Lie to Me: A Mermaid Tail

Chapter 6- A Six Pack You Would Not Believe

I sauntered into math class, clutching my textbook and binder to my side, not wanting them to fall out of my grasp. After the rocky introduction with Aidan and Nate being slightly mad at me, they were all I had to hold on to. I glanced around the bland, gray room. Paisley was waving at me from our usual spot in the second row, while Nate was brooding at a solo desk in the corner. I shot him a short, sympathetic look, and joined Paisley.

My sneakers squeaked quietly across the floor as I shuffled awkwardly towards Paisley, sneaking one quick look at Nate. He had his arms in front of him, touching the top of the desk. His arms were braced, tensed. He was looking down, but there was absolutely nothing on the desk for him to look at. His hair fell delicately over his tense, serious face. It was as if his hair was professionally positioned or something. I gulped a small bit and looked away. He did not look in a mood to be talking to, no normal person would dare. I walked over anyways, seeing as I am never normal.

"Uh, hey, Nate..." I considered telling him I'm talking to him again. "How are you?" I said, my voice drawling as my gaze drifted to his clenched fists. He looked up, his jaw clenched and his eyes cold. I felt incredibly awkward towering above him, standing.

'What are you doing? He seems mad,' Paisley mouthed from across the room.

'Talking,' I mouthed back. She shrugged and settled in her chair; getting comfortable with what's about to go down. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Nate.

"Fine," he said, no hint of anything in his voice. Not even anger.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked, making sure there was a little scrape of sadness in my voice. His face softened, and then he unclenched his fists. I looked at him earnestly; I was wrong to ditch him earlier. But honestly, he is moody.

"No," he sighed. I smiled. My smile quickly faded when Nate unexpectedly took my hand. I mean, not that I didn't like it, but it was unexpected. Even with no smile on my face, I felt the blush slowly creeping into my cheeks. I pulled my hand from his.

"Good," I said quickly.

"Too soon?" he said, a small frown playing on his face. I grimaced and looked away.

"I usually save hand holding until marriage," I joked. Not that I'm thinking about marriage. At all. Not with him. 

I walked away, biting my lip. At least I know Nate isn't mad at me. I smiled a little, taking my seat with Paisley.

"Do you liiike him?" Paisley whispered, stretching her 'like' to about four syllables.

"No," I whispered back. She rolled her eyes and then winked at me, shutting her binder and placing her pencil back in its tray.

"Mhmm, sure you don't." She giggled and turned her attention to the teacher, who had just entered the room. She passed out a pop quiz, but it wasn't on math. Oh, no, with my teacher, Forever Spallone, as we called her, it was not ever about love. You see, Ms. Spallone was a middle-aged woman whose only companion was her cat, Dolly.

Question One: When was the last time you had a lover or a 'special someone'? I sighed, writing down "eighth grade".

Question Two: What is the age where a person can no longer attract another person? I snickered, my teacher was so desperate. "Never too old," I wrote, hoping for bonus points on the next test if I was nice enoguh.

Question Three: Am I a fun, exciting person? "Of course." She was actually really weird and boring. I turned in the quiz to her shaking hand, turning back to my seat thankful I have friends and two cute guys. Okay, so they're cute. Big deal. It's not like I like Nate or anything, and I just met Aidan.

"Weirdest teacher ever. Who gives quizzes like this?" Paisley whispered. I shrugged, doodling little tornadoes on the cover of my math textbook. I scribbled dark marks, the lines ranging down in size to make a mini tornado. Every teenager does that, right? I'm not that different.

The lesson was very uneventful; I escaped by drawing on my hand with a black pen and folding little envelopes out of lined paper under my desk. Ms. Spallone never even saw. Paisley braided and un braided her hair, then drew little bracelets on her wrist with a purple glitter pen. No one paid attention in this class. She was the worst teacher ever.

The bell rang and I quickly slipped out of the classroom, prancing down the halls. I watched my feet underneath my books as I walked swiftly down the corridors. I slammed right into someone then, my books spilling out onto the floor.

"Hey, watch where you're going- oh, it's you," I said, finding myself crouching on the floor, face to face with Aidan. "Are you going to help me?" I asked. He begrudgingly began to pick up some of my books.

"So, fish doesn't have her land legs yet?" he sniggered.

"Okay, enough with the fish puns, they got old about eight years ago." He let out a big hearty laugh, and I looked up at him. Man, he was tall.

"Mind if I walk you to your next class?" he asked, slinging his arm around my shoulder. I shrugged it off.

"Depends on where you're going," I said, still feeling the warmth of his arm on mine.

"Gym, with LaRosa," he said, glancing at a white piece of paper. It was his schedule.

"Oh, yeah, I have gym too," I remembered. "Crap, I have gym too!" I said, the image of a pool appearing in my mind.

"What, gym with me isn't so bad," he said, smirking.

"No, not that...we're in our pool unit right now!" I cried, tugging on a strand of my hair. A genuine look of panic crossed Aidan's face.

"Well...that's a dilemma," he said, furrowing his brow. "Oh! I got it," he said, pointing a finger at me. "You are sick."

"No, I'm not! Ooh," I said, realizing what he meant. "You mean I'm sick and that's why I can't go in the pool! Duh," I said, realizing we were in the gymnasium.

Aidan pushed the doors open into the gym and we slipped inside.

** Five Minutes Later **

Some schools don't do co-ed swimming. But damn, mine did, and Aidan had a six pack you would not believe. I had to remind myself not to stare.

"And what is your excuse today, Ms. Montgomery?" I gulped, and let out a small cough.

"I'b sick," I said. "I can't swib because I'b sick. I hab a cold," I said, imitating my best sick voice. I coughed again, really selling it.

"Oh," Mr. LaRosa said. Score! He believes me! "Go to the nurse and get some medicine and lay down. Then go to the library since you can't participate." He scribbled on a pass.

"Tank you," I said, grabbing it greedily. I looked at Aidan again, his stomach showing. I winked at him, to let him know my act worked, and I left.

I went into the nurse's office and got some Tylenol, refusing to lie down.

"I jus hab a head cold, I don't need to lie down. I'll jus go to da libary now," I sniffled, really amping up the sick voice. Nurses are way harder to fool. She handed me the Tylenol pill and I pretended to swallow it when in reality I shoved the small pill in my pocket. If you take medicine when you're not sick, it can make you feel sick. She signed my pass and I left for the library.

I sat in solitude, reading movie reviews on the computers while the librarians bickered about which woman in Desperate Housewives was better.

I sighed, and read the blogs until the bell rang, announcing my freedom. I was finally able to escape to lunch.