Unable to bear the scene, Flint places a calming hand on my shoulder. 'Best to just see the nurse; standing here watching is only going to make matters worse,' he advises a touch of regret in his voice.
With gritted teeth and a thunderous expression, I march past Nina and Moss into the nurse’s station.
Nurse Carla greets me with concern as she looks me over.
'Magnus, what on Earth happened to you?' She asks, her tone both maternal and stern.
'Got into a fight,' I respond tersely.
'Well, who with?' She queries with worry.
'The new guy, Moss,' I reply jealously.
'Where is he? Did he sustain any injuries?' Nurse Carla asks.
'He probably has a few extra bruises than I, but he already has someone attending to him,' I respond, bitterness lingering in my voice.
'Well, you better take a seat,' she advises, guiding me to a chair. As she cleans the blood from my face, I flinch when she dabs the split across my eyebrow.
'That’s probably going to scar,' she notes with a frown.
'Just great,' I grumble, my frustration echoing through the sterile walls of the nurse's office.
'Do you want me to call your parents to come pick you up from school?' Nurse Carla offers, her eyes filled with concern as she surveys the bruises on my face.
'No, I’d prefer to stay,' I reply, my voice carrying a hint of stubbornness.
'Well, I’d prefer you go home and put ice on your face, Magnus,' she says, her gaze turning stern, hands resting on her hips.
'Look, I’m staying, okay? If it makes you feel better, I’ll rest here for the next period until recess,' I say adamantly.
'Well,' she sighs relentingly. 'Since I cannot change your mind, I’ll get you an ice pack,' she says before leaving the room.
A moment later, she returns, handing me the ice pack.
I thank her and press it against my swollen cheek for the next hour, trying to numb the pain.
Finally, the recess bell goes. I toss the ice pack onto Nurse Carla’s table and walk to the cafeteria. Students stare and whisper as I walk by, their curious eyes fixated on the vivid display of the aftermath of my brawl.
'I heard Magnus knocked Moss out and almost killed him,' one student whispers.
'Well, I heard he picked Moss up with one hand and threw him halfway across the oval,' another says.
I smirk. At least the whispers and rumours were to my liking.
Entering the cafeteria, Claire lets out a gasp and races towards me. She cups my face in her hands, her eyes wide with concern.
'Boo-boo, I heard there were rumours a fight broke out. I did not know it involved you. Oh, my poor Boo-boo,' she says, embracing me. Her body language shows both worry and affection.
In return, I instinctively wrap my arms around Claire, feeling comfort and discomfort. I can't ignore the subtle tension in the air, heightened by the glances from Nina and Moss. Nina looks away, seemingly uninterested, but Moss’s steely glare intensifies.
Josie brings me a lunch tray, breaking the tension. I release Claire and sit beside Josie to eat.
'I heard you got into a fight with Moss. You know Mum and Dad will flip beans when they see your face, right?' She says, a mix of concern and teasing in her voice.
'Yeah, I know, but that’s the least of my problems,' I tell her, my gaze shifting involuntarily to Nina.
An awful pain consumes me, like I’m on a sinking ship, and I slam my fist down on the table as I see Nina and Moss kissing. The sudden, dramatic reaction startles everyone at the table.
'Boo-boo, what’s wrong?' Claire asks, her eyes wide with confusion.
Josie gives me a sympathetic, knowing, and troubled look, understanding the real source of my distress.
'I forgot about an assignment that was due today,' I lie as the bitter taste of deception forms in my mouth.
May joins us, radiating anger, and she angrily plonks her food tray in front of us. She bites into her ham roll with a ferocity that suggests she's taking out her frustration on the unsuspecting meal, glaring at Claire while chewing loudly.
‘Gee, everyone is such a grump today,’ Paul says with a nervous laugh, attempting to diffuse the heated tension.
I can’t bear to glance at Nina, fearing she could still be entangled in a kiss with Moss. My appetite wanes, and I stare solemnly at my untouched lunch.
The bell finally rings, and I realize I have Science with Nina now.
I grab my books from my locker and trail behind Moss as he walks Nina to science. He glances over his shoulder, giving me a coy smile, and then swiftly pulls Nina in for a long kiss that practically involves devouring her face. I feel a surge of anger and frustration—I want to break his arms. No, I want to rip his head off!
When they part, he smirks at me again and walks to his class. I follow behind Nina. Her demeanour shifts from the joyful afterglow of a kiss to a grimace as I sit beside her at our wonky table. We both sit in tense silence, refusing to speak to each other.
Our attention now is on Mr Thomson. ‘Okay, today you will complete this questionnaire with your lab partner. If you don’t know the answers, it will tell you what page you can read to find the answer in your textbooks. You have forty-five minutes,’ Mr Thomson says, introducing the task.
He places a questionnaire sheet on each table. Five minutes go by, and neither of us has moved.
‘The questionnaire isn’t going to fill itself out, Nina and Magnus. So, get to work, or I will fail you both in science,’ Mr Thomson warns impatiently.
Nina and I grumble and mutter under our breaths, reluctantly taking our pens to fill the sheet out. We reach for the sheet simultaneously, but our hands accidentally clasp instead, and my heart quickens. I don’t want to let go, but Nina pulls her hand away without hesitating.
We both hold an end of the paper, and Nina glares at me. ‘Let go. I’ll fill it out,’ she says gruffly.
‘Let me at least fill a couple of questions out,’ I tell her with a tone of frustration.
The sheet of paper tears in half, and Mr. Thomson walks over and slams the sticky tape down. ‘Again, you broke it, you fix it, then finish your work,’ he demands with a stern glower.