68. School Bell
Math equations, introductions to physics - for all Ms. Flaunch' s hot tamale lipstick was worth, her words could never drone out the sounds of young voices snickering outside in the hall.
Today, they all watched the door (Flaunch either pretended not to notice or didn't care), expecting to see Matt and Mello slide into class seconds before the bell and claim their seats, and some counted off the seconds on the clock. A few of the girls, mostly those their own age, giggled and whispered. Near sat and stared blankly ahead, ignoring the words of Marella, who had been his embarassing childhood crush, and who currently seemed to find Mello's renegade behavior "sexy". He no longer had any respect for her; fourteen years old and already ruined.
He knew Mello and Matt weren't sticking glue in Troppdale's office today, contrary to what the rest of the class was apparently thinking, from the little glitches of conversation he heard bouncing around in the air and occasionally catching him.
No, Mello had told Near himself he was going to be snogging someone in a closet seconds before bell, and he had given a peculiar smirk as he said it. Maybe he expected Near to be jealous - jealous of his good fortune with the ladies, presumably, when it was quite publically known that Near's misguided crush on Marella had ended in a humiliating disaster. But Near could still not be entirely sure of this reason - especially when he had seen a sneaky-looking Matt duck into a closet only seconds after a blonde head disappeared behind the door.
The bell rang, and Near barely heard it, at least less than he heard the sound of two bodies toppling into seats, panting from the run, panting from whatever had come before the run...