cast Charity a triumphant look as he grabbed his bag off the floor and jogged to catch up with Ari.
"I appreciate you showing me around, I do,” Ari said as she followed Shane through the crowded halls, “but I don't want to get you in trouble."
"Don't worry about it. My next teacher loves me." Shane glanced over with a dismissive grin. Nearly every person they passed stopped him to talk. Ari heaved a disgruntled sigh. This was going to take forever.
"I meant with Hunter," she said when they started moving again and she had his attention. Shane stopped so suddenly she ran into the back of him. "Oof!" she gasped. Heat shot through her at his touch. Well, that was new.
"What do you mean, with Hunter?" Shane asked incredulously, turning around to face her.
She took a step back. Being that close to him did weird things to her stomach.
Kids streamed past, bumping and jarring and sending them more agitated glances. She ignored them. "Isn't he kind of your boss? That was the impression I got."
Shane frowned. "No. He isn't my boss. We've just been friends for a long time. He looks out for me."
Ari lowered her eyebrows and stepped around him, hoping she was going in the right direction. Stupid nondescript, confusing halls anyway , Ari thought. "And what, he's thinking I'm going to throw you under a ladder or something while he's not looking?"
After a few steps Shane was at her side. "No, apparently that's Brit's M.O. It's just…" He stopped again. Ari debated on whether or not to just keep walking but curiosity won out and she stopped too, looking at him expectantly.
He rolled his dark blue eyes and sighed. "It's embarrassing."
"Then you shouldn't have brought it up," she pointed out, dropping her hands to her hips.
Shane shook his head, his mouth quirking up at the corners in amusement. "Good point." He ran a hand through his dark hair and looked away, distractedly smiling at a blonde girl whose trill clawed at Ari’s brain. She gritted her teeth. "Okay, so I got my heart broken last year. He listened to me whine about it all summer and doesn't want it to happen again," he said.
"Oh good grief. That's the lamest thing I've ever heard," Ari turned with a huff and started walking again, still with no clue where she was going, but not caring, either.
"Hey! Where ya goin?" he called from behind her.
"To class?" she asked sarcastically without stopping.
"Your class is way back there… umm… where we stopped," He laughed as he pointed over his shoulder.
She froze and slowly turned, her boot squeaking on the laminate floor. She locked gazes with him and with as much dignity as she could muster, raised her chin, and stormed toward the library. "Funny," she said through clenched teeth as she passed him. The sound of his laughter followed her.
She spotted Livi at an empty table near the front as she walked through the library doors. Livi's face lit up and she started bouncing in her seat, waving as soon as Ari came in.
"Hey there! How's it going so far?" Livi asked, her eyes sparkling. Ari wondered if this was normal for the pint-sized brunette or if she was just having a good day. She spent the next hour trying not to be entertained by her tiny classmate's animated chatter.
She failed.
To be fair, Livi was hilarious. It didn't matter what she talked about; it was the way she talked that made it the most fascinating subject ever. She was so animated about everything. The hour flew by, and Ari was amazed to find that she was disappointed when class was over.
****
Three minutes before the bell rang for the last class of the day, Shane leaned back on his chair, watching his AP Biology teacher gather up his papers. He was leaving early to go talk to the principal about some scheduling conflict. The second he walked out, Shane dropped the front legs of his chair to the floor with a thunk and threw his books into his bag.
"This is getting ridiculous, Shane," Hunter muttered next to him.
Shane just grinned at him
"I appreciate you showing me around, I do,” Ari said as she followed Shane through the crowded halls, “but I don't want to get you in trouble."
"Don't worry about it. My next teacher loves me." Shane glanced over with a dismissive grin. Nearly every person they passed stopped him to talk. Ari heaved a disgruntled sigh. This was going to take forever.
"I meant with Hunter," she said when they started moving again and she had his attention. Shane stopped so suddenly she ran into the back of him. "Oof!" she gasped. Heat shot through her at his touch. Well, that was new.
"What do you mean, with Hunter?" Shane asked incredulously, turning around to face her.
She took a step back. Being that close to him did weird things to her stomach.
Kids streamed past, bumping and jarring and sending them more agitated glances. She ignored them. "Isn't he kind of your boss? That was the impression I got."
Shane frowned. "No. He isn't my boss. We've just been friends for a long time. He looks out for me."
Ari lowered her eyebrows and stepped around him, hoping she was going in the right direction. Stupid nondescript, confusing halls anyway , Ari thought. "And what, he's thinking I'm going to throw you under a ladder or something while he's not looking?"
After a few steps Shane was at her side. "No, apparently that's Brit's M.O. It's just…" He stopped again. Ari debated on whether or not to just keep walking but curiosity won out and she stopped too, looking at him expectantly.
He rolled his dark blue eyes and sighed. "It's embarrassing."
"Then you shouldn't have brought it up," she pointed out, dropping her hands to her hips.
Shane shook his head, his mouth quirking up at the corners in amusement. "Good point." He ran a hand through his dark hair and looked away, distractedly smiling at a blonde girl whose trill clawed at Ari’s brain. She gritted her teeth. "Okay, so I got my heart broken last year. He listened to me whine about it all summer and doesn't want it to happen again," he said.
"Oh good grief. That's the lamest thing I've ever heard," Ari turned with a huff and started walking again, still with no clue where she was going, but not caring, either.
"Hey! Where ya goin?" he called from behind her.
"To class?" she asked sarcastically without stopping.
"Your class is way back there… umm… where we stopped," He laughed as he pointed over his shoulder.
She froze and slowly turned, her boot squeaking on the laminate floor. She locked gazes with him and with as much dignity as she could muster, raised her chin, and stormed toward the library. "Funny," she said through clenched teeth as she passed him. The sound of his laughter followed her.
She spotted Livi at an empty table near the front as she walked through the library doors. Livi's face lit up and she started bouncing in her seat, waving as soon as Ari came in.
"Hey there! How's it going so far?" Livi asked, her eyes sparkling. Ari wondered if this was normal for the pint-sized brunette or if she was just having a good day. She spent the next hour trying not to be entertained by her tiny classmate's animated chatter.
She failed.
To be fair, Livi was hilarious. It didn't matter what she talked about; it was the way she talked that made it the most fascinating subject ever. She was so animated about everything. The hour flew by, and Ari was amazed to find that she was disappointed when class was over.
****
Three minutes before the bell rang for the last class of the day, Shane leaned back on his chair, watching his AP Biology teacher gather up his papers. He was leaving early to go talk to the principal about some scheduling conflict. The second he walked out, Shane dropped the front legs of his chair to the floor with a thunk and threw his books into his bag.
"This is getting ridiculous, Shane," Hunter muttered next to him.
Shane just grinned at him
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