Just a small note, I decided to make Patton really smart for this chapter, so... Yeah! Don't judge!
"Do we have assigned seats in this class?" Patton asked nervously.
Logan shook his head in reply. "No, but some people have tried to claim desks. Just sit next to me and you'll be fine." He led Patton to the back of the classroom. "I prefer to sit here, so you can sit there" he said, gesturing to the left of his desk.
"Th-thanks, Lo. I can call you 'Lo,' right?"
Logan just shrugged and pulled a giant history book out of his bag. That's a big book... I wonder what class would assign that! I'll just ask him later.
Just before the bell rang, a tall boy walked up to Patton and scowled. He wore a yellow shirt with a black jacket. He had drawn a small, two-headed snake on the back of his hand. "Move it, newbie. You're in my seat." His eyes flashed dangerously.
"S-sorry!" Patton yelped, then started pushing himself away from the desk. A hand on his back stopped him.
"Patton, you can stay," Logan said, pushing up his glasses. "Damian, leave him alone. And before you try, no. You can't try to scare me into changing my mind." He stared Damian down intensely, calculating his every move.
Eventually, Damian sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well, this is the last you'll see of me!" he stated mockingly before choosing a seat on the other side of the classroom.
Well, he's scary! Patton thought and shuddered slightly. "Logan, is he always like that?"
"Sometimes, but don't let it bother you. And don't always take him seriously." Deciding the matter was closed, Logan opened his book and began reading.
That was strange...
I honestly feel kind of bad for Patton, Logan thought. The teacher had just called Patton up to the front of the class. He had a big smile like before and he seemed really excited and happy, bu this eyes said otherwise. Logan noticed that the grin didn't quite reach his eyes, and Patton was looking around nervously, studying people. He seemed to be afraid of something, which didn't make sense. He was in a classroom, a physically safe environment, except for the small chance of a freak disaster.
"Hiya, kiddos!" he waved to the class. Some of them waved back, but others just rolled their eyes and tapped their pencils on the desks. Logan saw Patton's smile falter for a split second before he spoke again.
"I'm Patton Parker! It's nice to meet you! Now, I don't know most of you, buy I'm sure some of us have some chemistry." His face flushed as he looked at his feet. "Oops. Wrong class... I'm not even taking chemistry this year!" With that, he sped-walked back to his seat by Logan, followed by a few snickers from fellow classmates.
Logan looked over at Patton before the lesson started. His face was still a little red, but his eyes were glistening with tears. "Patton... Are you alright?"
Patton sniffed a little, then looked up smiling again. "Of course! I'm your happy, pappy Patton, so why wouldn't I be fine?"
Logan scanned his face again, trying to find any hidden emotions. I don't even know why I'm trying... Feeling are things I've never fully understood. The only things he saw that he hadn't really payed attention to before were the light freckles splashed across his face. And his eyes. They were a beautiful sky-blue, but they were slowly changing to a slightly darker ocean-blue. Almost hypnotizing... I've never seen anybody's eyes do that!
"L-Logan?" His freckles were beginning to disappear due to his face turning red again. "I'm sorry, but I get a little uncomfortable when people look at em like that for too long..."
Logan adjusted his tie in embarrassment. "I, um, sincerely apologize, Patton. It's just that you're new and there are so many things to learn about you!"
"well, that can wait. I only met you last class, and the lesson for this one is about to start."
"Of course," Logan said. He felt as though he had crossed a line with Patton already, but he wasn't sure what he did. Silently mulling over everything that had just happened, he pulled the homework and a notebook out of his bag.
Logan had just answered the fourth question in a row, firing off answers as soon as the teacher called on him. Wow, he's smart! He reminds me of Hermione Granger!
"Thank you again, Logan. Now, who can tell me what mitochondria are?"
Logan raised his hand again, then lowered it when he saw Patton raising his.
"Do you have an answer, Patton?"
I know this one! "Mhm! The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell."
Everybody turned to look at him as the teacher asked, "Would you care to explain?"
Suddenly feeling very self-conscious, he stuttered as he elaborated. "W-well, mitochondria are im-important for the p-process of cellular r-respiration, right? They use the oxygen to k-keep all organisms alive!m They also, um, use glucose for energy." Feeling satisfied with his answer, Patton relaxed.
A girl in the front of the room laughed and asked, "What do you mean, 'all organisms?' Plants are organisms, but they use photosynthesis, not cellular respiration."
It's always so fun to explain this to people! I'm surprised that they never figure this out! Patton thought as a smile grew on his face.
Logan stared at Patton when he responded.
"Plant cells have mitochondria in them, if you didn't pay attention to that part earlier this year. Or last year, or even before that. I don't know how things are taught here. Anyways, mitochondria can't use carbon dioxide, they use oxygen. If plants didn't use oxygen, why would they have mitochondria in their cells? In fact, they're used to break down the glucose that is made by the chloroplasts, and turn the oxygen and sugar into energy!" he said confidently.
Logan's mouth slightly opened in shock. Whoa... I thought I was the only person who noticed that!
Most of the class was silent as the girl rolled her eyes and faced the board again.
"Thank you for sharing that observation, Patton!" the teacher praised, then continued the lesson.
Logan began answering questions again, but a little more hesitantly. He glanced at Patton and wondered if he would say something again, but he didn't.
Smiling to himself, he thought, I believe this year just got a little more interesting...