The Chemistry Test

5. secrets and cowards

Day Three

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up late again." Mr. Nipps's cold stare greeted Zak and I the second we opened the door to the English classroom.

"Mr. Nipps I am so s-"

"Stupid."

My eyes locked onto Damon, whose lips were curled into a sinister scowl.

The teacher's attention immediately left Zak and I and focused toward the freakishly giant teenager in the back row.

"You want an extra eight hours here on Saturday? I didn't think so." Nipps barked.

"As for you, Ms. Scott, I'm not sure how to punish you.  I gave you detention for your tardiness, and here you are showing up to your punishment for the same reason." Nipps paced a few slow steps toward Zak and I, who had no choice but to stand awkwardly in the doorway as the teacher sauntered across the classroom in our direction. He adjusted the rectangular glasses perched just below the bridge of his nose and eyed the two of us with a strong sense of cynicism and anger.

"This is your cue to leave." I whispered over my shoulder to Zak.

"It's my fault you're here." His breath was hot as it slid against my ear and down my neck.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Nipps licked his front teeth.

"It wasn't her fault."

I flinched at Zak's response.  In my peripheral, Mark crossed his arms over his chest and drank in the scene, eyes unwavering from Zak.

"Zoe was only late cause a' me. She gave me a ride t'school this morning and she was with me after school, too. If anything, I should be the one getting detention."

"Is that so?" He looked between us. I gulped the lump in my throat and managed to nod. With a roll of the eyes, Mr. Nipps sighed, "Very well. Hand over your cellular devices and sit."

Zak and I gave him our phones after exchanging a glance and examined the rows of seats. I made my way over to my usual seat in English on Mark's right. Sliding into the desk, I looked over my shoulder to wave Zak toward the empty seat next to me. He gave me a brief nod before approaching us and sitting down on my right.

The classroom filled with a heavy, thick silence that soon turned tense and awkward.  On my left sat Mark, who was in the midst of scribbling something quietly on his notebook. On my right sat Zak, whose jaw remained clenched and eyes locked on his desk, and then there I was in the middle, an anchovy shoved in the middle of a sticky, greasy cheeseburger.

The motion of Mark passing a note across my desk caught my eye.  I glanced from the note up to Nipps, who had become transfixed on the novel in his hands, and back again to the small piece of paper. Discreetly dragging it off the corner of my desk, I fiddled and fussed to unfold the paper. Finally, I exposed the writing to read: you're giving him rides to school now?  p.s. im gonna sucker punch damon

I looked up at Mark in exasperation and grabbed the pen off of his desk. I wrote: I'll tell you about it later. And don't sucker punch Damon.

As soon as I finished writing, Mark snatched the note and pen from me. He scribbled and slipped it over: why not

I turned both of my palms upward and looked at him like: Why do you think?

He widened his eyes: I want to strangle him!

I sighed, glancing over at Zak.

"I didn't mean to get you into this."  I hissed.