Pencils and Pool Water (Complete)

Chapter Six

Learning Calvin had a girlfriend was one thing, but seeing her around- with him- was a whole other ballpark, let me tell you. 

When Paityn said she was transferring, I had assumed it would take a week or two, so I was not prepared to see a tall, curvy blond girl with a kind smile holding all of Calvin's attention. He seemed to absolutely adore her. 

I almost puked. Molly and Gwen spotted me and intercepted me before something embarrassing and degrading happened. 

Molly told me that, apparently, they'd been dating since mid-August and that they were family friends or something and that I hadn't really stood a chance (in the nicest way possible). Gwen ran her hands through my hair while muttering things like, shh shh it's okay, don't start crying now you'll be a mess for first hour. 

But I didn't cry- no, they were heartbroken, mind shaking, silent sobs. I was five minutes late for my first hour, and everybody looked at me funny, which made me want to cry again. 

No no, I didn't cry. 

Calvin stared at me intently as I made my way to the desk and I felt like every vein, every bone, every fiber of me caved inwards.

I put my chin up a little higher as I sat down.

"OK, now that everyone's here," Mrs. Coleson gave me a good-natured scolding sort of look that made me smile a little.  "You'll be starting another assignment that requires you're with your parnter. You're going to make a poster board either on, a) atoms, molecules, and their charges, b) radio, light, and sound waves, or c) Matter- mixtures, elements, and pure substances. Begin." She stopped. "If you have any questions, ask me."

Calvin jumped up to get supplies and I felt a bit woozy. 

I hadn't realized I had been getting used to having Calvin whizzing around me, doing things. I didn't realize we had an easy understanding, and for some reason, this upset the whole thing. 

For me, anyways. Calvin was unaffected. 

Calvin with those... Those eyes. And those muscles, and being nice and having a girlfriend... 

Stupid Calvin Fritter. He came back, looking a little perplexed. 

"What do you want to do?" He asked. I choked back an inhuman noise, and saw that Calvin was more relaxed around me than he had since the moment I met him. 

"I think we should do atoms and molecules and their charges." My voice comes out surprisingly even, and I sit up a little, trying to... Adjust.

Calvin is sort of this... Sun. Not of the whole world, but in mine. In every mood he has, it affects mine, drastically. His relaxation put me off, but I was helpless to not mirror it. 

He pursed his lips, smiling a little. "So... You're going to talk to me this time?" I visibly recoiled, feeling like my guts flipped themselves inside out. It hurt. 

He seemed to immediately backtrack. "No! I meant..." His eyes darted around, looking like he thinks he's lost a chance at something. He cleared his throat, clearly trying again for that dazzling smile. "I mean, what color do you want the poster?" 

I hesitantly replied, feeling like our balance was more fragile than it had been in a long time, but moreso on my part. "Black." 

Calvin's nose scrunched up. "Why? It's... Black." 

"That way," I say, feeling eager to prove myself- show that it wasn't a stupid, mindless decision. "We can accent with whites, reds, blues." 

Calvin's eyebrows shot up in surprise, like he was surprised that I thought at all.