YEAR 5 CONFERENCE HALL
As sudden as the touches arrived, so they left, leaving just lingering tingles in remembrance.
Bri was still trying to recuperate from the almost spaced-out she just felt, eyes glued to her thigh, formerly occupied by slender fingers.
Max snapped the book shut, giving notice to everyone in the group. Collecting herself, she rose to her feet and spoke,
"If you would excuse me, I have to get this book back to the library."
Glancing at Bri, her eyes clearly conveying; follow me.
In an attempt to follow the brunette, Elise signified, "Max, let me go with you. I don't want to stay around a certain someone", throwing a stink eye at the unbothered male beside her.
"Trent, watch Elise for me. I'll be right back", Max ordered while motioning for the pouty girl to seat back down. Elise sagged back into her chair, mumbling incoherently to herself in dissatisfaction.
With a last look at the disrupted tomboy, a tiny smirk made its way to her lips at how much Bri was impacted. With that, the girl with glasses excused herself.
After minutes of pondering whether to go after her taunter or not, Bri's face betrayed her conflicted mind. The sound of her name pulled her out of her thoughts,
"Bri! Bri! Are you okay? You seem very lost. What are you thinking about? Is the about the dresses?", the blonde inquired.
"Hmm, I have to go guys", The pixie-haired girl got up unexpectedly.
"Wait, where are you going to?", Elise called out after her.
"Toilet!", Bri answered rounding the corner, and out the door.
The confusion evident on her face, Hannah shifted to the others, "But that's not the way to the toilet".
All the while, sitting quietly behind Hannah while fondling her hair, Senza's eyes hidden behind his overgrown hair caught a glimpse of Max's hands caressing Bri's thigh.
With that image in mind, all he could utter was a small grunt of amusement at his partner's confusion. Interesting.
*******************************************
THE LIBRARY
1ST FLOOR
Will she come? What if she didn't detect my gesticulation earlier?
The thoughts of disappointment pulled a sigh of despair from Max. Jerking away the thoughts, it's insignificant, she surveyed the queues of books for her next conquest.
Greek Mythology? No. Ayuttaya History? Done. Egyptian Poems? I could utilize that to brush up on my Arabic.
The silence in the library was disrupted as hesitant footsteps echoed along the hall. Who could that–
Ginger strands stood out among the rustic background of the library walls. Max found herself gazing at the confused girl, from behind the shelves. Hair messy from repeatedly running through, necktie laying lax along her torso, one hand gently tucked in her pant pocket as her eyes wandered about looking for the one who occupied her thinkings. Hmm…Not bad.
"Max? Hello? Anyone?"
"Are you aware this is a library?", the girl in glasses reveals herself, taking light steps towards Bri.
Placing the book with a foreign language written on the hardcover on her thigh, she took a seat on the vacant table, looking directly into Bri's hazel iris, "I see you are quite observant."
"Maxine, what was that in the classroom?", Bri blurted out, desperate for answers. Her eyes scoured Max's, trying to read where her mind is.
Erasing any form of hesitancy, she inclined forward and articulated, "Kiss me"
Bri's dilated eyes paced around, trying to make meaning of what just exited from Max's mouth.
"Kiss… you? This doesn't make sense to me. What is this?"
"You don't want to? Okay. I'll just ask someone–", Max made an effort to descend from the table, feeling somewhat dejected.
Caging her between her arms, Bri arrested her, "Where do you think you are going? I didn't say I didn't want to, I… just needed a minute to wrap my head around it". The now-settled girl clarified, a small smile resting on her lips. You kinda sprung this up on me.
"I will assume that you have consented. Alright. Kiss me then."
The impatient girl puckered her thin lips together and shut her eyes in expectation. A giggle broke her out of her daydreaming. This was a new side of Max that Bri was not aware of. The thought of the face constantly buried in a book showing such a cute and childish expression was one for the imagination.
Opening her eyes to the smiley Bri, Max cocked her head to the side in puzzlement, "Why are you laughing? The books plainly said I ought to do that". Stifling a chuckle at the smart girl's naivety, Bri gently unfolded the hands clenching onto the strange book,
"That is all theory. But would you like me to teach the practical?", examining the clueless girl in glasses for permission. "We'll take it slow. If you are not comfortable with anything, stop me."
Max abruptly burst into a rant out of uneasiness, "My lips are moistened. Eyes open or closed? I opted for closed and then readied my lips", running through the checklist in her head, "I would desire you don't muddle up my uniform and we have restricted time, approximately 15 minutes but a kiss based on my study is relatively quick–"
Bri shut her rambling with a premature peck on the lips.
Pulling away, she slowly removes the glasses off the brunette, tidying up her bangs to have a better look at the constantly hidden upturned honey-brown. Her eyes searched Max's expression for hesitation. At the sight of none, she cups the slim girl's chin and plants a soft kiss on her slightly ajar lips. Pulling back, their eyes linger for a moment.
There, a kiss…
Just then, Max pulls on the loose tie of the girl hovering over her to seal their lips once again, a firm closed mouth kiss. Quickly recovering from the abruptness, Bri slows her down by running her thumb across her cheekbone, "Open your mouth for me", as she kisses down on the innocent girl's lower lips, opening her up to deepen the kiss. Sweet… Strawberry… You really prepared earnestly, Max.
Holding herself back from intensifying the kiss, their location serving as an anchor, Bri pulled away from the kiss. Max still heaving, eyes closed and she savoured the new feeling from this experience. It is very different from when she practised on fruits in the dorms. The tomboy gently wiped residues of lip balm that veered from the lips of the recovering girl.
"And I didn't have to mess up your uniform"
The rings of her silvery voice woke Max from her trance. Putting on her usual plain expression, she adjusted her glasses back on the bridge of her nose.
"That was... adequate. Thank you for… yes. We should leave now", the constantly monotonous girl found herself stumbling on her words, resulting in a broad grin from Bri. Uncomfortable with the strange ambience, Max cautiously leaps off the table, book in hand as she totters to walk away.
Bri's appealing words stop her after a few steps, "If you ever need someone to do that with, I'll… love to."
"I'll consider it. Class now", she responded walking away with the pixie-haired girl strolling after her.
**************************************
YEAR 5 CONFERENCE HALL
With everyone engaged with their significant other in some form of conversation, Elise was left to scrutinize the stoic male by her side. Mulling over his two-faced behaviour towards her leading up to his proposal, Elise needed an answer to a mind-boggling question.
"Why did you pick me for valentines?"
Cognizant that the inquiry was undoubtedly for him, the white long-haired boy boredly answered behind closed eyes,
"You were right beside me. Too tired to think"
Gritting her teeth, Elise shot daggers, clueless to the male by her. This son of a —-. Deep breathes Elise. Accidental death by freezing is still on the table, Trent.
Sighing loudly, the ice user repressed her need for murder and answered as collected as she could,
"You can still change it. Pick someone else. It doesn't have to be me"
"Too lazy to change", Trent blurted out with finality. Stop disputing, Elise.
Scrowling her face in sadness, Elise complained loudly, gesturing with her hands, "But you don't even like me. We can't even make simple agreements without fighting, talk less of making plans together as dates"
Out of nowhere, Trent raised a question, completely disregarding her grumbles, "What colour of dress?"
"Excuse me"
Opening his eyes to gaze at the interrupted female, Trent pointed out, "Dress. Color. Are you even listening?", topping with a shake of his head. I would have heard you if you didn't interrupt me. Changing the subject out of nowhere.
"Sigh, I don't know yet", the sulking girl sunk into her chair as she realized how she had forgotten all about the whole dress dilemma.
Pointing at the white emblem on her cardigan, he disclosed plainly,
"Wear this"
Her unsure blue eyes followed his finger down to her uniform, before darting back at him in disbelief. Really, Lee? Really? My uniform? Wow, the hatred runs deep, uhh.
"You must really loathe me. It's a ball Trent, not a school trip. I can't wear my uniform", Elise pointed out the obvious to the narrow-eyed male.
Rolling his eyes at her presumptions, he corrected her in his special Trent way, "Stupid. I meant the colour."
Glancing back at the emblem, it dawned on the girl, "Oh!". White? But I don't really like that colour. "It's white, Trent", Elise sulks, pouting at the white logo on her chest.
Trent knew that the grey-haired girl was not the biggest fan of the colour but ever since her abilities altered her look, something was just different.
"I'm aware. Stop whining like a child. It brings out your eyes", he muttered the last statement to himself.
"My eyes?"
"Just wear it. Now stop talking to me. I have reached my social quote for the day". With that, he shut his eyes motioning for the end of the conversation, leaving a mildly irritated Elise hanging.
"This is going to be a hassle. Fine, fine. Shut me out. I have better things to spend mental energy on." Throwing the last words to the statue-like human, Elise picks up her tablet, resolving to focus her attention on a pressing matter; what to wear for the ball.
Shortly, Trent opens his eyes to peek at the concentrated girl beside him. His visions linger over her features as a corner of his lip angles up at her furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips. Stupidly cute.
Sensing a fierce stare on him, the stoic male leans slightly to the direction of the tension, catching a particular individual afar off staring at him with a murderous eye. A ghost of a smirk glimmers across his face, taking satisfaction in the envy painted across Samuel's face. You should have treated her better.
Composing himself, Trent adjusted back to his seating position, inching a bit closer to an absent-minded Elise.
Like and Comment for more Trent dialogue or I might just make him mute.
*************************
Heyo my Chingus,
How was your week?
We will be getting more of Elise and Trent's interactions. I'm still struggling to work on our cold-blooded boy's dialogue. I'm just too sweet for all that, you know.
I'm sure Max and Bri's story diversion was not much of a shock. I didn't intend to make them a couple in the first instance but after watching Gap the series. I thought, why not? An FxF side couple without drama. Just two people with different personalities, figuring shii out.
Concerning the prom, I feel like I would need to have a special chapter to highlight all the costumes. I spend a few days on Pinterest getting colours and designs that match their personality and dates. Let me tell you, it was not easy. I also have the male and female uniform samples for visual aid.
Leave comments on anything that come to mind.
All in all, I hope you guys stay healthy and hydrated.
Annyeong.
"Love is - Kei (Oh my Venus ost.)"