The Kings of Kentworth

56.

Lunch had passed, along with Geography and Physics. Trevor was exhausted, but for some reason, he didn't want to miss today's session with Lance.

They both sat there like strangers. Lance was facing his own studies while Trevor was concentrating on a few problems that had been given to him. He gave Lance occasional side glances. They had not said a word to each other for the past thirty minutes that they sat there. Lance had corrected the work Trevor did during the weekend and when Lance had told him he had gotten all of them correctly done, Trevor was ecstatic, but his excitement was short leaved when he noticed Lance's indifference. Lance, without even looking at him, wrote out a few exercises for him to try, before he flung the book to Trevor's table.

"Are you done?" Lance's voice yanked Trevor out of his thoughts.

Trevor faced him with raised brows. "Huh?"

"Are...you...done?" Lance drew his words as if he was talking to person who was hearing impaired.

"No," Trevor replied, feigning indifference as he looked back to the work before him. "Not yet."

Lance said nothing. He just exhaled and grabbed his bag and began to throw his book into it again.
Trevor saw him shoving his books into his bag from the side of his eye and suddenly felt his stomach drop. 'What did I say now?' Trevor thought to himself, and as if answering Trevor's question, Lance spoke.

"We'll have to meet up on next week ," Lance exhaled as he swung his bag over his bag. "I've got a lot of stuff to do."

Trevor felt an annoying lump in his throat as he swallowed. 'Leaving again?' His thoughts were wild with confusion. He knew Lance didn't have anything to do and that he was just pissed at him for calling him a faggot. Yes, Trevor felt guilty, but he sure as hell wasn't going to make Lance see that. He was ditching him in the Library, so, all Trevor could do was make him realise he didn't give a damn......even thought he did. A little.

"I-eh- I'm not going to be able to make it next week," Trevor's voice was a bit shaken with nervousness.

Lance spun and looked at him with raised brows. "Oh?"

"French trip for French class," Trevor smiled up wryly at him. "It's twenty marks from our exam."

Trevor felt the sting of victory when he saw the look on Lance's face. Lance did everything in his power to hold himself from blinking. He tried hard to hold back his emotions at Trevor's utterance, but he wasn't doing a very good job. Trevor could sense a hint of anger and it made him kind of happy.

Lance kept his stone cold eyes on Trevor, raised his chin and looked down to the ground before looking back up at Trevor again. "Fine," he finally said.

Trevor just smiled in response. A smile that seemed to mock and annoy Lance. Without a word, Lance spun away and headed straight for the library entrance.

Trevor watched the way he moved away and was slightly amused with the way the boy matched down the hall. He was obviously angry about something and Trevor knew what. He kept his eyes on Lance Tiffin with a smile on his face and a surprising admiration in his heart.

Stephanie and Lenny

Stephanie and Lenny are seated a few rows away from Trevor and Lance and Stephanie watched as Lance left the library, leaving me Trevor behind.

"Stephanie," Lenny uttered as he began to have his palm in her face.

"What?" Stephanie wiped his palm out of her sight with irritation.

"Can you concentrate please?"

"I am concentrating," Stephanie rolled her eyes back to Trevor's position.

"No your not," Lenny hissed.

Stephanie exhaled and turned to Lenny with a glare.

"I told you," Lenny went on in what almost sounded like a groan. "The only time we could study together is this week. I'm going to France with my French class, remember."

Stephanie rolled her eyes again at the fact that this was the third time Lenny was telling her this today. "Yeah, right..whatever."

"We're just going to have four days to prepare for the competition after the trip, and you are not taking this seriously.

She turned to face her best friend and raised her brows. "We've been studying for this crap since senior year began, Lenny. You actually think i'm not prepared?"

Lenny shrugged. "I'm just saying. I mean,few weeks ago, this quiz was all you ever thought about. You never thought you were ready and no here you are...suddenly Prepared," Lenny paused and looked in Trevor's direction, before looking back at her. "...And we all know why."

Stephanie turned to him,deadpan. "Why?"

Lenny raised a brow. "Do you really want me to say it?"

Stephanie thought of what to say, but nothing came to mind. He was saying the truth. She had become obsessed with finding out what was really going on between Trevor and Lance. She was obsessed with knowing what the deal is and was ready to, for some reason, protect Lance at all costs, even if he didn't give a damn. She always trusted her instincts and her instincts were telling that there was more to this sudden friendship between the two boys than meets the eye.

"At least i'm happy there all going to France too," Lenny grumbled as he turned the pages of his book vehemently. "Maybe that will give you a break from your paranoia for a while."

Stephanie spun and faced him with wide eyes as she held his arm resting on the table. "What?"

Lenny looked up and gave an exhausting sigh. "They are all going to France. Trevor, Lisa, Bruce, Caleb...all of them."

"Are you serious?"

Lenny replied with a cold glare. He didn't like it when she always thought he was joking, especially when he was serious.

"How do you know this?" She gave him an incredulous look.

Lenny pulled up his bag, dug into it and pulled out a file. He opened it and placed it on the table right infront of an astonished Stephanie. Stephanie didn't even know when her mouth fell open slightly as she stared at the complete list of students going for the trip. All forty of them. She turned her wide eyes to Lenny who was smirking beside her, but his smirk vanished when she narrowed her eyes at him in rage.

"You mean you were in charge of this list all along and knew that they were all going to France too and you didn't tell me?" Stephanie's voice was menacing as her eyes bored into Lenny.

"I-I..." Lenny shrugged as he started to stutter.

Stephanie hit the file with her finger with her hooded eyes still fixed on Lenny. "Put my name down. Right now."

"What?" Lenny's eyes widened. "I-I can't do that, the list is already full."

"I don't care."

"Come on Steph," Lenny groaned. "I could get in trouble."

Stephanie stared at him for a while, before her features softened. She then reached down, grabbed her bag and started packing her books in. "Fine," she said.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Lenny started at her with confusion. "Where are you going? We're not done yet."

Stephanie stood up, hung her backpack behind her and friend. "You can make a choice," she said as she lifted her chin. "Getting in trouble with Mrs. Clarice, or ending our friendship."

Lenny's mouth fell open as he watched her turn away and strut down the hall. He looked down at the list and drove his fingers through his hair at his current situation. He could get in serious trouble if he added or replaced any names. He also knew he and Stephanie would never stop being friends, no matter what she says, but if he didn't put her name down, she would probably not talk to him until graduation.

Lenny kept his eyes on the list and shook his head. Stephanie was a real pain in the ass.