𝓙𝓪𝓷𝓮 (18+) | ON PAUSE

Chapter 4 | Science Class

Jaylin.

"So what do Lithium and Sodium have in common? You guys should already know this! You guys learned this in 8th-grade people!" I hardly hear. "So if you guys..." his voice fades out of my ears.

"Hey," I slightly lift my head that my hand was holding. "You all right? You look pale," Rayne leans down.

"Oh, I'm fine."

"Okay let's get into groups!" I hear Mr. Brand's clap, waking me up.

"Did you get hurt yesterday?" Rayne asks me as we stand up to get assigned groups. "Not...Really," I get up.

"You look like a walking dead man," she whispers to me. She's not wrong. "You slammed really hard on the counter last night, are you sure you're all right? I only got a cut on my forehead and that's it."

No, I have a humongous purple greenish bruise on my rib and it really hurts and I didn't take anything to help it so I'm in raw pain. Hah raw...

I don't want to worry her. She's a great person to even at least worry for me. I smoothly lean my back on the counter as our teacher give us group numbers. "Yeah. I'm..." Andrew's eyes caught my eye as he also leans against the counter and being right next to Rayne. "All right..."

"And Jaylin, Rayne, Axel, Leith, and Andrew. You guys will be in group 5 over there."

"You're going to split me with my twin?!" I hear someone yell.

"Well yes Asher, you and Axel are literal two peas in a pod who could literally turn into a ticking bomb within a second. So yes I'm splitting you and your twin."

"So that refers...to what?" I look at the kid named 'Asher'.

"That refers to you guys being the absolute crackheads that won't focus in this class," I see Mr. Brand looking at Asher like he explained this for the millionth time.

I, and the entire class watch Asher think. "Agreed," he admits.

I turn my head back to our group table that we were sitting at and I swear I saw a glimpse of Andrew's smile curve up, but it disappears as I thought I saw one. It was a beautifully rare smile. I sat at the very end of the table and Rayne sits on the left side of me while Andrew sits right across from me, Leith sits in front of Rayne and Axel sits beside him.

"That mother fucker..." I hear someone say at our table. "Is he high?"

High...? Like drug "high"?

"Nope. He only had a juice box this morning," I hear Axel say calmly.

"A juice box?" I hear Leith laugh, I think. "He's still the same fuckin' five-year-old," I hear Leith laugh, hitting the table as he laughs, leaning all the way back in his chair.

Me and Rayne glance at each other as we eavesdrop on their conversation, Rayne watches them talk shit about Asher and these other two people named, Theo and Wade I think.

But I, keep taking short glances at Andrew instead.

He rests his head in his left hand while fidgeting with his ring through his right hand. I see a slight tattoo appear as he turns his head to Leith and Axel as they see Theo and Asher fighting with Wade stopping them.

"Okay stop you two!" Mr. Brand pushes them both back, placing his hands on their chests.

"Don't. Touch. Them," I hear Wade whisper at Mr. Brand.

Everyone goes silent. Seeing Mr. Brand taken back.

I see Leith and Axel sit up straight up in their chairs, they have their bodies tensed like they are some sort of...guard dogs? Like bodyguards? Like their bodies are alert.