IDLE TOWN, jess mariano

⁰³adding fuel to the fire

「 chapter three 」
❝ damn, if you keep that up, you'll end up just like kirk „

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ARIES HIT HER LOCKER IN EXASPERATION. Why isn't this damn thing opening?! she thought.

She hated carrying all her things around if she wasn't even going to use them since her teachers loved giving her lots of books and work and never telling them when they were going to need them.

"Need any help?" a familiar male voice said.

She turned to find Derek leaning on some lockers next to hers. She gave him a sarcastic smile and turned to face him, giving up on trying to open her locker.

"Yes, please, I am struggling," she said, flopping back against the locker next to her.

She closed her eyes and blew her hair out of her eyes, listening to the sounds of the filled hallway and nearby lockers getting opened. If only hers would.

An arm grabbed her shoulder and her eyes suddenly widened at the contact before realizing it was just Derek pulling her closer to him.

Wait. Why is he pulling me closer to him? she thought, confusion clearly painted on her face.

"Relax, Sleeping Beauty," he said. "You're in the way."

She turned to find another student now opening the one she had just been leaning against and mouthed an Oh.

He moved her again and she didn't even bother fighting against it in her half-asleep state. He swung her locker door open and she muttered her thanks, swinging her backpack in front of her and dumping its unnecessary contents into the metal locker. She slammed her locker shut before realizing she had locked in what she needed for her next class.

Groaning, she slumped her forehead against her locker and turned to face Derek when she heard his small laugh.

"Come on," he said, pulling her up by the shoulders before working to open her locker again.

"So, you're actually here at school," she said.

He swung her locker open once again and she muttered her thanks again before grabbing what she needed for her next class.

"That I am," he said, awkwardly shoving his hands into his pockets. "Does this mean you'll cut with me?"

"What do you think?" she asked. She held up her textbook and notebook in front of his face, raising her eyebrows and encouraging him to answer.

He let his head fall back and let out a silent groan, before returning to his natural stature. "You sure you can stay awake through an entire period of class?"

"I think I've got it. Besides, are you sure you want me to ditch with you when I'm half asleep?"

"Better than not hanging out at all."

She gave him a small half-smile before shutting her locker again and walking down the hallway in the sea of students, Derek following after her.

"Boarding school really has changed you, huh?" he asked, and she only slyly shrugged in response. "Now you're all preppy and shit—not that I'm complaining."

She chuckled softly and let him continue on, knowing he was pretty much only joking.

"Like ... can I expect short skirts and knee socks?"