The Night School [GxG] [First Draft Edition]

Deleted Scene No. 8: Chapter Sixty-One: Megan's Guide to Training Your Hazel

"Will somebody please just say something!" Tatiana exclaimed, finally being the first to crack the awfully awkward silence.

Cael, Robyn, Marley, Micha, Tatiana, Hazel, and I were lounging around in our nook waiting for lunch to be over.

"What's there to say?" Micha murmured.

"I don't care! Ask Ace where she got her shirt from, just say something! Y'all haven't said anything for a fucking hour!" Ana groaned.

"Target." I shrugged. "I'm a walking Target advertisement."

Silence.

"Hazel, what's your middle name?" Ana asked desperately.

"Rowan." Hazel deadpanned.

"Hazel Rowan Sinclair. I like." My ex shrugged. I was detecting small amounts of ass kissing and flattery from the adolescent, but she was playing it well- she knew that as my ex she was on thin ice when it came to my current -severely jealous- girlfriend.

"Mm." Hazel acknowledged.

"What about you, Ace?"

"Holden." I murmured.

"Like Holden Caulfield?" Ana already knew this.

"Yeah." I sighed. That book just drove me off the walls- there was no plot! I mean I loved the metaphors but ugh!

"Who?" Hazel, of all surprises, asked (though not without an adorably jealous glare aimed to melt the side of my face). I told you she didn't do literature.

"Books." Micha shrugged.

"Oh." Hazel pursed her lips with a mild blush. Aww. She was being cute again. "Why would your parents name you after a character?"

"Well, they both love Catcher in the Rye. They aren't creative. They met in a book club that was reading that book." I bounced my shoulders boredly.

"How do you not know Holden Caulfield?!" Robyn exclaimed at my girlfriend like they were having a normal conversation. Again; Hazel is in no way meant to be dealt with normally!

"I don't study fictional literature." Hazel replied evenly.

"Have you ever tried to read a book for leisure?" Ana smirked knowingly.

"I don't have opportunities for leisure, and I do not enjoy using my free moments in pursuit of nonproductive whims."

"I will find you a book you'll like." She stated with easygoing confidence.

"Don't." Hazel sighed.

"Catcher in the Rye?" Robyn chirped to Tatiana so she wouldn't directly pester Hazel.

"No." Hazel grumbled.

"Could be perfect." Ana nodded. "Ace, you think she'd like it?" She smirked at me. Shizzle. Do I support the grumpy girlfriend or the ex who is most likely right. Well... I have to admit that Ana is probably correct. But agreeing with the ex is not fodder for a happy Hazel. What is with my alliterations today?!

"Maybe?" I glanced at Hazel to see whether or not she was trying to kill me. She gave me an 'are you kidding me?!' Sort of look that was probably the cutest thing I'd seen that day. "What?" I tightened my lips so I wouldn't smile at her facial expression.

"Why should I read this? I have no desire to. Why is it that you're so intent on my finding an enjoyable book?" She frowned. Aww. Cute Zel.

"Because you're stubborn. And we're stubborn. And most of us stubborn people here love books." Marley enlightened her.