Rampage ✔

Chapter twenty seven

I've been ignoring Reece for two whole weeks and it's driving me crazy. He glares every time he looks at me and I don't know how much longer I can handle it. It hurts to have someone you care about so much be looking at you like that. My friends have stopped questioning me about it, but Jordan still hints for me to tell him what's going on. It's getting harder to ignore, but it's better this way. It's safer for them if they don't know.

Luke's had a worried frown on his face every time I see him and I know it's because of me. Maybe it's the dark circles under my eyes that are making him worried? I've had restless nights since finding out how Reece has been acting. I miss him and I wish I could tell him everything.

The stress has increased tenfold because I've been receiving the phone calls again. The calls have been coming in every night and every time I answer there's only heavy breathing on the other end. It's become so bad that I turn my phone off at night.

"We'll be starting a group project today," the chemistry teacher informs, much to the student's delight, "but I'll be choosing your partners."

'Please partner me with Jordan or Julia. Please, please, please,' I chant in my head.

"Reece and Quinn."

My stomach drops at his name, and with a glance over my shoulder, notice he's scowling down at his desk. I can see how excited he is to be working with me. I sigh, dragging my feet over to my previous desk next to him.

"There will be no partner changes. What you have to do is build a model of the molecular chain that will be assigned to you and present it in front of the class."

I quietly sit next to Reece and listen to the instructions the teacher is giving until she dismisses us to work on the planning aspect of the project. Reece doesn't say anything to me even after everyone gets to work. The silence is awkward. I so badly want to say something, but my mind is blank.

"Meet me at my house after school so we can start the project."

He doesn't even look at me when he says it. He just continues to stare at the front of the class.

I clear my throat nervously. "Do you need me to bring anything?"

"No," he says curtly.

He's silent for the rest of the period, the two of us doing our own thing, and only pretending to work together when the teacher would look up from her desk.

    ***

    "Quinn!" Terra grins as she opens the door for me. "I haven't seen you around in a while."

    "Sorry about that. I've been really busy lately."

    "No worries. Are you looking for Reece?"

    I nod. "Is he here?"

He steps down from the stairs behind Terra, "hey."

He doesn't look at me when Terra moves to let me inside nor does he acknowledge me when he tells her we'll be in his room working on a project. I follow him upstairs silently, knowing that Terra knows something is going on because of the strange look she gave me before I passed by.

I sit on the edge of Reece's bed while he sets up his laptop between us. We're sitting as far away from each other as we can without being on the floor. The distance makes my heart twist painfully. We begin with researching the molecule that was assigned to us and getting as much information as possible.

An hour passes in complete silence, only a few questions about the work we're doing being passed between us. It's awkward and uncomfortable. It's been so long since I've felt like this around Reece I don't know what to do.