INSIGHTFUL ⇛ Tim Drake [ currently on hiatus ]

7.

Filler Chapter

"You're acting funny."

"What?" I say, my voice almost cracking as I snap my head to look at Sam. He stands to my left, Tim on my right. "I'm not acting funny--I'm not acting like anything."

"Actually, Poppy, Sam is right." Tim looks towards me, an eyebrow raised. He grips his textbooks tightly against his chest, his blazer crinkling at his elbows. His right eyebrow is raised and his blue orbs float over my own brown ones.

"See, even Tim agrees. And if Timothy agrees with me then I must be right." Sam flashes me a cheeky grin, nudging me lightly with his elbow. I shake my head, a small smile gracing over my lips.

"Just because Tim's a genius and he thinks what you're saying is correct, doesn't mean it is."

"Actually, the odds of him--"

"I'm fine, okay?" I sigh. My eyes flicker away from them. Dishonesty has always been something I hate the most and now I'm the one who's lying. "I just didn't get much sleep last night."

Truth is, I can't get the note out of my mind. The stench, the dead rose, the writing--all of it. Before I had fallen asleep last night, I had made the decision that I wouldn't tell anyone about it. Nothing to nobody. My parents were worried enough as it is, Tim and Sam have their own things to focus on that are probably more important and Red Robin's plate must be full as it is--without having to worry about me.

"Alright, alright. We can take a hint." Sam snickers, adjusting his backpack strap on his shoulder. Tim doesn't say anything, his eyes flickering around the busy assembly hall of Gotham Academy. He ignores the envious glares from the other guys in our grade and takes no notice of the flirtatious smiles that are thrown at him like footballs.

Tim pushes the door to the science lab open, holding it in place for Sam and I to walk through. I glance at him, smiling and thanking him as we walk towards our seats. I take the seat closest to the window, Tim seating himself down beside me. Sam sits behinds us. Sam groans loudly, his head dropping to rest on his folded arms. It's last period on a Thursday and I'm pretty sure everyone is eager to end the school week.

A light tapping noise catches my attention and my head snaps towards the direction of the noise, which is through the window. There's nothing there, though. It must have just been the annoying jock sitting directly in front of me, tapping his pencil against the table.

Tim sighs as the teacher walks in, glancing at me with a lazy look before he pulls out his books and stationary from his bag. I roll my eyes at him, doing the same myself.

~

"We've got another week to work on our assignment," Tim says, gripping some science cooks he had picked up from the school library against his chest. "That should be more than enough, seeing as we have heaps of class time to finish it."

"Cool," I nod my head, speeding up my pace to stay in time with Tim and Sam. I quietly curse at their long legs, wishing mine weren't so much shorter. "We can do some extra work on it at my place, if you want?"

"No it's fine, the Manor has some pretty cool resources in it's study that we could use."

"S'okay, when is good for you?" My eyes find their way to his for a brief moment. I look forward, not wanting to walk into anyone or anything in this over crowded corridor.