Fault [bxb] ✔

{ NINE }

CHAPTER 9 | Friends

ZACK'S P.O.V.

There's nothing worse than having to share the same team in chemistry class with Mark. I have chemistry on Tuesdays and Fridays. Today is Friday, so I say this is going to be a hell of a day.

Yesterday Mark left a really bad bruise on my cheek. I couldn't do anything to hide it, and of course my aunt noticed. I had to tell her I slipped at school and hit myself really hard. She wasn't buying it, though, and insisted that I was being bullied. But after many times of telling her it was all an accident, she finally stopped.

I told the same to my friends, but with a different story. I tried to make my best cheerful smile to let them know everything was ok and that the bruise was just because of a clumsy mistake of mine.
Fortunately, they didn't go deeper into the subject and left it like that.

The lies I had to tell because of Mark. I will never understand why he reacted that way, if seconds before he did that, we were looking at each other intensely. I will never understand why he looked at me in the first place either. Maybe he just wanted a reason so he could insult me and hit me.

I had a 9 days streak of not looking at Mark in the eyes and not getting in trouble with him. Now it fell back to 0, to start again.

From now on, I'll definitely avoid all eye contact with him. Even in chemistry class. If he wants to keep staring or glaring at me like an idiot, fine. But I won't look back never again.

I just hope this doesn't piss him off too.

We moved our chairs to our usual spot and sat in a circle. Jaida at my side, Mark in front of me, and the boy and the girl at his sides.
With my eyes on the table, I could feel his intense stare on me. Such a creep.

An awkward silence fell among the five of us, so I decided to break it by talking to the only friend I have with me right now.

"Hey, Jai. What do we have to do today?"

She explained what we had to do, loud enough so the others could hear. We took out our notebooks, except for Mark. If this idiot doesn't help us in the remaining days we have to deliver the project, he won't be the only one getting a bad note, we will too. Because we're supposed to be a team.

"Ok, the topic we have to research about is: chemical reactions and how they occur." Jaida explained. "The poster we have to make has to look stunning, with lots of colors, images, and various decorations. So, I want to know if any of you can draw well."

The boy and girl shook their heads and Mark just looked at the table, biting on his pen.

Jaida looked at me. "You, Zack?"

I chuckled. "I can barely draw stick figures."

She laughed. "I can draw more or less. But I'm not very good at it. Do you think Vincent or Amber can draw?"

"I can."

We turned to look at the owner of that deep voice. He was looking at Jaida with a neutral face.
I looked away before his eyes could meet mine.

"You do, Mark?" Jaida asked.

He just nodded his head. I was a little surprised. Maybe he was just kidding.

"How well can you draw?"

Mark grabbed his backpack and pulled out a notebook. He flipped through some pages until he handed the notebook to Jaida.

"You tell me." Mark said.

Jaida looked at his notebook and I could see her mouth hang open. I was curious and wanted to see too, but I resisted the urge to do it. Maybe it would make Mark angry if I looked at it.