Forces of Nature

Better Than A Lollipop

She looked from me to Tyson, and I was certain I saw amusement flare in her eyes as we both passed over our essays on South Asia and North Africa's nationalism. I was hoping she'd move on after that, but my earlier unease was proven correct when she spoke.

"I'll need to see you both after class for a few minutes, about your joint project."

I visibly deflated. I'd hoped our progress, that had come in leaps and bounds since we'd gotten together, would have been enough for us to scrape by until the next deadline. Miss Clark took a step, paused, and then glanced back at us, first at my cheek, and then at Tyson's.

"Is that NO on his cheek directed at what's on yours? Because I'm almost afraid to guess what that's in reference to," she said, nodding at my new face graffiti.

She had the smallest of grins on her face as she walked over to Janie's table to collect the essay she was waving about frantically.

"What's on my face?" I asked, giving Tyson a wide-eyed stare.

Thoroughly amused, he shrugged, lips pressed together tightly.

"Seriously, what'd you write?" And where was a damn mirror when I needed one?

Retrieving a bottle of water from his bag, Tyson wet the cuff of his sweater and reached for me. I squirmed away. "Nuh uh, buddy, not before I see what you scribbled on my face."

His eyebrow arched. "You're really going to walk the halls like that until you find a mirror?"

"It's last period." An idea came to me, and I dove for his bag. "I just need your phone for a second."

I was intending to use the blank reflective screen to see what I was rocking on my cheek, but Tyson was lightning quick. He shoved his bag off the table, wrapped me in another headlock, and began scrubbing my cheek. I grunted something extremely unladylike, pushing at his ribs to no avail.

"Damn it, Tyson, what does it say?"

"Nothing, because it's gone," he said, and right before he let me go, he dabbed at my nose as well to erase the original spot.

Supremely annoyed at him for preventing me from finding out, I clamped my arms across my chest. Beside me, he cleaned off his own face, his expression suggesting he still found the entire situation just delightful.

"That's okay, I'll just ask Miss Clarke."

"Uh huh, sure you will." He didn't believe me, which just made me that much more determined to get to the bottom of it.

I had to wait fifteen torturously long minutes, but the second the bell rang I was up and out of my seat, and when Tyson realised I was serious, he lunged for me. Sidestepping him so clumsily I nearly took out the guy getting to his feet at the table next to ours, I threw out a hasty apology and practically sprinted to the front of the room.

Miss Clarke was occupied with Janie, who had what looked like a 100 page essay cracked open as she highlighted various points to make sure Miss Clarke understood perfectly the arguments Janie was making in her work.

"I thought it was a 2000 word essay," I couldn't help but blurt. This earned me a death stare from the school's hopeful valedictorian.

Miss Clarke sighed, briefly glancing at me. "It is. And Janie, while I've already told you that I won't mark you down for exceeding the word count by three and a half thousand words, that doesn't mean I'll consider it extra credit, no matter how convincingly you argue otherwise. So hand over the paper and go home."

Ready to cry, Janie reluctantly did as she was told, tossed me another glower over her shoulder, and scurried out the door with the last of the students making a break for freedom. Behind me, I could feel the heat of Tyson; he'd come to a stop with barely an inch between his chest and my back, and for some reason he was still working to hide a grin.