Steam Punk Goggles and Ink Stained Hands

BARRONE’S POV

~

There’s no way this is going to go well, no way at all. In that case then, I guess I should just try and think of the best way possible to do this that won’t result in Drew ignoring me from now on. He’s been quiet since the start of the lesson, probably annoyed at my lack of response to his earlier attempts at conversation. I couldn’t help but look at him out of the corner of my eye for the whole lesson though. His honey coloured hair swept across his skin skimming just above his bright eyes and
I noticed that whenever he concentrates he bites his lip. He’s just too cute for words.

He started swinging his legs alternately under the table as they were a little too short to touch the floor. Suddenly, his converse-covered feet brushed against my legs and from under my fringe I saw him he still his legs, spin around and slide off the chair. He made his way up to the front of the class room where Mr Way was talking to a red headed girl about the importance of adding shadow to still life.

“Sir, can I use the bathroom?” Drew asked him when he looked up.

“Yeah, sure, but don’t be too long” he quickly dismissed him before resuming his previous conversation.

Wait! This is my chance! I can do this while Drew is out of the room, maybe then he won’t think I’m such a freak. I decided that this is probably going to be the only chance to do this I get this lesson so if I’m going to take it I need to do it now.

I got up out of my seat and tried not to over think it too much. I spotted Mr Way standing by the sink area putting acrylic paints into trays, probably getting ready for the next class. He turned to me as I walked over; I kept my face neutral which was easy after doing this for so long.

“Hey, can I help you with something?” he asked me politely with a friendly smile on his face. I noticed that he had a small smear of red paint on his cheek and that’s what I focused my eyes on, even after all this time I can’t man up and look people in the eyes when I’m about to do them wrong.

“Not particularly…” I mumbled even though my head was screaming at me that ‘Yes, I wanted something, I want detention’. He looked confused and I really don’t blame him, to the normal public nothing I do makes sense. “I’m sorry…” I whispered at him, causing him to scrunch his eyebrows in confusion.

“What do you me-DUDE!” He dropped his formal tone and language when I swept my arm across the surface next to the sink and sent two trays off acrylic up the floor. I made sure to knock them so they wouldn’t get on his clothes though, I’m not doing this to hurt or annoy him, I’m doing it for me.

“Seriously! What was the point in that…” He trailed off when he realised he didn’t know my name.

“Shane” I supplied my real name, to log the incident in the detention rotor he would have to find my name on the system. I tried to keep my voice as emotionless as my face.

“Why did you do that, Shane?” he questioned, his tone back to professional now.

“I don’t know, I just felt like it…” Lies…

I wanted to apologise again, but then he might forgive me and let it slide and that would completely defeat the purpose of the whole thing.

He sighed defeatedly at me, unpleased with my flimsy response.

“Is it ‘cause I’m new? A personal grudge unknown to me? Because I look like an “emo fag”?” he asked, putting air quotes around the last bit.

“No, of course not! Why would that be the reason?” I asked, what did the way he looked have anything to do with it?

“Uh, some kids I taught in my old school used to try and cause a lot of problems in class because they didn’t like the way I looked, it’s why I transferred here…” Suddenly I felt really bad for him, I didn’t want him to think that I would judge him that way. I really should say something, I’ll probably still get in trouble anyway…

“I’m sorry to hear that, and no it’s nothing to do with the way you dress or the fact you’re new, it’s just the way I am. I’m sure the other teachers will fill you in with tales off “the weird Shane kid” when you go to lunch. I am sorry though” I whispered to him. I didn’t particularly care if the other kids heard but I’m sure Mr Way would prefer to keep this conversation between us two.

“That’s okay…” he said after a minute and gave me a small smile, “you do realise I’m going to have to give you detention and log this on the system though, right?”

It really was hard to contain my smile.

“Yeah, that’s fine” I replied, trying to look disappointed but probably failing, I can’t act for shit…

I turned on heel quickly and made my way back to my seat, smiling as I did so. Then I noticed Drew coming back through the door of the classroom. He didn’t see a thing! Brilliant.

When he sat back down next to me he glanced at me questioningly, probably wondering why I looked so happy. I made a vague ‘it’s nothing’ gesture with my hand and went back to my ink and pencil sketch feeling a lot better than at the start of the day.

DREW’S POV

~

I walked back from the school bathrooms with purpose, not bothering to dawdle around. As I stepped up to the open door of the classroom I saw something which confused me, even more than Barrone’s general mysterious aura earlier.

He and Mr Way were stood by the sink talking when suddenly Barrone swung his arm out and knocked some trays of paint Mr Way was putting out up the floor. I was too far away to hear most of the short conversation that followed but I did hear Mr Way tell him that he would have detention as he walked back to his desk. You’d think Barrone would have looked sad or a bit annoyed but no, he was actually full on smiling! What is up with that kid?

I entered the room after the little display seemed to be over and sat down next to Barrone again, raising my eyebrows at him. Why was he happy about detention?

He just gave me a little wave and went back to his work, still grinning.

Right, so for no apparent reason he knocked paint up the floor and then was happy when he got detention? Okay, this kid is definitely weird… but… weird is interesting. The question is, what is so great about detention? As much as I don’t want to do it it’s the only way to find out since so far my attempts at conversation have been pretty much ignored.

When I knew Mr Way was watching I dipped my finger into the small pot of Indian ink in front of us and flicked it at the person on the desk in front of us.

Mr Way just frowned and came over to our table.

“Seriously, what is it with this table?” he asked, it actually sounded more like an actually question than a rhetorical one which most for the teachers here would’ve favoured.

I just shrugged at him, trying to appear non-plussed by the whole thing.

“Look this is my first day here and I don’t want students here to start thinking that I’m a push over like the whole of my last school did… would you make a massive fuss if I gave you detention?” he asked quietly, looking like he wanted nothing more than to avoid an argument with a student on his first day.

“No, I think that’s perfectly fair” I replied to his surprise. “You’re only doing your job” he didn’t say anything in response, he just smiled slightly and headed back towards his desk at the front.

Reasonably pleased with the way that turned out I looked over at Barrone, who was staring a little too hard at his paper making it obvious that he was listening intently to the whole thing.

Well Barrone, you really are a mystery… Still, if there’s a reason you love detention so much hopefully I’ll be able to find it out tonight. Then maybe when I’ve figured you out I can ask you out…

Wait, no, scratch the last bit it sounded creepy. I don’t even know the guy…

Eh, we’ll see how it goes…