Room 206 - Luke Hemmings

three

Thankfully, the week was short and I met up with Alex after he'd showered from his football practice. He walked with me to the town less than a mile away, which we were allowed to go to on weekends. It wasn't large, and it wasn't always entertaining but it was a nice outlet from the school.

We walked hand in hand down the streets, occasionally stopping to look at the little stores and even get some ice cream and walk down the road in the comfortable September air.

"How are you liking your classes?" Alex asked me, walking right beside me as we walked back towards the school.

"I like them all except English," I scoffed. "I hate the class, I hate Professor Hemmings and I hate his attitude."

"He can't be that bad," Alex said. "The only reason he gets so snippy with you is because you provoke him."

"Yeah, but he thinks he can just walk in and own the place like he's been teaching there for years," I said. "It's so annoying and his stupid accent makes me want to off myself."

"I think you're comparing him a little too much to Henderson," Alex said.

"I am not!" I protested, though I knew it was true. I was comparing him to Henderson but only because nobody would ever be as great as Henderson.

"I think you should give him a bit of a break though," Alex said. "I mean, it's his first week and I swear I can see him getting grey hairs because of you."

"Oh that is such a hyperbole," I rolled my eyes. "He's so young he might as well have a binky in his mouth while he teaches."

Alex laughed and intertwined our hands, leaning down to kiss my cheek.

"I don't want to talk about that jackass anymore," I said. "Its putting me in a rather sour mood."

"Well then let's talk about someone else," he smiled down at me. "How's Eleanor?"

-

At dinner, Eleanor and Eileen babbled about some boy in their science class and Blair told me about new songs she'd been learning on her guitar, along with a few original songs she'd been working on writing (which I of course made sure to bribe her into playing for us girls back in the dorms). I faced the opposite way of Professor Hemmings sitting at the staff table eating his dinner and instead occupied myself by admiring Alex's jawline from the side where he ate with his friends.

Back in the dorms, all of us girls brushed our teeth together like we usually did, washing our faces and getting into bed and talking about various things.

We all had our lamps on beside our beds and I was laying on my stomach, Eleanor sitting on my bed with me while we talked to Blair and Eileen sitting together across from us on Eileen's bed.

"I don't get it," Eileen said. "Everyone freaks out over how mean Professor Hemmings is. Is he that bad?"

"Yes," I said at the same time Eleanor said "no."

"Oh come on, Daisy, of course you'd say yes," Eleanor rolled her eyes. "You're the reason he's so mean! You make him angry!"

"I do not," I lied. "It's not my fault he gets offended at everything I say when I correct him or make sure he knows he's not as smart as he thinks he is."

"You don't have to be so harsh, Daisy," she said, nudging me. "Are you sure you don't like him and it's all just an act?"

Eileen giggled and I rolled my eyes. "No. I just like getting on his nerves because it's funny. I don't know why everything I do pisses him off so much."

"Oh my god, but it's so hot," Eleanor gushed. "His jaw does the thing and it makes me want to rip the buttons open on his shirt."

"You're gross," I laughed and Eileen and Blair laughed at Eleanor, who was shrugging and laughing with us.

"You can't deny you'd hop in his bed if you were given that chance," Eleanor said. "He's so tall, I'd imagine it's pretty big."

"It's not always about size you know," I said. "It's just about how good he is with it."

"Oh is that so, Daisy?" Eileen teased, reaching across the beds to nudge me and I just shook my head laughing at all of them "oo"ing at me.

"You guys sound like a bunch of monkeys," I said, ignoring Eleanor's comment about "how good Alex is with it."

"You're the one who made the comment," Blair shrugged.

"You guys don't have to take it so literally though," I said. "It's just an honest statement."

"Do you mean to tell us that Alex isn't that big but you try to make him feel better by saying it's not just about size?" Eleanor smirked at me.

"No," I huffed at them. "And not that it's any of your concern, but Alex isn't as tiny as you think he is."

The four of us bursted out in laughter, and as much as I liked to think we were different for being in an elite school for the gifted, I knew by the fact that we had conversations like this that we were just like any other group of teenage girls.

"How are things with you and Alex?" Eileen asked me.

"They're okay." I shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Eleanor asked.

"I mean, we're still together and we spend time together but we aren't really moving forward a whole lot. He's busy with football practice all the time and I'm busy with all my classes. We don't get a whole lot of time for each other much."

"You guys hung out today?" Blair leaned in and rested her head in her hand.

"Yeah and it was nice," I said. "I just wish we had more time together."

"I'm sure once school gets settled in better you guys will work something out to spend time together," Eileen said, smiling at me. "You guys seem happy together."

"Yeah, but we got out of the honeymoon stage about a month ago and we've gotten to the constant bickering stage," I rolled my eyes. "He gets so annoying sometimes."

"Boys." Blair rolled her eyes too.

Eileen giggled at Blair and we were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Lights out ladies!" A voice called from outside the door.

We all got into our own beds and tucked ourselves in, saying goodnight to each other as I reached to switch off my lamp. I snuggled into my blankets and was haunted in my dreams by those annoying blue eyes behind those black framed glasses.