Part one - The brown of his eyes
Jean's P.O.V:
School. 6 hours a day, 5 days a week of glorious education. My eyes rolled compulsively. Yeah, right. When has education ever been anything but a pain in my ass?
Damn this sucks. The teacher, Ms Zoë, raved manically at the front of the class, explaining the fascinating lifecycle of some shrub while I tried to write down notes on how many fucks I didn't give.
The end of my pencil snapped, the sharp point ripping a whole in my paper. I glared at it. You little shit. I heard a muffled snort of laughter from the desk next to me and swung my withering stare onto the person sat laughing at my misfortune. Connie.
What? I mouthed. You think this is funny?
He nodded vigorously, picking up his pencil and glaring at it with a constipated expression before looking at me again.
"Listen here, you balding ass." My voice was no louder than a hiss as I threatened him playfully, scowling half-seriously. "You better shut up before I come over there and make you." I fought back the smile that lurked at the corner of my mouth, holding in a snigger as he held a hand to his chest and pulled a shocked expression.
"You wish you could have hair this fabulous, Jean. But let me tell you - you couldn't pull off all this." Connie fluttered his hands around himself, pulling an expression that was probably meant to look pouty but actually made him look like a constipated trout.
Fluttering my hands around myself in a mockery of Connie's frantic gesticulations, I quickly flipped up my middle fingers. "Guess it's a good thing I don't want to look like 'all that' then, isn't it?"
"Aw shut up man, you know all the ladies can't get enough of me." Connie bragged, yelping quietly when the girl behind him pinched his ear rather aggressively.
Her brown eyes flashed mischievously as she leant over her desk to whisper in his ear. "And which ladies are you referring to exactly when you say 'all' the ladies? Have you been up to anything I should know about, Connie?"
He shook his head wildly, hazel eyes wide. "Nope, no, no - I swear. You're the only woman for me, Sasha. I was just trying to make a point to Jean here, that's all." Sasha grinned at me from behind Connie, giggling when he visibly relaxed as she sat back in her chair.
"Whipped." I coughed under my breath, earning a dirty look from my follicularly challenged friend and a snort from Sasha, who clamped a hand over her mouth as if to take the sound back. I cringed as the lecture from the front of the room fell silent.
Aw, crap. I hung my head and turned to face the front, knowing that like always, I would be the one blamed for it. Sure enough, Ms Zoë's eyes met mine as I looked up sheepishly from my desk. Her messy brown hair stuck out from the back of her head, straining to break free of the loose ponytail it was confined within, it's dishevelled appearance matching her ditsy mental state and teaching style. That's not to say that she was stupid or anything, because she certainly wasn't that. Just... less than organised to say the least.
"Disrupting again, Kirstein?" She trilled, head cocked to the side like a curious puppy.
"No, ma'am. Just sorting out a little disagreement, that's all." I said smoothly, slouching back against my chair and shoving my hands deep into my hoodie with a practiced nonchalant air. On the inside I was actually kicking myself, and Sasha, for getting me into this mess, but I couldn't show that. Teachers prey on weakness, I told myself. Stay strong, Jean. You can do this.
A small smile raised Ms Zoë's mouth as if she realised my internal struggle. Maybe she'll let me get away with it? Maybe, just this once, she'll carry on with the lesson and not try and embarrass me in front of the class. "And what disagreement was this?" She asked, eyes gleaming from behind her glasses sadistically. Should 'a known better than to hope, Jean. You should know by now that hoping never gets you anywhere.
I folded my arms across my chest and sighed. "If you must know, Connie and Sasha were having a practice marital dispute and I, like the good Samaritan I am, decided to step in and sort it out." I raised an eyebrow and looked at Ms Zoë before continuing. "Seeing as it isn't my relationship and these matters are usually kept private, I don't think that explaining what the dispute was about would be socially correct in this circumstance."
Ms Zoë nodded her head slowly. "Touché." She murmured before turning back to the board. I slumped into my chair, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. "But next time, Jean, stay out of other people's relationships and perhaps focus on either getting your own or having a good education."
The tips of my ears burned as other members of the class sniggered before stopping when they met my righteously pissed off glare. My pockets bunched up as I clenched the worn material in tight fists, a scowl setting my face.
Like I want a relationship. Like I need anyone. My jaw clenched tightly as I remembered the stench of alcohol and the bitter taste of unspoken words, the empty chair at the table and the soft sound of my mother sobbing at night. I don't want that, and I sure as hell don't need it.
My chair screeched as I pushed back from my desk, grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder before storming towards the door. Connie and Sasha looked at me with wide, worried eyes as I stalked past them but I looked away, a snarl twisting my lips.
"Jean!" Ms Zoë called.
I span on my heel, one shoulder strap of my bag clenched in my fist. "In the politest way possible, Miss, fuck you. You don't know me so keep your pissy views on what I should do with my life to yourself. Have fun lecturing about that shrub - you seem to have done a lot with yours. Very accomplished." I snapped, my voice low with anger but still loud enough to carry to the front of the class.
Low murmurs rose as the class reacted to my harsh words. I shook my head in disgust. Just gossip mongers looking forward to the next piece of drama to spread around without a thought of how it could hurt people.
"Was it something I said?" Ms Zoë pondered out loud quietly, too shocked to reprimand me the way she probably should have.
I slammed the door behind me, the loud smack of wood against the door frame making me feel a bit better, although only for a second before the anger came rushing back. I raked a hand through my brown locks, hand shaking as I let out a heavy breath. My trainers squeaked against the cool marble of the hallway floor as I stormed away from the classroom and towards the nearest fire exit.
"Stupid teachers. Stupid school. And me - what the hell was I thinking?" I muttered angrily to myself, glaring at the faded reflection of me that showed weakly in the floor. "This is another detention for sure. And Mom..." I snorted. She won't give a damn. She never does.
I turned the corner quickly, slamming into a warm body and falling to the floor. Fuck my life, I thought, rubbing a hand across my face before shoving myself up off the floor. My default scowl rose on my face as I looked up at the person I had knocked into. "Watch where you're going you damn idiot." I snapped, knowing that it wasn't really their fault at all even as I said it.
Brown eyes met mine, freckles dusting the face of the boy who looked at me. "I'm sorry, man. I didn't see you - but to be fair it wasn't all my fault. It takes two to turn round a corner and smash into each other." He said lightly, a smile quirking his mouth.
"Whatever." I muttered as I pushed past him, hands shoved deep into my pockets. The black haired boy looked after me as I stalked off, a quick glance over my shoulder showing his brown eyes tracking me down the hallway.
"Watch out, dude, there might be another unsuspecting passer-by around that corner. Wouldn't want you to knock them over, too!" He called after me, half joking but with annoyance dripping into his words.
Guess everyone's a bloody comedian today. His voice faded behind me as I carried on walking, not looking back. But the light chocolate brown of his eyes stayed with me even after his voice stopped echoing through the corridors.