The Arabella Conundrum

Part Eighteen- The Flower Deterioration

"Have you suddenly developed onset Tourette syndrome? I can always go get a nurse to diagnose you?"

"German."

I didn't say anything in response, just sat there and stared ahead. I wasn't going to justify his constant repetition with a response. The silence ensuing the room didn't last long.

"German, German, German German, German, German, Ger.."

"Dutch!" I interrupted him, finally giving in to the annoying idiot. "It's bloody Dutch!"

"Aha!" he said with a cheeky smile and a twinkle in his eye. "I knew I would get you to tell me!" he boasted proudly.

"Only because you would not stop saying German! I'm gonna hear that annoying American voice of yours saying German, German, German in my sleep now!" I attempted his accent whilst I said German.

"Excuse me? Annoying American accent? I'll excuse that insult for a moment but was that seriously your attempt at impersonating me?" He quizzed.

"Yup!"

"So I sound like Homer Simpson who has the flu?"

"Pretty much yeah," I nodded. "You said it not me!" I quickly added when he looked at me in annoyance.

"Yeah well.." He had a thoughtful expression on his face. "You.. You sound like.. the Queen who got drunk and..." He paused.

"And what?" I enquired.

He looked down for a moment and then sighed. "Oh I don't know. I was trying to be clever."

"How'd that go for you?"

"Not great," he replied sarcastically.

"Thought not."

He stuck his tongue out at me and whilst he was distracted I attempted to pull the book back but once more he held firmly onto it. I looked up in annoyance and got caught in his gaze. He was staring directly into my eyes and it felt odd. Really odd. I looked away almost immediately.

"So.." He started. "You do realise I now know two more things about you. Firstly you speak German and secondly you speak Dutch."

"You only obtained that evidence through methods of torture." I wasn't too pleased that he had learnt those facts about me out, but in the grand scheme of things they weren't big details either.

He smirked. "Not that kind of torture, you pig!" I scolded him.

"Well the only way I can learn more about you is by annoying the shite out of you."

"Yeah, but that's not fair!" I complained.

"Sorry sweetie, but it's not my fault you don't have a high tolerance to my annoyingness."

"I'm beginning to feel like I need to develop a very high tolerance if I'm going to spend any length of time with you."

"Awhh, look at you planning the future of our friendship!"

"It's more like contingency plans since I'm being forced to tutor you and I don't want to end up being charged with attempted murder."

"Just admit it Bells, you like spending time with me."

"No." I shook my head, laughing lightly.

"Yeah you do."

"Houd je bek."

"Did you just swear at me in German?"

"No, of course not." I said innocently, because I actually hadn't swore. Well I don't count "shut up" as an obscenity.