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

You can take it home(Part 23)

To keep warm, I'll bring a sweater. You can have mine, it looks better. And honestly, you can take it home (Bukowski)

"Food?", she asked mischievously, when he reached for his backpack. Nevermind her stuffing herself with marshmallows beforehand. She hadn't had a proper meal yet and that showed. "Unfortunately not", Patrick rolled the first word, as if taking it into deeper consideration. "But maybe it'll stop you shivering like a madman."

Unconsciously, she cuddled herself into his big sweater that hung loosely on her body. Oblivious to the reaction the sight of her in his clothes evoked in the boy next to her. "Soo?", she asked, after a longer pause, he spent just staring at her. This appeared to make him snap out of it. Whatever it was.

"Time to introduce you to a nice hobby of mine", he spoke weirdly formal, still gathering up something she couldn't make out under his dark frame. Making her raise her eyebrows at him. This was just supposed to be a bonfire. What else did he have in store for them? Still, she also felt strangely curious about what he was going to introduce her to. Which part of him he'd allow her to see. Even after all this time spent with him, anything about him seemed to be a mystery. It was like nobody knew anything about Patrick Hockstetter, when he wasn't the one willingly supplying the information. Even all the rumours had probably rooted in him spreading them to evoke an air of respect. Wherever he went students cleared his path, trembling while they did so and whispering nasty things about him after he was supposedly out of earshot. Respect out of fear. In all honesty, she didn't know whether she'd prefer this controlled way over her current situation. At least no one was scared of her. But maybe they should be.

This thought out of nowhere caught her of guard. Of course not. She was harmless. Wouldn't hurt a single fly... She grimaced at the reminder. That was Patrick's part.

"Ready? ", Patrick had moved in front of her. His shadow falling on her, causing another insuppressable shiver. After giving her arm a firm rub, that was probably supposed to provide warmth, he pushed a staple of paper sheets in her hand. "Look how high we can make the flames go!"

She almost let out a relieved sigh. If they were just going to play around with the contained fire, it wouldn't be that bad. It wasn't fair of her. She decided, to always assume Patrick had some kind of malicious intent. Of course, he was different than other students but so was she. And no one ever gave Patrick the benefit of doubt. Just like that she extinguished the instances of his violent behaviour from her mind. And just like that she fell for the illusion of a simple but sweet date. At least for a while.   

"Doesn't it feel great to just destroy things you don't need?", Patrick's low voice pierced through the silence. She shot him a questioning look. He simply gave her a bundle of papers, only enhancing her confusion. When he just threw her an expectant look, she gave up. "What are you waiting for?", she asked him with a small laugh. Patrick also giggled at that. He actually giggled?! She'd never expected to experience that. And now she was all the more suspicious. Patrick wouldn't get that excited over simply burning some papers.

Her contemplations were left disregarded, when she felt his arms snake around her torso. "It's like a game. Who's faster. Except that we're working together. Nobody can stop the both of us!", his untypical excitement strangely also spreading over to her. Patrick had pulled her up, when she didn't seem to move on her own.

"Ready?", his lips brushed against her ear, when he uttered the question. He knew what this did to her. "Set", she confirmed, turning her head, so she whispered it against his lips over the small gap between them. The corners of Patrick's lips involuntarily tugged upwards at her hypnotised stare at his lips. He bent down to faintly brush hers with his shortly, staring in her eyes all the while. A small tingling automatically spreading from this small part over her whole body. It only lasted few seconds, then his head was up again. "Go!" She could still see the smirk he failed to conceal, when he bent down to collect the first bundle of papers. Whereas she needed a bit after the unexpected prickling sensation on her lips. Just you wait, Patrick. She tried to wear an indifferent expression, as she bent down on her part.