The Hopeful, The Hardheaded and the Homework

Chapter Nine: Feelings and Fisticuffs : Enoch

It was unfamiliar and strange, though not thoroughly unpleasant, how much Olive Elephanta drew him in and every time she persisted and sought him out instead of rolling her eyes and leaving him well alone, she interested Enoch more against his will.

How one person could be so damn nice and genuinely good was beyond him. For all intents and purposes he barely knew her at all. He never asked about her, how she was or anything yet she seemed to know him better already than anyone else. Including his parents.

Did Enoch consider her a friend? Yes. Yes, he did. He supposed he had to and dash it all she was right, if he could trust anyone there was a warm, genuine vibe about Olive that meant he could trust her. He did.
The idea of some other person swooping in there and taking her attentions away from him, friendly or otherwise, infuriated Enoch more than he cared to ever admit. Hugh would never, ever let it go how jealous he was and despite the athlete's quite frankly sickening fawning over Fiona, the fact that Enoch might possibly, just the tiniest bit, fancy a girl was apparently much more worth noting.

It was nothing more than a physical little crush, that was all, Enoch told himself. Olive was very pretty and very nice and who wouldn't have been drawn to such a vibrant person? So long as no one else was equally drawn to her. Damn it all.

Enoch groaned and ran a hand through his dark, curly hair as he partially hid from the world inside his locker.
It was Friday, and for a few full days he'd successfully managed to go back to his normal, grouchy, self around Olive. For the most part. He sat at their table, as far in the corner as he could at lunch and shot dark glares at Jacob who usually sat beside Emma now. He spoke in quiet tones to Olive in Biology and had, today, tried hard not to smirk in pride at her expression when he'd dissected their frog with a deftness and skill that came from frequent exposure to death and close contact with corpses. She had been impressed and a tiny bubble of pride had swelled in the centre of his chest.

The boy sighed and pulled his bag over his shoulder as he went to swing his locker closed, and promptly stumbled right into the bank of lockers.

"Whoops, didn't see ya there, freak..."

Enoch's eyes narrowed and he shot a glare over his shoulder at the boys who much to his distaste had not just shoved their way past and moved on.

Jack Bentham came from an extremely wealthy family which had only served to make him uppity and cruel even by Enoch's standards. He had scruffy blonde hair, a thin face and a hooked nose that gave him a thoroughly unpleasant and slightly bird like appearance when coupled with the sneer he always wore.

Enoch scowled and reached down to pick up his bag that had fallen from his shoulder in the impact and tried to march right past, ignoring the other boy rather than encouraging it. It didn't work and the moment he tried to shoulder his way past, Jack stuck out a foot which would have toppled Enoch over had he not caught himself at the last moment.

"Bit clumsy aren't ya? Could 'ave twisted my ankle...I think you should apologise for that, O'Connor..."

"Twisted your ankle?" Enoch growled and turned around to face him directly. He was anything but intimidated by Jack Bentham, who was a full two inches shorter than he was, or really anyone, and he was damn well going to show him as much.

"That's what I said, innit? Apologise..."

"I'll be dead 'fore that 'appens." Enoch snipped and was about to turn around again before, against everything he was trying not to let get to him, Jack said the one thing that did.

"Well you'd know all about that wouldn't you, Mr 'I see dead people'. Go play with a dead thing, freak."

Enoch was vaguely aware of the lull in conversation and bustle around them and the growing crowd of curious students as he turned on his heel and stalked back to glare down at Jack who looked slightly taken aback for a moment before his cocky smirk reappeared.
"An' a corpse wiv 'alf 'is 'ead disfigured and only three limbs is still vastly betta company than you. Nick off." Enoch narrowed his eyes and turned on his heel again to stalk off.