CONFINEMENT

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

   The classroom was annoyingly loud today, even though Somerset had told the class to quiet down at least twenty times already. It annoyed Harrison more than anything. He was sat, quietly and listening, next to Lysander in the middle of the classroom, begging the Lords that his classmates would soon pipe down. He could already feel the headache coming. Wonderful, he thought, he already felt a little off today. Ever since Theodore had enlightened him on the situation with the rebellion, the hours he spent at school felt so weird. Pointless, almost.

   He looked Somerset up and down, her dark brown suit and her Tetrea pin on her collar. Her light brown hair in a slick back bun. And her fake smile. If she really was a part of this rebellion, Harrison felt weirded out by how oblivious she acted. It would be a good tactic to throw off the Council, of course, but he couldn't help but feel a little bothered by it. If she knew there was going to be a fight, why was she bothering with homework and assignments. Actually, why was he bothering with them? The hours he spent every night catching up on various assignments, soon they wouldn't matter at all. He guessed it was to keep a healthy routine, focusing on the ordinary to keep himself from spiraling. Maybe it was for the better... It wasn't like he hated doing them anyway.

   Theodore was almost at Harrisons table when Somerset had explained a worksheet they had to do in groups, but in a desperate attempt to get them to quiet down once more, she changed her tactics and told them that she would be making the groups instead.

   "Somerset, for fuck's sake," Theodore said under his breath as he walked back to his seat, and she eyed him with obvious irritation, sending him a stern glare. As she divided the students in to pairs, Harrison's irritation grew bigger as he watched his best mates getting teamed up. Orlando with Thomasina Griswold, Lysander with Philomena Ford, Grace-Octavia with Ansel Alistor. Though he felt the sides of his mouths twitch into a faint smile, as Somerset paired Theodore with Agnes, but when his own name was called his stomach twitched with annoyance. Somerset had paired him with Romilly Emmons.

   He felt her desperate eyes on his body, and resisted the urge to look at her, keeping his eyes locked on Somerset, but she ignored him, and told them to begin.

   Arrogantly walking towards Romilly, he did his best to hide his annoyance as she beamed at him with a smile, desperate for his attention. They decided to take a seat outside the classroom, in one of the hallway window seats. He let her sit down first, so he could make sure he would sit as far away from her as he could, but as he sat down, he watched as she instantly moved closer to him, and he suddenly regretted even coming to school today. Sure, she was pretty, and yes, they had spent a good night together, but he found her desperation for his attention pathetic, and her constant need to be near him annoyed the heck out of him. And if he found her annoying before, he hated her now that Castania had entered his life. He wanted Romilly to stay as far away as she could, disgusted by the thought of their shared night. It was almost a year ago now! Could she at least try and move on?

   He began filling out the worksheet as best as he could, without discussing it with Romilly first. By doing this, he hoped that he looked way too busy to talk, and that he would thereby avoid any awkward conversation, but he was wrong.

   "We haven't talked in a while, Hyde," She said in her soft voice, and looked awkwardly at her hands, and Harrison could feel a rant building in her system. "I was kind of starting to think you were ignoring me." Her tone was sad, almost begging for either an apology or his attention, but he wanted to give her neither.

   "I've been busy, Romilly." He said nonchalantly. "I haven't been ignoring you."

   "If you say so." She shrugged defeated. "I guess I just miss talking to you."