perf*ct (boy × boy) ✔

eight: a snowball's chance in hell

"Whatever, I'm not going to that party." I grumbled quietly. It did kind of spoil my theory, but it didn't explain why Audrey Grace was now after me instead of my brother who she had dumped only a short while ago.

"You should come. I'm going too and you can hang out with me and the guys." Nicholas probably thought he was increasing my eagerness to go to the party, but it was the opposite. I couldn't think of a worse way to spend my Friday evening than to do it at a party with my least favorite group of all.

There was a snowball's chance in hell I was going to that party.

°°°°

Ms. Delaney's English classes were giving me a headache. First of all, I couldn't return the essay, which I had only just started in the morning. I wasn't the only one late from the deadline, but that didn't really get me off the hook. Instead she gave us extra homework to make sure we wouldn't repeat our mistake.

Secondly, I was supposed to read a book that had over 500 pages till the end of the month and I hate reading. I often just end up moving my eyes on the pages only to realize I haven't actually assimilated any of it. Sometimes I felt like the words moved, which made it even harder to focus. It didn't matter how many times I sat down determined to read the book, I just couldn't get it done.

And well, there was the third thing as well. Ever since that little incident in the school yard and the realization of Gray Eyes sitting so close to me in the classroom, all I could feel during the English classes was his presence. I tried not to acknowledge him in any way, but it was difficult when I could feel his eyes drilling into me. Constantly, that is. Whenever I glanced at him, he was already looking back at me.

Along with the staring, Gray Eyes was always playing with his pen. He didn't even seem to notice doing so, and everything about his appearance gave off ease. He didn't seem too bothered about anything when he lounged at his seat. 

He was wearing worn out boyfriend jeans, a black Led Zeppelin t-shirt and shabby sneakers. His black hair was cut short and his skin was fair, almost pale. He had thick eyebrows and his left ear had more piercings than I could count. 

I admit it was possible I had been sneaking glances at him a few times more often than was absolutely necessary. If he hadn't punched me in the face, I could have said he was easy on the eyes. Not that I was looking at him for that particular reason though, I was just trying to figure out what his deal was.

"Today we'll talk about the first four chapters of Crime and Punishment. Surely you all have read that far by now?" There was no way I would admit to Ms. Delaney that I had only read five pages of it.

"What do you think drives Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov to do what he's about to do?" Ms. Delaney asked. She wrote the name of the character on the white board and under it one word: "motive". 

"Dawson?" I think she had something against me, especially now that I had failed to return the essay on time.

"I-I, um.." I had absolutely no idea what could have driven the guy to do whatever he was about to do, and making something up on the fly wasn't my strongest suit. It didn't help that everyone was staring at me or that I could hear the clock ticking oppressively on the wall.

"I have a theory." I couldn't believe my eyes when Gray Eyes lifted his hand and volunteered to put me out of my misery. 

"Okay.." Ms. Delaney let her eyes browse through the name list.

"Solar — Clarke." Gray Eyes offered. Then he told his theory. Ms. Delaney loved it. I felt like the dumbest person in the world. When he looked at me the next time, I answered the gaze with new curiosity.

Around that time I realized two things. Gray Eyes probably wasn't trying to make an enemy of me, and this little hide and seek game of mine was getting ridiculous. I knew I couldn't keep avoiding him forever, so why not hear him out? Then we could both continue living our lives like none of this ever happened, right?

So, after making the decision, I didn't rush out of the classroom when the class was over. Instead I put my books in my bag deliberately and slouched to the hallway. When I felt his hand tapping my shoulder, it didn't make me flinch. 

"Hey, Nathaniel." Gray Eyes said as soon as I turned to look at him. He was at least three inches taller than me, so I had to look up at him. It felt weird to hear my name from his lips, especially the name no one used. Yet I didn't correct him, because I would probably have ended up stammering.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to —" This time I didn't tell him to stop or even shake my head, but all the same someone interrupted Gray Eyes before he could finish what he wanted to say.

"Do we have a problem here?" Liam wrapped his arm around my shoulders and fixed a pointed look at Gray Eyes. 

"No, I just wanted to say something to Nathaniel." Gray Eyes cleared up quickly. 

"Nathaniel? No one calls him that." Liam shrugged and started pulling me away from Gray Eyes. "Anyway, we gotta go." 

"But.." Gray Eyes complained. 

"No buts, bye!" Liam glanced at him for the last time before he started to blabber at me: "I heard Audrey Grace asked you to O'Sullivan's party. She came to talk to me just now and I'm invited too!"