The Runner-ups

Chapter 3

My eyelids started to grow heavy as Mrs. Martin explains how a lipid is structured. I was never very interested in chemistry and my grades showed it. The classroom was hot just like everywhere else in this town and it was doing nothing to help fight my growing exhaustion. I'd close my eyes for a few seconds and hear the monotone voice of my teacher speaking with words too big for my brain to comprehend and then I'd have to rub my eyes to prevent zoning out again.

OJ and Collin weren't paying attention either and were more interested in an intense game of paper football on the desk that OJ and I shared. I watched as her nude painted nail flicked the paper perfectly between Collins' fingers. "I win." She whispered with a smirk.

Collin quickly shook his head. "No way it's a tie game now." He denied.

"Not even close. We both agreed that even though it was really cool that you hit Rami in the face it didn't count for extra points."

"Oh come on! I'd like to see you shoot with accuracy like that." He complained.

"That wasn't accuracy honey, that was luck." OJ said. I smiled at the two as they quietly bickered in whispered voices.

As soon as I walked into class this morning OJ had my arm in a death grip telling me to sit beside her. The girl who I normally sat with didn't really seem to care and our teacher was apparently blind as a bat and would never notice. I didn't mind moving seats. I really liked OJ, she was a very straightforward person and it was nice to be around.

"You playing Hallie?" Collin asked, waving the folded paper in my face. "You can play the winner?"

I snatched the paper with a smile and turned towards OJ who was setting up a target. With a strategically placed flick I watched the paper soar perfectly scoring me my first point. "I should warn you OJ, I'm extremely competitive."

"Hallie darling, you are playing against the reigning paper football champion. I'd like to see you try." She laughed.

We continued to play paper football without Mrs. Martin so much as glancing our way, even when I threw my hands up in victory, her only reaction was to yawn then continue explaining some type of reaction that was drawn on the board. We weren't paying attention to the lesson at all but we weren't too concerned. Collin told me we could always get the notes from Ayanna because she took grade 12 chemistry last year and although it probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done, I trusted him.

It wasn't until the door at the front of the class opened that my attention was taken away from the intense rematch between OJ and I. Alex strolled leisurely into class as if he wasn't showing up twenty minutes late and walked straight up to Mrs. Martin's desk. I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited to see him get in shit for being late.

"Alex do you have a note?" Mrs. Martin asked, looking at him from over top of the frame of her glasses.

"Sorry, I was just having a meeting with Coach and I was in such a rush to get here that I forgot to ask him to excuse me." He said, clearly lying through his teeth. "I'm so sorry, it won't happen again I promise." His smile was so sickeningly sweet that I wasn't even surprised when she let it slide, although it did piss me off. Perks of being a student athlete I guess.

Alex smiled and thanked her then turned to make his way to his seat, which I had a feeling was going to be right in front of me. He seemed to be out of it because it wasn't until he was a few feet in front of me that he noticed I switched desks to sit with OJ. He looked at me slightly surprised. He looked like he wanted to say something so I arched my brow challenging him to do so but he quickly looked away. He then greeted both OJ and Collin with a polite "Hello" and a smile none of which weren't directed towards me. Instead I just stared at the muscles of his back that could be seen through the thin black t-shirt he was wearing. He looked warm, almost soft, but his attitude sure as hell wasn't.