Sometimes We Fall In Love

Chapter Two

When I told my parents somebody was coming over, their jaws dropped. Actually that's an understatement. Their jaws fell right off and bounced on the floor. I didn't even give them any details. I just said 'someone'. They didn't even know it was a guy. Or Nick.

Even all the parents know who Nick is. He's always present at Open Evenings and any other event our school hosts. Of course he is. He's the head boy for goodness sakes. His talents were constantly exploited because not only was he good at soccer, he was also the schools top mathematician, scientist and language student. Which is why it surprised me so much that he asked for my help tutoring him.

I'd gotten home and made a quick snack which consisted of Nutella, three French Fancies by Mr Kipling and a slice of pizza, and changed out of my uniform. I'd stood at my closet and debated for a good half hour about whether or not I was going to try and impress Nick or not. After all the debacle and my dad standing at the doorway looking at me strangely, I'd decided that I was going to dress for comfort. I picked out my Topshop dark blue jeans with faded knees and then my oversized graphic tee that said "messy hair, don't care".

I decided that I was going to do all my homework before Nick showed up to my house, so I threw my hair up into a messy bun on the top of my head. I pulled out my Chemistry book and started on the homework questions we'd been set on empirical and molecular formulas.

A compound contains 28.6% magnesium, 14% carbon and 57.1% oxygen. Calculate it's empirical formula.

Empirical formulas were actually rather easy. I divided the percentage by the relative atomic mass for each element and then divided the values by the smallest value to get an empirical formula of MgCO3. Magnesium carbonate.

I finished the rest of the questions with ease and completed the extension questions and then went downstairs to get a drink. I checked the time on my phone. 5:51PM. I had nine minutes until Nick would get here. I settled down in the living room to watch some Friends. It was the episode where Monica invited Richard's son to thanksgiving and Joey made Chandler lie in a box for kissing his girlfriend.

About 4 minutes into the episode I heard the doorbell go. I trudged over and opened the door. Nick was stood there leaning against the door frame and he smirked at me as he looked me up and down.

"I see you dressed up for the occasion." He teased.

"Oh shut up. I'm tutoring you, not seducing you." I bit back snarkily as I closed the door behind him.

"Is it wrong that I'm slightly disappointed?" He had a playful look pinned to his face.

"Yes. I don't think I'm comfortable with the teacher-student fantasy you've developed from watching too much porn." I chucked a cushion at him before slouching in the corner of the sofa.

"Touché." He looked impressed as he caught the cushion and sat down next to me. "Okay, you'll be pleased to know that I read the first two chapters just for you."

"Oh I'm such a lucky girl!" I started pretending to fan myself and he started chuckling. "I mean you read two whole chapters for me, I feel honoured."

"You should." I giggled and he just watched my face.

"So in the first chapter, we get an introduction to the island and all the boys. And there's something very significant that happens when the boys all meet each other. Do you know what that is?" I wasn't going to hand all the answers to him. The brain inside that pretty head of his had to be put to use a little.

"Umm...I feel like this is you sussing out whether or not I'm a complete idiot or not. Uh, I don't know, does it have something to do with the fat one?"

"One, you would be correct, and you kinda failed, I now think you're a complete idiot." He faked a hurt look and put one hand over his heart "And two, 'the fat one' is called Piggy and yes it does kinda have something to do with Piggy. What does he do that's significant that everybody else is overlooking?" I was putting him to the test.

"Is it when he's asking them all for names? Everyone else is talking over him but he's trying to find out who everyone is."

"Correct!" I high-fived him because I wasn't expecting him to get it right. "What is so significant about it?"

"Dammit! I thought I just had to say what was significant, not actually explain it."

"Dude have you even been going to our English Lit classes? You have to explain why somethings significant and how it's been used and analyse it and go so deep you actually get lost amongst metaphors."

"How did you make that sound almost poetic?" I giggled and he studied my face again.

"What?" I raised my eyebrow at him, curiously.

"You look so cute when you laugh. I've just been trying to workout why I don't know you or ever see you around school?" I could tell from his eyes he was actually trying to find an answer in his brain. I blushed slightly at his compliment and felt myself smiling.

"You don't know me because I have no friends, I sit at the back of every lesson and I eat my lunch in the library. And you. You're Nick Porter. You roam the halls with a huge group of people. You're the head boy, the star soccer player and you are basically the school celebrity. That's why you don't know me." The words stung a little as they came out, but only because there was so much truth behind them.

"Wait you eat your lunch in the library? I though there was a no food policy in there?" Why is that all he's commenting on? I just opened up to him and he's commenting on the fact I have permission to break a stupid rule?

"Yeah well, Mrs Jefferson has a soft spot for me because I help her out every lunchtime. Oh and she's extra strict on that rule with you because she doesn't like you."

"What do you mean she doesn't like me? Everyone likes me."

"Ah, you see that's what you think. All the students like you but a lot of the teachers don't. According to Mrs Jefferson anyway."

"Wait has she told you why she doesn't like me?" He really didn't like finding out that someone didn't like him.

"Yeah, she said it's because you never respect the rule about being quiet in the library and you always put books back in the wrong place. It drives her crazy. But you're not the only one. And to be fair to her you and your friends are rather loud. But she's the librarian. I don't think it really matters that she doesn't like you."

"What about you?" He studied my face again for what seemed like the millionth time that evening.

"Huh?"

"Do you like me?"