The one part of the day when Jim was not able to walk Nyota to class was the first time Nyota had any contact John.
It happened as she was rushing down the hall with her head in her metaphysics book attempting to review what she hadn't yet committed to her long term memory. As she quickly paced to class she walked right into a solid wall. As she hurriedly scrambled her books together she looked up and saw that she did not walk into a wall, but in fact John Harrison.
He made no notion to help the girl and instead looked down at her, preserving his perfect posture, with a perplexed expression. She exchanged brief emotionless eye contact and proceeded to class.
Once there she quickly found her seat and commenced the test as soon as possible. Half way through she was distracted by a late student. Surprisingly the student (whoever it was) was permitted to enter the class. Mildly annoyed she continued determined to be the first one to finish in order to maintain her sense of academic superiority. However, not even ten minutes after the disruption the late student had completed the examination. Now to the point of irritation she looked up to identify her new found adversary and was not at all surprised to see it was none other than John Harrison.
A moment or so later she finished and went back to her seat; glaring at the young man all the while. And then he returned her stare with what was the only emotion she had ever witnessed him to show; a smirk. It was a look that was daring, that was both playful and dangerous. The look sent a chill of fright down her spine.
After class there were apparently other students who felt similarly to how Nyota did towards the boy.
"Freak!" One whispered behind John.
"Weirdo!" Another added.
"He doesn't belong here," a girl whispered to one of the boys.
"Imbeciles." Nyota shrugged. All three of the assailants turned to look at her and while John remained walking, expressionless as before and disregarding their need to fulfill their pride, he did decrease his rate of pace.
"What did you say?" The girl hissed.
"You feel threatened only because what you all lack in intellect he exceeds." By now John still faced the direction in which he was walking about ten feet ahead though he had come to a full halt. "Why don't you grow up and study rather than mock and ridicule others like children. Starfleet needs members who are open minded critical thinkers. As of late you all are not meeting any of those standards. You all are ashamed I should only hope."
When she ended her tirade John continued to walk.
The rest of the week no one dared speak to John and he voluntarily kept his distance from everyone else; even Nyota. She took note that he was a particularly quiet and private fellow.
After school the next Tuesday Jim and Nyota were in the rec hall by themselves.
"Here," Jim mischievously began, "all by ourselves." His gaze fell to her chest and appreciated the tight fit of her uniform. "You know I still haven't seen what's underneath that sweater."
"What are you talking about?" she absentmindedly questioned as she was in the midst of practicing her general Romulan.
"I'm talking about us," he kissed her neck, "here," he kissed her cheek, "all alone," he kissed her lips and placed his hand on her knee.
"That's nice," she monotonously stated as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. Jim wasn't sure if it was how the neck in her vein pulsated, the way her hair fell, or her distracted expression , but this act alone was enough to send Jim into perpetual arousal.
Suddenly he lunged for her throat aggressively pinching her skin with his teeth and assaulting her neck mercilessly with his tongue.
Slightly repulsed she shifted away from him saying, "Not now Jim."
He furrowed his brows and sighed feeling dejected. Once more he exhaled sharply and said, "You always say not now. When will it be now?!" Jim's frustration was evident in his stressed syllables.
"I don't know!" She lifted her head and stared straight ahead with an angrily construed face. "I'm going home." She stood up to leave though was caught by the arm. "Jim let me go!"
"So what all did you do with Spock?"
Finally an uncontrollable rage shook her being. "ENOUGH!" Jim was startled though did not relinquish his grasp. "I am SICK and TIRED of you CONSTANTLY bringing that up! It's in the past Jim! Let's try to be adults and get. Over. It."
"You're the one who owes me an apology," he countered. "What I'm asking is the least you could do!"
"The least...? The least I could do?" She almost laughed. "If you want an apology then fine. I'm sorry." She stressed these words. "It was a mistake Jim. Is that what you want me to say? Is that what you want to hear? What I did was wrong, no doubt about it, but that doesn't mean you're entitled to my virtue!"
Jim cynically chuckled. "See that's just the thing. I thought you were the paradigm of virtue, but you're not." Nyota's eyes widened. "It's all an act to reel them in. You're sweet, quiet, smart and yes very virtuous. Until you get what you want and then it's hearts for sale marketed by none other Nyota Uhura."
For the first time Nyota began to see the extent of detriment on her now broken other, His blue eyes sparkled with sorrow and his grip had loosened. His mouth was scrambling to think of something to say as was hers.
"Jim-"
"He must have been heart broken," he vacantly suggested. "He though he had you. He thought you were his; that you were in love when in truth he was just a pawn."
"We came to a mutual understanding," she replied without much confidence, conceding to the actual truth. Guilt now overwhelmed the pit of her stomach.
"Did he have to take it?" Jim inquired firmly.
"Spock didn't take anything," she stated this time more confident than the last.
"Then I will." His grip tightened on her arm and swiftly pinned her against a wall.
"Let me go!" She hissed. "Get off of me! Stop!"
"I'm sick and tired of you saying no," he growled.
She reverted to pleading. "Kirk please stop! You're hurting me!"
He held her wrists so tightly against the wall that she could no longer even struggle. He dove at her attempting to force entry into her mouth as she pursed her lips and closed her eyes.
Then all of a sudden he stopped.
When she opened her eyes John was directly a foot in front of her with his back to her and Jim was on the ground.
"She said to leave her alone," John began, "so I suggest you do so."
The superior male tilted his head to an angle at which Uhura could barely make out the right side of his facial features.
"Stay out of it!" Jim insisted wheezing as the wind had been knocked out of him.
"I could though seeing as how your relationship is now more than likely terminated I don't see much of a reason in doing so." He directed his question, "Correct?" to Nyota. She vigorously nodded her head in response.
Jim proudly got to his feet and left.
Them being alone Nyota thanked the boy for helping her.
He turned to face her with a solemn grimace.
"We are even." And without another word he mechanically left.
