Book Girl and Chestnut Boy

Chapter Three

May changed her seat the following day and was aggravated when, a while later, Chestnut Boy came to sit next to her. She stared, annoyance melting away when she spotted his split lip and the bandages around his knuckles.

"What?" he said when he caught her frowning at him. He put his books down and pulled the chair back. "All the other seats are taken."

She fought down her sudden fear and tried to ignore him. Susie, her new friend from yesterday's lesson, was sat across. "Switch with him," she mouthed, putting her hands together and pulling on her most pathetic expression.

He scoffed. "What? It's not like I stink."

She felt her cheeks heating up. He wasn't supposed to have seen her doing that!

"Sorry," Susie mouthed back and pointedly looked at either side of her, where she was wedged in-between two very big girls, which would make getting out challenging since that side of the U-shape of desks was already quite close to the wall. May slumped in her seat.

"Okay, class, similarly to yesterday's icebreaker activity," the teacher, Andy, said after registration, "I'd like you all to get into pairs and get to know one another's favourite books and why you like them. Then you are going to be introducing your teammate." When there were a few groans of protest, he said, "What? I thought people enjoyed the icebreaker?"

"But we've already done it now. Why do we have to do it again?" one of the girls next to Susie said. "Aren't we getting on with the lesson?"

"You've all moved places. I need you to stay where you are now until I know your names and faces. Now get into pairs with the person next to you."

There was the sound of chairs shuffling across the carpeted floor and murmurs of conversation as students spoke to their partners. Looking like it was the most awful thing she could do, she turned her chair to face Chestnut Boy.

"So...ah...What-What's your name?" she asked when he said nothing.

"Why do you want to know?" he said, crossing his arms. She couldn't help glancing at his bandaged hand as he did so.

She licked her lip. What was she supposed to say to this weirdo? "Because it's what the teacher said to do?"

"What, you always do what the teacher says?"

"...As long as it's relevant and doesn't make me feel like an idiot, yeah, I guess."

He smirked. "Bold words from an idiot."

"What is your problem?" she demanded, losing her composure. "Yesterday, you threw stuff at me! Today, you're not even trying to cooperate!"

"You're the one who started this! You walked into me! It freakin' hurt!"

"It was an accident! I apologised! Anyway, you took my book! Nobody touches my books!"

"Good to know you have so much concern for your books," Andy said, stopping in front of her desk, "but that wasn't what this exercise was for."

She felt her cheeks heating up – it happened far too much, in her opinion. Had she raised her voice that much? Other people were looking over. She looked down, embarrassed beyond belief to have been caught shouting. "So-Sorry, Andy."

"Whatever rivalry two have got going on, can you leave it at the door?"

After a mumbled "Yes, sir" from May and a grudging nod from Chestnut Boy, Andy smiled and moved away to another pair.

"So, what's your name?" she tried again.

"...Layton."

Oh yeah. She'd been having a whispered conversation with Susie throughout everybody's introductions yesterday.