❤️In My Blood » Archibald

XIII

013.|'Stepping up' |

Brrr, Upper East Siders. It's cold outside and as February approaches we need to find way to fight frostbite. Some keep warm the old fashioned way, some seek the comfort of loved ones, and some try to keep away the gloom by painting things bright.

-Gossip Girl

My pencil taps vigorously against the varnished desk. My mind runs in circles trying to recall the last lesson, I should've studied but I didn't.

What did I do instead? Well...

Let's just say my time has been limited with a certain blue-eyed guy in my life.

The girl sitting in front of me, turns around, giving me a glare. "Shh." She hushes with an attitude.

"You shh." I reflect only earning an eye roll from her.

"All right, time is up!" The professor announces. He stands up from his enormous old fashioned chair, pushing the rim of his glasses up to the bridge of his bulb-shaped nose.

Time is up and I didn't get to finish the test.

I was the last one out of class, I hesitantly turned in my test and forced myself to leave.

My feet carry me around the campus, my gut feeling making me feel horrible for not completing my test. I always finish and I always pass.

As I near an end of the campus, my phone rings from my purse. I pull it out, reading the contact name 'Archibald'.

I accept the call, holding the phone to my ear.

"You've reached the voicemail of Vienna Blaze, leave a blazing message after the beep." I say

Hearing Nate snicker from the other line brings a smile to my lips.

"Nice try. Great recording line by the way." He says, sarcasm obvious in his tone.

"It just blazed right in my mind. Ugh I sound like my dad." I say, grimacing at the thought of the awful puns of Nikolas Blaze and just the thought of him.

"I like it." Nate says in which I roll my eyes but he can't see me. "So how did the exam go?"

"It went I just never finished." I respond with a sigh.

"What? I thought you studied." He says, his tone sliding into disappointment.

"I couldn't, not when you've been taking up all my time." I say, my head shifting downwards as my cheeks heat up.

"Well, it definitely isn't a bad thing." Nate says, I know he has a smirk on his face right now even though I can't see him.

"I suppose not." I respond, the corners of my lips curving upwards. My stomach flutters as I recall the past week.

"Stop blushing, Blaze, it isn't your style." He says.

My eyebrows lower together, how would he know? "I'm not." I say

"Stop denying it. Your cheeks are red." He chuckles.

My eyes lift up from the ground searching for a moment before landing on Nate who leans against a taxi. His phone held up to his ear, a smirk across his face and eyes on me.