s e v e n t e e n
"Brutum fulmen." - Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder
THESE STRINGS
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It turns out, studying every once in awhile, actually payed off sometimes. That was the thought running through William's mind. He passed his physics exam, just barely, but passed all the same.
He would be going on the physics field trip, a trip past students had gone on every year-it was a tradition, if you will-the next day to the London Science Museum. William was excited, though not because he would be getting the chance to learn more. No, definitely not that.
He was excited because he would be skipping the rest of his classes.
This had been the only good news he'd received yesterday. No mention of Mary, no letter. Lucien had also been ignoring him-avoiding him, really.
William had been strolling the halls yesterday, mindlessly walking out of boredom during one of his classes when he saw Lucien at the end of the hallway, hastily scribbling on a sheet of paper. As soon as he had noticed William, he backtracked immediately, turning the corner.
William hadn't bothered chasing after him.
Currently, he was standing in a cluttered hallway, Ashton, Henry, and Elijah right by his side, as they all waited for the coach bus to arrive. It was an hour long drive to the London Science Museum.
"You assume they'll sort us into groups?" Elijah asked, eyes scanning the cluttered foyer.
"Most likely," Ashton muttered, tiredly rubbing his eyes-it was still fairly early in the morning. "Thompson'll probably split us all apart, that bastard."
Henry sighed, then murmured a sarcastic,"How lovely."
William watched as his eyes traveled across the large room, sweeping through the clump of people waiting. He followed Henry's gaze. There, in the corner, sitting on a lone sofa, sat Roy. His eyes were closed, legs crossed.
He wondered why Henry was looking at him, but the idea soon became lost in his ever moving thoughts. They were finally piling people into the buses.
The two physics classes Professor Thompson taught were fairly large, so two coach buses were rented for their excursion to the museum. They filled up rather quickly, students rushing towards the back. William didn't think there would be enough room for the four of them to fit into the bus.
And, with just his luck, Professor Thompson stuck out his arm just as William was about to climb the stairs. "The coach is full, Mr. Brown. I'm afraid you'll have to ride in the other one."
"There's an open seat right there."
"It's reserved."
William resisted the urge to scoff or say something he'd regret, so he bit his tongue. "Very well."
Professor Thompson offered him a smile William knew was not sincere in the slightest. Although he'd never really given him a reason to like him, William thought he might at least sit on the bus with his mates before they were inevitably split up.
He stepped away, lips pulled into a taut line as the bus doors shut. A cool breeze whirled through the air at that moment, ruffling his ink black hair and whipping his long, dark jacket behind him rather dramatically. He pulled his jacket closer to his body, thankful he hadn't left his room solely in a thin jumper.
YOU ARE READING
He Bleeds Flame ✔️
Romance(bxb) After a year of surviving an all boys boarding school, William Brown thought he had finally navigated the ups and downs that the rich, private school had to offer. He'd even managed to make a few friends, as well as a rightful enemy. Lucien Ha...
