Trigger Warnings: light swearing, teacher publicly yelling at a student, mentioning someone needs professional help
Mademoiselle Delacour gives us instructions to split into groups of three and discuss how our summer vacations went, in French.
Enzo and I instantly turn to each other, and Pansy, sitting in front of us, turns around to join us. "Hey Enzo" she purrs, batting her eyelashes at him.
"Hey Babe" Enzo flirts back. A wave of nausea crashes over me. I scowl.
Pansy turns to me, "Hey Ana, who apologized t-"
"EN FRANÇAIS, Mademoiselle Parkinson!" Mademoiselle Delacour scolds, popping up next to Pansy.
"Désolé Mademoiselle Delacour. Cet été, je suis allée..." Pansy trails off as she watches to make sure Delacour has walked away and found a new target to scream at. Pansy waits a beat for good measure. When she's sure it's safe she turns back to me. "So anyway, what I was going to ask before I was so rudely interrupted, is did the boys apologize to you for this morning? And somebody made them? Who? Why?"
"One question at a time, Pansy," I tell her chuckling. But really it's just an excuse to buy myself enough time to make up another excuse. Enzo's theory is crazy enough without getting other people involved.
"Mattheo made the rest of the guys apologize to Ana about breakfast during 7th period. I think it's because he has a thing for her" Enzo adds with a shrug.
This motherfucker...
Pansy shrieks so loud that the entire class turns to her in bewilderment. I jump, then cover my face with my hands. I can feel 30 pairs of eyes on me and suddenly I have the urge to shrink to the size of an ant.
I glue my eyes to the floor, cheeks flaming. Why can't anyone I know act like a normal human being for 2 minutes? I need new friends...
Mademoiselle Delacour clears her throat. I squeeze my eyes shut in anticipation of the verbal beat-down Pansy is about to get.
After class the three of us make our way downstairs to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Two weeks of detention and thirty points from Slytherin? Ugh, she's such a bitch! That crazy old bat..."
"Uh, Pansy? I'm pretty sure she's only like 25" Enzo replies.
She rolls her eyes. "Whatever! She's still horrible. She's got a vendetta against me."
I squint at her. "Well maybe don't scream in the middle of her class and then she'll like you better?" I add. I still can't believe she did it, let alone that she's complaining about the consequences now.
"Well, how am I expected to keep quiet when I get the most insane tea ever? Oh, Daphne is going to just die when I tell her!"
I whip around to face Pansy. "No! Pansy, no. Please don't tell anyone. Promise me!" The last thing I need right now is this getting back to Mattheo and him thinking I made it up because I have a crush on him or something.
Pansy looks me dead in the eyes with the most serious face I've ever seen her wear. I let out a breath of relief that Pansy seems to be taking me seriously. Then suddenly a giant smile spreads its way across her face. "Why are you smiling like that?" I ask her. "You look like the Cheshire Cat." And you're really beginning to freak me out.
"Oh, I get it. You don't want me to tell anyone because you like him too! And you want to keep the beginning private." She gasps all dramatically and clasps her hands together. "Oh, this is so romantic. Of course, anything to help love. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me" she says as she winks at me and silently shushes herself. And with that, she floats through the Great Hall and over to the Slytherin table.
I stare after her; bewildered. Pansy has officially lost it. She needs to stop eating so much sugar at breakfast. I turn towards Enzo to confirm we just saw the same thing. "Is it just me, or does Pansy need professional help?"
His eyes never leave mine. "Well, how do you feel about Mattheo?"
"I...uh" I stammer. I don't know. He's been my friend since we were 12. But we've never been particularly close, and typically just bicker at each other. But he can be sweet too. Making the guys apologize, and tutoring me in math.
I turn my head towards the Slytherin table, towards Mattheo. Unexpectedly, I find him staring back at Enzo and I. No, not staring...glaring.
What's up his ass?
"Let's just go eat," I tell Enzo. We walk into the Great Hall and over to our seats. All the while, I can feel the same pair of eyes following us. I don't need to look his way to tell he is fuming! But why? And what's it got to do with me? We cleared the unfortunate make-out incident up, and he forced the guys to apologize to me for being mean. Aren't we supposed to be on good terms?
For all you know, Enzo's done something to piss him off, and you're just in the crossfire.
Yeah, that's probably it. We all know about those fragile male egos.
Dumb boys...
I roll my eyes and reach my hand over to the sandwich platter, ready to dig into lunch.