We're Getting There

Chapter 3

Liam dragged his feet into History class feeling like a zombie. Even after accidentally falling asleep during form time, he was still exhausted.

He'd been up all night thinking about his mum, then Jaxon and that time in the toilets. Somehow he'd ended up wondering how ducks mated. Then he'd gone on his phone to google how to fall asleep and wound up watching a video about mating ducks. By then it was 4 am and Liam was scared he'd fall asleep and have a nightmare about ducks doing something he wished he'd never seen them do.

Thankfully, his brain decided to slow down and he quickly fell into a dreamless sleep after that. He'd woken up 4 hours later, running late for school for the second time in a row.

"Alright, everyone," the teacher clapped his hands to gain the class' attention. "Welcome back!"

The class murmured in reply as everyone sat down.

"So this term we're going to be learning about 'villainous' people in history. You will all be doing a project in groups-"

Everyone suddenly sat up, looking around at their friends and deciding their groups. Liam and Sammy eyed each other from across the table.

"Settle down, year 10! I will be choosing the groups."

The class groaned as he listed the groups.

"And, finally... Lexi, Jenna, Alex, Jaxon, Sammy and Liam. Everyone get into your groups please."

Liam froze, wondering if he's heard that correctly. In a group, with Jaxon? And he'd never heard of an Alex before. "Am I dreaming?" he mumbled sleepily.

Sammy chuckled and pulled Liam out of his seat, dragging him to where the rest of their group was sitting.

Liam looked around at them. There were two girls he'd seen around school before; Jenna, whose mass of kinky, black hair was pulled back so tightly in a ponytail it looked like it was giving her a headache, and Lexi, who he was actually pretty good friends with. There was one new guy he'd never seen before who he assumed was Alex.

When his tired eyes reached Jaxon, he found himself unable to look away. He was just so nice to look at. Luckily, Jaxon was too occupied with Alex to notice. Liam could tell that something was going on between them, Alex was smirking at Jaxon and the redhead was glaring back at him.

Once Sammy and Liam sat down, Jenna got straight to the task at hand.

"So who should we do our project on?" Jenna asked the group pushing her glasses up her nose. She sighed when she received no answer. "Jaxon, what do you think?"

He shrugged.

"Maybe Hitler?" Lexi spoke up. This time Jaxon rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, 'cause that's so original!" he said sarcastically.

"Well, I don't see you coming up with any ideas!" Lexi said defensively.

Jaxon shrugged again and glanced at Liam, who had been staring at him for a while. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." He smiled slightly.

Liam blushed. "I wasn't staring!"

 "You definitely were." Sammy snickered.

Alex watched Liam carefully before turning to Jaxon and leaning back in his chair.

"Jax, babe, didn't I tell you everyone would love you?"

Liam frowned. Babe? Jaxon was taken? "You know each other?" he wondered out loud.

"Yeah, we live together," Alex informed him with a twinkle in his eye.

"What?!" Lexi squeaked.

"Live together? But you're only fourteen!" Jenna pointed out.