Charlie's POV
"Are you okay?" Ella was the first to ask when I came to.
Everyone looked down at me with worried eyes, even a group of strangers had circled around to see the gay nerd who barfed then passed out. Luckily I hadn't fallen into my own bile, otherwise I would literally never want to be seen again by another human being.
Yet another embarrassment to add to the tally.
Both Clayton and Ella helped me up from the ground and onto a seat.
"When was the last time you had something to drink?" Ace wondered.
I don't remember. Probably this morning? Or yesterday?
"Shit, we should call the teachers." Tom spoke, reaching for his phone.
"No, it's fine." I said. "It was probably just a bad croissant."
"We should at least go to a hospital." Ella suggested.
"I'm fine!" I snapped.
"Here, have some water." Ace offered me a bottle of water.
"Thanks." I slowly took it from his hand, undoing it's lid before chugging it down.
"I still think we should go to the hospital."
"No, it's okay. I think I might just go back to the hotel." I said, finishing off the water bottle.
"Okay, we'll come with you." Clayton suggested.
"No, you guys just have fun. It's Paris after all."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." I stood up on my crutches.
"I'll come with you, just to make sure you make it back to the hotel without passing out again." Clayton said, adding a slight chuckle at the end.
Because passing out in the middle of a Parisian street is something to slightly chuckle about.
~
Day Two in Paris
Today went far better than yesterday did.
We visited the Eiffel Tower, where Clayton, Ella and I did a photoshoot. Ella even had the idea to buy props that we could use. The class even climbed up the tower, but due to my having crutches and only one working leg, I was allowed to remain on the ground. We then had lunch at a French McDonald's before going to the Arc de Triomphe, then the Palace of Versailles, then to The Louvre where we participated in a race, as per the Paris Pact.
Now I was back at the hotel seated on my bed, wondering where Ace was.
The last time I saw him was last night before I went to bed. Since then, he's been awol. His bed was made and his belongings were neatly placed at the foot of his bed.
I texted Ella asking if she had seen him at all today. She responded with a thumbs down emoji.
I thought about texting him, but it's not like we were friends who exchanged phone numbers.
What if he got lost?
Knock knock!
That's probably him.
I reached for my crutches and made my way to the door.
"Hi." Ryan said when I opened the door.
"Oh, hey." I said, slightly disappointed that it wasn't Ace. I let him into the room and made my way back to my bed.
"How are you?" He cautiously took a seat next to me.
"I'm okay. Uh, have you seen Ace at all today?"
"Not since yesterday, why?"
"He was gone when I woke up."
"Should we tell the teachers?"
"Uh, maybe? I don't know." I said in a slight panic.
"Hang on, I'll text Tom and see if he has his number." Ryan pulled out his phone.
I succumbed to my bad habit of biting my fingernails. Yes, I know it's gross and disturbing, but I couldn't help it. Also, why do we even have fingernails?
A text chimed on Ryan's phone and I looked over.
"Tom sent me Ace's number, should we call it?"
"Yes." I shifted closer to Ryan.
He clicked on the number, letting it ring before it went straight to voicemail.
"He could be anywhere." I sighed.
"Have you checked around the hotel?"
"Where could he possibly be?"
"Maybe he's with Jenna?" Ryan said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"You're right, he's probably fine." I told myself more than i told Ryan.
He's probably got his tongue down Jenna's throat.
The room fell silent as we sat on the bed, awkwardly unmoving. The static between us was unnerving.
"Do you want to go out?" Ryan broke the silence.
"Where to?" I turned to look at him, a slight grin appearing on his face.
Oh, he's not asking me to go somewhere with him.... He's asking me out???
A palpitation.
"Oh, you mean.. like you, and me? Like, uh, dating?" My nerves had gone haywire.
"Yeah. I mean, if you wanted to."
My first real boyfriend....
I'd always imagined I'd end up like Andy, the Fourty-year-old virgin. Then again, having a first boyfriend doesn't necessarily mean that I would lose my virginity, so becoming Andy 2.0 is still in the cards for my future.
"Okay." I smiled at him.
"Can we keep it between us for awhile, though?" He calmly pleaded.
"Sure."
He slowly leaned towards me, his breath slightly shaking, just like my heart.
I leaned forward and kissed him.
Ace's POV
The night air was numbing against my skin as the city harmonised below.
I took a swig of whiskey, seething as it slightly burned it's way down my throat.
After setting the bottle down beside me, I put a cigarette to my lips and sparked it up.
YOU ARE READING
Bad Boy Chemistry
Teen Fiction(ENEMIES TO LOVERS) (BXB) Everyone at school knows Ace Caldwell: The Bad Boy who was expelled from his last school for fighting. They also know Charlie Harrington: The Gay Nerd turned punching bag since he was outed in the tenth grade. When they...
