The Parallel (Bones Fan Fiction)

Three: Booth

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.

The sound of the clock was driving me insane. I'd never exactly been a patient kid, but the more ticks I heard, the farther away the bell seemed. All I wanted to do was get out of here, get Bones' assignments, and bring her some damn soup. Was that really too much to ask for?

The bell sounded.

I leapt from my seat, startling a few innocent looking girls, and threw my backpack over my shoulder. Dropping a wink towards the ladies, I smirked and darted out of the classroom.

I was still simmering about the Mark incident. I'd been beyond angry that he'd shown up at the tutor center to scare Bones. She wasn't the kind of girl that scared easily, but she had been a lot more freaked than she had let on. I ground my teeth. One day that guy was going to get what was coming to him.

"Hey, Lover Boy."

I turned around, rolling my eyes. "Well, if it isn't Squint One and Squint Two. How's it hanging, boys? Got any good jokes for me?"

Hodgins wore a smug smile. "A Roman walks into a bar, holds up two fingers and says, 'I'd like five beers, please.'"

I shook my head in mock disappointment. "Not good enough. I thought squint jokes were supposed to be...I don't know, squintier than that. Got the assignments?"

Zack handed me a pile of papers and notebooks. "Calculus homework. You know," he pointed out, "if Brennan keeps missing school, she won't be prepared for camp and Hodgins and I will undoubtedly take first place."

"You both know Bones could outsmart you both in her sleep," I defended. "She's going to be at the top of her game. And as a matter of fact, so will I. I've been reading things, you know."

They glanced at each other wearing identical amused expressions.

I narrowed my eyes. "You got something to say?"

The two of them snickered and walked away.

I chuckled and shook my head. The squints were going to be eating my dust in that damn camp.

I made my way out of the school and to my beat-up, old truck. Throwing my pack and Bones' assignments into the passenger seat, I put Winona into reverse and peeled out of the parking lot.

***

I pressed the doorbell and listened to its sound from the front porch. I stood there balancing the calculus assignments in my left hand and a Styrofoam container of hot chicken noodle soup in my right. It took all my concentration not to drop them.

The door opened and out came a slim, pinched-faced woman. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun and her gray pantsuit was pressed and neat.

"Oh, it's you. Go on in, I guess," Mrs. Talbot gestured, agitated. 

She took the porch steps two at a time and was out of sight before I could even say, "Hey, Mrs. Talbot."

Whatever. I used my foot and pulled open the screen door, careful not to drop anything. "Honey, I'm home!" I yelled.

"I'm in here."

Following the weak reply to the living room, I set the assignments and the soup on the coffee table and examined Bones. She didn't look good at all—even worse than I'd thought.