The Distance Between Us

Chapter 3: Plotting and Planning

Chapter 3: Plotting and Planning

The Monday after my brother's stupid sleepover, I was practically dozing off in the car on the way to school. Not only was I annoyed (the boys finished off my favorite cereal while I was sleeping on Saturday and no one thought to buy anymore), but I was exhausted. I had forgotten about my laundry until late Sunday night so I was up until one in the morning doing it, only to wake up three hours later to get ready for school. I guess you can say that this weekend sucked...big time.

"Are you okay?" my brother asked as the car jerked to a stop.

"No, I'm tired and hungry," I replied snappily.

"Go to sleep, I'll wake you up when we get to school," my brother instructed and he didn't have to tell me twice. So about an hour later, I was awoken with a shake of my shoulder. I got out of the car with a frown as I rubbed my eyes, grateful I didn't have time to put on makeup this morning or else it'd be wrecked. I followed my brother toward the school, only stopping when I saw his friends gathered around Holden's car. An opened box of donuts was sitting on the hood of the car and I felt my stomach growl in hunger. I grabbed a chocolate frosted donut and raised it to my mouth.

"I bought those," Axel informed me and I looked at him carelessly before biting down, sighing as I chewed it. "That'll be a dollar."

"I guess we're even since you decided to eat all of my cereal," I replied as I basically inhaled another bite of the sweet treat.

"Did I?" he asked. He knows he did because it's his favorite cereal, too! I glared at him, earning a satisfied smirk in response. Turning with a grumpy look on my face, I walked towards the school, intent on going to my locker before finding my friends. I accomplished one of the two tasks. I found my friends before I even reached the hall where my locker remained. The bell rang and I was already so close to my first period class that I didn't want to risk being late. I stepped into Chemistry without my textbook or my notebook. Two seconds after I entered, Mr. Porter's loud voice made it clear that this will be our first official class and we'll be needing both of those things. I guess we're finished covering the syllabus and rules of the lab.

The seating chart was still displayed on the board and I sighed in discontent when I remembered that I sat alone. Now I won't be able to share a book with someone. Axel walked into the classroom and approached Mr. Porter, probably to get his textbook seeing as he wasn't here the day they were handed out. Taking note of the seating chart, he pointed at it and shook his head, quietly conversing with the teacher. A few seconds later, he glanced in my direction and nodded with a wry smile on his face.

Rather than walking past me to the back, Axel yanked out the seat beside me and sat down. He placed his textbook on the desk alongside his phone and I looked at him with raised eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

"I can't see from back there," he responded. "So I'm sitting up here."

"Where are your glasses?" I asked him.

"At my aunt's house," he retorted. And what are they doing there?

"And your contacts?" I inquired.

"Again, at my aunt's house," he replied. What are those doing there too?

Before I could reply, Mr. Porter stood in front of the class and began to talk. "Take out your textbooks and start reading the Intro to Chemistry. Also, take out your notebooks and prepare to take notes." I swore quietly under my breath, watching as Axel opened his textbook to the page titled Intro to Chemistry. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his notebook.

Glancing at me briefly, Axel smirked. "Where's your textbook?"

"In my locker," I muttered.

"And your notebook?" he questioned.