Classified

Chapter 30 - "How badly did I screw up?"

Silence dominated the interior of the Mercedes. Donovan glanced over at Link, who stared unseeing out the window.

Link hadn't spoken at all that morning and hardly anything the night before. After a marathon of movies, Link had passed out on Donovan's couch. When Donovan had woken up that morning and walked out into his living room, Link was gone.

After getting ready, Donovan crossed over to Link's apartment. The moment he stepped inside and saw the worry on Monica's face, he knew Link wasn't doing any better. As if to prove this, Link had appeared from his room looking more rumpled than usual.

A heavy silence had invaded the apartment, no one addressing what had happened the previous day. Instead, Monica kissed Link on the cheek and Donovan had taken the spot at Link's side.

When Donovan swung the Mercedes into an open parking space and cut the engine, Link roused himself and blinked as if only then registering where he was. He turned his head back to Donovan, a lost, despondent look on his face. Donovan reached out and squeezed Link's shoulder, not saying a word. Link nodded and pushed open his door.

Upon entering the school, they were barraged with the chatter of students all too content with their lives or pretending to be so. From the  congestion, Maddy approached them, bouncing with happiness at seeing Link, still riding the elation from the party that weekend.

She moved into kiss him but Link shifted back, shrinking in on himself. Donovan understood, there was no way Link could explain why he looked ragged without lying. And to lie to someone who he had planned to tell his father about was too heavy to bear.

Maddy halted, her face crumpling in shock and hurt. Link shoved his hands into his pockets. "I have to get to class," he murmured and darted around her.

Donovan followed, glancing back to see Maddy standing frozen. In their classroom, Link split ways with Donovan and slide onto his stool, shoulders hunched. Letting out a breath, Donovan took his seat and dragged a hand through his hair, feeling helpless to alleviate Link's pain.

When Carter stepped through the doorway, Donovan met her gaze. She nodded to Link and Donovan shook his head in response. Frowning in concern, she crossed to her table and settled in next to Link. He didn't respond to her presence.

The second bell rang and Mr. Miller cleared his throat, about to talk when Mason entered the room. He walked to his desk, tailed by Smith. Link looked over and Donovan noticed how Link clenched his hands in reaction. Sympathy twisted in Donovan's chest.

Mr. Miller cleared his throat again and conversations died off in pieces. "Pop quiz."

Carter smiled at Link but he didn't return the look. He turned back to the front as Mr. Miller walked down the rows handing out tests. When Mr. Miller passed them, Link accepted the tests and gave one to Carter. Donovan watched as Carter leaned in close to Link, whispering. Their exchange was brief and ended with Link retreating into himself.

"Alright," Mr. Miller said, walking back towards his desk. "You may begin. When you're finished bring them up to me."

Donovan stared for another minute at Link before flipping over the test and quickly writing in the answers. The room filled with the sound of drumming eraser heads on desks, the scratching of pencils on paper and the tapping of anxious feet. The clocked seem to grow louder as the time wore on, grating on the nerves of students who didn't feel prepared.

Half an hour later, Donovan was reading a book when Carter stood. The sound of her chair grabbed everyone's attention for a second and got her looks of annoyance and jealousy. She walked up to the front and dropped her test on Mr. Miller's desk.