The Night School [GxG] [First Draft Edition]

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Change

"Holy shit..." I looked up from my file and saw a surprised Grace gawking at me from the turn into the little nook where she and her clique usually stayed.

"Hey." I smiled a little at her bewildered expression, her eyes darting around my face.

"H-hey... When you said you were getting a haircut I didn't think you meant this soon..." She slowly approached me, still eying the change I'd made to my hair. I fully grinned and leaned back, folding my arms loosely after laying my folder on my lap.

"Neither did I, I guess." I coyly ruffled my hair, unacclimated to the new shortened length. "Do you like it?"

"Y-yeah, it's just... Weird... Not like bad weird, just like different." She blurted hurriedly, her fingers tangling themselves nervously. I felt my lips pull back a little more, almost hurting. She was just too much.

"Hm." I hummed amusedly.

"Anyway... What's that?" She flicked her eyes down to my file before darting right back up to my face, blushing when she realized I hadn't fallen for her distraction.

"This," I held up the Manila folder for a moment, "is a mission briefing. Riley wanted me to stay local for a while, so Megan did her research, and this is what I'll be doing for the next few months." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Apparently, a lot of design, research, and dealing with the incoming recruits."

"That's... Bad?"

"Actually, it's awful. The newbies are like three to five year old firsts and seconds with the occasional twelve to twenty year old." Right at that moment Micha and Marley, the former's arm around the latter's waist, decided to make an appearance. Micha didn't seem too startled by my change in appearance, but her girlfriend definitely did a double take. "Hazel."

"Hey, how did it go with you two yesterday?" Grace asked suddenly, slowly eying the space on the couch beside me like she was unsure about sitting in such close proximity.

"Fine. Not really interesting." Micha shrugged. I nodded minimally in agreement.

"And you went half bald when?" Marley gestured to my hair.

"Some time last night. Megan cut it." I replied.

"Shit." Grace's ex also joined us, casually sitting on her place across from me. "I didn't think Hazel Sinclair had it in her to be cute."

"I'm not cute." I narrowed my eyes at an amused Tatiana. Did I get her name right?

Grace pursed her lips. I knew she wanted to say I was, but clearly she didn't think it was appropriate.

"Are you going to sit?" I asked Grace boredly. She eyed me briefly before setting her bag down and seating herself so our legs and shoulders barely touched. I don't know why I did it, but I gently lay my head on her shoulder, slowly enough that all I elicited from her were a few goosebumps and her stiffening her body slightly.

"What are you doing, Hazel?" She whispered to me. I knew Micha heard it, but I was fairly sure it was otherwise missed.

"Breathing." I answered. If we'd been along I'd've cuddled into her and nuzzled her neck with my eyes closed. But since we had company, I took to just breathing in her scent.

"Zel..." She sighed. I was waiting on her ultimatum. Whether she wanted me to move or not. Slowly I felt her place her hand on my leg and relax. That was my sign to stay. "You're lucky you're cute." She whispered into my ear. I smirked internally. She'd made me warm again.

"Part of me is disgusted, and part of me is horrified..." Marley added, a strange something in her eyes when she glanced at Grace; something I didn't quite catch.