Rule Me School Me: A Complex Creatures Story (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 19

Short chapter- not much substance but it's required. Will try and update again this week since this update was so late. Enjoy!

Qing Hua slammed the large stack of books onto his desk. He sighed as Yan Tu turned from his desk to stare at him disbelievingly.

"Are you just starting that paper for Devil Cho's class?" he asked.

Qing Hua nodded and slouched into his chair. "These books were out last week, they were just returned." He said opening one book from the stack.

Yan Tu turned back around.

"What about that history exam? Have you studied for that yet?" Yan Tu asked burying his face into his textbook.

"A little." Qing Hua said removing his cell phone from his pocket and laying it face down on his desk. "What about you?"

"Yes, but I won't do any better than I did on the first one." Yan Tu stated. Qing Hua fell quiet. 

Since taking pictures of the answers for the midterm exam he hadn't actually looked at them. He kept telling himself that it wasn't going to hurt anyone but a pang of guilt always manifested in his stomach, making him feel as if his organs were being twisted and tied into knots. He just couldn't.

Qing Hua wiped the layer of sweat from his forehead. After hours of writing his business paper he'd finally completed it. He turned to look at Yan Tu, whose head listlessly bobbed as he struggled to stay awake.

"Hey!" Qing Hua exclaimed causing Yan Tu to jump alert.

"What?" He yelled.

"I am kinda hungry, want anything from the vending machines?" Qing Hua stood.

"Um... I want something from the cafeteria."

"Well I am not going there. " Qing Hua grabbed his wallet and left the room. He made his way down the hall, the echo of his shoes against the floor was somewhat soothing. The pictures in his phone entered his mind again. The moral dilemma started to get to him.

Qing Hua looked up from the floor and realized he'd reached the vending machines. On the walk back he could see the silhouette of Yan Tu leaving their room.
Qing Hua entered the door room. The sun was setting and mosaics of orange light masqueraded across the walls. Though the air outside was cold, the sun's warmth soothed Qing Hua's sweaty skin. For a moment, he was drawn out of his thoughts and basked in it.

Qing Hua sat back at his desk and pulled out his history notes. Though he wasn't confident that he could pass on his own, guilt twisted his stomach in knots every time he thought of looking at the pictures he'd taken of exam answer key. Qing Hua dug his face into his notes. His eyes blurred as minutes turned to hours. The room darkened. Though he'd studied for hours, he hadn't retained anything. Qing Hua grew irritated. All of the material seemed to blend together- dates, names.

Qing Hua picked up his phone and looked at the answer key. It wasn't cheating if he used it as sa study guide, he told himself. He wouldn't read all the answers, just enough to get started. He began writing down some of the key information that he would need to study for the test. He was so concentrated he didn't hear Yan Tu come into the room and sneak behind him.

"What's that?" Yan Tu asked looking over Qing Hua's shoulder. Qing Hua jumped, his phone crashed onto the desk.

"You scared the shit outta me," Qing Hua yelled.

"What's that you're looking at?" Yan Tu asked again looking at the notes Qing Hua was scribbling into his notebook. "Is that a study guide?"

"It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing. Let me see." Yan Tu reached beyond Qing Hua and grabbed the cell phone. Qing Hua quickly pulled it from his hand and stood up.

Yan Tu cowered. "What's wrong with you? Why won't you let me see it?" Qing Hua felt a pang of guilt in his stomach but he could not risk anyone finding out about this.

Qing Hua took a breath. "Sorry. It's just a picture I took of someone else's notes. It's nothing really." Yan Tu hesitantly nodded before silently returning to his desk.

Qing Hua's head ached at the whole ordeal.

"I am going to sleep." Qing Hua said laying in his bed. Yan Tu didn't respond. He silently sat at his desk, writing away.

The history exam was two days away and Qing Hua couldn't have been less confident that he would pass. He had to pass that exam, too much was riding on it.