The Rest Is History | ✓

07 | the fight

"You twat!"

I was seething at Archer, who'd just achieved the feat of, how do I put it, royally pissing me off. Again.

He just smirked. "So this time, I win."

I stared at him. So this was his plan, to piss me off and get one step closer to winning the end-of-year bet. He opened his notebook and struck another tally mark on a page.

Oh yeah, we were keeping tabs on our wins.

"Okay, this time you win," I growled, "But you're not gonna be this lucky all the time."

Archer laughed, a golden sound which felt like honey to my ears. "Whatever you say, Vivian."

I froze. I hadn't heard him laugh like that in a long time, and I did not just say it felt like honey to my ears. Ew.

But it did. Admit it. You liked hearing it.

I shook my head slightly, stopping that train of thought before it could go any further. I was not allowed to think like that, not anymore.

My face turned stoic, cold. "Alright can we please get on with this work? There's a lot left."

Archer stared at me for a second, the air in the study thick with some kind of tension, I can't exactly describe what. After a few moments he dropped his gaze and turned back to his work.

°

"Archer?"

"What?"

I paused, swallowing. Should I ask?

But dismissing all my hesitation I went ahead anyway.

"You know the Ball's coming up right? But it's just before the deadline by which we have to submit all this work, so do you think we should go? Or should we just stay here and complete the work?"

Archer turned on me, an incredulous expression on his face. "You can't be serious. Of course we'll go! Well I don't know about you, since you're a goody two shoes,"--I rolled my eyes--"But bloody hell, I have to go! I can't just miss out on the one exciting night of the school year just for some stupid work!"

I put my hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, just asking."

He stared at me. "Why, won't you go?"

I sighed. "I was hesitant at first, but Angie and Kate are hellbent on dragging me there and now that you're saying you'll go too, I don't see why I should be the only one cooped up here instead of enjoying the night."

He shrugged. "Do whatever, I don't give a damn."

I glared at him. "And the arsehole is back."

"When was he ever gone?"

"You're right for once. Once an arse, always a bloody arse."

He shot a fake smile in my direction. "Funny, that's not what you used to say a year back."

I froze for the second time that night. Shock and hurt coursed through my body, leaving me reeling. Archer didn't seem to realise though and he continued.

"You'd be all, Hey Arch, I love you soo much, please kiss m--"

He didn't get to finish that sentence, as I slapped him across his left cheek. He stilled, holding his cheek with his hand.