From the Ashes

[12] Allie

Allie's POV.

Heart pounding like a mad demon-drum, I melt into my seat beside Kaitlin. She looks more than eager, seeing the smile that I can't wipe from my face.

 "We're good," I tell her, finally wrestling with this strange, head-spinning infatuation, and digging through my purse for a PB+J sandwich. Kait blinks blankly at me from the corner of my eye as I chomp into it.

 "'We're... good?'" she repeats slowly, thin blonde eyebrows raised. "Oh, come on, Allie!" She thwacks me on the arm, her grin imploring. "You were scared shit-less because you apparently offended him beyond remorse, then you saunter back not 10 minutes later with that cheesy smile all over your face!" I shush her, leaning my head against her shoulder innocently.

 "We're cool. We both overreacted, everything's alright," I explain simply, "He's really quite chill." Kaitlin rolls her eyes, giving up on me.

 "Well, did you at least figure out how you two are going to work together?" I shake my head 'no' against her shoulder as I take another bite.

 "I suggested your ideas, he shot 'em all down. So I'm thinking, what the hell, you're leaving to be away all summer, you find a solution."

 "And you think he'd actually do that?"

 "Not really. But we'll certainly see." Kaitlin snorts and shakes her head.

 "I guess we will."

 The last period rolls around, and Mrs. Frann is passing out a pre-test for the physics final tomorrow, giving us the period to work on it. Kaitlin scoots her desk against mine as I pull out my notes and open my physics book.

 "The usual drill?" she asks in a low voice, flipping through the large packet of work.

 "You take the first two pages, I'll take the last three." Kaitlin nods with a smile, her streaked hair bobbing. She sets to work with an air of diligence, but I know we'll probably finish our divided sections of work at the same time, even if I have a page more than she does. The time clicks on as I become engaged in the worksheet, referring to my notes every once in a while when a particular equation escapes me. A figure approaches my desk to stand squarely beside it, and I look up to see Roman towering over us. I can practically hear Kaitlin's pulse rocket next to me.

 "Aleithea," he whispers as he crouches down on his heels to speak with me at eye-level. His smoky eyes have their usual glint to them, and I choke down the overwhelming fluttering that it causes my heart to experience. Kaitlin is leaning into me from behind, her arm resting against the edge of my desk as she joins this exchange.

 "What's up?" I say simply, keeping my expression level and my brows rise slightly. Roman rests one elbow against his knee, and his other arm slides to rest against my desk, practically encircling me. The skin on my arm tingles with goose bumps from the proximity.

 "We're gonna need to pick up some supplies for the project before I leave, or else you'll have to get them on your own," he tells me. I rake my hand through my bright hair a few times as I swivel forward in my desk and cross my legs.

 “Where do you want to get the stuff?” I ask, fishing through my purse to pull out the list of supplies for the AP Physics project.

 “We can get them at Home Depot. I can carry everything in my truck, if you want.”

 "Alright, cool," I mutter, glancing back at Roman as he tips his head back slightly, his eyelids lowered, his lips curving into a sly smile. "I am not handy at all; Kait and I botched those boats last semester, and they were just little ones." Kaitlin nods enthusiastically in agreement. Roman winks, and I just can't keep my eyes away from his supple lips, and strong jawline.

 "You're in luck this time, Allie. I won't let you destroy this project," he ends with a smirk. I roll my eyes, and say flatly,

 "Well thanks, Roman."

 “Life sized balsa wood boats… Where does she come up with this crap?” Roman chuckles as he looks over my list one more time.

“Hey, at least you don’t have to read Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales over the summer like the AP English kids do,” Kait joins in to tell him with a light giggle, “I’d rather just build a stupid boat.”