DOGS

Chapter 37

One would think that being punched in the face would make someone want to lay low for a while. But for James, it's the exact opposite. The very next day, he presents Simone with a bouquet of various flowers during her first period class, the one she shares with Eli. He waltz into the class room and heads straight for Simone, completely ignoring the fact that he's interrupting the lecture on religion versus philosophy. Mrs. Diaz stops talking and crosses her arms tightly under her bust, staring at James with a puzzled expression on her face..

Simone accepts the flowers sheepishly, feeling the hot stares of her classmates on her. "Thank you, James."

"Something beautiful for someone just as beautiful." He replies, gazing at her adoringly. She wants to tell him to tone it down with the cheesy lines, but now it's the best time. Instead, she plasters on a shy smile and sniffs the flowers, enjoying their fresh floral scent.

"Goals!" Faith coos from behind her and a few people 'aww' behind her..

Mrs. Diaz walks over to James and grabs him by his shirt, "Don't you have somewhere to be James? Don't make me write you up for disrupting my class and cutting your own class. You can flirt with Miss Porter on your own time rather than wasting mine."

"Sorry ma'am," He apologizes, "Would you like me to bring you flowers tomorrow to make up for my carelessness?"

The hint of a smile tugs at Mrs. Diaz's lips, but she holds her composure as she walks him to the door. "Go."

He waves bye to her and winks at Simone before heading to his own class. Mrs. Diaz shakes her head and turns, eyeing Simone's flowers for a moment before walking back to the front of the classroom. Simone lays the flowers on her desk and the huge bouquet covers up most of the words written down in her notebook. Eli reaches over and plucks a tulip from the bouquet. Annoyed, she looks over at him as he twirls the stem around his finger. "He wears that black eye well, I bet two of them would look even better."

What he's insinuating makes Simone's stomach churn and she leans over to him so he can hear her whisper. "Leave James alone, Eli. I'm serious. If you touch him again I'll---"

"You'll what?" He leans his body towards her, waiting to hear the threat that she's struggling to come up with. What could she do to Eli that would really set him off?  He acts like he doesn't care about anything in the world so it's hard to find something that will really effect him.

"Can ya'll move your heads? I can't see the board." Someone whispers from behind them.

Simone straightens up again and turns her face away from Eli. Picking up her pen, she proceeds taking down notes as best she can with the bouquet in her way. She won't let Eli get in her head. Not again, and especially not after what he did to James. She has to stay focused.

When class is over, Simone can't wait to find Kenya and show her the flowers. Usually they bump in to each other during passing time, but after looking up and down the hallway she doesn't see her anywhere. She walks in to the art room and takes her usual seat at her easel, setting her messenger bag down and placing the flowers on top of it.

Mrs. B claps her hands together twice to grab everyone's attention once all the seats have been filled. "Today we're going to have a little fun! Before I explain, I want you all to partner up. You have fourty-five seconds to do so. Now go!"

Everyone scrambles to grab someone. Simone meets Eli's eye across the room, he smirks at her and she quickly looks around for someone to partner up with. Over by the window sits Kim Nyguen, simply watching as people dart around the room to partner up. Simone hops off her stool and makes a beeline for Kim, determined to make her her partner before time is up. She's only a few feet away when Christian Perez cuts her off and walks up to Kim. Simone stops in her tracks and watch Christian say something, which Kim nods her head to before getting up and dragging her stool back to Christian's easel.