Sealed with a Kiss ✔

Chapter Nine | Sealed with a Kiss

The last lesson we have to suffer before the start of the Christmas holidays is Geography. Mr Morris appears absolutely delighted by this.

"Now, now, children!" He grins malevolently at the class of seventeen year olds before him. "Don't go thinking that just because it's almost Christmas this lesson is going to be all song and dance and Christmas carols, no!" He sits at his desk and shakes his head. "I'm afraid we still have to do some work. Yes that's right! Work."

Everyone in the class stares back at him darkly. I'm half expecting him to give a manic cackle and pull out a black cat and broom from his arse.

"So what have we got in store?" Mr Morris asks the class. "I want you all to go over all the delta, estuary and changes to coastal areas work we've been doing and present it, and I don't want any posters. I want detailed data."

At once I groan, the way rocks are swished about by the sea isn't what I'd exactly call my favourite topic.

"But," Mr Morris suddenly adds, pointing his index finger upward to pause us all groaning, "I don't want to be a total Grinch, if you pardon the pun." After laughing at his own joke he continues, "Seeing as it is the last day, I'll let you choose your own groups."

Well, actually that is kind of good for him, considering how much he loves his alphabet.

I catch sight of Imogen immediately leaping up and gathering her things into her arms. Great, she's finally bothering to come over for once instead of me always going to her. I wait for her to come over while leaning back in my chair.

She doesn't.

Instead of heading my way, she makes a beeline towards Max's desk; there she dumps all her stuff. I sit, staring at them and feeling more than a little insulted. My own friend's just abandoned me for some guy she only got together with yesterday.

Huffing, I look behind me to see who Oliver is with. His entire group consists of girls. He has two of them giggling and whispering to him flirtatiously while he just chats to them idly. Oh good lord. I'd bet anything he met them at the Christmas dance, and I bet everything he took one of them home last night.

Shaking my head in disapproval and knowing I don't want to be in a group that resembles a harem, I search for anyone else I can be in a group with.

Georgia's already with some people, as are most of the people I recognise or am friends with. Great. As I glance over the class, a peculiar sight catches my attention. Two girls are huddled at the back of the class, isolating themselves away from everything and everyone. I'm surprised to see its Elle and Stacey.

Usually they'd be with the group Imogen's just joined, the one that consists of all the people Elle prides being friends with like Max and Luke Carter. But she's not with them. Instead she and Stacey, the only ones in their group, sit away from everybody. Elle's ignoring her friend and just typing away furiously at her phone while Stacey sits awkwardly next to her, looking like she wants to be anywhere else.

An unexpected pang of sympathy hits me. And then I remember the way Elle wanted to end things with Levi and the way she wanted to make a show of it. I wouldn't be surprised if Levi's friends aren't too happy with her either. I wouldn't be.

"Ruby, I judge you're not going to be doing this task all by yourself?" Mr Morris looks down at me from behind his large tortoiseshell glasses that magnify his eyes tenfold. I let out an embarrassed laugh and get up, gathering my things in my arms.

"Ha ha no!" I smile too brightly. "I'm just... uh, going to go to my group now." With that I quickly hurry away from him for fear of being giving a task sheet anyway and having to do everything myself.