Breaking Her Rules

Chapter 46

The chemistry exam falls on the first really hot day of the spring, and even sitting outside the exam room in the morning I'm already feeling sweaty. But that may also be because I'm going over my notes for the last time while listening to the terse whispers of the other students as they revise their formulae and try to cram in last bits of information.

I'm sitting on the ground leaning against the building, sitting in the shade and avoiding the sun like the others around me. My colour coordination system in my notes suddenly seems childish, and I've just realised that I have missed maybe half a page of notes from the third week of term. I'm already sick of revising calculations.

When Lucas appears around the corner I throw my notes down in relief, glad for the distraction. He sits down next to me without concern, as if it's perfectly normal for us to hang out. Which I guess it kind of is, nowadays.

His white school shirt is sticking to his lower back, and he's rolled up his sleeves.

'Ready?' he asks me. He doesn't look at me, but slides a textbook and a notebook out of his backpack and flicks the notebook open to a page.

I take a breath. 'No,' I say honestly. 'But I'm ready for it to be over.'

Lucas's gaze flutters up to me. 'You'll be fine, Maisy,' he teases, and he reaches again into his bag and pulls out a bag of individually wrapped chocolates. 'Need some energy?'

'Yeah,' I say, and I reach across him and grab a chocolate out of the bag. As I pull back my wrist grazes against his thigh. I focus on unwrapping the chocolate as neatly as possible, trying to ignore the hotness in my cheeks that I try to attribute to the hot day. I'm absolutely certain Lucas knows that I'm thinking about touching him. I place the chocolate in my mouth and chew, trying to banish thoughts. I shouldn't be thinking about this when we're about to go into an exam. I can't spend the whole exam thinking about Lucas.

'So two hours of chemistry, and then we're free,' Lucas says. He's still looking down at his notes. I can't help but stare at him when I know he's not looking. I like the way his blonde fringe flops down across his face when he looks down. I notice the bones in his hands as he turns a page in his notebook. Then he looks up at me and I have to hastily look down at my notebook again. My mouth is sticky with chocolate, and I swallow, completely aware of Lucas's eyes, and whether or not they're still on me. Is it too soon to look up? I keep staring at my notebook, but now I'm not studying anymore, I'm just focusing on the figure beside me and trying to decide if I can look at him again.

I count to thirty and then I glance up, as casually as I can, while flicking the page of my book. He's not looking at me anymore. He's looking down at his textbook and his mouth is slightly open as he reads a paragraph. As I watch him I see his lips move, just ever so slightly, as he reads.

I reach across him again to grab another chocolate, but he places his hand over mine, and then pushes the bag of chocolate away. He grins mischievously and then pulls a chocolate out of the bag and places it in my hand. His hand rests over mine for a fraction of a second longer than it should, and then he lets go and flicks the page of his textbook.

Fifteen minutes before the exam starts a teacher comes out of the classroom and announces that we can go in. There's a rush as everyone packs up their books and grabs their exam equipment. I shove everything into my bag and look over my equipment once again, making sure I have spare pencils and pens.

I follow Lucas in silently, and when we sit down we're not allowed to talk. There's still more than ten minutes before the exam starts. I'm sitting directly behind Lucas, and I focus on his crumpled collar.

As the hour draws closer I glance down at the booklet in front of me. The exam paper is thick. I swallow as I feel how thick it is. It's a lot of questions.