It seemed that it had been a while, for Travis Maclean that is, that the sun shined on the hateful school that was Green Hill High. He adjusted his shoulder bag, and undid his top button. The heat was already getting to him.
He pulled his over-ear headphones down around his neck; from it a faint sound of light rock escaped the speakers. As he entered the school, the few teachers that were waiting around the reception were glaring at him. He paid the teachers no attention, ignoring them as he walked past. They called out to him to tuck his shirt in, but Travis didn't listen.
Inside the school, it was dreary with white slab walls, and dirty tiles. Children, much younger than him, were being loud and cocky, messing around with their mates. Travis made his own path through them, pushing them out of the way. Most stayed clear of him, knowing who Travis was.
Travis was probably the most popular boy in the school. Being nearly seventeen, he'd only recently come into sixth form. He was capable of being smart, shown by his fairly high grades in GCSE, but more often than not he did not bother to show it. He was also a guy who was known for having strings of relationships, mostly broken off by him when the girl started to become too clingy for his liking. He liked having an open relationship, where they could friendly and romantic, not just having a girlfriend who was using his popularity for her own benefit.
His destination at that moment was the common room, which was where people of his age were most likely at. On his way, he passed a few people in his year, but these he did not even acknowledge. These were the nerdy, the creeps, and the downright strange kids of the sixth form.
One of these nerds went by the name of Zoe Holloway, a quiet girl with glasses, and always wore long-sleeve shirts, even during the summer. Travis knew little of her. In fact, he didn't even know her name. But Zoe knew his. Well, she should really, considering she had a huge crush on him. What she was planning to ask him later would take all the courage she had, and a little more.
Travis continued on, walking at a steady pace until he reached the rowdy common room. A few said hello to him as he entered, as did he. He knew these guys. His mates, if that.
Not his real mates, but friends nevertheless.
"Yo, Travis boy!" said one of them, giving Travis a fist bump. "How'd it go afterwards, last night?"
"Shit," Travis answered. "The idiots cocked up the game. We lost two nil. It was fucking terrible. We were barely able to keep it at that, to be honest."
"Haha, I knew it!" The boy laughed, before he went off and continued his game of cards with another. Travis let out a quiet sigh. 'That's all you wanted? Just to take the piss out of our shit team? Thanks, you asshole.'
A girl nearby yelled out Travis's name. Travis turned to the girl, and gave a small smile. Her name was Danielle Thomas, or Dani as she wanted to be called, who was alright to be around with, but could a right bitch if you even tried to talk to her without her consent. She was downright horrible to those she hated. With an ample chest and a round rear, long brown hair, green eyes, wicked legs, and a body to compliment her curves, she was the girl everyone wanted to be, or to be with. She was also a childhood friend of Travis, so the two's relationship was well known as like a pair of wicked, sexual thieves.
Travis himself was a handsome young man, with a build seen often on a sporty type of person, and looks that could make girls dream of him, with eyes so darkly blue that it could even be considered unnatural. The star of the football and rugby team, he was the person the boys could count on, due to his trustworthy attitude, and the boy that got the girls all hot and bothered.
The duo was at the high of the social ladder within the school. Always living it cool, but get on their bad side… You'd wish you were never born. Not also the most popular kids, they were also the most pissed off as well. Once, in a fight, Travis had sent a kid to hospital with a broken arm, after the boy had tried to jump Travis with his allies. Sure, that might have been called 'self-defence', but when people had asked about what happened to the boys who jumped Travis, they claimed that they'd never seen a boy who was so… dark. Literally, his eyes were just a cascade of dark blueness. It was even considered demonic by one boy.
Dani wasn't all better than Travis, in fact she was worse. The girls could get bitchy with each other, but Dani used everything within her power to bring the other girl absolute hell. Blackmail, cyber-abuse, and if things escalated… Her sharp nails did the dirty work. She had sent a girl to hospital with blood loss due to the girl insulting herself and Travis.
These two weren't just cool. They were the ruling king and queen on opposite sides of the sexes.
"Travis," said Dani with a devious smile. "How's it hanging?" She went to grab the front of Travis' trousers, but Travis was too quick for her.
"How's your back holding up?" he responded, giving her a quick wink. He jumped back as Dani went for his face to slap him across the cheek. "Ha! Too quick for you, Miss Thomas."
"Fuck you, Travis," she replied with a growl and giving him the middle finger. She flicked her hair back, and adjusted her shirt to show off a little more of her cleavage.
Travis rolled his eyes. She was always like this, trying to get anyone and anything. But lately, he noticed with an odd glare, she was toning her sexual tensions down a little. Sure, she was still within the boundaries of sexual harassment – barely – but it wasn't happening as often. 'Maybe she's starting to grow up…' He looked back at her, where she was applying lip gloss. He shook his head. 'Or not.'
His eyes fell for a half a moment on the other side of the room. There, a boy blushed, but hid his embarrassment from the rest by turning his face away. His name was Zack Davies, and he was the lowest of the low. Not handsome, with dark eyes, his hair messy… He was a shoddy little boy, and a loner at that. But he harboured an unrequited love for Dani. What he was planning to say to her later… He must be absolutely stupid of even attempting it, but he had to. His heart was hurting enough as it was.
Dani slipped off the table, and pulled her bag over her shoulders. "C'mon, let's go have a smoke. I'm dying in here." Travis sighed in annoyance. He hated the habit, and he had half a mind to say no to her. But, considering his position, he had better not say that… "See you later," Dani added to the girls next to her.
The duo left the room together, and shortly after, Zack followed the two. 'Now', he thought. 'Do it now!'
Zack followed the two at a distance, faintly hearing their conversation.
"You heard about Karl?" asked Travis, with his hands in his pockets.
Dani nodded. "Aye. Stupid bastard. How in the living fuck could he cheat on Maria? She's like a fucking queen, compared to most girls."
"Compared to you as well?" Travis said slyly.
"She's a piece of shit compared to me. If it's between me and her, the only thing she beats me on is her tits."
"They don't call her Maria 'Melons' for nothing," Travis chuckled darkly. Dani agreed.
"No, they don't."
"What size are they, nowadays?"
"F's, probably. Knowing her, they've gone up another cup size since the last time I saw her."
"And she's meant to be sixteen?!"
"Boob job if you ask me."
"Come off it!" Travis put out his hands out in front of his chest. "You see her jogging?! No frigging way would they be bouncing that much if they were fake."
They were interrupted by Zack coming up to them.
"Umm… Hey…" he said timidly. "Is it… OK if I can speak to you… Dani …?"
Travis gave Dani a shrug, and said "Go for it," to her.
Dani turned to Zack, with a dark glare. "Well, what is it?"
"I just…" Zack stuttered, twiddling his hands together. "I just wanted… To know if… If you… If you…"
"If I what, you dick?" Dani said angrily. She hated boys who got flustered easily. A pet peeve.
"I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to the Christmas dance with me!" Zack yelled quickly, louder than he wanted to.
There was silence between the three. Travis sighed, knowing what was about to happen, but the boy had major balls to do it. It was only right that he got the rejection of his life.
Which started a little like this…
Dani stared at the boy for a few moments, dumbfounded, before she broke into an uproar of laughter. "Oh my god… Are you joking? Oh shit, you're not. You twat, you're serious, aren't you! Well, little boy, let me tell you this: girls like me do not go for boys like you. This ass of mine is just too much for you to squeeze. These tits will be throwing you all over the place."
Zack's eyes welled up in tears and fury. "I'm s-s-sorry… F-F-Forget I ever a-a-asked…"
Dani looked at him darkly. "Yeah, now fuck off, you bellend."
Zack darted off in anger. He'd never felt so embarrassed in his life. Never! He continued to run, sprinting past a girl with glasses.
Travis let out a low whistle. "Wow, harsh."
Dani glared at Travis. "Oh, so you're sticking up for the bastard? Why don't you go fuck off as well and go have your gay parade together?"
"I never said I was sticking up for the dude," Travis said with a laugh. "Far fucking from it. I'm just saying, it could have been me in that position. Actually, no, that's a stupid idea. I wouldn't ask you out in the first place anyway." Dani gave Travis an evil glare. "But… Shitting hell, Dani," Travis added, watching the diminishing image of the boy running away. "The dude had a pair of freaking huge balls if he thought he could bag you."
"Aye, you better fucking know whose side you're on here."
"That's a no brainer, you idiot," Travis said whilst rubbing the top of Dani's head hard. "I'm on yours."
"Get off me!" Dani yelled, pushing Travis off her. "Anyway, when did you start caring? The prick looks like he comes from one of those metal bands. He's a fucking nerd, for Christ's sake. We laugh at the nerds. We always have, and we always will."
"You're right about that."
Dani got out a cigarette from Travis's bag, and lit her fag. "It's good you're on my side. If you want to stay on mine as well, you better keep it that you don't go soft on me."
"I'm not an idiot, Dani. And anyway, that pissed off face of yours is always priceless. I wouldn't give that up for the world." Travis noticed that the boy from earlier was still watching them. Pointing it out to Dani, the two gave the boy the middle finger. He darted out of sight, which made Travis and Dani chortle with vicious laughter. "She's mine, bitch!"
"What a fucking idiot," Dani said darkly.
"You're right about that."
"And anyway," said Dani with a glare at Travis, "who're you saying is yours? And who the fuck you calling a bitch?"
"I was just pissing him off by saying I'm your boyfriend. And I'm calling him a bitch."
"You're too fucking right in calling him a bitch. I wonder if we could beat him…?"
Travis put up his hands. "Whoa, hang on Dani," he said quickly, and took one step back. "I'm not beating him up. If I hit him, big chance I'll knock the kid out. And then I'll be in all kinds of shit."
"I doubt it. But maybe you're right. Maybe I should do it."
"I could film it, spread it. That'll make the bastard pay for having the downright stupidity of asking you out."
"For definite! And anyway, I wouldn't get in shit. Even if I did, what the fuck are they gonna do? Who the fuck does that little shit think he is?!"
"Higher than he is," Travis answered as he also took out a cigarette from his bag, and lit up.
"Obviously. What a wanker."
They both took a long drag, and breathed out smoke. Travis tapped the end of the fag, dropping the ashes to the floor. "In any case, dear Dani, who're you hoping for the dance?"
"Not really giving a fuck, to be honest," she replied with a sigh. "As long as the dude is fit, wanting a shag, and has a big cock. What about you?" she added, leaning against the wall.
"Maria Melons, of course," Travis said with a sly smile. "It's the big tits all the way."
"Of course it is," Dani said with a roll of her eyes.
"Hey, it's the perfect set-up. She'll be bawling her eyes out, and whilst she's in the dumps, I pounce and go for the kill. She'll be begging for me to fuck her! By then, the mood will be so high that it'll be time for the boing-da-boing, if you get me?" Travis gave Dani a cheeky wink, to which she laughed at.
"Hell yeah. You get her when she's down and suicidal, you'll definitely get in there. She'll fuck you for sure then."
"Suicidal?" Travis said, leaning his back against the wall. "I wouldn't go that far."
"You don't know Melons well enough then."
Travis tipped his head to the side. "Fair dos." He took out a bottle of coke, mixed with some Bacardi that he'd put in that morning. He offered it to Dani, who dismissed it rudely with her hand.
"Naah, I'm good." She flicked her hair back, as it had fallen over one of her eyes.
Travis sloshed the coke around in the bottle. "Sure about that? It's got Bacardi in it."
Dani stuck out her hand immediately. "Give it here!"
"Thought as much," Travis said, passing it to her. "But anyways, even if Maria gets over the fact he was cheating, she might be using me to get back at Karl. If she's letting go, I'm OK with that. I'll be happy with the knowledge that I fucked the biggest rack in the school."
Dani gave him a dirty wink. "And of course, I'll help you there by distracting Karl."
"By distracting, you mean trying to get his cock into you."
"Obviously," Dani said. "And it's not trying to get his cock in…"
"Oh yeah. Getting his cock in you."
"That's more like it," Dani said with a sly voice.
"But hang on, if this leaks out, we're in deep shit, you know that?"
Dani sighed. "Look man, don't go getting your knickers in a twist. It's simple. We film 'em, and if they're gonna play shit with us, we just show them the film."
"But you're not getting it. Look, think of it this way. I'm fucking big tits. You're fucking Karl. If some brainbox looked at that, they'd think that we were the ones who got them split in the first place."
"Well, that's good, innit? She's an annoying little bitch and he's a cocky prick. We're only doing this for the sex."
"Well, they are that. Only Maria's supposed to be one of the best fucks in the school. So, unless you got an idea that can keep us outta the shit, we had better keep it cool."
"We just make sure that the girl Karl cheated with is already known about before we move in. Give it a day or so, and then we'll make our move. And anyway, who's supposed to be the best fuck in the school, you say?"
"I meant apart from you, you dick. I don't even know how you're like in bed anyways."
"Amazing, is what the boys tell me after the sex."
"I have doubts…" Travis said with a smile. Dani glared at him, but let out an anguished sigh. The two were always bantering like this, ever since they were young. Best friends? Or best enemies? A perfect match for each other, some call them, but neither of the two really wanted to admit that they actually care for the other more than they let on. "I say she's one of the best fucks coz she's the best fuck that has a rack over your D cups," Travis added, glancing at Dani's chest, showing clearly in the shirt that was basically designed to show them off.
"Double-D's, actually," said Dani, with pride. She cupped them gently. She gave Travis a dirty smile.
"Since when have you been a double?" asked Travis.
"Since last Thursday," she replied casually. "My bra was feeling tight the other day," she added, with a small frown. "Went up with me mam to the shops, and they said I've gone up another cup size."
"That's been, what…" Travis counted the months with his fingers as he thought. "Three months since you were a C? Your tits have blown up!" He jutted his finger on her breast, which she grinned slyly at.
"We're all getting through puberty, stupid. I wouldn't be surprised if your dick grows another couple of inches in the next two years."
"Here's hoping."
"What size are you now?" Dani asked, taking a long swig from the bottle.
"'Bout six, last time I measured."
"How long ago was that?"
"I think five or so months ago. It's not often I go to my erect dick and get out a fucking ruler, is it?"
"Good point."
"In any case, do you have any idea how to keep us above the shit?"
"Look Travis, we're the king and queen of this shithole. Do you really think anyone would a rat's arse if we had sex with people who'd just split up? If anything, we'd gain even more respect by bagging two people who're good in bed! You'd rise even higher by fucking a chick with huge tits! I'd get more praise by doing a dude who's seven fucking inches! Everyone loves us, Travis. We're getting outta this thing in a win-win situation!"
"Heh, you're right about that," Travis said whilst tipping his head to the side. "We didn't get to the top by doing nothing, huh?"
"Exactly," said Dani with a dark grin spread across her face. She drunk some more of the coke, and started to feel the Bacardi hit her head. "Ugh, to be honest, I can't be fucked for school. Might just skiv…"
As Dani continued to drink, Travis stubbed the cigarette butt on the floor with his shoe. He let out a small sigh.
"Why do we do this shit, Dan'?"
"What now?"
"That," he answered, kicking the stub with his toe. "It's burning a massive hole in both our pockets, and to be honest, it's fucking disgusting."
Dani shrugged. "We do it because it's cool. We do it because others do it too. What other reason do we need?"
"Just because they do it, doesn't mean we have to."
The two went quiet, with Dani looking at Travis with a dumbstruck expression. "I'm gonna pretend I never fucking heard that."
"Good idea."
At that moment, their attention was diverted a second time in less than five minutes by a girl walking up to them, with her eyes directed at Travis.
She looked timid, but her eyes were soft, and full of life. Something Travis hadn't seen in a girl for a long time. In fact, the last time he saw eyes like that was when he and Dani used to be young, before they both started to rise through the social labyrinth that was the popularity ladder of the school. For a few moments, he even wished that Dani still had those sort of eyes.
"Yo. Whatcha need?" Travis said, giving her a glance.
"Err… Sorry to bother you, but…"
"Yeah? What do you want, a smoke?" Travis asked, sounding perhaps more rude than he'd planned to. Maybe the girl had run dry. He's done that a couple of times.
The girl looked seriously afraid now. Her plan was completely falling apart. 'You stupid girl! You stupid, stupid little girl!' "No… I'm sorry… I'll j-j-just l-leave you now…"
Travis raised his eyebrows. 'Oh, here we go…' "No, come on missy. You came over here with a reason. So out with it, already!"
The girl went bright red, and her breathing became deeper, and quicker. "I was… just…wondering if… You'd want…to go to…to the d-d-dance…with…me?" Her voice went higher, and more quiet, the more she spoke. She went completely red, and fiddled with her hair nervously.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dani choke on the coke. 'The fuck? Two nerds asking out über kids in less than five freakin' seconds?' He let out a smirk, and whispering to Dani, he said, "Watch this."
The girl looked at Travis hopefully, wondering if he'd say yes.
"Heh… Kehahaha! Oh God… She wants to go with me! She said she wants to go with me!" The smile may have been there, but the eyes the girl looked at, was full of hatred and darkness. Those eyes she loved… The ones she fell in love with immediately when she first set eyes on them… They were full of anger.
"Are you kidding me?" Travis said quietly, his voice sounding more dangerous than the claps of thunder. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"
The girl bit her lip, terrified, trying to keep the tears back.
"Praise to you for having the balls to ask me, granted. But what the fuck were you expecting? For me to say yes? I don't even freaking know you! Not even one iota! So…" Travis added, taking a step closer to the now-terrified timid girl, "why don't you just go fuck off, and go cry in a corner? Go ahead and run."
The girl was too scared to even move now. She was rooted to the spot.
"RUN!" Travis bellowed, snapping the girl out of her terror. She sprinted off without looking back, tears running down her cheeks.
From behind him, Dani let out a low chuckle at Travis's show. "Wow, and you said I was harsh."
Travis rubbed his neck gently. "Ahh, shit… Shouldn't have done that to be honest."
Dani's eyes widened. "Why the hell not?!"
Travis shrugged. "I dunno, maybe I was a bit harsh on her part… In any case," he added, letting go of his anguish, and smiled at Dani. "Did you get a good show?"
Dani giggled, perhaps a little too highly for Travis's liking. He let out a small sigh. 'She's pissed off her tits. This is just fucking amazing…'
"Yeeaaahhh…" Dani slurred, with a high pitched giggle. "Maaaaybeeeee… I got History next… I could go and fliiiirt with that fiiiit Iiiirishhhh bloke… Maybe have a little shaaaag…" Dani gave Travis a cheeky wink. She was about to skip off, but Travis caught her hand quickly.
"Dani, don't you fuck about with that Irish prick," Travis said dangerously. "If he has sex with you, you're both going to jail!"
"Oh, be quiet," Dani said, with more anger than she usually would. The alcohol was taking its effect on her judgement. "I won't do anyyythiiiing…"
'That doesn't fill me with confidence,' Travis thought, but he decided to just let her off. "As long as you don't do anything, you got it?"
"You're not my faaaatheeer," Dani said. 'Thankfully,' she added in her thoughts.
"Just move your fat arse."
Dani skipped ahead of him, and gave Travis a smile and a wave that made him smile and sigh. 'I wouldn't change you for the world, you absolute drunken, beautiful idiot.'
Travis went on to his own class, a geography class that he'd got a B in the previous year. Why he chose Geography, he'll never know. It was really hard to understand. He was having an idea to drop the subject soon, but he was unsure.
"Where've you been, Mister Maclean?" said the teacher from the front of the class as Travis entered, a few minutes late.
"Toilet," Travis answered rudely.
"Ugh, just… Sit down."
Travis put his bag down on the table, and pulls out his books, but had no real intention of opening them. As his eyes drift off when the teacher starts to attempt to teach the boiling class, he noticed the girl who'd attempted to ask him out earlier sitting in a chair two rows down.
'Who the hell is she?' Travis wondered, folding his arms.
The girl, Zoe, was sitting alone. Her face was all blotchy and red, and her eyes darker from all the tears she had cried. She was sniffling, and she could feel the gaze from all the tears she had cried. She was sniffling, and she could feel the gaze from Travis on the back of her head. She wanted to lift her head, but she couldn't. She was too scared. Too scared to look back, too scared to see his face, too scared of bursting into tears again.
Back with Travis, his eyes looked out onto the green grassy area of the yard, with the sun blazing down below them. He tried to place the girl's face in his memory, but no matter how many times he tried to dive into his brain, he just could not figure her out. It was starting to annoy him, but his curiosity was taken when the girl shot her hand up into the air.
"Yes, Zoe?" said the teacher.
'Of course!' Travis thought, nodding to himself. 'That's the name. Zoe Holloway. Has an infamous rep for being mostly a mute. She's a bit of a nerd, but she's just friendless in the end. What I heard, she's a cutter as well. Supposed to be the reason she wears those baggy long sleeves; to keep her arms cool. It's a tad creepy. No, not just a little. It's fucking insanely creepy.'
Zoe stuttered as she replied, "C-C-Can I g-g-o…to the…b-b-bathroom-m-m?"
The teacher looked sceptical at first, but upon seeing her face all blotchy, he let Zoe go. She took her bag with her, and went outside. She took a chance and looked at Travis, and was afraid when she saw he was looking back, but she mistook his dark blue eyes for ones of hatred, and ran out of the room as quick as she could manage.
Travis sighed. 'Why do I have such frightening eyes?!'
Zoe continued to run all the way to the girl's bathroom, and was thankful that it was empty. She looked at herself in the mirror, and tears began to well in her eyes. "Why…? Why was I so… stupid?! I'm so stupid… So stupid…" She went into her bag, and got out the pair of scissors she always carried with her. "So… Stupid…" She pulled back her sleeve, and with tears running down her cheeks, she placed the sharp edge of the scissors on her wrist.
And pulled back.
The blood trickled down the wrist, and into the white sink. Zoe gasped with the pain, but she felt it was the only thing that was right. She'd tried a few times to ignore the urges, but… It was too strong. It was addictive. Like a drug. She felt stupid for trying to ask Travis out. She felt stupid for being who she was. She felt stupid for cutting herself like she was… But she could not help it.
She dabbed at the cut with some tissues, to clear up the blood. After doing that, she replaced the scissors in her bag, wiped her face with water, and then reapplied some make-up. She'd spent a total of five minutes in the bath, but for Zoe, it felt an eternity.
She went back to the class with a heavy head. The cut was stinging her under the shirt. 'Please don't let anyone notice, please…'
Travis raised his head from talking to his colleague when he heard the door open. His eyes went instantly to her arm, which she seemed to be holding a little gingerly. 'The rumours are true it seems,' he thought. 'She really is a cutter.'
The teacher stood up from his chair. "Right, I want you lot to pair up, and I'm choosing the pairs. No moaning! I'll start off then with Zoe. You can work with Travis."
Travis shot up in a flash. "No way, Sir! I'm not working with a cut– uh, nerd like her!" He almost said "cutter", but he decided against it. Save her the trouble.
"I said no moaning, Maclean!"
'Asshole,' Travis thought. Zoe got her stuff from her place, and started walking towards Travis.
"Good luck with nerdatron," said the boy next to Travis as he got up. Travis whispered to him rudely to stick it where the sun doesn't shine. "Alright like, calm head." The boy moved off to a different place in the class. It took about five minutes for everyone to be rearranged. During this time, Zoe had asked to open a window, complaining it was hot. Actually, Zoe's main reason for the heat was that it was irritating her cuts. However, the teacher said for Zoe to take off her jumper, something which she really did not want to do. Not unless she wanted to show her crush her awful habit. Travis, despite thinking that she was a cutter, seemed to take pity on her. So, after the teacher had said this, Travis piped up with his own remark.
"She's got a point, Sir. Are you really expecting us to be in this room without at least a window open? If you're planning on cooking us, carry on. But I'd rather keep cool, to be honest."
The teacher sighed. "Fair enough, Maclean. Open something then."
"Sweet," Travis said as he opened a window. A girl next to the door opened that up as well, and everyone sighed in relief, including the teacher.
"I'm getting fans installed in here…" Several students let out a chuckle. "Ohhh-kaaay… Let's have a look… Ah, yes. Open your books up to page sixty-nine…" A few people laughed. "Oh grow up!" However, the teacher smiled at the joke.
In the quietest of tones, so that only she heard it, Zoe said a grateful thanks to Travis, but she did not care as to whether it was heard or not.
Travis continued looking forward, but he directed his voice to Zoe. "You say a fucking thing about earlier on," he said both quietly and dangerously, "and I'll kill you. If not me, then Dani will. You got that?"
Zoe looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry… I-I-It was a st-t-tupid question t-t-to ask…"
Travis frowned. "Why'd you keep looking at your hands?!" he asked rudely.
Zoe tried to pull her sleeves down further. "It's nothing… Please… It's nothing…"
Travis shrugged. "Ah whatever. Let's just get this fucking thing over with." He pulled out his iPod, and decided that Zoe was just better off doing it. 'Provided her wrists aren't cut up,' he thought.
As predicted, Zoe seemed reluctant to work. "C'mon… Do we really have to do this…? I mean… We got weeks to do this…"
Travis pushed on. "We might have weeks, but it's a big thing to do. We might need all the time we can get on this thing."
"We got four months, actually. Look, you don't have to do the work, if you don't want to. I can do it myself. But I'm just… tired. Why don't we just let this lesson slide, and get started next time? That way I can do research at home, instead of struggling in old textbooks like everyone else?"
Travis let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine, do what you will!" He gathered his things, and threw them into his bag. "I'm outta here." He left through the open door, leaving behind only those who hadn't yet succumbed to the heat. 'She's got a point, though.'
Zoe meanwhile sighed in relief, feeling immense gratitude towards Travis. He hadn't asked on her arms after she had said it was nothing, and he hadn't hit her or anything, because she retaliated against him. Those eyes she loved, she knew were just the cold exterior for something much softer and nicer.
She decided to also not do the work. Zoe realised pretty much straight away that she wasn't going to get far without some help from the internet, or a good old book. So she too put her schoolbooks and accessories into her bag, and decided to head over to reception.
Or at least that she was planning to do, until she saw Travis walking alone towards the History block.
She decided to follow. What she was going to do, she did not know. But she just felt… compelled, to go where Travis was going. Whatever was waiting for her there… There was only one way to find out.
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