Two Princes

12. Chemistry

"How did you know I needed a ride to school?" Elizabeth questions when she finally finds her voice at the same instant Meliodas finds a parking spot in the high school lot.

"I didn't. When you didn't show up in class yesterday, and weren't at the library, and didn't answer any of my messages, I decided to check up on you on my way here this morning." Turning to her, he cocks an eyebrow. "Why wasn't Arthur there to pick you up today?"

Suddenly she reaches out and yanks Meliodas to her by the front of his shirt, crushing her lips to his. He kisses her back, hotly and heavily, one hand sliding underneath her shirt to caress her skin and the other tangling itself roughly into her hair, fallen free from its elastic. She moans and his tongue dips into her mouth, and her cheeks flush crimson—

Blinking away the fantasy at the instant she can feel her face growing hot, her gaze darts to meet his and immediately away as she realizes he's still waiting for an answer. Shrugging wordlessly, she quickly opens her door and clambers out of the car.

The parking lot is full of cars and empty of people at this hour of the morning, and the better for her, Elizabeth decides as she speed-walks into the school, leaving Meliodas sauntering in her wake. It will already be too much that people will ask questions when they see her and realize that she did not arrive with Arthur as usual; the last thing she needs is for anybody to see her walk inside with Meliodas. Even in a large school people talk.

Meliodas takes the hint and heads to first period alone while Elizabeth goes to the office with yesterday's excuse note. Even better for her; this way, they won't have to walk into class together, late, either.

But, to her dismay, when she turns down the hallway her locker is in, Meliodas is there.

"Why didn't you go to class?" she hisses, rushing to dial in her combination and yank out the correct books. "Now everybody will see us walk in together! Late! And start to talk!"

"Let them talk," he drawls. "Like they won't anyway."

Her face burns. "That...that doesn't matter! You're just going to make it worse!"

He grins wryly. "Eh. I'm already going to hell."

"Argh!" Elizabeth slams her locker door, spins on her heel, and marches away toward her classroom. Appreciating the sight of her hips and ponytail swinging in frustration, Meliodas trails after her.

Mr. Zaratras frowns at the interruption when the two of them open the classroom door, but he nods as soon as Elizabeth hands him her excused absence slip, and the two take their seats. Their classmates stare. Elizabeth hunches over her desk and quickly lets her hair down from the ponytail, hoping it will fall around her face enough to hide her embarrassment.

❤︎

"I hope you're all making good progress on your projects," Mr. Zaratras reminds them at the end of class. "We'll start presentations in six weeks! I don't have to remind you how quickly that time will pass. Remember to follow the rubric and to work out presentation details with your partner!"

Elizabeth is the first one out the door as soon as the bell trills—

—and is immediately intercepted by Diane, running through the hall that slowly floods with students trickling out of classrooms.

"Elizabeth!" Diane grips her arm roughly and yanks her down the hallway, violet eyes glowing fiercely.

"Ow!" Elizabeth tries to break free, with little success, and finally Diane pulls her to a section of empty space against the wall and releases her. "What was that all about!?"