When Mara walked into English, last lesson on Friday, a clear settlement of weariness had taken camp over the class. She smiled softly upon catching Jerome's eyes, they sparkled a deep, vivid and glittering blue in the room's dim lighting. She walked to him, purple satchel thumping against her thigh softly, catching along the edge of her skirt "Where's Mrs Andrew?"
"Going to get a video for us to watch." He gestured to the old school television that had been rolled in, and Mara hummed in acknowledgement,sitting down beside him, after a quick cursory glance around the classroom to make sure he hadn't been saving this seat for anyone else. But hope, Eddie was sat beside Patricia and KT, Alfie between Willow and Amber. Mara winced inwardly at the apparent love triangles, and was happy she could sink into the hard plastic chair with only Jerome beside her. "Ever seen By the light?"
"1949?" Mara asked, beaming "I loved that film. I mean, a ridiculousness notion of post war-time life, but it has a happy ending."
Jerome chuckled as Mrs Andrews re-entered "And you're all about the happy endings, aren't you, Jaffray?" There was some minor bustling as she blonde teacher popped the video in the VCR, checked the plugs and fiddled with the volume. Once the opening credits and a very young looking Dorris Day appeared on the screen, she closed the classroom door, an air of privacy from the school engulfing the class, that was placed ironically, in the very centre of the building. They couldn't be further from privacy.
But in the darkness, as the pretty singing woman fiddled with her curls, Mara could feel the electricity jump all around her, and suddenly Jerome's arm was around her shoulders and she was about to freak, when she turned to confront him, only to see he was watching the film innocently, his arm just resting on the back of her chair. She leaned forward, peering meekly at Mick, who had grabbed a seat at the front. Funny, Mara hadn't even seen him when she walked in. He wasn't focused on his girlfriend though, more on the little boy running onto the screen to grab his sisters attention with a letter he had found.
Hesitantly, the dark haired nerd leaned back in her chair, tentatively relaxing into Jerome's almost embrace, and she sighed a little. This was nice. Jerome's knee brushing hers, his body angled towards the television, and so by fault, towards Mara. She let the film she had already seen pass her by, as she started picking up on the sparks of electricity as she pushed more firmly into Jerome's embrace. She watched his face carefully, waiting. But Jerome didn't take his face off the screen, and a chorus of laughter erupted around the room, Jerome included, on whatever had just happened on the screen. But Jerome's hand curled around her shoulder, almost imperceptibly, but this was definitely not leaning on the chair. This was enveloping her into his being, and Mara's guilt was squashed by a feeling of utter want.
Scanning Jerome curiously, feeling bolder, ironically again, by the fact he was paying her no attention with his eyes, she wondered how she could reciprocate this feeling fluttering through her being. Jerome's other hand was resting casually on his knees, so she reached forward, turning away to look at the screen, so she couldn't see his reaction, as she laced her fingers through his.
There was a definite stiffness for a moment, before Jerome's surprisingly warm fingers clutched her hand. She wanted to look, and see the contrast of their skin difference, their size difference, would look. But she didn't. She kept her eyes on the screen, even when Jerome's thumb brushed over her palm.
"Hey, Mara," Fabian whispered, and Mara wrenched her hand out of Jerome's, leaning forward in her chair, but Fabian only saw her leaning forward politely to hear what he was saying. "Mick was wondering if he could borrow a pencil?"
Mara looked up, to see Mick smiling cloudlessly at her. She nodded, praying they couldn't see her blush in the light, and passed over her sharpest one. Mick smiled, turning away, and when Mara leaned back, the arm from around her chair was gone, and Jerome's hands were both drawn back to himself.
"Me or him." Jerome whispered, almost inaudibly, and Mara nearly choked on air, though she tried to regain composure.
"You best not be expecting an answer right now, Jerome," she whispered, lips barely moving, eyes fixed on the screen. The boy beside her crossed his lanky arms over his chest
"I am."
"I can't answer you."
"You just did."
Mara flinched, turning away from the screen sharply, and quick as a flash she grabbed Jerome's wrist, and he flashed her a smirk. He shuffled his chair further towards her, wrapping his arm around her waist, so it was less obvious he was embracing her.
"And what a good answer it was."