Lionheart

Chapter 17

     "If you really, really don't believe Seth has a colossal crush on you, just fuckin' ask the guy. Be a man!"

Nick scoffs and rolls his eyes, earning himself a surprised jolt from his lab partner. He looks back at the gaping brunette coolly, but says nothing and returns to jotting down the answer to... something about crystallization, which was the very same question he's been staring at for the past—Nick checks his wristwatch—three minutes. Now finally awake, he shakes Mallory's voice out of his head and finishes the damn sheet.

Once he's finished, he stands, gingerly carrying the stool back so as not to make any sudden noises. He then proceeds walking down the aisle between ugly, blue tables to submit his work where his teacher sits, grading tests. Nick numbly stretches an arm out for Mrs. Kleine to accept the paper, but when she doesn't, he looks up.

The middle-aged teacher stares right back at him in bewilderment. Her heavy, artificial eyelashes flutter as she gives her student a probing stare with her large eyes. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Saunders?"

Nick takes a long, long look at Mrs. Kleine's face... and kind of sees Mallory's face from the very back of his mind. Damn brat.

The woman snaps her manicured fingers in front of Nick's face. The sound effectively pulls him out of his stupor. When he comes to, it's to Mrs. Kleine watching him over the rim of her round eyeglasses, trimmed eyebrow lifted and stiff. Her lips are pursed expectantly, but all Nick can do is lean down and ask, "I'm sorry?"

Mrs. Kleine's lips twitch into a bemused smile. Thankfully, she stops eyeing Nick in favor of slipping his paper into her black binder. "This is very unlike you, Nicholas. You must have something worrisome on your mind to look angrier than you normally do. Maybe I should send you out so you can get some rest?"

Yes, it is very unlike Nick to be standing in front of his Chemistry teacher looking like an idiot—much less talk to her about anything that doesn't involve his academics. But Mrs. Kleine is right; she may not know just how uncharacteristic the way Nick has been acting ever since lunch ended, but Nick needs to get a grip. There is absolutely no way in the nine circles of hell he'll let Mallory's words, of all things, have him, of all people, fumbling.

"No, Mrs. Kleine." Nick forces out a polite smile. "But I appreciate the thought."

She waves him away. "Stop being so formal; I'm not that old. Now go socialize or something—whatever it is you Saunders do."

It's just Nick's luck that it rains fucking chickens before the school bell rings. Everyone in the class still cuts the teacher's lecture off by standing and chatting, but not everybody rushes to the doors like they usually do. Nick himself takes his sweet time fuming as he shoves his books in his bag, and almost regrets it when Seth bounds over to the blonde's seat. The raindrops beat against the window panes behind him, and when the clap of thunder startles his senses, it almost feels as though the universe is shitting on him again.

"So, Nick, are you going somewhere this lovely afternoon?" The sardonic grin in Seth's sardonic voice is painfully obvious. Apparently, even Seth Hammonds can't always put up a sunny disposition. If Nick didn't know better, he would have thought Seth was very, very happy to know that Nick is unable to leave in such dismal weather conditions. Actually, now that he thinks about it, perhaps it's worth rejoicing over the fact that he chose to leave his bike back home today. Then again, if he were in a better state of mind, he wouldn't even mind the onslaught of rain. He could use the extra hours for studying.