The Valley of Kings and a Queen

Chapter 16

The next week in biology class a paper airplane comes soaring at my face hitting the tip of my nose before falling onto my notebook out in front me – awakening from the daze I drifted into due to our teacher's ability to make every lecture as dry as dead bones. I snap my head left to see Finley's eyes darting between me and the paper airplane, the corners of his lips quirking upwards forming a feline smile across his face. I roll my eyes but still indulge him by unfolding the airplane in my hands.

I read his cursive words scribbled across the paper, What you up to later?

I bite my lip trying to suppress my smile from his attention. Why would he want to know what I was doing later? What did it mean? Honestly, I feel as though he is just messing with me out of boredom.

Why do you need to know? I say crumbling up the piece of paper into a ball and throwing it back at him, it bounces off his watch and lands into his lap. We start to pass the note back and forth.

So secretive I see. Hiding something?

What could I possibly be hiding.

Your undying love for me. So, conceited of him to even think of that.

I think it's the other way around. Why did you want to know what I was doing?

Would you want to go with me somewhere after school?

Sounds suspicious. Where to?

I knew you'd say yes cause you couldn't resist spending time with me.

Didn't know that "where to?" equivalated to a yes these days.

Just around London. Why, you don't think you can trust such a charming and wonderful lad like me?

Well, I heard you got your license suspended?

Wait what? Where'd you hear that lie.

For driving all the ladies crazy. I throw the paper back at him, and he starts howling quietly.

"Mr. Collins, is there something you would like to share with the class today?" Mr. Evans asks interrupting our playful banter clearly irritated that we are disrupting his teaching.I hold back my laughter and just smirk at Finley though his focus goes back to the lecture leaving me to wonder what he has planned.

I decide to take Finley up on his offer that afternoon, not that I could honestly resist turning it down. I meet him at his car, he's sitting in the driver seat, arm hanging outside the window tapping the part of the exterior door just below.

"Howdy mate," he says chuckling. I give him a forced smile trying not to seem too excited or nervous for whatever adventure lies ahead.

"Where to?" I ask.

"Still don't trust me?" he asks casually, "Is it because I'm a Brit and you're a yankee."

"Not quite," I laugh, "maybe because my friends and family might wonder why I am not coming home and instead going who knows the heck where with a guy I have known for only a couple weeks."

"I think it's been about two months my darling," he says laughing.

"Hm, so you have been keeping track. Seems to me that you are the obsessed one?"

"You're right, I have nothing better to do then count the days until this American girl from my class finally agrees to hang out with me," he says sarcastically, "though, I will say I am quite the intellectual and have used a calendar to read dates and do basic math. See if you backtrack to the day that we first met - the first day of school might I add - so it was easy to remember," he starts to go on.