Should've Stayed Away- Joseph Descamps

fourteen

I had shortly left his house after that tense moment, telling him we'd just have to work on it at school. I was hoping that in class we'd be distanced because of the looming eyes.

Unfortunately for me, Descamps had another idea in mind.

"Madame Giraude?" he asked softly as he stood up in his seat, "May Blanchet and I work in the library? We've just been struggling so much with finding the information". I looked at him with narrowed eyes though I didn't doubt she believed his fib. Over the few months she'd been there, it became clear Descamps had snaked his way into everyone's good graces.

"Of course, just remember to actually get the work done" she replied however I didn't miss how her eyes darted in my direction as she finished. I held in a scoff and stood, collecting my things. Just one more day on this assignment, then I could put Descamps far, far away in the past.

I'd been spending too much time with him, apart from Annick he was the only person I actually hung out with. I physically shuddered at the realization before I trailed lazily behind him.

The walk to the library was quick to my delight and we both sat down at one of the old wooden tables. I sneered slightly he snobbishly stretched his legs out, setting his feet confidently on the table.

"That's disgusting".

He smirked in amusement, "You're just as pleasant as you were the day we met" he said condescendingly. I opened my history textbook, noting how his was once again nowhere in sight.

"Why are we even working here?" I asked as I wrote what was supposed to be a two person essay though at this point the only thing he'd done was annoy me endlessly. He was lucky I owed him a favor, otherwise Madame Giraude would know exactly how lazy Descamps was when he wasn't getting others to cheat for him.

"Because the library has books?" he replied curtly and the movement of his legs swinging off the table and back down to the floor forced my gaze up, "I thought you were supposed to be intelligent. If you're going to act like this, wait until I get the headmaster, he'll finally kick you all out of Voltaire".

The glare he always coaxed out of me returned to my face, "Oh I'm the unintelligent one? Tell me Descamps, what books were you planning on using? It's all already in the textbook" I responded lowly as a few more students entered the library. I looked at them and smiled as my eyes met Annick's, she returned the smile before she and Pichon sat down across the library.

I felt a twang of disappointment in my chest, it felt like forever since we'd talked at school and not over the telephone. I couldn't blame her though, lately my free time was stolen by homework and this ridiculous partner assignment. And I knew Pichon would lose his nerve having to sit next to Descamps.

His smirk had morphed into a cocky grin, reminding just how immature he really was, "You have to expand your thinking", I rolled my eyes, "Any one of these books could be a gold mine of information" he said. I stared at him with indignation, it was a miracle he even made it to this school level.

"Let me know when you find something, I'll be here, you know, doing the actual work" I replied at the same time I returned to our essay. I tried my best to ignore the sound of his chair scraping against the floors, his langthy body filled my peripheral as he sauntered off to the tall rows of bookshelves. I shook my head, "Could he be any more annoying?" I thought before I tried to refocus on the words I was writing.

As if my luck couldn't get any worse, I was distracted once again. This time however not by the irritatingly attractive boy that had been busy annoying me, Dupin and Applebaum sat across from me.

I couldn't pretend to ignore them because I quickly caught Appplebaum's bright blue gaze, I held in the sigh of annoyance in my breath. A tight smile formed on my face, "Hello you two, need something?"