Cabin Fever | ✓

(31) Tequila And My Dealers' Mystery Pack Took The Wheel

Double update! Chapters 30 & 31!

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Now that they were back in a classroom setting, the tension between Leo and Aiden was palpable. Though they sat at opposite sides of the room, it was obvious they were avoiding each other at all costs.

Gabby and Leo were another kind of awkward entirely. Today was a review day with a bunch of textbook questions to do before the test Monday, so Mrs. Weiss allowed everyone to join desks in pairs or two to finish their questions.

It was days like this that Marley was thankful for the classes' slew of complaints when Mrs. Weiss announced that they were supposed to switch partners for the last month. Given that she's more understanding and closer with her students than the other teachers, she allowed lab partners to remain as is. Marley liked working with Aiden too much to want to switch anymore, especially since they were now back together.

Gabby was sat with Ethan, and every time she laughed at something he said Leo would shoot his head up from across the room, only to look away with an expression devoid of all emotion.

Aiden had sat across the room from Marley during their break, to give her space, but today he had taken back his original seat pushed his desk beside hers.

She turned to study him, watching as he flipped through their textbook, his pen between his teeth as he did so. A couple pages of his notebook were already covered in his neat handwriting front and back; they had a lot of questions to tackle for one day and Marley knew she was the one behind and distracted this time.

There was just so much going on, from Leo and Gabby, to Leo and Aiden, to the dirty cheater Instagram account, to what happened the night of Dalton's party, to Trish's recent revelations...it just made Biology look more unimportant than ever before.

She rested her chin in her palm, elbow on the table and torso turned towards her boyfriend, "Aiden?"

"Hm?"

"Gabby and Leo..." she trailed off, watching his pen still for a heartbeat before he was going right back to writing down his answer.

He did respond, though, "I know you want to help but I think it's best if we leave this one. When Gabby's ready to talk about it, you know you'll be the first person she talks about it with."

"I know that." she sighed, eyes scanning over his strong jawline and disarray of dark brown hair, "but I just...he's lost two people he cares about, Aiden. At least you have me. He doesn't have anyone right now."

He dropped his pen and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. His blue eyes drifted across the room to see Leo frowning over his homework. He didn't have Gabby to tutor him anymore.

All Aiden did was turn away dismissively, going right back to his work, "If you can't focus today I can give you the answers later. Just relax right now."

All Marley did was continue to stare him down, waiting for him to break. He was putting up a good fight, though, his expression neutral as he flipped more pages.

Aiden managed to get through questions twenty five to twenty eight before he finally let out a loud sigh and dropped his pen, "You've really been stewing over this for a while, haven't you?"

She chewed on her lower lip and nodded. Aiden reached a hand up to undo her ponytail, her coffee brown hair falling in waves over her shoulders while he fiddled with the elastic, eyes on hers before they were trailing over her face.

"I can see why this is important to you," he began lowly, referring to her past and losing her mother and brother, "but you have to see where I'm coming from, too. Leo's-was, my best friend. He's always known what you mean to me. He was aware that everything he said would push me away for good. It wasn't a heat of the moment fight, spitfire, it was a choice he made knowing what the consequences would be."