To Love Or Not To Love

Chapter 4

Brook’s POV

“So, students, combine the two substances together, and record your results. You’ve done this plenty of times before- just follow the instructions, and if you need help, I’ll be here.”

I looked at Tyler, irritated with the fact that he was completely ignoring what she was saying. Obviously, texting the next girl he was going to sleep with was much more important than this assignment.

Whatever.

I can do it by myself.

Reaching for the test tube, I bent down to pour it into the beaker.

“You do realise that is the wrong test tube right?”

Annoyed, I glanced up him, “What?” I snapped.

He nodded at the booklet next to me, “If you had read, it says right there- you’re about to pour in the wrong thing.”

It took all I had not to slam the glass in my hand on the table. Being this angry was so unlike me, “Why don’t you do it then?” I said, thrusting the tube in his face.

And he did. The whole damn thing.

Without even looking at the instructions.

His smugness at the end of the lesson had me fuming. Science as a whole was just his subject. It always was. I remembered loving to be his partner because all this subject did was confuse me.

I shook my head- that was then and this is now.

I grabbed my books and left for PE.

The run Coach made us to for warm up was good. It relaxed me and I silently thanked all that time I spent in the gym- without it, I wouldn’t have even gotten half way through the track.

I spent my free period in the library, reading ahead of what we were doing in Lab, just so I wouldn’t be caught doing the wrong thing again. I worked hard to make sure that I wouldn’t just be living off my parents’ money.

I headed back to my locker to grab something to eat, taking my textbook and phone with me out to a bench. I was about half way through my apple, leaving it in my mouth so I could open my highlighter, ‘The method of-‘

“That’s one lucky apple.”

I nearly choked, but I couldn’t because there was an apple stuck in my mouth. I had to collect myself, and dislodge the apple, before looking up at the person who had interrupted me, with all the dignity I could muster.

I could see the smile playing around on Evan’s lips, his eyes shining with amusement, “Excuse me?”

“You heard what I said.”

I had. But I decided to ignore it. “So… Was there anything you needed from me?” I asked, genuinely surprised at the fact that he was sitting with me, let alone talking to me.

He shrugged, “I just wanted to give you my number.”

With that, he placed a folded note on the table, got up, and left, leaving me blinking after him.

I was brought back from my surprise by the bodies moving to their next class, hurrying, I slipped Evan’s note into my book.

Tyler’s POV

“So you just gave it to her? Like that?” I asked, disbelieving.

“Yeah man- just went up to her and gave her it.” Evan said, looking pretty proud of himself.

I couldn’t help but grin. “You know she’s not going to call you back right?”

That stopped him short, “Why not?” he asked, looking genuinely confused.

“It’s Brook- she’s not like that.”

He raised his eyebrows, “You sure seem to know a lot about her, Ty. What? Got some history with that hot ass?”

I wanted to snap at him, and tell him to never talk about her like that, but I held my tongue. Thinking quickly and brushing it off, “Nah, she’s my lab partner, that’s all.”

He nodded, but then his eyes caught on the very girl we were talking about. She had her lunch in her hand, and was laughing at something- it must’ve been pretty damn funny, because they were in hysterics. Meg wasn’t laughing quite as hard, which made me think that the joke was at her expense.

I felt myself being dragged over to them. Evan had me by the arm, taking me to them. The stopped when they saw us in their path. I could see that Brook was trying to calm her red face, and even after her laughter had died out, I could see her trying to supress it.

“So, I realised that you didn’t exactly pay us for last night.”

The way he said it made you think that it was much more than just an hour on a board.  Brook looked beyond confused, but Mel laughed, “Hand over your phone, I’ll key in our numbers.”

Evan was more than eager to whip out his phone, and after Melanie put her number in, she passed it to Megan, who did the same. When it came to Brook, she looked really unsure, glancing at the phone and then at Evan, “I forgot my number?” she said it like a question.

I knew it was a lie, because she had given me her number just a couple days ago.

Mel was quick to take the phone off her, “That’s all right, I remember it just fine.”

Brook didn’t look too pleased with the exchange, but let it go either way.

A group of girls called them over, and they left. Evan turned to me with a huge grin on his face, waving his phone, “I think I just scored a date.”

I couldn’t help laughing, “Man- you have to ask her first, you know.”

He shrugged, “Why would she say no?”