SWNOVELS Chapter 10
Blaise
I have a free hour from 1 o’clock to 2 o’clock and decided to go back to the dorms. Opting not to go to my room I make my way to the common area to continue reading a novel I had downloaded to my Kindle. The chair I chose to sit in has been strategically placed near the fireplace. I’ve chosen the reclining tan chair not because there’s a raging fire but because there isn’t one, it’s 85 degrees outside after all. No, I picked the tan leather chair because its back is to the rest of the room which means no one can see me and I can read without being bothered by others.
Normally I would put my earphones in and listen to music while I read but I forgot to put the wireless device on its charger so there’s no juice left in them for use. I figure it should remain fairly quiet here though, since most students seem to be in class at the moment.
Ten minutes in and just as I’m beginning to read the twelfth chapter of my book voices can be heard growing louder as they make their way into the common room. I try to peek around the side of the chair but can’t see anybody. However, I don’t have to worry about seeing at least one of the two people having the conversation because I recognize her voice! Honestly, I was just going to go back to my reading, but Morgan’s voice is not discreet. In fact, it is quite shrill and she’s practically begging for people to listen as she screeches!
“What do you mean you don’t want to fuck around with me anymore, Braeden?” At the mention of his name, I lift my legs trying to curl into myself hoping at the same time that they don’t notice my movements. I swear I don’t want to eavesdrop on them, but they are both making it quite impossible not to listen.
“Exactly what I said Morgan! Damn it! How is it so hard for you to understand that I don’t want you? This was nothing more than a friends with benefits situation. It was never going to be more than that either!”
“Braeden, you can’t be serious. We were more than just fuck buddies and you know it!” Morgan sobs out. “It’s because of her, isn’t it! ISN’T IT!” She screams at a volume I didn’t know was humanly possible but then again, she’s not really a human is she. My next thought is, who is Morgan referring to when she said, ’it’s because of her’.
I hear Braeden huff a laugh and then shout, “shit! Carden was right. You are delusional. Me not wanting to be with you has nothing to do with anyone! I’m just tired of your bullshit, your constant whining, and how everything always has to be about you! Stars above, Morgan. There are other people in the world. The sun doesn’t solely exist for just you.” A door slams open and someone storms out of the building. Unfortunately for me, I don’t know which one did.
“AAARRRGGGHHH!” Morgan screams so loud I feel like the light fixtures could shatter. Holding my breath, I hear the ping of the elevator as the doors slide open. Taking a chance, I stand so I can look at the elevators. I watch as the doors close on a scowling Morgan and then I bolt for the exit. I’m not sure if I’m running outside to check and see if Braeden is okay or if I’m just running away from the craziness I had just witnessed.
“Oomph!” I run into the trunk of a tree. Well Nox, but same difference. I stumble backwards like a ball bouncing off a wall and stare into the ice-cold gaze of Nox’s blue eyes. “Shit! I’m so sorry.”
Nox smirks. “Do you purposely go out of your way to try and knock into me?” The question is on the verge of a growl, and I stare at him stunned for half a second.
“Excuse me,” I scoff. “Who do you think you are? I didn’t even realize anyone was coming up the steps as I was running out here!” Crossing my arms over my chest I glare at him.
“Yeah, okay,” he responds in a sarcastic tone. Nox shakes his head like he doesn’t believe me, and strands of raven locks fall across his forehead.
I have the sudden urge to brush them back from his face, but I manage to tamp the feeling down and instead yell, “Stars! What is wrong with you? You’re a freaking jerk, you know that!” I try to shove past him, but I would have had better luck moving a boulder by myself.
Nox moves around me muttering “whatever” as he does. A second later he struts through the entrance leaving me to stare after him, mouth agape in disbelief.
Shaking my head to get myself out of the stupor I was in I glance at my phone and see that my next class, Potions 101 starts in five minutes. FUDGE! Turning on my heel, I barge back through the double doors and swiftly make my way to the chair I had been sitting in. I grab my side bag and tablet which I hurriedly stuff in said bag as I dash back out the door.
Running across the campus grounds I burst through the front doors and skid into the first room on the left. I’ve never been so happy that this class is on the first floor. Let me tell you how proud of myself I am that I was able to run in these chunky flip-flops! I am amazed that I didn’t twist my ankle or fall along the way.
The professor walks in seconds after I claim a seat. I had to take a desk at the front of the room which is something I typically try to avoid at all costs. But it’s my own fault for sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong and so I slouch into the seat with pen in hand and notebook open for notes.
Professor Seedling shuts the door and turns around offering a warm smile that causes crow’s feet to appear at the corners of her eyes. She’s a tiny thing and I’d never thought I’d meet someone smaller than me but the sweet ole thing couldn’t be taller than five foot one and that’s only because of her curly salt and pepper hair teased out on the top of her head. “Welcome to Potions 101. On the board behind me are key notes you will want to write down along with the ingredients for the first potion we will be tackling.” She stops speaking for a moment to allow us to write down the information.
Jotting down the words, my focus is solely on the pen and the paper so even though I hear the door to the classroom open and close, I pay no attention as I continue to write what she has on the board. Only when I hear Mrs. Seedling say, “so kind of you to grace us with your presence Mr. Callaghan,” do I take notice. Glancing up from my notebook I watch as Braeden stroll over to Professor Seedling’s desk.
She smirks at him, and he offers her a sheepish grin. “Apologies professor. I got caught up with something and lost track of time. I promise I won’t let it happen again.”
Professor Seedling ‘ha’s’ and then looks to all of us. “Class I would like you to meet my assistant for this term, Braeden Callaghan. You may wonder how a sophomore can become an assistant to a professor and I will share that secret with you. Should you ace every test and assignment given to you then you too could have the same opportunity that Mr. Callaghan has of assisting me when you are a sophomore too.” She turns her head briefly to smile proudly at Braeden before speaking once more.
I’m surprised to hear he did so well in her class. I had assumed because he was brooding and moody that he wasn’t really interested in school. Color me wrong! He must have felt me staring at him because his honey-colored eyes lock with mine holding me captive for a second before he shifts his eyes to look out at the rest of the class. “As I call your names please come to the front of the class and gather the equipment you will need for this potion,” Mrs. Seedling says and then begins to rattle off last names. She goes in alphabetical order through the list making me the tenth and final student to be called to the front. Braeden hovers near the professor’s desk and I can feel his gaze on me as I make my way forward. I keep my eyes focused on the tiled floor as I go and yet somehow still manage to trip over my own feet causing me to bump into him. Braeden is quick to place his hands on the exposed flesh of my biceps so that I don’t fall into the desk where I would inevitably knock stuff over.
The tingling, electrical jolt is instantaneous, he jerks his hands away from my arms as though he’s been burned, and I gasp backing away from him at the same time. I turn my attention to picking up the items for the potion and make my way back to my desk as quickly as I can without tripping over myself.
“Alright everybody. This is what people call a healing cure. It is fairly simple to produce but too much of one ingredient or not enough of another and it won’t do the job it’s meant to do, which is to heal wounds.” We all nod that we understand and then follow her lead as she places dried dandelions into a mortar where she then proceeds to use a pestle and crushes the flowers into a fine powdery substance.
When she was done crushing the petals, she requests that Braeden go around the room and watch how everyone utilizes their pestle. As he comes to observe me my hands begin to shake. Braeden steps closer to me and ends up causing my arm to brush against his chest. When he speaks, his breath caresses my neck causing goosebumps to spring up on my skin. Hesitantly he lifts his right hand and places it on top of mine.
Since we are both expecting the jolt neither of us reacts like before. “If you hold the pestle at more of an angle like this, it will produce a better consistency.” I nod my head and adjust my hold all while fighting the urge to lean into him.
Taking a deep breath, he steps away from me and moves on to the next student. I exhale a shaky breath of my own as I try to reign in the thoughts that have run wild in my head. “Okay, that’s it for today, class. Please take your equipment and place it over on the shelf against that wall.” Mrs. Seedling points to her left where there are empty metal racks waiting for us. “You will see a spot with your name on it. Sit your items in your assigned spot and then you may leave.”
After placing my things on the shelf, I walk back to my desk and grab my bag. I glance towards the professor’s desk in hope of catching Braeden’s eye, but I realize to late that he has already left the classroom.