What's in your pencil case? (Patrick Hockstetter)

Kill one for the team - or Group Projects (Part 19)

So if you're looking for some proof that there's a heart inside of me, then lace your fingers between mine and you will see it start to leak. (Private Fears In Public Places)

After the strange encounter with Bowers she immediately rushed in their classroom. All of the eyes were on her the moment she stepped through the door. Judging her. At least it felt that way. Like she was catapulted back into her past. The seconds of silence lasted an eternity to her. "Nice of you to join us too", the teacher remarked - finally - with distaste. Even Patrick, who tended to come late by default was already in his place. In her situation, Patrick wouldn't care. Be like him. She commanded herself. And unconsciously she mimicked the exact posture he wore whenever he burst in the classroom, minutes after the door had been closed. "Won't happen again.", she assured the teacher with her newfound facade of confidence, before slipping into her seat next to Patrick.

Victor once again sat in the front. Laughing quietly at something the blonde girl next to him said. How did he expect Patrick not to find out? But the blond had been right in one aspect. Patrick didn't even glance in his direction. Instead he regarded her with a questioning look. "You're never late. I almost came looking for you, but yeah...you needed time.", he trailed off. She was genuinely surprised at how he had taken her words into consideration. "Nothing much. Talked a bit to Stan and the boys.", she decided not to stir up more drama between him and Bowers and instead opted for dropping a subtle hint that she knew what he did to Stanley. Not that she would have estimated he'd get it, after all she didn't dare to outright confront him about it just now. Regardless she was curious of his reaction. But her curiosity stayed unsatisfied.

Loud rummaging was building up in the whole classroom. Everybody was grabbing their belongings and getting up. She furrowed her eyebrows. Class had only just started. What were they doing? Patrick who was just about to reply to her comment about Stanley, filled her in on what she had missed instead: "Some sh*t about the Derry Project. We gotta find our partners and make a concept with them. I'd say we just ditch, you comin'?" He had already risen from his seat and held out his hand to help her up. Perhaps a nice gesture, but she wasn't elderly or ill. And she had gotten fed up with people making decisions for her long ago. She brushed his hand off and stood up by herself. A strange emotion she couldn't quite identify briefly crossed his features. Rejection perhaps, maybe anger, or was that hurt? Maybe after her sending him away last night he really was quite sorrowful about her not wanting him to stay. Well, her claiming that she wouldn't want him there. -He must have recognised that this wasn't what she truly wanted!- Either way she immediately regretted her rudeness and reached out to lace their fingers together.
Patrick didn't show much of a reaction to her nonverbal reconciliation. But she had caught the small smile that tugged at his lips and that was reward enough.

"So you two have been missing last lesson. Who's your third partner?", the annoyed voice of her teacher addressed them. "Erm..", her eyes quickly roamed around the classroom. Who would voluntarily join a group with her and Patrick? "Vic", Patrick stated matter-of-factly. The girl next to him however, had already located the mentioned boy. And judging from his hand laced with Caroline's while he was observing the blonde with glazed eyes as she vividly talked about something, she was certain Vic already had a team. And she wouldn't want to rip his momentarily luck away from him. "I'll take care of it.", she piped up, earning a confused look from Patrick.

"Can you already go outside to our spot, 'Trick? We're gonna discuss things there.", she added only for him, hoping to appeal to him with the use of "their spot". But if her assumption was right and Victor had really favoured Caroline over them for his group, she wouldn't want Patrick to confront him about it. The sight wouldn't be nice for sure. "'Trick? I liked you calling me god a lot better.", he raised his eyebrows, "But I'll be waiting there for you. Tell Vic to come a bit later, then we'll have time to catch up.", he winked, making her blush. Their teacher soundly cleared their throat. Her head flushed a bright red. Why did he have to imply this in front of the teacher?
While Patrick simply licked his lips at his implication regardless of her teacher watching, her own face warmed up considerably. She was mortified.