Not good for you

39;

DECEMBER

I watched the snowflakes swirl through the air, gently settling on the ground. Though all the windows were shut, the room felt cold because the heating system was out that day. Sitting in my jacket and fiddling with my scarf, I completely tuned out Mr. Bennet's lecture on human history. I never felt connected to the subject; memorizing names and dates was a chore. Why do we have to remember every trivial detail when I have no interest in history? Especially now, after hours of work and hardly any sleep.

Mr. Bennet ignored my sleeping in his classes, but not lately, now that finals and graduation were around the corner. Seeley lightly tugged the end of my hair, making me flinch because I was so lost in my thoughts.

I turned my head to the side when I saw him lifting a piece of paper above my shoulder. I took it from him before Mr. Bennet could notice anything. I heard Seeley leaning back in his chair and tapping his pen against his notebook, which was probably nearly empty since he rarely took notes.

I unfolded the paper and turned it to read it:

r u up for the date tonight?

I smiled before shaking my head and writing down my reply. When Mr. Bennet looked at his laptop screen, I quickly returned the crumpled paper to Seeley.

Watching you get your ass kicked in basketball is not a date

I heard Seeley chuckle before sighing and leaning on his desk to get closer to me.

"That was heartless," he whispered. I raised an eyebrow at his comment before glancing at Clara, who was the first to tell me how much of a heartless bitch I'd been when we barely even knew each other.

"I thought you knew I didn't have a heart," I said, lowering my voice. He shifted in his chair and tapped my back. I nearly jumped because he pressed on a muscle that has always been ticklish for me.

"I might be the only one who knows you have something in your chest. And if it's not a heart, it's something like it."

I smiled and shook my head. I hoped no one heard his weak attempt to persuade me to change my mind about what our classmates said about me. It was already enough for me to hear it.

"I don't think I'm that bad at basketball, by the way."

"You're right. You're not bad, just horrible. Especially when it comes to passing." I tried to hide the smile that kept creeping onto my face. I didn't want Mr. Bennet to notice us.

"In this team, we're not familiar with the term pass," he said casually. "Especially Louis."

"Well, didn't Louis quit the team before?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah, but he realized that basketball was the only thing that helped him get into parties and hookups, so he came back."

I scoffed and drew a sun at the top of my paper. I'd left my notebooks at home. Again.

After running from work to home and then to school afterward, I was surprised my head was still attached to my neck.

"But he doesn't even look that good."

"And do I look good?"

I froze because he asked the question, and at the exact moment, Mr. Bennet glanced up. For a second, I thought he heard us, but then he continued to speak and write something on the board.

"I'm trying to concentrate, Seeley," I murmured, pretending to jot down something that might have been important. "You're making it difficult not to fail this class, you know."

"You hate History," he said.

He was always this flirty yet fierce boy. Sometimes, I wondered how we became friends after he messed up my caramel experiment. I could hear my mother calling me names and an idiot while she didn't even want to listen to my side. Those lectures and rants had gone on for days, and all because of Seeley.