Peanut

6. Rotten Egg

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Jess asks.

"No, but I'd rather be there than spend the next hour in this classroom" I groan. I've been standing at the door to Mr Dove's room for 5 minutes now. I'd rather have glitter thrown over me again, or eat marmite covered pickles. Anything seems better than an hour or two trapped in this room with that annoying pig.

Speaking of, "What's up Peanut?"

Jess laughs walking off and I turn to Leo. "Wow! I didn't know pigs could talk"

"Haha Peanut you're funny" Leo says sarcastically. "You know, I like a girl with a good sense of humour" he continues.

"You know, I'm not intere-"

Before I could get started on my rant, the door swings open. "You ready guys?" Mr Dove asks.

I sigh and enter the classroom, pick up a test, sit down and get started. First question, how many standard deviations is 94 from the mean? Oh God, give me strength.

A while later Mr Dove excuses himself to get something from the office. Now question 8, how many degrees in angle B? Well if-

"Hey Peanut?" Leo whispers.

Ignore him I tell myself.

"Peanut?"

Ignore him.

"Peanut?" He drags.

Spinning around, I snap "That's not my name!"

"You're pretty" he states with a smile that clearly has an ulterior motive.

I continue glaring at him until continues, "What's the answer to question 7?"

I huff, turn around and get back to work. Once I get to question 15, the last question, I close the paper and go to give it to the teacher. However Mr Dove isn't there. He hadn't returned from the office after 30 minutes. I decide to leave it on his desk anyway and Leo does the same.

Walking at a quicker pace than usual I head for the exit doors to try avoid conversation with Leo. "Hey Peanut what's the hurry?" Never mind.

"My names not Peanut" I mutter speeding down the hall.

"I know... Peanut"

I reach for the handle, ready to brace the fresh evening air and escape Leo's constant talking. He's almost as bad as Jasper in that aspect. I push the handle but the door doesn't budge. This door could have gained weight in an hour. I push it again harder but once again it doesn't budge.

"Awe, can itty bitty Peanut not open the wittle door?" Leo teases.

I refuse to speak and just give him a blank stare. Leo reaches the for the door and pushes. Nothing. I burst out laughing and begin teasing Leo like he did to me. His reaction mirrors the one I had as he watches my hysterical episode.

"Peanut... the door is locked. We're stuck in here"

My laughter ceases immediately, "Huh?! But there are other doors!" I exclaim.

I begin sprinting down the hall to another exit in hopes to find it open. "Maybe the caretaker hasn't locked the other doors!" I shout.

Leo begins to jog after me as I test all the doors but soon enough we realise we're locked in... I'm locked in school with Leo.

"What about Mr Dove?" I ask hopeful.

I don't wait for Leo's response and I beginning running again to the window to see the dark car park. It's empty. Just a lone motorcycle. I sigh and slide down the wall, plopping myself on the cold vinyl floor. I pull out my phone and notice the time, it's almost 6 o'clock. The no signal icon also stands out filling me with anguish. As if this day couldn't get any worse.

"You know we'll be here all night" Leo states suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows.

Scrap that, it's just gotten worse. Leo wouldn't actually try anything. Would he? No surely he wouldn't.

"Hey Peanut?"
Is that his favourite phrase or what? This guy needs to read a book once in a while. "What?" I grunt.

"If you were a fruit, you'd be a fineapple" Leo babbles.

"How can you joke in a situation like this? Are you clinically insane or just annoying?" I hiss.

"Probably both"

"That was rhetorical" I uttered hopelessly

Leo slides down the wall too and sits beside me our legs in front of us. Only now do I notice the major height difference. With me being 5"3 my feet only reach about 3 quarters down the length of Leo's calves. My head only seems to reach his chin.

"Look" Leo starts, "I just don't see a point in getting worked up about it, we'll be fine and we should make the most of the situation."

"What do you mean?" I ask

"Well haven't you ever wanted to run around like a maniac with no one to judge?"

"Not really" I mumbled.

"Well I have" Leo states.

Rising to his feet, Leo grabs my hand and pulls me up unwillingly. Before I know it he's running, "Race you!" He exclaims.

No way is he winning this! I may not be sporty but on a scale of 1 to 10 of competitiveness, I'm a solid 10. One time when I was younger I even studied a guide on how to win monopoly. Let's just say everyone refuses to play it with me now. So Leo better prepare to lose.

I pound my legs against the ground. Leo looks back and begins laughing at me. Good that's a distraction, I'll be 1st in no time.

"Why do you run like that?" Leo gasps.

I've always been told I run a bit odd but with soccer today, my legs are like jelly. Nothing will stop me from being the victor though. The sounds of our shoes against the floor and Leo's laughing echoes throughout the building.

"Last one to the stairs is a rotten egg" Leo claims.

I push myself harder. We're neck in neck. Suddenly Leo trips and falls and I'm in the lead. 1 step, 2 step, 3 step, 4 step, I win! I WIN!

"Whooooo! Winner winner, veggie dinner!" I holler.

Leo walks towards me clapping, "Well done Peanut! How about a congratulatory kiss?"

"How about no? Do you have Basorexia or something?" I object.

"What's that?"

"An overwhelming desire to kiss" I explain.

"Only you. I only desire to kiss you."