palette in the moonlight | x-files teen au

iv. doubts and suspicions

A few days pass without any notable events, and it's time for Chemistry once again.

Scully shows up first, setting the finished worksheet down on her side of the desk, and leaning her bag against the chair leg.

The bell rings, and the seat next to her remains empty. 18 students. Everyone showed up but him.

It's Friday, and Chemistry is third period on Fridays. She's seen him in the hallway, she's sure of it.

Ten minutes pass.

She's had it happen before, at her old school. The partner shows up for first class, and then shows up in a zig-zag pattern. Gone for one class, back for two, gone for two, back for one, leaving her to do all the work.

It surprises her a little. She wouldn't have thought Mulder was one to skip just to avoid doing work, although she was always taught to be open to all possibilities.

Whatever. She'll just do the work. No need to lose credit cause of a lazy classmate.

20 minutes into the class, the door opens. A confused, seemingly ectopic Fox Mulder enters the classroom.

He makes an excuse for being late, and Miss Arnis nods and shifts her head towards his seat.

Once he sits down, he immediately pulls out his notebooks.

"Sorry for that. I ran into some, uh, minor inconveniences," he apologises, eyes fixed on the notes he took last class, going over them.

"No wo-- Yikes!" she exclaims once she sees his face, earning herself a glare from Miss Arnis.

"What happened to you?" she whispers.

"Huh? Oh, this?" he asks, pointing to the black eye on the right side of his face, "Nothing. I, erm, ran into someone's locker as they were opening it."

"Seriously?" she asks him, raising both of her eyebrows, tilting her head slightly to the left.

"Seriously. I'm just that clumsy, heh," he smiles, awkwardly shifting in his seat.

"You sure it's just a locker?" she asks.

"Promise," he quickly lies.

She doesn't believe him, but decides to let it go. For now, at least.

"Okay then. Well, we should get started on our project, don't you think?"

"Yeah."

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The rest of the class goes by smoothly, without complications.

Mulder talks about different types of aliens, Scully nods every now and then to hint at the very unrealistic concept of her listening, and they both work on their project.

If this is going to become a pattern, it most likely wouldn't be hard to get into.

Once the bell rings, Scully casually says goodbye to Mulder, picking up her books, and he reciprocates.

"Wait, Scully," he stops her just as she's about to pick up her bag.

"Thanks," he says, and it comes out a lot quieter than expected.

"For what?" she asks, throwing one of the bag's straps over her shoulder.

He shrugs, maintaining eye contact.

"For worrying. For, uhm, caring enough to ask," he mumbles.

"That doesn't really -- I don't get that often," he continues, "so, thanks."

She flashes him a sympathetic smile.

"No problem, Mulder."

Throughout the day, she can't help but wonder what actually happened to Mulder while he was absent from class...

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