Page 37 of Fast Break
Mr Peters walks in but I can’t look away from JT as he holds my gaze steady. “Mr Sterling,” Mr Peters sighs. “Take your feet off the desk before I start teaching you gravity the hard way.”
JT snorts out a laugh as he shares a quick grin with his cousin and the moment dissipates. Maybe I could do with that lesson in gravity myself because I’m starting to feel completely disoriented around JT.
Class starts and we spend the first hour on course work before Mr Peters graciously gives us the rest of class time to work on our group projects. My hand lifts in the air before I engage my mind.
“Yes, Mr Dayton?” Mr Peters says. I don’t pretend I’m not the teacher’s pet and I have no issue using that status to my advantage.
“Could JT and I go check on our experiment over in the ag building?” I ask, all perfect innocence over here.
“Of course,” Mr Peters smiles. “I’ll let Mr Allan know you’re on the way.”
I avoid JT’s eyes as I swiftly pack away my things and then wait for him as he does the same. I say nothing as he walks beside me down the corridor, aware of the buzz crackling between us, his shoulder lightly bumping mine.
“I guess it pays to be the teacher’s pet,” he grins as I hold the door for him. “Mr Peters would never let me waltz about the school during class time.”
“I’m certainly hoping it pays,” I return, eyebrow raised suggestively. JT’s cheeks flush again and just go ahead and kill me now because this boy will be the death of me. I up the pace and we cross the school to the agriculture building. Mr Allan is alone in the biology classroom, but he beams at us when we walk in.
“I’ve been keeping daily notes on the temperature and pH levels for you,” he tells us as we crowd around the aquarium where our algae is doing an impressive job of growing. He slides a notebook our way and I see that he has indeed kept detailed records for us even though we didn’t ask him to.
“That’s great, thanks for that,” I say. “When do you think we’ll be able to harvest the algae?”
“If I were you I’d give it another week solid,” he replies. “You can already see how much it’s grown but I think we can get a lot more.”
“I agree,” I say with a nod. “JT?”
“Um, yeah, sounds like a plan,” he says.
“Excellent,” Mr Allan beams. “Listen I have to get ready for my next class so I’ll leave you to it. I haven’t taken the temperature or pH yet today if you’d like to do that.”
“We will. And thanks again for your help,” I tell him as he waves and backs out of the classroom. I turn to face JT who is watching me with a small smile on his face. “Would you like to test the temperature?” I ask, holding the thermometer out to him.
He grins and takes the thermometer, and we make quick work of recording the details.
“Looks like we’re within the acceptable range,” I comment as I note the figures on Mr Allan’s notebook. “But we still have twenty minutes of class time left.”
“What to do?” JT pretends to mull, tapping his chin with his finger.
I smirk at him, checking behind me to ensure we’re concealed from the door and then haul his hips against mine. “I can think of a few ideas,” I say as I plant my mouth on his.
***
Monday’s science class sets the tone for the rest of the week. Our Tuesday study session is a test in patience as I grapple with a very distracted JT. I end up having to bribe him with kisses to get him to do any work but that certainly pays off in the end. Well, until Mum comes home from visiting Gran and I have to put a swift end to things.
I don’t see JT on Wednesday but on Thursday we somehow find each other in the cafeteria at lunchtime and decide to have a repeat of last week’s impromptu lunch date. So I ditch my friends again and JT and I sit in the same place as last week and we eat together, so many curious eyes watching our every move. Why anyone cares will always be beyond me.
Trey walks past with his basketball bros and I don’t miss the way his eyes narrow as he looks at me sitting beside his cousin. JT and I don’t talk about much of note, but he asks if he can come and study again tonight and I agree.
We don’t study tonight but we do make very good use of our time until I have to force myself to walk away from him. He looks far too good, far too appealing spread out on my bed, tie askew and lips all pink and puffy from our kisses. Like sweet decadence in a sizzling hot package.
I am painfully aware that JT isn’t doing anything to help me slow things down between us. I spend half the time kissing him wondering why I am even bothering trying but then he does something which reminds me how inexperienced he is, and I pull back on the reins.
I distract him with a driving lesson instead which seems to make him happy while I use the opportunity to try and cool my overheated body down.
It is last period on Friday when I realise I won’t be seeing JT again for a few days. I spy him walking down the corridor between classes when I make the snap decision to grab him. I come to a stop right by one of the janitor’s closets when he finally glances up and sees me, his beautiful face breaking out into a smile. Before he can say a word, I grab his wrist and haul him inside with me, locking the door behind us.
“Hey, what?” he grunts, right before I push him up against the door and understanding dawns. “Wait, is this a broom closet? Are you trying to sweep me off my feet, Quinn?”
I laugh. “Just trying to clean that filthy mouth out of yours,” I return.
