Devil's Plaything

MIA

Sam didn't show up to Biology Lab the next day and Mira tried not to feel panicked. They had exchanged contact information at the beginning of the semester just in case one had to miss a class and she had sent him a text message after the first 15 minutes of class passed.

Are you OK?

I'm fine. Not feeling well, sorry.

She breathed a sigh of relief but it stopped short.

How do I know I'm not talking to the Devil?

He replied with a selfie in which he looked both annoyed and amused and not at all sick. She could see from the background that he was in some kind of public place, not home in bed.

So he was avoiding her and now she had sold her soul to not even have a Bio partner.

She felt the room grow darker before she realized a large shadow was cast over her. "Did your partner skip out on you, too?" the deep voice came from in front of her and she glanced up, startled. The boy—no, man—standing before her towered at least a foot above her and was smiling down at her with warm brown eyes. She was struck first by his height, and then by how handsome he looked when he smiled. His hair was short, but curly and there was a kind quality about his face that made his size less intimidating.

She felt herself smile easily in response and she hoped she wasn't blushing. She rarely found someone so attractive so immediately. "Yes, he's 'sick'," she said, using air quotes to highlight her disbelief.

"Lucky you. Mine dropped out for the semester."

She grimaced. "I think you drew the short straw."

He laughed and his eyes scanned over her face so quickly she almost didn't notice. Her cheeks felt very warm. "Would you like to team up for today?" he asked. She unintentionally hesitated. "No pressure, I just thought that it would be easier for both of us if we worked together."

She nodded, embarrassed for her rude behavior. "Yeah, good idea." She moved her bag off the seat next to her and motioned for him to sit at the lab station, hoping he'd do so quickly so he was no longer directly staring at her clearly flustered expression. "I've never seen you in class before," she said casually as she adjusted the microscope in front of them. "Did you add it recently?"

"I have this bad habit of not showing up," he said with a self-deprecating shrug. "Maybe that's why my partner dropped out."

Mira laughed. "Do I have to worry about you abandoning me?"

"You?" His tone abruptly changed from amiable to sincere. "No."

She looked at him and he was staring at her with the intensity one expects to see from an old lover. He suddenly looked very different. Not warm and friendly, but assertive and unwavering. She felt like societal expectations called for her to glance away, but she couldn't. It was as if the two were alone together and it was very important they understood the silent attraction which connected them with a strong, invisible bond. Her embarrassed blushes turned into something less innocent as she felt her blood warm and her body buzz with primitive desire. He glanced down at her lips and smiled, slightly. Then he cleared his throat and turned to the table to move the microscope towards him.

"What's your major?" he asked casually, transitioning too quickly back into his amiable self.

Mira jerked her head so that she was facing the front of the classroom. Was he playing with her? Had she just imagined that nonverbal interaction between them?

"Mechanical engineering," she said, her voice weaker than she liked.

He gave a low whistle an appreciative side glance. "A smarty, huh?" He ducked his head to peer into the microscope.

She realized she didn't know how to respond. It dawned on her that she had never really been called smart before. Sweet, pretty, spacey and extroverted were adjectives she was used to being chosen to describe her. But smart was not one of them.

He glanced back up at her when she didn't respond. She didn't look at him because she didn't want to make the situation any more awkward. When she looked down, she noticed that his leg was very close to hers. She felt its warmth, even though he wasn't touching her.

"Did you take this class for a gen ed requirement?" he asked, casually changing the topic. She felt herself relax.

"Yes, I did. I thought it would have more to do with dealing with the living and less to do with dissecting dead animals."

He gave an obligatory laugh. "Does death freak you out?" he asked, already expecting the answer.

"No," she said. He paused, seeming surprised.

"Smart and brave," he said with a shake of his head. "You're quite the catch, Mira."

She looked over, startled that he knew her name when she hadn't introduced herself to him. "How do you know my name?"

"Everyone gave an introduction during the first day of class," he said with a grin.

"Oh," she breathed. "Sorry, what was your-."

"Class dismissed," this came from the professor who stood at the front of the small classroom. "I will see you all in lecture on Thursday."

She turned her attention back to him to see him grab his backpack and sling it over his shoulder. "Save me a seat Thursday. I think I found a new incentive to show up to class." He winked and turned from her, moving breezily out of the classroom with the rest of the students.

She had never gotten the chance to learn his name.

Author's Note: Sorry this update it so late...college is hard. No more excuses, though. This story is so much fun to write and I'm going to finish it. Hope you guys are still with me! Let me know what you think and feel free to comment or PM me with any questions or just to chat! :)