cross hurried to scribble in a lie. The moment Nightmare read, 'I accidentally' he snatched Cross' wrist. The bandages weren't there, but there was a cover up. "What. Happened. And tell the truth this time. Both of them."

Cross started shaking. He couldn't say. He ripped his wrist away from Nightmare's grasp and ran down to the teacher. He put up the bathroom sign and she reluctantly nodded. He rushed out and ran away. Something was up. And Nightmare wouldn't stop pushing him anymore.