Honor Among Friends (NaNoWriMo14)

Chapter 5-B

Feeling too anxious to sit through class, she went to the library and sat in one of the back tables. Her knee bounced uncontrollably as the kick of adrenaline finally hit her. Clasping her hands to keep them from shaking also, she took deep breaths.

I did it. I really did it, she thought to herself. She closed her eyes and pictured the medallion. The beauty of her plan was that no one would suspect her. She didn't attend any classes in that room nor did she know the teacher.

Now all she had to do was get through the last two hours of school and she would be home free. Easier said than done when she had a persistent editor-in-chief on her tail.

"Maddy, can you stay a bit?" Carson asked, his head popping up from behind the computer screen. "We never got around to discussing my idea for the article."

She glanced at the clock. There were only a few minutes before the end of school. "I can't I—"

But he wasn't listening. His fingers were already busy typing on the keyboard. "Great. Let me send these proofs and we'll get started."

She rolled her eyes at his presumptuous nature, but she kept her mouth shut. In this room, Carson Marks was king and what he says goes. Making a big show to illustrate her displeasure, however, was perfectly acceptable. She huffed and groaned as she lowered herself into the chair by his desk.

She got a good whiff of him and groaned even more. What did that boy bath in so he could smell so sweet and spicy? It smelt like an invitation to sink into his arms and never let go. She let out a moan at her thoughts. Her hormones were out of control.

"You think you could sound any louder? I'm pretty sure they haven't heard you by the football fields yet."

"Oh I'm sorry. Is this bothering you?" she asked with mock sincerity. She grinned at the glare he sent her. "I'm just expressing my freedom of speech."

"I'm pretty sure speech involves talking. Now be quiet. I have a few more things to write."

"Now who's the one complaining?" When he grumbled about frustrating girls with smart mouths, she shot him a saucy grin and asked, "Would you like some cheese with that whine?"

"It depends. Do I have to keep the company?" he asked, his voice flat. His fingers continued to move with rapid speed, his eyes tracking every word.

"Yes," she replied, pleased with herself. "Loud sounds and all."

He paused his typing and Madison was sure she finally needled him the way he did her. But the hard expression and stern warning never came. Instead, he turned a twinkling eye to her. "Then I accept. It's a date. When should I pick you up?"

It took a few seconds for his words to compute but when they did, she realized she'd been tricked. "You purposefully mislead me with your words."

His unabashed expression made no apologies. "You shouldn't have tangled with a journalism student. Now, should I provide the cheese or will you?"

"You're making fun of me."

"No. I'm planning our date."

"I was kidding," she insisted.

"I wasn't."

His bold statement was met with a state of panic. "I-I I'm not....This isn't—I mean..." She swallowed and tried again but nothing came out.

He appeared amused by her struggle. "I made you speechless. This has to be a first."

"You're changing the rules," she blurted out. Their relationship or friendship or whatever it was, was built on platonic feelings with a side of playful dialogue. Not this flirty banter that had a serious undertone running through it. The change threw her off.