The Devil In Disguise

CHAPTER 32: Contemplation

With careless confidence, I walked back into Biology. Everyone was talking and making notes about the dissection... and then I entered.

A silence swept over the classroom as twenty-something pairs of eyes stared at me and my sudden change of hair.

Sauntering in, I scowled and sarcastically said, "What? See something interesting?"

After a few moments of shocked disquiet, a silky voice said from the back,

"Actually, I do."

I could hear the smirk in his voice, so I turned to meet his gaze. There were a few wolf whistles, and some of the class shouted 'Waheeey!', which were quickly silenced by Xander's cutting look, and then his eyes snapped back to mine. They were lit with a mix of surprise and a slight impressed look, and he regarded me with ... something I couldn't identify.

"You know how to make an entrance," Simon snorted, breaking the tension in the air. The class chuckled, and still throwing looks at me, went back to their work, discussing why the hell I'd randomly cut my hair. Some said I was suicidal. Most said I was suicidal, actually.

Walking to the back of the classroom, Xander's smirk widened.

"What?" I snapped — but I couldn't help a small smile from escaping.

"Not so shabby for a DIY," he approved. "Y'know, if you're going for a rebel-gone-wild kind of look."

I stuck my chin in the air. "Maybe I was," I said defensively, earning a chuckle from Simon.

"I never knew you were queasy," Simon said, remembering how I ran out of the classroom as Mrs Killjoy (ironic name, I know) 'dissected' the frog.

"I'm not," I said, less defensively. I didn't know how to explain why. "I didn't like the way she was doing it, that's all."

Xander said nothing, just looked at me with an unreadable emotion in his eyes. Observant once more, catching my lies — or rather, in this case, a hidden truth.

"She was doing it normally," Simon countered cluelessly, furrowing his eyebrows. "I think you're in denial. You're queasy."

Rolling my eyes in irritation, I retorted, "No, I'm not! She was doing it so... cruelly, it was disgusting! Honestly, she had no respect..."

"For a frog?" Simon snorted. "I'm guessing you're a vegan?"

I couldn't help but laugh at that offensively humorous joke.

"Vegetarian actually," I corrected. Simon wrinkled his nose adorably.

"Not much better," he said disgustedly, making me stick my middle finger up at him.

"I think the real question is, why'd you cut your hair?" Xander asked delicately, leaning back in his chair and tilting his head like a graceful swan.

Avoiding his analysing gaze, I replied lamely, "I was bored of my long hair."

Xander expelled a disbelieving laugh as he exhaled. "So you decided to cut it at school, in the toilets? Your boredom couldn't wait another few hours to get to an actual hair salon?"

I glared at him. He had good points and mine were terrible. Not to mention there were no good points to fight my case with.

Xander smirked the smirk, his mouth tilting up on one side, his expression amusedly victorious.

"No," I replied simply. "It couldn't."

Xander blinked as I sat down next to Simon, having no counter for that. He opened his mouth to say something snarky but I was already busy copying down the work I'd missed. Then, my curiosity got the better of me, so after a moment, I snuck a look back at Xander. He was looking down at his work but not actually doing it, evidently lost in thought. His eyes were narrowed contemplatively and I looked at him for a moment, admiring the way that a few strands of hair fell across his forehead, long enough to reach his long eyelashes framing his crystal-like eyes. His sharp jawline was as cutting as his glare and it was set in a serious, thoughtful manner, his delicate lips shaped into a frown as he mused.

Blinking suddenly, I realised I was staring for too long. Looking away, I snapped myself out of it and started writing again. But feeling a stare burning into the side of my head, I turned and saw Simon's looking at me, shaking his head slightly and grinning. His melted chocolate eyes twinkled knowingly and he winked. Biting my lip to stop smiling, I tried to glare but failed miserably, ending up chuckling instead.

Yes. My friends were certainly worth fighting for.

(A/N)

🎼Got me suuuicidal
suuuicidal
when you say it's oooover🎼

Very uhhh ~aesthetic~ song quote for you there ^ you're welcome.

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—deainlustris