What Keeps Our Hearts Beating

Chapter 6

"Lacey...Lacey did you hear me?"

Lacey jolted awake, her blond curls sprawled and wet across her face from sweating. Mr. Snore, the technology teacher, stood above her bald and like 100 years old. He fixed his reading glasses over his curved nose and his black eyes dug into hers. Even though everyone fell asleep in his class, including Mr. Snore himself, he never wanted to catch someone actually doing it. And Lacey was the unlucky one yet again.

"Sorry, Mr. Snore...Mr. Monroe. It won't happen again."

"This is the 3rd time this week, Miss. Ainsbrough. Technology is a fascinating subject. Something you should take seriously considering who your father is."

She stood up, the chair screeching against the marble floor in that grand ballroom like she would give the teacher a stroke. Unable to suffer through this tirade yet again, she blurted out ""It would be fascinating, if someone else was teaching it."

She heard Ming stifle a laugh behind her as Mr. Snore's eyes grew wide in anger.

"Finally she'll be kicked out," she overheard Sandra whisper but Lacey just crossed her arms awaiting her punishment.

"Mr. Monroe," another screech of a chair as Raiph jumped up from beside her. "She just had testing done by Dr. Weber. She's not thinking clearly..."

Lacey whirled to face Raiph and wanted to tear that self-righteous expression off his handsome face. "I didn't ask you for help Raiph. And I am thinking perfectly clear. That this is the most boring class I have ever sat through and you all know it!"

"Miss Ainsbrough...detention! Tonight. In this room." Mr. Monroe snapped his cane against her desk and Lacey plopped back down in her chair. Raiph slowly slid back into his seat before Mr. Monroe had a change of heart and gave him detention too, probably smearing his perfect record.

Ming patted her on the back and whispered, "You are my hero."

"Don't encourage her," Raiph shook his head at Lacey, like he was disappointed in her. Sandra for once didn't say anything, which was worse than if she actually did.

After lunch she spotted Raiph on guard duty for the lunch break and she hollered, "Raiph, can I speak to you, now."

He relieved himself from duty by another guard and pushed the bangs out of his eyes. The bruise around his left eye now nearly completely healed but still a reminder of how she hit him in the hospital ward earlier that week. She then pushed him into one of the closets to make sure they were out of earshot, since everywhere else there was always someone listening.

"Lacey," he whispered confused as she slammed the door engulfing them in darkness except for the lone stream of light shining through the crack that illuminated a glint of their faces. "This is not following the protocol for conversations..."

"Why did you stand up for me in Mr. Snore's class earlier?" she jumped right into it. "I don't need your help, Raiph."

"Wait...you're upset with me?" he asked snorting in disbelief. "I can't believe you are upset that I stood up for you."

"Oh, so gallant and chivalrous when you don't speak to me any other time of day. You being Sandra's lackey."

"I don't speak with you because you don't speak to me either. You never apologized for hitting me in the eye."

"And you never apologized for going through my things."

He shifted uncomfortably, eying how close they were to each other in the small closet space. She could feel his breath upon her face and his hands slowly touching hers in that small confined space. Why had she been so impulsive to drag him in here with her?