The Rose Club

A lesson in biology

Monday presented a very enjoyable situation. Laura thought that she'd only mutter her discontent and groan in the face of the entire day. But to her delight, there was something more.

"Mrs Conner isn't here today?"

"Do we have a free period then?"

Apparently, they did not. Another teacher, the less impressive biology teacher: Mr Amos, came to burst their bubble of excitement. He ordered them into a classroom a few doors down where they'd join his own class for a joint lesson. It would have been nothing to think twice about, but it wasn't. Laura, the only one of her friends who had biology, was sitting off to the side of the class on her own when a voice trickled over her shoulder.

"These violent delights have violent ends," he whispered.

Laura smiled without looking back. She waited for a second to mull over what to say and what to think, but she ultimately waited for him to continue.

"And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume."

A memory of their shared kiss at the Summer Festival flashed through her mind as her heart rate sped up. She turned slightly to glance at Wesley over her shoulder. Wesley's smile livened up the room of dull faces. His whisper made his words a secret, only to her and meant for no one else.

"Are you saying I'm a bad kisser?" She mocked.

"I would never. Besides, you kissed like an angel, Juliet." He winked.

Laura was actually struck by this guy's effortless confidence. He didn't seem to think twice about what he said to her. He was unapologetic in his interest, which for some reason made her more impressed by it. She snorted to try and look like she wasn't completely interested inside, she had to have some bit of cool left.

"How long did it take you to memorise Romeo and Juliet quotes?"

"When you're a theatre nerd, you pick it up after a while."

"Is your acting as good as your flirting, then?" Laura smiled. Wesley feinted a chest pain and clutched his chest with a hand. He gestured to a biology poster against the wall next to him.

"Ouch. That one gave me ulcerative colitis."

"Then clutching your heart won't help you that much, genius." Laura almost laughed out loud and was suddenly aware of how quiet the class was. But when she looked Mr Amos was deep in explaining something on the board and everyone was fidgeting and talking under the new circumstances.

They shared whispers as the biology lesson continued on. A boring and dragging event with a shadow of an exciting exchange of words happening in the midst. They seemed to talk and talk until they couldn't even remember that it was still a Monday at school. They had drifted away an entire hour without realising it.

"You're pretty full of it, Wesley."

"Yes I am," he joked back, "Call me Wes."

Ora stopped the two as they left the classroom. She handed them both an envelope with a single rose printed on it. She picked up their giddiness as they stopped in their conversation to reach for the letters. Ora gave them a theatrical look and made a show of waiting for them to open the envelopes.

"Halloween night?"

"Yes."

"What about the party at Shana's?" Wes asked. Popular kids always had popular things, Laura wasn't even aware of the party - she wasn't bothered at all, though. She had her own Halloween traditions with her dad.

"We'll do it after, see the time?" She rolled her eyes.

"Do you really think a senior's last Halloween party is going to end at midnight?"

"You don't have to come, Mr Carter." She bit her words, Laura assumed that she didn't like the idea of Wesley choosing Shana's party over her. He tried to apologise profusely, but Ora was giving him a hard time. Eventually, she did thaw out and rolled her eyes as he bear hugged her.

"That's my girl."

"I have art class, it's a long way there, see you guys. And I'll be there, Ora." Laura waved and backed away. Wesley yelled for her to wait up as he followed her. He came into step next to her and grabbed the straps of his bag and glanced at her.

"Do you want to join us in going to that Halloween party?"

A thousand things shocked through her thoughts before she placed her next step. Like, was this a date? Why did he say "us", who is "us", is it just a friend thing? Will it be rude not to accept? What do I say? Do I want to go?

"I actually have plans already," Laura was on autopilot, she couldn't remember giving her mouth the instructions to say that. Her mind was blank. What plans did she have again? She remembered what she and her dad usually did on the 31st of October. That wasn't something she couldn't get out of, or finish in time. Why did she say no? "But thanks."

"That's cool, I'll see you at Ora's thing then." He winked and turned away.

Shoot. Did he think she was lying about the plans she had, because he might think what plans could she have if she could make it to Ora's Rose Club meeting? No, but he had plans, she could have plans as well. Well, she didn't, but he didn't know that. He took the no pretty well in her opinion. Was this a bad thing? Was she over analysing everything as always. Yes. She sighed as she entered art class.

That period, she sketched a boy's chest to be see through to reveal a glowing heart. The boys hand was also clutching it through his body. She added a Shakespeare quote just to be extra as well. Oh, she was hopeless.