Up in the Air

Chapter 23

Dedicated to laura_sheerio for her well-numbered AWESOME reasons for shipping Saniel.

Listen to an acoustic version of Brokenhearted by Lawson in the sidebar.

Chapter 23

"Settle down! Settle down!" Ms. Lyle called out from the front of the classroom. Next to her, Mr. Parker was doing the same.

She clapped her hands excitedly when the room finally entered an acceptable state of noise. "Very good. Now, I know you're all probably wondering why the creative writing and photography classes are still clumped together even after you've put up your exhibits –"

"Not really," someone from the front called out.

The class chuckled but Ms. Lyle didn't share our amusement.

"Detention, McCloud."

McCloud, whoever that was, let out a frustrated groan.

"As I was saying," Ms. Lyle continued. "We're having one last joined class for the quarter so you can all evaluate your partner for their part in your project. These evaluations will make up 40% of the grade that you're going to get for your exhibit. Mr. Parker and I will be handing out the forms that you're going to use to rate your partner's performance –"

Almost everyone snickered and that – and, really, could you blame us? The words 'partner's performance' uttered in a room filled with teenagers was just begging to be laughed at.

Ms. Lyle threw her hands in the air and began to help Mr. Parker hand out the questionnaires.

When they finally reached where I was seated at the back of the classroom, I looked at the uneasily. "Ms. Lyle? I think my partner ditched class." Both teachers didn't even flinch. "What's going to happen to my grade if –?"

"Hold your horses, Preston," a familiar voice said, followed immediately by the loud bang of the classroom door closing.

Julian Pitt had chosen that exact moment to walk into the classroom like he owned it. "I didn't ditch – I was just late," he clarified, taking his seat to my right. "What did I miss?" he asked oh-so-casually.

Mr. Parker frowned at him. "Glad to see you could finally grace us with your presence, Mr. Pitt –"

"It was my pleasure," Julian grinned leaning back in his chair.

I sighed.

Ms. Lyle shot him a look. "Care to tell us why you were late, Mr. Pitt?"

"I ran into a door." Julian raised his right hand which was tightly wrapped in bandages and offered both teachers a satisfied smirk. "I had to go to the nurse's office."

"Did the door have eyes, ears and some inconsequential tick that pissed you off?" I asked in a bored voice.

I kept my eyes on the book in front of me but I could feel him giving me a patronizing glance.

"This certainly changes things," Ms. Lyle frowned. "You are left-handed, aren't you?"

"Don't tell me we're going to have to write anything down today," he groaned. "The nurse said the bandages had to stay on for at least a few days."

"Can this be? Do I hear remorse from the Julian Pitt about how he can't participate in a school-related activity? Somebody pinch me, I must be – ow!"

Julian had actually pinched me.

Reflexively, I swatted him in the face.

Mr. Parker chuckled heartily while Ms. Lyle bit her lip to stop herself from giggling.