Nick and Charlie

Chapter 5

"How come I'm sick on the weekends?" I say as I walk into History, sitting into my seat next to Hannah and Grace.

"Oh, I hate it when that happens," Hannah says. I look over at Grace, who seems distracted.

"Grace?" I ask, but she doesn't seem to hear me.

"Gracie?" I ask again, a bit louder, nudging her a little. She tears her eyes from the back of the classroom.

"What? Sorry," she says, flustered, turning red. I look to where her gaze was, and notice Brandon, one of the smartest computer wizzes in our year, sitting, playing with his computer. I look to see Grace looking at him as well.

"So I hear Brandon is really smart," I say, and Grace whips her head around at the sound of his name.

"He once took apart a computer in 2 minutes, like it was a rubix cube. People think he's in the CIA, though I think he'd be better doing something like detective work because he's really good at that kind of stuff, he's a bit like Matthew Gray Gubler in Criminal Minds-" she says, and when she notices the look Hannah and I are giving her, she stops.

"Not that I know that stuff or anything," Grace says, turning even redder and looking down at her History book. I raise an eyebrow at Hannah, who tries not to giggle.

Grace is a serious tech kid. She does I.T. services, and is probably second best at computer-based stuff.

"Grace?" I ask again, and she looks at me, smiling sheepishly.

"Alright class, who can tell me 10 facts about King Henry the eighth?" Dad says, walking in the classroom and putting his briefcase on his desk. Did I mention he also taught me for history?

The class starts shooting off facts about King Henry, but I'm not really focused.

Grace and Brandon? Damn.

"Charlie?"

"I'm sorry, what?" I ask, the class quiet.

"I asked you how many wives King Henry had?"

"The eighth?" I hear giggles throughout the class.

"That is what I asked," shoot, I knew this one. What was it, what was it?

"Five?"

"Close. Six," damn, I knew that one.

"Damn that guy was a player!" Patrick says, high-fiving Des without either of them looking.

"I want you all to research and try to find the most interesting fact about King Henry VIII. Whoever has the coolest fact will be awarded," dad says, and everyone immediately opens their laptops.

"Oh, here's the catch; no laptops. We are all going for a trip to the library," Dad says, and the class looks at him in disbelief.

"Charlotte, couldn't you have at least warned us about this?" Patrick says, and I roll my eyes.

"Come on kids, let's go!" dad says, trying to get everyone to catch his positivity. It doesn't work.

For the next 45 minutes we look through all the books on King Henry VIII to look for fun facts.

"Mr. Johnson, there are no facts in here that are interesting," Ruby Wilde complains, putting another book back on the shelf.

"OH! He ruled for 24 years!" Patrick calls out, and Ruby face palms.

"Patrick, I am worried that you don't know that. I think I've told the class that specific fact at least 20 times," dad says, and Des laughs.

"Dude, don't laugh!" Patrick scowls at Des, who pretends to wipe a tear from his eye.