Community Service

Community Service | Part One

Community Service | Part One

            He walks into chemistry class with a bright pink balloon.

            Of course I barely notice, too busy watching Eliza fawning over the boy in the corner with her hands flapping around like she's trying to fly. He sits down, somewhere near the back and I can catch a whiff of his cologne before he settles in his desk. I'm nonchalant, staring at my chipped nail polish and picking at the gold until flakes fall down from my fingers.

            Okay, maybe I do notice a little bit, how he's taken the seat right behind me. I can't remember how long I've had a crush on him. He's always been there in the back of my mind, his cute smile, tousled blond hair, his cologne, his biceps. Which honestly just sounds completely ridiculous.

            Heaving a breath and rolling my eyes, I tuck my hair behind my ears, trying to ignore the sound of him shuffling his papers on his desk. The fact that I'm blatantly, obviously not his type hasn't deterred my mind from completely crushing over him ever since I discovered what boys were. Eliza has even taken me to see The Last Song numerous times, thinking that a shirtless Liam Hemsworth could take my mind off of him, but to her horror and my sheepishness, the only guy I have ever liked (this includes every single hot guy in Hollywood whose shirtless movie poster Eliza has shoved into my face) is Ross.

            Of course, with all the school work, and my job, and the pressure of getting into college so that I won't have to live off my family for the rest of my life, there's not much room for Ross, but he's definitely in my mind.

            Class starts only seconds after Ross walks in, Ms. Smither appearing from her office in the back of the classroom. Today is a lab day, she said the day before, which means that Eliza will abandon me to go flirt with the boy in the corner while they work on the lab together. That means that I'll be stuck either with the other boy in the corner who reeks of smoke and tends to fall asleep at the beginning of class or with myself, who's much more reliable than the pothead.

            Sure enough, the second that Ms. Smither dismisses us to the back of the room, Eliza beelines it to the boy in the corner and I slowly collect all of my chemistry stuff. The lab counters in the back fill up by the time I get to the back of the classroom, and I choose the remaining table next to all of the chemistry supplies, setting down my stuff and studiously ignoring the pot kid who shuffles to the very back.

            Pushing aside some Bunsen burners which were left out after the last class, I open my lab book and pull my hair back into a bun. When I hear a set a footsteps walking my way, I stiffen, hoping that it isn't the pot kid. The  memory of the last time we had a lab flashes through my head, images of him vomiting all over the counter next to mine, splashing not only all the acids but everything within a ten foot vicinity, making me want to gag.

            "Hey, can I join you? Drake is sick, so I don't have anybody to work with"

            I still, tentatively looking up to stared at the owner of the smooth, deep voice. Ross is smiling, pink balloon still in his hand, and I'm shocked for a split second that he's finally acknowledged my existence.

            Thank you Drake, I think, for getting sick and bestowing this beautiful species upon my lab counter.

            Keeping my breathing even, although I feel like I'm about to start hyperventilating, I scoot over so that he can put his lab book on the counter. Wishing that I didn't have to put on the ugly lab glasses that would make me look even nerdier than I was, I start setting up the lab, keenly aware of his every movement.