All The Lies You Tell - MATTHEO RIDDLE

Chapter 20

      
        Tick, tock, tick, tock

The overhead clock creates an irritating noise signaling that the time is slowly passing by. It was silent in the packed Dark Arts classroom. The person next to me annoyingly taps their pencil against the wooden desk. The occasional sigh is let out into the air. I look towards the front of the class at my sleeping professor. The replacement they had found for Professor Snape is most definitely a dud. He's not much of a teacher at all. He's one of those who believe in "self teaching." He thinks that it will prepare us for "the real world." Sure it doesn't bother me considering I've taken this class before, but it can be difficult for others who are unfamiliar with the subject.

Today is test today. I despise test day. Not because I am afraid I will not pass, but because I complete the test early there is always so much extra time of me just sitting. When this is happening my senses get heightened and every little sound frustrates me. Especially the sixth year that is my desk partner. He's not... the smartest. No offense, of course, he just needs extra time comprehending things and during tests he is particularly slow. Which is why he is continuously slamming his pencil up and down. I'm not sure if he thinks it will suddenly bring the right answer to his head or what, but it's starting to get on my nerves.

Mattheo wasn't here today, but I already knew that. When I spoke to him this morning in Herbology he told me he had planned to skip. I tried to persuade him, but he's impossible to reason with. "I don't need Dark Arts.", he had said. "I already took the stupid class." He's more insufferable than this kid beside me.

Me and Mattheo hang out quite often now. I like that we're civil for once. Just last week we spent the afternoon eating dinner together. We're friends now. Friends who also make out sometimes...

Anyway that's irrelevant. What is relevant is my anger that he didn't show up for class. Now I'm forced to sit next to this boy. Glancing at the clock hoping that the time had passed thirty minutes I see it has, in fact, only been five. I internally groan.

Suddenly a quiet knock grabs my attention. Immediately I turn to the boy beside me, but soon see he is not the one making the noise, for once. I glance around the classroom and spot nothing untoward. No one else seems to have heard the sound. Maybe I am hearing things, I think to myself.

I go back to my usual state when I hear it again. This time I quickly realize it's coming from behind me. Where I'm sitting is in the last desk in the middle row, right in front of the door. Typically I'm positioned in the front, but recently since I've been sitting with Mattheo we've been in the back. He refuses to sit in the front. When I turn my head at the noise I see the person who occupies my thoughts. Mattheo stands poking his head up behind the clear window that's in the center of the wooden door. He was the one tapping. When he sees me looking at him he smiles and motions for me to come outside. My eyes widen a little. Obviously I shake my head no, but he only persists. I keep disagreeing when he folds his hands together and shakes them up and down, silently begging. I roll my eyes at his idiocy and turn to look back at the classroom. Everyone is still focused on their test and doesn't seem to notice the conversation I'm having. Professor Stilt is still passed out in his chair.

I think to myself. I mean, there's no way anyone will notice that I'm gone. Since I'm in the back I highly doubt they'll see me slip out. Plus the professors asleep. Besides I'll only be a moment... I'll see what is so urgent and come back into the class. It can't hurt, right?

Slowly as a sloth, I creep out of my seat and tip-toe to the door. When Mattheo sees me he smiles wider and backs up to leave me room to open it. Once I do, I slip between the small crack I've created and lightly close it behind me. Mattheo looks at me with a mischievous smirk. He's such a bad influence.