CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: NERYS
Ichoosetoavoid Clemmen for two days. Everywhere she is, I’m not, including our dorm. I’ve spent more time in the library in the last couple of days than I ever have in my entire life. I spend most of the time on my phone, playing mindless games and avoiding the studies that I should probably be diving into, especially considering I missed a whole week of class. The time that I’m not on my phone, I’m locating books on abarons and divulging the information. For some kind of crazy monster that the fae fear, there’s not a lot of books on them in the library.
When I’d bit the bullet and approached Mr. Lunsen, the man who’d given me my admittance test, and asked why there weren’t more books on the creature, he’d looked at me for a little too long. I’d shrunk right under that all seeing look, finally letting out a breath of relief when he said that it was because no one ever got close enough to do enough research.
Disappointing.
When I walk into our potions class, Clemmen is already sitting in her usual seat. Her feet are kicked up on my desk, that green gum being blown into a bubble. The second it pops, she glares at me. “I know what you’re doing, and let me say it’s shitty,” she declares.
I cringe. “I know.
“That’s all you’ve got?” she asks, inclingin her head back.
I open my mouth, trying to come up with a response, but thankfully I’m saved by Professor Misael as he strides into the room, his gaze going straight to Clemmen.
“Clemmentime, get your feet off of my desk,” he says.
Clemmen’s body tenses up for the briefest moment before she gives an eye roll so long it serves a world record. “Technically this desk belongs to the academy, not you,” she says, not budging her feet.
“Same thing,” he bites out at her.
Clemmen stretches out further, her arms popped up behind her. Her green hair’s pulled back into two french braids today and the ends hang low as she tilts her head back like she’s soaking up rays of sun on the beach. She crosses her ankles on top of my desk.
Professor Misael stares at her as if he can’t believe she has the audacity but he should know by now that Clemmen has audacity in bundles. I’m pretty sure she keeps a whole rack of it in her closet at the dorm.
She lets her eyes fall closed and the smugness to the twitch of her lips is what finally does it for Professor Misael. His eyes narrow and his lips part, one word leaving them before he jerks a hand.
Clemmen lets out a screech as her feet go flying off of my desk. She loses her balance off of her elbows and tips to the side, a hand reaching out to drab the desk as she goes falling.
I try to catch her but I’m less than successful, watching as she lands on the ground with a thud.
Professor Misael calmly walks through the room, even as the current students in attendance gawk at him.
He comes to a stop just when he’s standing over Clemmen. “I told you this class would be as easy as you make it, Clemmentime, but if you want to make it hard then that’s what it’ll be.”
Clemmen gapes up at him.
He smirks before turning on his heels and walking away from here. “And pick your gum up off of my floor.”
I look down to see that Clemmen’s gum did in fact slip out of her mouth at some point during the whole interaction.
A whistle comes from the doorway and I look up to find Brynsyn striding in. He’s wearing a tanktop today, showing off strong muscles. “You got clearance from Sprouse to do that one?” he asks sarcastically. “I’m pretty sure she won’t be happy about you using spells to toss students out of chairs.”
Professor Misael doesn’t offer Brynsyn an answer, only glaring at him. Brynsyn chuckles and then his gaze is moving over to me.
He smiles right at me despite the fact that I’ve made it clear I don’t want shit to do with him. He moves over to us, stopping in front of Clemmen and offering her a hand. She takes it even as swears leave her mouth.
She doesn’t pick her gum up.
“Ner,” he says, turning his attention to me once he’s done helping Clemmen.
I don’t say anything, pressing my lips together tightly. He only chuckles, leaning close to me. I remain still in my seat. His mouth glides along my cheek, warm and soft.
My chest warms.
“How long are we going to play this game, Ner?” His mouth stops as it gets to my ear. “I’m really sorry about what happened.” One of his hands grasp my cheek, tilting it slightly as his lips brush against my ear. I can’t stop the shiver that runs down my spine. “I promise to never do it again. There, happy?” He pulls back just enough that his eyes meet mine/
I can’t say that the sympathy in his eyes is completely genuine, especially when I can see his lips twitching as they try to hold back a smile. It's why I remain strong, turning my face away from him.