Seven minutes in heaven

4

"We really shouldn't be eating during class, but whatever Mrs Darcy really is a headache anyway." I found myself bitching about Mrs Darcy while taking a bite of my Sub, after quite a persuasion by Andrew I accepted the sandwich, I didn't see any problem, we were sitting on the last bench, there are more than students so we won't get caught, worst case scenario if we do she's just going to end up giving us detention. I feel rebellious today.

"How did you even manage to get this in the damn morning?" I muttered glancing at his way, apart from eating he was copying down the notes from the board, I know poems can be quite a thing but you just need to surf the internet for a perfect summary and your work is done, well of course if you're not a scholar.

"I didn't. I brought some last night and stored it in the fridge, you don't mind do you?" I could tell by his tone he wasn't really bothered if it bothered me, I can't quite call it a leftover but whatever I'm hungry and I see no fault in the sandwich.

"You were telling me something in the hallway?" I changed the subject not because I didn't want to talk about the sandwich but I wanted to know what happened after I left the room, I looked at Mrs Darcy, she was facing the board and scribbling something from the book she had in her left hand, she has a good back. I found myself thinking while I took a big bite of chicken and bacon ranch melt, I wish I had something with this to drink.

"Yeah, I was the one who knocked the door of the room you both were in, you were taking a long time and when Eldon? Yeah Eldon opened the door he rushed out as if he was caught doing something forbidden, I brought you out of the room and went to catch some water for you, by the time I made it to you you were gone, I thought you might be upset I interrupted you guys." He explained, he ran away? What else was I expecting, of course he ran that's all he knows, I bit the corner of my lips and suddenly I lost my appetite, the chewed sandwich in my mouth didn't feel so good, and I couldn't swallow it down, it shouldn't really matter, yet it did, for some screwed up reason it mattered and hit in the pit of my stomach.

"I shouldn't have said it but it would really be appreciated if you say something about it, like right now." He poked my side with the pencil, somehow I managed to swallow the sandwich and glanced at him, his eyebrow was raised and he was biting the inside of his left cheek.

"I'm not...ahem...I'm not upset, I don't even remember what happened last night, I guess we were fighting last night in the room. Yes...we were fighting, an argument really. Yes." I nodded my head along all the time I explained, I sounded pathetic, I wasn't explaining it to him, no. I was explaining myself and was trying to convince myself that maybe, maybe that's what really happened.

"The poem Inchcape rock by Robert Southey is a ballad describing the bitter end of those who commit to evil set in 14th Century Scotland. It talks of a bell being installed on the Inchcape rock for warning the people and sea-farers about the reef near the Scottish coast." I heard Mrs Darcy introducing the poem, I do remember reading this, I'm not a big fan of poetry because I hardly understand the meaning behind the beautifully written words, I don't do so well in poems but this ballad was interesting.

"Miss Barness you can do your daydreaming outside my class, I don't want students like you interrupting my class." The sandwich almost fell from my hand, I shook my head and looked straight at Mrs Darcy, from the corner of my eyes I could see some students looking at me, some least bothered and some alarmed that the same could happen to them.

"I'm..sorry." I said embarrassed, I always liked literature, the amount of books I read is insane, I wanted to tell her I was thinking about the poem itself but I didn't, she is known for snapping at students who back answer her and I didn't want to be one of them.

"Why don't you share what you were daydreaming about, I'm sure we could use a small break." She narrowed her eyes, swallowing I shifted in my chair ready to answer. I could feel the ranch dripping on my hand, I made sure I didn't squeeze the sandwich, my hand felt sticky and I could smell the ranch.

"I've read the ballad before and I liked how Robert has explained it beautifully, but what I loved the most was the sixteenth stanza when Sir Ralph the Rover's ship drowns after it hits the Inchcape rock, and he falls into the pit of his own making soon with his partners, and he hears the bells of his death, I even liked how the poet described that Rover could see the devil ringing the bells of his death." By the time I was done I could smell more ranch and the wet feeling on my hand was weird to say the least, but what made me smirk was the look on Mrs Darcy's face, she was shocked.

"Talk about sadism." Came a voice from across the room, my eyes found the voice and I saw a girl looking at me playing with the back of a pencil, Andrew slid some tissue on my desk and with my other hand I wrapped one id the tissue on the already wrapped sandwich and with another I wiped my hand.

"It isn't sadism. It's karma." I stated nonchalantly, I was up for a debate and argument or a discussion, because I was right, I was certain.

"Have you read the poem Miss Forbes?" Mrs Darcy asked the girl, how obvious was it, obviously she had read the poem if she hadn't then why she would've said it was sadistic of me, I thought, rolling my eyes. I glanced at Andrew and he was smiling at me, I returned his smile waiting for what was about to happen next.

"Give me the sandwich. I'll put it in my lunch bag." Andrew whispered and held his hand for me to give him the sandwich, taking a quick look at Mrs Darcy who was listening to the girl I gave him the almost finished sandwich.

"What do you have to say about this Seren?" Mrs Darcy called, I wanted to facepalm myself so bad, I made a mental note not to get distracted in any class when one is talking to me, chuckling nervously I clicked my tongue.

"Can you come again?" I asked. How desperate! Who even says that these days? Come again really? I heard a snicker in my front and I took in the boy's back who snickered, I'll deal with him after class.

"Sure, Anna here has to say that the poet didn't do justice with Sir Ralph the Rover by killing him in the end, the poem could have been written another way. What are your views on it?" The tone Mrs Darcy was talking in sounded more polite and curious, I've never heard this polite in six months, we both might really intrigue her.

"Anna? Anna right? Anna tell me how exactly you think the poet should've written the end? If you don't mind of course." I nodded, I saw a couple of more tissues on my desk and I leaned in and took a tissue to wipe my hand, glancing at Mrs Darcy who was smiling at me I fixed my gaze at Anna.

"Maybe Sir Ralph met someone in the sea and he understood that destroying something that isn't his and is worshipped and thanked by others won't do him any good, so in stanza seventeen he sails back to Scotland to the Inchcape rock and fix the bell?" I listened to her carefully, sure she didn't come the way she should've but she did have a point.

"Well Anna, Sir Ralph was a sea pirate who robbed other merchants and their ships, I don't see how that scenario would have made any sense, see that's why I don't understand poem, the poet writes something keeping in view a certain point, the one elaborates tells other something which is close by but not exact and the one who reads it either takes it completely south or understands everything." I feared what Mrs Darcy had to say on my point, Anna on the other hand nodded at me.

"True that. But I still think the poem could've ended differently other than Sir Ralph dying." She was stuck to her opinion, I guess people who are good in people often do that, seek their redemption even when there is none left for them, like Sir Ralph.

"Alright class. As we heard the discussion of these two and we have only a couple of minutes left I want you to write down an essay on how this poem could've ended differently, or otherwise, I want your opinion, I will be grading you guys, make sure your essay and argument is worth my time and marks." She finished and the bell rang, this should be easy I thought, all I have to do is read the poem once again and write an essay.

"You did pretty amazing." Anna said from behind, I had math and I wasn't really up for it. I turned around and smiled at her, she wasn't offended by how I talked to her or anything, what happened in the class was left in the class.

"You think?" I grinned, she shoved my shoulder lightly shaking her head, passing through the hallway without crashing into someone was a great deal and the chatter in the background was as annoying as it could be.

"Let me guess you're going to write how Sir Ralph could've ended up differently." I chuckled, Anna but her lip shaking her head meekly, I don't see what's wrong in that, at least she has an opinion.

"Yes, I know my argument didn't make sense earlier in the class but trust me it all made sense in my head." She sighed.

"Listen we both need to rush, how about we meet in the library after school? We can discuss." I offered, her head shot up to meet my eyes, she nodded eagerly and waved me goodbye.

"One loner talking to another, typical." Shivers ran down my spine when the voice hit my eardrums, I turned around and hit my face on his toned chest, wow he is hard. His body. On another day I would've given him the bird or a good fit of argument but I wasn't up for it today.

I ignored him walking past him to my math class, math was that relative whom I never want to meet but for family's sake I have to get me? But I really did make myself proud back in literature. I pulled out my phone from my jeans back pocket to text my dad about literature.

"So you're not going to say anything then? Maybe that's because you agree." I rolled my eyes reminding myself that he's just provoking me to say something and lash out. I didn't feel anything apart from stupid goosebumps and shivers from him presence and voice. Is this what happens after you kiss a person for the first time? If yes, then in my argument I don't like this person, I shouldn't feel this.

I push opened the door of my class and searched for the seat in the last, no way I was going to sit in the front when I can't do a simple sum if asked to do in time limit, there was only one left in the last row near the window, before I could do it say anything I was pushed in the door lightly and the person behind me ran to the seat I was going to sit in. He sat in my seat before I could even complete the breath I took in, and on many occasions I've proved to myself and to the whole class that I just can't survive math class if I sit anywhere near the teacher, or where his eyes can reach.

Yeah sue me if I can't work under pressure, it's too much. How is one supposed to solve a problem when someone is hovering above them like a Satan?

"Wolff, we both know I saw the seat first." I said dejectedly, I don't know if it's just me or what, but the moment I enter math class I feel like I have nothing left in my life, that my life has come to a point where I have nothing else to do than take a math class.

"And I came here first." He smirked, I wanted to punch him square in the face but I didn't, I glanced at the clock above the white board to see that I had only four minutes to convince this bastard to give me the seat before the teacher came in.

"Please." I muttered looking down, something related to trigonometry is being taught and God knows I don't know anything about it, well I do...but I can't mutter my name if the teacher is looking at me as if I broke into his house and r***d his 'oh so delicious' son.

"I didn't quite hear you, could you repeat?" His hand went behind his ear in a way to block the other sounds and focus on mine. Either convince him or get embarrassed in front of the class. I reminded myself.

"Please Wolff, give me the seat." I stole a quick glance at the cream door, I felt him against my face, he was standing in front of me with his backpack in his left hand, "only for you babe." He grinned making me blush inside. I quickly sat and looked down waiting for the teacher to come in and start the class so I could get it over with.

"Adriana, if you'd be a sweetheart and give me the seat?" I tore my eyes from my binder in my hand and saw Wolff standing in front of the girl who sat in the seat before me. She smiled at him and quickly got up, arranged her stationary on her binder and walked away to sit somewhere.

"Hey." Wolff sat on the seat and turned around to grin at me, I shook my head sighing, where is the goddamn teacher? He's never late, the one who is late is me, and to say he doesn't enjoy embarrassing me is putting it mildly, he makes sure that I sit in front of him and solve problems while he hovers above me.

Or it's just me, I don't know.

"I gave you my seat, the least you could do is be thankful." I wanted him to shut up, but he wouldn't. I gave him the disgusting smile I could and fixed my eyes on the ugly door waiting for the teacher. Moments later the door opened to reveal Mr Syed, he walked in gracefully with a go to coffee in his hand and in other some bunch of papers.

"Forgive me, something came up." He apologised, setting down the contents in his hand, he turned around and removed his jacket, my eyes took a quick peek at the clock above to see that he was ten minutes late.

"I hope everyone is ready for the surprise test today." He took a sip from his drink, rumour was he mixed alcohol in his coffee, but then again teenagers say most idiotic s**t when it comes to people that don't like, and besides this is the first time in like so many class I've seen a coffee in his hand.

"Forgive me again, it's a surprise you aren't supposed to know that." He chuckled, I groaned hitting my pencil on the binder, my day is just getting worse and worse. But the good part was he never took a written test, he asks from the book, mostly the formula.

"Ready?" He chirped and I wanted nothing more but to run away at the first chance I got.

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