The Final Stroke of Twelve

Chapter 6

As they were about to walk in, a strange scent hit Faven right in her gut. God! She just wanted to cover her mouth and rush to the loo. She can't walk out on her parents' decision, Fay had a hard time convincing them to bend to hers as they were against it enough already. Now bailing on theirs will do no good if not bad. However, this harsh, vicious, alienating atmosphere was getting on her nerves.

"Grah!" She let out a low growl.

"If you're done contemplating your sorry second thoughts, you might as well take a seat" Ethan tapped his palm beside him.

Fay blinked a few times before spotting Ethan on the very first-freakin'-bench!

"First bench? What are you trying to get me killed?" Fay exclaimed.

"What? It's not like you have the-teacher's-complete-attention-in-the-very-first-class-phobia. At least not from what I saw. You slayed it back there!!" Ethan tried with his some-what-convincing voice.

"No, but I happen to have the-making-a-fool-outta-myself-in-the-very-first-class- phobia" She made a sassy turn and rushed to the last bench possible. Strangely it was deserted.

"Brainiac junkies" she muttered and settled herself there.

"Oh, no Fay! Don't be like this! Come back here!!" Ethan whined. That turned a few head, grabbing her attention.

"Look Eth, for the next hour, I'm gonna pretend none of this exists and if you don't shut that hole in your face I'll pretend that you don't either" Fay hissed.

Ethan began to squirm and draw more attention "Now, you sush!!!" Fay held up a finger and that turned him off.

The class slowly started filling up with students. Fay sank deep in her seat and did what she did best -Making up scenarios that were far far away from reality-

"Hey! Whatcha doin' back 'ere? You've gotta get up!!" A loud smack on the table reeled Fay out of her world.

A not-too-tall ivory blonde hovered over her with her brighter-than-necessary beaming blue eyes.

"And. You. Are?" Fay gritted her teeth. What is wrong with these people today?!!

"OMG! I'm sorry, where are my manners. I'm Dya Jacobs" She flicked her skirt to the sides and made a masquerade ball bow

"I.." Even before Faven could begin...

"You're Faven!" The girl who called herself Dya intervened and did Fay mention 'louder-than-needed'.

"And?" Faven asked rubbing her eyes awake.

"You're comin' with me" Dya announced.

Within seconds Fay was hauled all the way up and dragged to the third bench and was dropped flat on her back. Only to find a satisfying snicker play on Ethan's face beside her. Fay narrowed her eyes on him...

"What? I moved two rows back! That's more than you would ever do for me in a literature class" Ethan complained.

Well, that was kinda true...And then she turned to his partner in crime.

"Thank you for gently escorting me, Miss Jacobs" Fay managed the sarcastic tone possible.

Dya flicked her hair chiming her eyes "Why, anytim-.." and her counter was sliced by a potential distraction.

Her gaze was fixed straight ahead, in a few short seconds it came back to Fay reeking of disbelief and it was gone once again.

"What?" confused, Fay mimicked the action of the girl beside her.

Oh boy!... A silent gasp left Faven's lips as a pair of agonizingly familiar eyes demanded her unaltered attention.

He stood there wedged in a trance. The girl he never expected to lock eyes with again as he had a feeling that even the air they breathed was different, but desperately wanted to. He had a sudden rush of thoughts and moved one of his hands over the other near his lower sleeve as a reminder of her hold on him earlier. There was a blue smudge on the radiating white, near the end of his folds...Ink? ...and to his bafflement, her eyes were already there.

She pressed her lips together looking at the emerging bruise on his hand that prompted relapse of the last time she was recklessly reluctant. His eyebrows were beginning to crease in mystification...

Wait... It wasn't from the purpled skin, but...

Like a deer caught in headlights, Fay ripped her eyes away and tugged her inky fingers under the table as she found him mirroring her thoughts.

"Dude, move" The tone of his friend gave him no time to process his thoughts. He quietly moved and took his seat in front of her. He hesitantly turned his head to look at her just one more time and instantly ruffled up his hair, in hopes of hiding the obvious.

"He is 'n eye catcha, but apparently his eyes 're focus'd elsewhere" Dya stated plainly.

"Nah! You don't say" Faven let out a little laugh trying to ease the disappointment in Dya's voice.

"He does seem distract'd" Dya scrunched up her nose in uncertainty

"Does he?" yet, Fay couldn't disagree.

"You got somethin' on him?" Dya winked halfheartedly

"Do I?" Fay felt like her words must be rearranged with a little less interrogation.

"Are you tryin' to tell me tis an open field?" Dya asked genuinely confused

"Is it?" Fay, didn't even want to explore that option.

"So, I can ...pitch?"

Goodness! This girl never backs down ...

"Can you?" a 'you wish' look flashed across Fay's eyes.

Something like "Arroga't bitch" left Dya's mouth. However, Fay was too taken to care or even notice.

"Hey, that's the girl in Greg's Literature class" His Friend bit his ear with his little observation.

"Li...Literature?" His nerves collided in his brain at the thought of the amount of complexity those 26 letters were likely to bring. Words are a form of impending danger or so he believed all this while.

Something kept nagging at his conscience that they were completely opposite poles, but he never thought their differences would be this Literal. An unintentional smirk played on his lips.

Noticing the mockery in his expression, Faven let out an I-Shoulda-Known-Better scoff. She crossed her arms across her torso and leaned back into the wooden bench.

The sudden change in the atmosphere seized his attention and had him realizing what had happened...Oh, no, no, no, no, nooooo

"All yours, babe" Fay said to an overly anxious Dya

"Not that I was waiting for your approval" She jerked off and pulled her guards up. Her innocent smile was instantly replaced by a devilish grin.

Even before he could figure out what 'All yours' meant. Oh shit ... the chatty girl beside the one he had fixed his eyes on was now before him.

"Geek much?" She curled her fingers near her ear.

"Not that I can recall, no" He replied in hopes that this was just a tit-for-tat prank. He was wrong.

"Loveleh, may I ?" Dya waved towards his bench.

He can't believe he half expected for her to call it off and when she showed no effort towards it, he realized that in actuality he expected nothing less. No matter how much intimidating he found her, he was having none of it.

"Hop on, babe." He loosened up and pushed his bag aside for Dya to 'take a seat'

"I'm Matthew." He eyed Faven, declaring war!