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Quinn made her way into her English class and sat down beside Jacob.
She ignored the way Mr. Gardner's eyes followed her as she took out her books. She didn't want to let the discomfort from the past night show, and slumped back into her seat.
After their argument, Gardner felt conflicted and drowned himself in his familiar liquor like he did most nights. A part of him felt that he had been too hard on her the night before. Which, in turn, pissed him off at himself.
But everything about each other drove the other completely mad. It was impossible to deal with, especially with the dynamics given. They were both too quick and sharp to give the other the word, and kept stating fact after fact in such a heated argument.
Gardner returned his gaze to the front of the classroom, letting out a small sigh before speaking.
"Alright everyone, today we'll be discussing the poetry written by John Donne. Open your books to page 43."
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As the bell rang loudly throughout the school, the students left the classroom in groups.
Gardner had been standing by the door as she was about to step through with Jacob. He crossed his arms and nodded at her when she met his gaze.
"Hey, can I have a word with you? Just real quick."
She eyed Jacob for a short moment before nodding. "Yeah, whatever."
She gestured for him to go as Gardner's eyes burned into him, almost obnoxiously judging. She noticed the way his eyes flicked between both of them, his finger clicking impatiently.
With a shrug of defeat, Jacob left the classroom silently.
Gardner closed the door immediately and turned to face her, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Are you still mad at me?" He asked her directly.
She stared at him for a moment, a sharp gaze as she thought about it. She was definitely triggered by all of his skepticism, but couldn't blame him for acting that out on her.
She knew she wasn't the easiest to deal with.
"I'm not mad," she shook her head softly. "I mean, I'm definitely annoyed, but you had your reasons.."
