The Role Switch | ✓

10. negative tension

BORING, BORING, BORING.

Stephen chanted in his mind as he heard the professor speaking about the scope of chemistry in the future, and how students should take the subject as a challenge rather than a problem.

His mind, it was somewhere else. He had won the skateboarding challenge, not a surprise, but, instead of taking it negatively, the guys had invited Stephen in their cocoon, which consisted of parties, gossip, and football. Apparently, they wanted to see if he was as cocky as he seemed. Stephen snorted at the thought.

A sharp jab on his arm snapped him out of his bored state. A sardonic expression on his face, he turned around in time to see Piper, who sat beside him, slipping a note under his book. With a hand tucked under her chin, he felt her hand clasping his under the desk, hidden from the view.

Just as Stephen took out the note to read, the professor, Ms. Maria, took a sheet of paper in her hand. "I am changing the sitting arrangement."

This statement was met with groans of disapproval.

"This is ridiculous," Piper added under her breath.

Stephen ran a hand over his face, missing his specs when he found none. As desperate as it sounded, he wanted to sit beside Piper, especially when every other girl was eyeing him curiously or flirting with him. And, rather than being annoyed, Piper was enjoying this bad boy show too much.

"Stephen, and Alisha." Ms. Maria pointed a finger on Stephen. "Go and sit right now."

"But, I don't-"

"And, after the class, come and get a detention slip, Stephen Hayes."

The class laughed, and when he distinctly heard Piper's giggle, he shot her a glare. He bent to take his backpack when he heard Piper's voice, audible only to him. "Arguing with teachers is also a trait of bad boys,"

He grunted, shaking his head, unable to hide his disdain. Out of all the people, he had to sit beside Alisha. The girl who hated him and the feeling was rather becoming mutual after what Piper told him.

"This sucks," Alisha muttered, and Stephen bit back a retort. Ignoring her, he tapped his pen on the desk as he stared at Piper- the traitor who was having a lovely time watching him sit beside Alisha.

Alisha clasped the pen from his hand. "Don't do that."

He glared at her, his mouth set in a hard line. "What the hell is your problem?"

"The sound irritates me."

Stephen wasn't annoying by nature, per se but, the sitting arrangement didn't sit down well with him. As weird as it might sound, Piper was his comfort zone. Always with him since the first time they had met. She had been annoying at first, trailing around him every where, but now, he couldn't imagine a day without her. Such was the state that their whole neighborhood knew about them.

Piper and Stephen. Oh, those kids. They have been together for so long. Said the people.

Then they were some cynical ones who probably had bets going around in their minds about when they would break up.

Stupid dare. He thought and shook his head.

Taking the pen out of Alisha's firm grasp, he leaned back, and tapped the pen against the desk, to irritate her.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Unfortunately, the bell rang, calling for the closure of the lecture. Alisha purposely hit his shoulder with her elbow, feigning innocence when Stephen pinned her a glare.

"Oh, I was just putting my backpack." She shrugged. "And, enjoy your detention."

***

"What if someone comes here?" Stephen asked in a panicked tone as Piper's trailed her hand along the front of his jacket.

"I will say the bad boy was having his way with me." Piper put her hands around his neck. "Do you know how girls talk about you?"

Stephen dropped his face onto her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her citrus shampoo. "Not interested. Don't tell me."

They were in janitor's closet, having a moment to themselves. Immediately after the class, Piper had messaged him- and, here he was. It didn't surprise him, but that didn't mean Stephen would stop fussing about how they were about to get caught. Being embarrassed was not his trait.

"Alisha doesn't like you much," Piper said with a laugh. "She thinks you are a mean guy."

"She is judgemental," Stephen said, wryly.

"When I tried to defend you, she told me to stay away from you." She ran her hand slowly through his hair. "I miss your black hair."

Stephen's lips curled up in a smile at her sudden change in the subject-a habit of Piper's. His lips touched the pulse point on her neck. "Should have thought that when you forced me to dye platinum."

She let out a soft sigh, pressing her lips to his chin. "It's fun, your role switch. You even got your first detention slip."

"My mom still thinks I am going through a rebellious phase and Kian keeps calling me Casper the Ghost."

Piper laughed, her voice as lovely as ever, smooth and sweet. "I like Casper The Ghost. There haven't been any serious drama yet because of your whole bad boy thing." She held his face in both of her hands, her eyes, a mixture of black and brown staring at him. "So, it's all good."

"Right.." Stephen trailed off. "Let's see how this role switch keeps up."

***

Ed Sheeran's new album is lit. Did I say lit? Yes, I did.

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