A Secret Service [NOW PUBLISHED]

Chapter 18 -"Play nice."

"You get that most of the people in this class are smart, right?" he asked. "It is Advanced Chemistry."

"Smart is relative. Compared to you, and Donovan, this class is filled with morons."

"Carter," Mr. Miller said. At the sound of her name, Carter looked at her teacher. "Donovan, Link and Mason."

Carter whipped her attention back to Link, his face working at control. Across the room Mason was giving her and Link a fierce, annoyed glare. Carter reached out and laid her hand on Link's clenched fists.

"What did I tell you, I got nitwits for partners. Well, one nitwit, to be exact."

Link relaxed his clenched hands and managed a small grin. Carter pulled her hand away.

"Alright class, get into your groups and I will go over what you will be doing," Mr. Miller said.

Donovan joined Carter and Link at their table, but Mason made no sign of moving. He met their gazes with a determined stubbornness. Carter stood.

"Mason, you underdeveloped neanderthal get over here. We out number you and so you have join us," she yelled over the noise of the class.

A few laughs bounced around the room. Face turning red with anger, Mason made his way over to them, Smith following. Donovan leaned close to Carter.

"Play nice," he whispered.

"Fine," she hissed.

Mason dropped his things on the table, sending a loud bang around the room. With a tight lipped smile, Carter laced her fingers and settled them on the table, looking at Mason.

"Alright," she said. "Let's get this over with quickly before Mason counts us as his future constituents."

Donovan elbowed her side.

"Owen, don't you ever get tired of your own irritating voice?" Mason said.

"Not as much as I am of your's," she said. "Low IQs grate on my ear drums."

Mason's face twisted with rage.

"Carter," Donovan growled.

She looked at him with an innocent expression.

"Simply stating a fact."

"Today, class, you will be doing an experiment to determine heat of displacement of copper from sulphate solution by zinc metal," Mr. Miller said. "Listen closely."

He moved to the board and began writing out his instructions, talking as he did so. Mason turned away from the group, pretending to listen. Donovan gripped Carter's upper arm, tugging her closer to him.

"For the sake of Link, don't make this anymore difficult than it already is," Donovan whispered.

Carter turned to him, their faces a few inches apart. When she spoke her breath got tangled with his.

"How am I making anything more difficult?"

"Antagonizing Mason will only make this all last longer. Shut up and finish the project so he can go back to his own table."

Carter rolled her eyes and Donovan tightened his grip, forcing her to meet his gaze, his blue eyes hard as steel.

"Fine," she said. "I will play nice."

Donovan released her and they shifted away from each other. When Carter looked over at Link, he was already staring at her, blatant curiosity scrolled on his face.

"Just exchanging threats and what not," Carter said.

Link frowned in puzzlement.

"It's nothing, Link," she said.