Hearts, Roses, and Thorns (HR&T)

Chap. 6 "Honk, Honk"

Sarahlinn

"What was with the sarcasm Hannah?" I asked, "We need to help him feel welcome."

"What? I didn't do anything, but did you see that he thought I was serious?" She shook her head in self-chastisement, "I'm not trying to be mean but how did he not catch that?"

"Yeah, I saw that but don't be mean to him."

She sighed and rolled her eyes with a smirk. "I thought I'd never see the day."

"What?"

"Nothing, gotta go."

Hannah and I parted ways as I stepped into my chemistry class. Allen was in the center of class and I spied a strawberry blonde with a bob cut talking to him. He was smiling bashfully and rubbing his leg as if the walking on the hard tile floors was getting to him. Most of the other seats were full except for the ones next to one of The Twins and Allen.

Considering the fact they'll catcall me for affiliation with Hannah no matter where I sat, I sat next to Allen. The girl in front of him greeted me but sadly I couldn't recognize her.

"Hey girl!" She said, "How was summer? Allen and I were just talking about how cold it is in here-"

"That's probably because of the liquid nitrogen!" Mr. Leighton, the early twenties chemistry teacher declared as he came through the door, "And if there's a leak we'll all die of asphyxiation aka suffocation. I'm joking," his eyes landed on me for a moment before he added, "it's most likely the AC. Hello everyone! Who's ready for a new year~"

And that's how Hannah's ex started the school year. I could see why Hannah liked him in the past, she was eighteen, he was nice, handsome, employed and educated. Hannah was in a dark place when she started... all kinds of things.

"Well I'm ready, and I was only half joking a second ago. I got some liquid nitrogen just dying to be drunk but I need an able volunteer." He looked at his roll call sheet and picked at random, "Allen Thorn? Would you like to come up?"

Problem was his tone sounded like Mr. Kruel's when he would asked a targeted student to finish an algebra problem on the board. Allen went up muttering, "Um, isn't this dangerous?"

"Only if you don't follow instructions. Come to the sink here and swish some water around first."

I watched him, nervous about him swallowing some and starting to scream in pain like the Wicked Witch of the West. Mr. Leighton, impressed with Allen's swishing skills, gave him the go ahead. Allen then slammed the small thimble of liquid nitrogen like a shot of alcohol and then the most interesting thing happened. Condensation came out his mouth like smoke, his jaw, narrower than his cheekbones rolled back and forth as his deep brown eyes were looking at me-

O-or he's just looking at the class! He's got to be looking at the class in general right? I coughed and felt heat rise to my cheeks. Geez, that was erotic. I started to fan myself with a journal, is it me or is it hot in here?

"Great job Allen!" Mr. Leighton declared, "You may return to your seat."

Once Allen started making his way back to me- I mean his seat Mr. Leighton began describing the Leidenfrost effect and how it protected Allen's mouth from a deadly case of brain freeze.

After a class about his mouth Allen cleared his throat and asked, "So, Subway?"

Oof, I forgot about that, maybe it was the chemistry. No matter how Mr. Leighton tried to make it fun it was still mentally exhausting. I put my tongue in the corner of my mouth in thought.

"Yeah, yeah the squad and I will be there."

Allen smirked, "Great."

Getting my things, I was just about to be out the door until Mr. Leighton spoke up.

"Ms. Rose! How was your summer?"

He's going to ask me about Hannah.

"It was good."

"Really? How are your friends-"

"Sarah," a taut voice said from the doorway behind me. Mr. Leighton was silent and after a moment awkwardly greeted with a nod, "Hannah."

Hannah took my hand murmuring with a nod, "Mr. Leighton."

Hannah pulled me out into the hall and we began walking to our lockers. It was the end of the day and the halls were an unintelligible mess of flesh, gossip and other idle chatter. I asked, avoiding the topic of Mr. Leighton, "So I'm assuming that you're not going back to the world of school politics?"

"Hell no, feels worse than drama class. Ellie, the VP though supposedly went to Moscow over the break, lucky brat."

"Didn't Brad The President go to Australia?"

"He did but-"

She stopped mid sentence once we saw a mass of people around our lockers talking in hushed voices. Pushing our way through a note was taped to my locker, a ominous red smiley face at the top, the first words read:

Honk, honk, little bird, you have an accident?

A/N: Possibly another cliché but the plot thickeneth! Or thickens, just thicc-I mean thickens! *fans self* Is is hot in here? XD & I realize that they wouldn't do this in a normal high school (more like college) b-but the erotica! That and Mr. Leighton was very talented when he was younger, being a new teacher (whose made... mistakes with Hannah) he still has new-guy protection.