What book?
The next couple of days during English Mr. Starkweather gave us time to talk and decide what books we wanted to read for the project. Magnus wanted to read the Princess Diaries because he had seen the movies a million times, but I refused. We didn't agree on anything until the last day, Friday. The book had something to do with clockwork creatures and magic, Magnus loved the idea and the steam punk style and I was interested in the love triangle, so when we told Mr. Starkweather he looked at us with a gray brow raised questioning but then nodded and wrote down the title and sent us on our way.
Magnus was whistling while we walked down the corridor towards the senior hall. It was just after school and we were alone in the halls, all the other students gone home or at after school activities. I clutched my backpack strap a little tighter thinking how I should take this chance to actually talk to him. Not argue over books or how stupid the book project was but an actually conversation. A conversation that didn't make me sound like a complete moron.
We had reached Magnus' locker and he was spinning the dial to unlock it. I paused scuffing the toe of my shoe against the tile floor. I took a steadying breath as he opened his locker, it was filled with clothes. Spares?
"Umm, have you joined any clubs since you transferred?" I asked trying to be friendly, but my words came out stiff and mostly forced. Why did I have to be so nervous? Why couldn't I be smooth and carefree like Jace or Izzy or even Magnus himself?
He turned, his bright green eyes alight with amusement like always as they fell upon me. "He speaks." He joked.
"You know I speak. We've argued all week." I muttered looking down at the gray mark my shoe left on the white tile.
Magnus laughed. "You call that arguing? I would call it more of a test of wills." He planted a hand on his narrow hip and tilted his head. The look he was giving me made my heart lurch into my throat strangling me.
I swallowed roughly and searched for words. "Okay. Well so have you?" I asked brushing my fringe aside.
"Have I what?" Magnus asked turning back to his locker. He pushed aside a leather jacket and a mesh shirt and pulled out a black shoulder bag with glitter letters printed on the side and a bunch of collectible buttons pinned to the flap.
"Joined any clubs?"
"I don't do clubs. I don't do regulations, hence the public school." Magnus replied slinging the bag over his shoulder and sliding his books into it.
"Oh." I said flatly.
Magnus closed his locker and it clanked shut echoing down the hall. I started for my locker farther down the hall and heard his padding shoes behind me.
"Are you following me?" I asked stopping in front of my gray locker and began spinning the dial.
The footsteps stopped behind me and I could all but sense the smirk that would be on his face if I were to turn around and look. This was so strange. Magnus hanging around me, he never stayed any longer than necessary when we were trying to choose a book. My heart was racing in my chest and my fingers were slick with nervous sweat making it hard to spin in my combination. What was my combination? I can't remember!
"Is that weird?" Magnus asked mockingly.
"Yeah. Kinda." I muttered still spinning the dial like a moron. If I could just open my locker I could hurry home and hide in my room under my blankets and die of embarrassment.
"As my partner wanna hang? Socialize, get to know one another, break bread, raise a toast?" Magnus drawled and I whirled around startled. He laughed at my dropped jaw and I couldn't pick it up no matter how I tried.
"Uh, umm, sure..." I stuttered wide eyed. "But why?"
The smirk left Magnus' face and he flicked his wrist waving off my words. "I have no intention to go home right now, so I figured why not hang with you. You look like you could be fun."
Was this seriously happening?
"Where were you planning on going?" I asked regaining some sanity. I can't believe this was happening. I was about to hangout after school with Magnus Bane. Sure it wasn't a date but it was good enough. Being close to him was pure luck for me, we were so different.
"Oh," Magnus smirked devilishly and my stomach knotted in excitement and nerves. "Just this little place I know."
Somehow I just knew this was going to be trouble. I was going to get in trouble, like parents screaming and a month's-worth-of-grounding trouble. But I didn't care. I was going to follow Magnus Bane any and every where right now. Oh God was I happy!
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