Eyes of Blue Flame

Chapter 5 - My Quarter Grade, His Participation Points

Chapter 5 - My Quarter Grade, His Participation Points 

Art I was just another day of awkward silence until the bell rang. For the first time, when I glanced over at Ash, there wasn't a dust cloud. He stood by his seat. 

"Just...don't forget," Ash said icily. He walked away stiffly. I noticed when someone almost ran into him to try to get to the door before him in a hurry, he immediately got flustered and his movements turned awkward and jerky. 

~

"Line up!" shouted Coach Hector. Everyone heeded to his words, and immediately started lining up. Coach waited a second longer. "Today, we are playing dodge-ball!"

"Can we play red-rover?!" called Ash. 

"In your free time, Ashley," Coach shot back and everyone including Ash laughed. 

Having seen how he acted around his friends, this was now weird for me. I wasn't sure which was his true self or if neither were. 

"Emily and Ash, you be team captains for the day. Chose your teams. Emily, you go first," said Coach. 

"What?!" complained Ash as he and a blonde girl walked forward. Coach Hector shot him a warning look, so Ash added, "I mean: Ladies first." Emily ignored Ash. 

"Jamie," said Emily as she ran a hand through her dark blonde hair. A girl who I was positive was her twin stepped up next to Emily.

Ash skimmed over us, looking over each of us twice. "Um..."

"Some time today, Mr. Diabolus," mumbled Coach. Chuckles and snickers escaped the students waiting. 

Ash was unhurt and unfazed by the laughter aimed at him. "How about two more hours?"

"Ash," Coach warned through clenched teeth, now impatient. 

"Alright, alright, I chose"-he lifted his arm and pointed-"you, Pikachu!" He was pointing at me. 

Me? What the heck? 

Coach rolled his eyes and rubbed the back of his head as the kids began cracking up. Slowly, I walked forward next to Ash. He smiled. 

He's bipolar, maybe. Or just really, really strange. Or two-faced...

~

I walked into the library, my textbook and notebook under my left arm and pencil in hand. I went straight for the tables on the second floor. I promised myself I wouldn't wait more than forty-five minutes. 

Of course, about twenty minutes passed, and I still hadn't seen Ash. It was 9:23. I gravitated over to the computers, and began playing a game that I quickly got engulfed into. 

Suddenly something popped up on my screen, and I almost screamed. I slapped my hand over my mouth immediately before I could react and allow for the entire library to turn their attention to me. I did not shriek. 

I took a deep breath to calm myself before looking at the message on the screen: Hey. 

What? Hey? Since when could these computers send messages in the first place?

I clicked reply and typed into a box: Who are you?

I hit send, and waited for a reply. 

The reply I received was: Who do you think, retard? 

Ash. 

I groaned, and a few people around me looked up. I sent: Where are you?

"Behind you."

I still didn't scream, but my hand went right back over my mouth, and I jumped out of my seat. Ash was having a hard time suppressing his smirk. 

"It's not fun-" And then I tripped on the chair leg. Only I would. Because my luck runs out that fast. I sat up and pulled myself up, glaring up at Ash. "Thanks for the help." 

"I don't touch people," he retorted. "Maybe it's just bad OCD."

Maybe you're full of crap, and I can't wait until I get my B!

~

"Hey, Kate," whispered Lucy. 

Oh, man! Now Lucy has to see me getting tutored by...this thing. 

"Hi," I grumbled. 

"How's it going?" Lucy asked and looked at Ash. 

"It's tutoring. How do you think?" Ash answered for me. 

"It's fine," I told Lucy through clenched teeth, hoping she would get the gist and move on. 

"If you need anything, you can just come to me," Lucy said. "But I am two years younger than you so...it wouldn't be the best choice you've made." I thought I heard her mutter as she walked away: "But it'd still be smarter than this one." 

"Thanks," I called in a whisper to Lucy, and she waved without turning around. I turned to Ash. "You never did say why you agreed to this."

"Participation points. I never raise my hand, ask questions, and I refuse to do the problems he makes others do on the whiteboard," Ash answered. 

Why am I not surprised?

* Why do you think Ash seems to have two personalities? Bipolar demon? Or maybe two-faced? Something else? *