Mission Impossible

Chapter 22~ The First Night

CLARA'S POV

  After gym class, my school day was officially over. I had no idea what to do next, and no one was offering help, not even Dani who I had not been able to find since the beginning of gym class. I set the clothes outside of her locker, hoping she would get to them before someone else did. I walked outside of the locker room, surprised to find Tanner leaning up against a wall, waiting for me.

  "There's Katniss," he said, pushing himself off the wall and walking towards me.

  "And who are you? Peeta or Gale?" I questioned. Tanner looked up and put his finger to his chin, as if he were thinking about it.

  "Which one ends up with Katniss again?" he checked before he answered and I stifled a laugh.

  "You're rather forward," I remarked. Tanner shrugged.

  "Mr. Cormack always tells us its better to be upfront about what you want instead of dancing around it," he told me. I raised an eyebrow.

  "And does your gym teacher often give you life advice?" I joked.

  "Our gym teacher. You're officially a student here now," he said, motioning around himself. I noted how he brushed off my question about Mr. Cormack, but didn't mention it.

  "Yes, a student who is officially done with school for the day," I reminded him. Tanner laughed and put his hand on my shoulder guiding me down the hallway.

  "I'm guessing you want to go to your room now, huh?" he checked, leading us outside the school by a side door. "What room are you in?"

  "C42," I blurted, remembering it from when I briefly scanned over the paper hours ago. Tanner raised his eyebrow. "I checked right before I came out of the locker room. I wasn't expecting you to be waiting for me," I explained. Tanner started walking again, leading me towards the girls dorms.

  "Of course. Wouldn't want you getting lost before our date now would we?" he flirted with me.

  "About that...," I began, and I saw a moment of panic flash through his eyes, as if I was going to cancel. "Are you planning on taking me to the library or the school cafeteria?" Tanner laughed as we entered a building.

  "We can leave campus, you know? It's a school not a prison," he joked and I laughed, realizing this was a normal school, not a spy school. As far as I knew...

  "You sure know your way around the girl's dorm," I remarked as I noticed Tanner navigating his way through the dorm easily.

  "It's a lot like the boy's dorm," he replied, avoiding eye contact and continuing to go up stairs. He just lied to me. 

  After going up three flights of stairs, Tanner exited the stairwell and walked along the hallway, not even checking the numbers before he stopped far down the hallway. "Here you are," he smiled at me. I was about to say thank you when the door opened, revealing none other than Melissa. I turned and gave Tanner a knowing look, understanding that she's the reason he knew his way to this exact room. And still he gave no warning as to who I would be rooming with.

  "When Mr. Cormack told me I'd be rooming with the new student I half hoped it was Charles," she sneered, turning away from the door and walking inside the small room, letting Tanner and I follow in after her.

  "Your gym teacher decides who rooms with each other?" I suspiciously questioned. Melissa looked flustered for a second before recovering.

  "He was the one who passed the message along," she told me, before glancing quickly at Tanner. I remembered how Tanner had spoken of Mr. Cormack before, as if he had a somewhat personal relationship with him as well.