Hearts of Ink (a TID fanfiction)

three

Will and I exchanged a few harsh responses, before Mrs. S decided it was time to interfere and pointed out that the other students would maybe have something to say as well. We let the matter reluctantly rest and the rest of the hour I didn't raise my voice a second time.

When it rang and we were dismissed, Sophie only shot me an amused glance but I tried to ignore it and packed up my stuff. My head hurt from all the thoughts about the same person. Did Will always behave like this? If so, how could he be idolized? Did everyone here really only care about the looks? Because if that was how things were, I could at least understand it, he did look extremly handsome. The contrast between his dark hair and his blue eyes caused me to have goosebumps if I only as much as thought of it.

A hand curled around my wrist as I tried to walk through the door. I stopped in the doorframe and turned around. By now, the classroom was almost empty. The only ones still present were Mrs. S who cleaned the blackboard, Black-White-Hair who unhurriedly packed his stuff and Will Herondale who...had his hand around my wrist.

I withdrew it fitfully and prepared myself to be given a mouthful. Instead, he flashed me a warm smile that took my breath away. So perfect. His pearly white teeth sparkled. Oh please pull yourself together, Tessa, would you?, I scolded my hormonal, girly part. Moments ago he behaved like the worst jerk.

"It's Tessa, right?", he asked me. I simply nodded, he didn't deserve more. "I wouldn't have expected you to be the kind of girl that's interested in literature of the 19th century."

"You don't strike me as that kind of person either", I answered, only because I couldn't think of anything else in face of his unexpected kindliness.

He smirked. Oh, amazing that he was amused by me. "That's simply because you don't know me good enough."

"I'd like to change that", my mouth spluttered. Traitor. Now he probably thought I was desperately trying to know more of him because I thought he was oh so fantastic.

His mouth became a straight line. He pressed his lips together and frowned. I realized that I had said something wrong. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He talked dangerously low. His pensive eyes were now oriented towards the ground and seemed to have taken him somewhere else. "And I would prefer it if you wouldn't."

Without looking me in the eyes he squeezed past me through the door. Huh, strange. Did he purposefully try to be mysterious or was this the proof for his moodiness?

Black-White-Hair was now finished with packing. He flashed me an apologetic smile. "I want to apologise for Will", he said. "He is sometimes quite moody but you learn to adjust to it. I'm James, by the way." He stretched out his hand and after simply blinking at it for several seconds, I understood that he wanted me to shake his hand. How formal.

It was my turn to stretch out my hand, but instead of shaking it, he placed a soft kiss on the back of my hand. He behaved like a gentleman from another century. I blushed. "Tessa", I managed to say.

He nodded politely, flashed me a warm smile, let go of my hand and proceeded to walk past me as well. How could these completely different boys be friends?