Forever (Original)

Forever [15: Fight and Flight]

Forever: Fight and Flight

“So did you hear? Edward Little wants to give us a field trip.”

Maria glanced at Noah from her history paper. “Really? To where?”

Alex bounced up and down in his seat excitedly.

“To New York City!” he squealed.

Vincent shushed him.

“We’re in Study Hall, Alex, not recess,” Maria teased. Vincent snorted.

“Sorry,” said Alex.

“So, anyway,” said Noah, “the school wants us to have a combined trip with Dominic’s and Franklin’s. I think they want us to realize that we can have more friends than just the students at Edward Little.”

“Why do we need friends from Dominic’s?” said Vincent. “I heard that they’re just stuck-up rich kids.”

Maria frowned at him. “Maybe some of them are, but I know a few guys from Saint Dominic,” she told him. “None of them seem stuck up. Saint Dominic is also a Catholic school. They might have their own variations of public school cliques, but they have to have some morals. Plus, you met Nigel, and you liked him!”

Vincent gave her a completely bewildered look. “Nigel’s from Dominic’s?”

Maria nodded slowly. “Well, yeah. That would be the reason why his pants said ‘Saint Dominic’ down the sides.”

“Well, do you expect me to ever notice what people are wearing?”

“That’s odd,” Maria mused, “I could have sworn that when I made Jane put on a bikini as well, you smacked her on the butt and said, ‘You look sexy, keep it up.’”

Alex snickered as Vincent rolled his eyes.

“Okay, fine, have it your way,” he said. “Do you expect me to ever notice what other dudes are wearing?”

Maria threw an eraser at him as she turned back to her history paper.

“Hello,” said the unmistakable, male voice that ran a shudder down Maria’s spine that made the four of them look up.

Maria glanced around, and it finally dawned on her why they hadn’t gotten in trouble for speaking so loudly. The librarian wasn’t at her desk, and the teacher that had been watching over them was also gone. Where they had done to, there was no telling. All Maria knew was that she didn’t want to be in the same room as Sean.

“Mind if I join you?” Sean asked, glancing at Maria, who scooted closer to Noah, every few seconds.

“Sure,” said Vincent, unaware of the murderous glances Maria was shooting him. He pointed to the chair next to Maria. “Go ahead.”

Noah glanced at Maria, catching the unease in her face. Her upper left arm was pressed against his and her hand was shaking slightly. The color in her face had drained and was hinting green. Alex seemed to have noticed it too, as he stared at Maria for a moment, then Sean, and then back to Maria. Vincent seemed completely oblivious that his friend of several years was shaking almost violently and oddly silent.

“I’m Vincent,” he said, reaching his arm over the table to shake Sean’s hand. “You must be Sean. Girls seem to talk a lot about you.”

“Really?” Sean grinned at Vincent. “Was Maria one of them?”

Vincent looked at her. If he happened noticed her drastic reaction, he didn’t let it on, though Noah could have sworn his eyebrow moved up a fraction of an inch.

“I can’t say she is,” he said, his voice not changing. “She’s more concerned about her new boyfriend.”

Maria snapped out of her odd trance. “He isn’t my boyfriend,” she growled.

“Could’ve fooled me,” snickered Vincent.

Maria let a fairly horrifying snarl loose, and Noah shoved his notebook in front of her face. Scowling, she slammed it down on of the table.

“Come on, Maria,” Alex said cheerfully. “Help me find a book for science.” He hopped to his feet and skipped merrily to a shelf. Maria stood slowly and followed him; once again mutter foul things under her breath.

“We’re in the wrong section,” she said, glancing at the bookshelves on either side of them.

“And that makes you say that?”

“These are biographies,” said Maria.

Alex frowned and looked around as well. “Good point,” he said. “Well, I supposed we could study the science of how Abe Lincoln died.”

Sean watched as Alex skipped away, Maria sauntering after him.

“Is that who you meant by as her boyfriend?” he asked, though he already knew whom they had been talking about.

“Alex? Oh, gosh no.” Vincent pointed at Noah. “Alex is his boyfriend. We were talking about a friend from another school.”

Sean turned his head and looked at Noah, looking rather repulsed.

“You’re gay?” he asked.

“Well, yeah, otherwise I wouldn’t have a boyfriend,” Noah retorted.

“That’s disgusting.” Sean wrinkled his nose.

“Homophobe,” Noah said simply.

“Don’t talk to me, faggot.”

Vincent glared at Sean, utterly irritated.

“Don’t make fun of my friends,” he said.

Sean raised an eyebrow at him. Vincent beamed at something of to the side. Before Sean could turn, a cold fist collided with his jaw.

“Yeah, Sean, that’s a great idea,” said Maria, suddenly cheerful. “Don’t make fun of my friends.”

The blow had taken Sean by such surprise that he had accidentally bitten down on his own lip and was now dripping blood onto his chin. Dropping her fist to her side, she stared him down with a bored expression. Sean shoved his chair back and glared down at Maria (though her expression never changed).

“At first, I was going to help you,” he said. “I knew that I had to get you away from that… horrid beast. Nigel. But now, you’ve made an enemy.” He grabbed his things and stalked from the table.

Maria sat back down next to Noah.

“What on earth was that about?” said Vincent.

She shrugged. “No idea.”

© 2011 Sean Thornton

~x~

Kay, so there's that.

And, I've noticed that a lot people seem to enjoy the conversation in the first chapter. That absolutely made my day. That part was actually was actually based on my friend Laura's taco/bean/ranch thing (school tacos mixed with refried beans, lettuce, cheese, and ranch. It's actually quite dilicious). Everyone that saw it was just like "EW! THAT'S NASTY!" But Laura and I ate it, and it was actually yummy. People kept thinking that it would make us sick. People these days.. I mean, really? It was basically a taco with ranch dressing. Nothing wrong with that at all. 

ANYWAY. I also took that and added a conversation that probably could have happened between my friends and myself. 

Okay, so this chapter, instead of votes, I want you to answer a question: Who is your favorite person from the story so far and why? If four people answer, I'll answer the question myself and then post the next chapter sooner.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to get hairspray off my glasses.

-Sean<3