Lab and Detention, was it?

Chapter 2

Ugh! I can't sleep!

I have tried working out to exhaust myself, but I just couldn't sleep. No matter how hard I struggled to distract myself from thinking of what happened earlier, my mind kept on coming back to square one. It was always on the same scene … the same tear-stained face.

This won't do. I grabbed my phone, dabbed my screen to open contacts, and clicked on the first person on the list.

I placed the phone on my left ear, my heart pounding at each ring. It took five seconds before she finally answered, "Hello?" Her voice sounded a bit hoarse and tired. Another wave of guilt surged in my entirety.

"Britney?" I said and heard a stifled gasp from the other end. I breathed in, preparing myself to receive her harsh words. Standing up, I tried to distract myself from the anxiety building up inside of me.

"What is it, Leon?"

I shuddered at the abrupt emptiness. My hands shook, and I was suddenly tongue-tied, in a loss of the ability to apologize to her.

"Why did you call me? What do you need?"

"T-the paper about microcosm. Y-yeah. Yeah, that's it. Rico would need it tomorrow." I almost smacked myself at how stupid I was. Why is it so hard to say sorry?

"That's all?" she said, her voice disappointed but cold.

"W-wait!"

"What?"

"Umh … h-how are you? Are you hur--"

"That's none of your business, Mr. Roswell. And I'm perfectly fine. Now if you don't mind, I have to hang up and sleep," she said and ended the call.

Frustration made me throw my phone at the wall, silently hoping I didn't break anything. UGH! What am I doing! She's definitely NOT okay. And it was because of me.

I sighed, surrendering to the comforts of my bed.

*

Anxiety reached the peak of my being when I arrived at the school grounds. "Get yourself together," I said as I slapped my face with both hands.

My presence was called for a lot of times today. The event proceeded as expected, but it was not complete … she was not here. Well, what would I expect? She couldn't even stand up yesterday.

My eyes averted back and forth between my watch and around me to at least catch a glimpse of her silhouette. None.

"Rico, is the microcosm file with you?"

Rico angled his head to look at me, grinning, "Of course it's here. Brit does her work perfectly every time. Why do you even ask?"

I abruptly stood up and strode towards the door, clinging on to the hope I have just grasped. "Rico, the rest is up to you. I need to do something."

"Haha! Alright, you take care of her, man!" he shouted, my heart skipping a beat at his comment. Was I that obvious?

I aimed towards the elevator. She's here. A smile unconsciously surfaced on my face. And only I know where she stays.

The elevator was still on the third floor. I furrowed my brows and headed for the stairs instead.

I struggled to catch my breath as I held onto the wall on my left. My hand clasping my chest as I gasped for air to breathe. I didn't wait any longer to enter the laboratory.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw her by the sink, washing the test tube with the brush and placing it steady on its rack. Her hair was suddenly freed from her hair-tie and flowed as the wind from outside blew past her. Her eyes glimmered as the sunlight hit them ever so slightly.

My mouth gaped at the spectacular sight. "H-hey."

Her eyes widened, surprised by my unexpected appearance, then reverted to her indifferent gaze.

"What do you need?" she asked.

I chose to stay quiet and helped her instead. Gingerly preparing the copper as the catalyst, I peeked to see a glimpse of her. Her hands were moving swiftly yet carefully as she measured the quantity of every chemical needed. She limped her way towards the other table to get a clean Erlenmeyer flask. My heart sank. Her foot seemed to be badly hurt.

"Ow!" she yelped as her knee slammed against the furniture she was working on. I immediately went towards her, and without thinking, held her by the waist and hoisted her on the table.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing!"

I smiled nicely and said, "I'll take care of the wound."

"Why?" she asked, giving me an accusing look, which I ignored. She allowed me to roll her jogging pants up, and I saw the painful wound. I felt sad as I imagined how hurt she was yesterday because of my foolishness.

"Leon, answer me. Why the heck are you doing this?"

"I just … f*ck just be quiet." I mentally slapped myself at my response. I gripped hard on the Betadine to release my frustration as I poured its content on the cotton ball, staining it as a result.

"I don't understand you," she stated.

My fingers gingerly manipulated the cotton as I lightly tapped it on the wound in a circular motion. I let it sit for a few seconds just to let the antiseptic dry. I scrambled the kit for a band-aid and managed to get one, peeling it skillfully. I then covered her wound, mindful not to hurt her in the process.

"There. It'll avoid your clothes from further scraping it," I said, looking up to meet her eyes and fixing my posture. My hands now rested on the table as she sat in between them. Despite being on the table, I still towered her with my height, making me adjust to meet her eyes.

Her eyes were vibrant blue-green, clear yet mysterious, silent yet strong. This color suited her perfectly … a forever reminder of how feisty she is.

"Why are you being like this?" she asked. The movement of her lips caught my attention. They were graceful, natural, and alluring. I couldn't stop myself from desiring them, thinking of how good they would taste on mine.

"You are confusi--"

Without further hesitation, I claimed her lips. Sparks of electricity I couldn't understand or maybe I could, physiologically. But anyhow, I didn't know kissing her would feel this way. I felt her stiffen, but I didn't stop. Her lips were soft, with a slight scent of strawberry in them. I ever so slightly nibbled on her lower lip and pursued her soul with my gentle tongue, seeking for entrance, which she had eventually bestowed upon me.

I felt her body weakened as she leaned on me for strength, her arms wrapped around my neck as she responded to the kiss. My hands were supporting her waist as our fight for passion continued.

She suddenly pulled away, her tears flowing from her eyes.

"Why are you doing this to me, Leon? You are confusing the heck out of me," she said, crying, as she jabbed her clenched fist on my solid chest.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"What?"

"N-no. Not for the kiss. I truly meant that one." I said, embarrassed.

"I am sorry … for yesterday. I was … I don't know." I scratched the back of my head at my loss for words.

She straightened herself, attempting to build her walls again as she said, "I don't need your apology. I can live without your pity, Mr. Roswell."

"I was angry … seeing you with Dennis, you relying on him, it's just … I couldn't take it."

Her eyebrow arched as she crossed her arms. It was always this gesture that disturbed me. With her unique expressions, my heart would always go frenzy, and it irritated me every time, forcing me to keep my guard up.

The smell of alcohol and other antiseptic filled my nose. The laboratory was situated on the fifth floor, so even though the event downstairs was still rocking, it was pretty quiet in here.

"I'm in lab with you," I finally blurted out.

"What?"

"And I'm in love with you," I said, smiling while giving her Eskimo kisses.

"You're aware of the corresponding punishment, aren't you, Mr. Roswell?" she asked, teasing as she threw my words back at me.

"Is it two weeks detention, Ms. Rosalind?" I asked, grinning. "I could do even worse, trust me," I said, biting my lower lip and carrying her bridal style outside while we both chuckled.