Fairytale Green

Mr Dankworth’s classroom was one of the most aesthetically pleasing places I had ever been. I appreciated the handwritten book quotes stuck on the wall and the books lining the shelves.

Lana took her seat next to me and pulled out her English notes before she spoke to the three of us ‘My parents are having a barbecue tonight and they told me to invite all of you.’

Both males behind us nodded their head. The one I stole a glance at smirked at me.

I whispered to the blonde girl “I thought you were only inviting Brennan?’

When I was watching Addams Family on the sofa with the large giant after we had gotten back from the pier, Lana had texted and talked about inviting Brennan to hers for dinner.

She must have changed her mind.

‘Charlie is getting dropped off by my aunt because she has an appointment.’ Lana told me before she added ‘It was not going to be just Brennan and my parents anyway. Plus, you are the only one that can handle Charlie.’

Her little cousin Charlie was five and a troublemaker. I liked to think of him as a kindred spirit. He was the mini creature that helped me realise that I wanted to pursue a job that involved kids and teaching.

Lana and her parents were always surprised at how well Charlie behaved when I was around. That led to many babysitting sessions with him. Not that I minded. I got on well with the small boy and it gave me an excuse to go to places such as the arcade and ice cream place.

‘So, I’m only getting invited tonight to babysit?’ I accused.

‘Of course not. I want you there.’ She argued and then she smiled ‘My Mom wants you there and for you to bring your boyfriend.’

I blinked before repeating ‘My what?’

There was a small grumble from behind me that sounded like a volcano exploding.

Lana motioned to behind me ‘She told me to invite Stone.’

I had not sat down and spoke to Lana about my feelings towards Stone. I was scared to. I did not want to throw it in her face that I was getting on so well with the giant when she was barely making it through the relationship.

‘He is not my boyfriend.’ I denied before making the point of pointing backwards to strengthen my half-lie ‘I am not anything to him—’

I did not believe that I was nothing to him, but I thought that maybe the others would buy my lie and believe that I was insignificant to Stone.

A dark chuckle was heard before the large body behind me leant close until he was behind my ear ‘Finish that sentence.’

Stone sounded furious.

That was the moment when Mr Dankworth decided to stand up and start the class.

‘I have decided to give you some time in class for your paired essays.’ He announced, ‘I know what you are all like these days and you think that everything is better over social media and phone, but the best way is face to face.’

Multiple sighs were heard across the room, but I did not hear any from the desk situated behind mine.

‘So, get in your pairs and ask each other questions. Deep ones. I do not want to be reading what your partner watched on TV last night.’ Mr Dankworth instructed.

I could sense a pair of eyes on the back of my neck. The dark gaze made my whole body feel warm like I was on fire in the best possible way.

I let out an exaggerated groan so I could hide my smile as I grabbed my bag and moved into the seat next to the large angry looking Goliath.

The class moved around, and the people arranged themselves into their pairs. Lana stayed where she was and waited for her partner to come over. Brennan moved a few rows in front so I could take his seat.

Instead of a normal greeting like a hello or how are you, I got a growl.

‘You think that you are nothing to me?’ Stone demanded to know, his rough voice deepening.

‘No. Of course not.’ I replied and then joked ‘I think I am a nuisance to you.’

He did not find my remark funny and instead he grabbed my chair. His two huge hands gripped the seat at each side of my legs. He picked up the chair and lifted it so I was facing him fully.

My eyes widened as he neared until he was millimetres away from my face.

‘You are mine.’ He grumbled ‘You are everything.’

‘Last time I checked I think I was Ella.’ I deadpanned.

His eyes lightened slightly. Maybe it had done with my humour or maybe it had to do with our proximity.

Opening my notepad and tapping my pencil, I stuck my tongue out at him and acted like I was not happy about the change in seating. I had never been happier about a seating arrangement since I won a round of musical chairs back in middle school.

‘Do you have anything to ask me for your assignment?’ I asked curiously before mentioning ‘I think I have all the material I need for my essay.’

He raised a brow and his deep voice spoke against the top of my head ‘Do you?’

‘Yep.’ I replied and started to write a sentence on my page of paper.

I wrote my sentence before I picked up my notebook and faced it his way then I read out my starter sentence aloud ‘Valentine Stone is gigantic. He is also a gigantic pain in my ass.’

His lip moved up as he watched me excitedly tell him about my plans to write all about him in the most teasing way possible.

I shrugged ‘I think my opening line is fantastic. It introduces the rest of what I will talk about in the essay.’

‘Just don’t say Valentine.’

I was about to make a comment on how one time he was asking me to say his name, but I decided to keep my mouth shut.

A question came to mind, and I asked, ‘Do you not like your name?’

Stone shook his head.

There was no way he could find Valentine a worse name than Drizella.

‘Why do you not like your name?’ I asked before I ended up blurring out ‘It is totally sexy.’

He let out a small deep chuckle.

I ended up blurting out to try and save myself from the humiliation of my last comment ‘Your name kind of sounds like something found in a jewellery store.’

Smirking, Stone tried to glare away at me, but it was short lived as he looks at my smile.

‘You know what I will just write your name as Val instead.’ I teased to try and get back at him for laughing at me.

‘No. You will not.’

‘Cheer up, Val.’ I said as I winked at him ‘I will not call you that. I already have enough nicknames for you as it is.’

Continuing with my taunting, I hid my notebook close to my chest and pretended to write something.

He twirled his pencil in his finger as he gave me his unfaltering attention ‘What are you writing?’

‘My essay,’ I replied ‘And I am not showing you the final product until I am finished. Maybe not even then.’

Stone let out a husky laugh at my actions before he mirrored my stance so he could hide his piece of paper. His notepad was moved to his knee so I could not see what he was writing.

I did not like it. I wanted to see what he was writing about me.

His pencil touched the paper, and he scribbled something down. I could not see what it is was even though my neck was stretched like a giraffes.

He noticed my spying and voiced what he had supposedly wrote ‘Drizella Miller thinks Elvis is still alive. She is mad.’

‘How do you like mine?’ I asked before pretending to read my page and making up a starter sentence on the spot ‘Stone’s favourite book is Alice in Wonderland. The quote says all the best people are mad. I think this suggests that I am his favourite person ever.’

Time passed with small glances at each other while writing. I jotted down little things I had picked up over my time with him that I could talk about in the assignment.

However, I could not string words together to make a full sentence yet. So instead, I started making a list of things about him. My favourite things about him.

Stone seemed to be doing the same. He was not writing that much and instead he was more interested watching as I laughed from behind my notepad.

A tap on the desk drew my attention for my paper to him. He leaned back in the chair as he questioned ‘How are you getting on?’

‘Good.’ I hummed ‘I am nearly done describing your bad qualities. I have went past five hundred words already though.’

He sent another glare my way but he had a small smile on his face. It was not fair how even a small smile on him was alarmingly darkly charming.

Before I could back out of asking, I quickly forced my words out ‘Were you planning on going to Lana’s after school?’

‘Do you want me there?’

‘I would not complain if you were there.’ I said as I smiled down at the ground.

A rough laugh was heard from beside me before he spoke again ‘Good. I was going anyway.’

Mr Dankworth got up from his swirly chair at his desk and started to walk around the class as he addressed everyone ‘Because I am such a great teacher and you are my favourite class, I have made questions for you to ask your partner. These will help you get to know one another properly. It will also help you write your essay when it comes to it.’

I watched as my teacher made his way around around everyone and handed out small sheets of paper to the pairs around the room.

The grey-haired English teacher left our table to the very end. He grinned at both Stone and I as he handed us a piece of paper and then retreated to his desk at the front of the room.

‘Okay, Lurch. First question’ I said and then went on to read the question to him without looking at it beforehand ‘Are you attracted to green hair?’

I opened my mouth in shock before I looked back down at the paper.

The question had made the corner of his mouth rise.

‘Medusa,’ He did gruffly and seriously ‘You already know the answer to that.’

‘No. I do not.’

He cocked his head ‘I love your hair.’

‘Says the guy that called it puke coloured when we first met.’ I rebutted.

Stone shook his head as he chuckled.

I added ‘Also says the guy that I look like a haunted mansion extra.’

The amusement I showed about the whole thing was not shared with him as a serious expression took over his harsh features.

‘I did not mean it.’ He stated and his eyes pierced into me ‘I just wanted to meet you so fucking badly.’

My cheeks blushed and I had the urge to cover my face with my notepad.

‘You did not need to pretend that your question was one on the sheet.’ He mentioned.

‘It really was on the sheet though.’ I argued honestly.

He read aloud what was on his sheet of questions ‘Do you find yourself attracted to tattoos?’

I grabbed the paper out of his hand to see for myself the list of questions he had. My jaw dropped at the typed-up sheet. My eyes scanned the oddly specific inquiries.

Are you attracted to tall height? Do you like names that are related to rocks? Would you consider your dream relationship including bickering and hate flirting? Do you believe in love at first sight? Do you have a date for the Fall Ball?

There was no way that I was answering those because it was supposed to be an essay and not a round of speed dating.

In the seat in front, Lana swivelled around in her chair and mouthed help me while pointing to her partner who was sitting there doing nothing.

Wondering if she had tailored questions as well, I replied ‘What questions did you get on your sheet?’

She looked back down to her desk and then answered ‘Just trivial stuff. Biggest fear, favourite movies and other stuff like that. Why?’

‘No reason.’ I nonchalantly responded while zoning on past her to Mr Dankworth who was sitting happily looking at the computer.

Mr Dankworth took his job extremely seriously. He had gone to extreme lengths by making put those questions.

I focused back to Stone who was already watching me with a glint of amusement in his obsidian irises.

He met my gaze and pointed out ‘You never answered the question.’

‘What?’

‘Are you attracted to tattoos?’ He asked as his own tattoos came into view as he ran a hand through his hair.

Reading between the lines, I knew what he was really asking so I answered, ‘You already know the answer to that.’

‘Yeah. I do.’ He agreed smugly ‘I just wanted to see you squirm as you tried to deny it.’

Rolling my eyes at his cockiness, I countered back with ‘I have never said I was not attracted to you. You are ridiculously good looking. I have never argued against that.’

He raised an eyebrow and disbelief was written all over the small action.

‘Okay. Maybe I did deny it.’ I admitted in the form of a mumble ‘I just did not want you to know that I found you attractive.’

‘I knew, Medusa.’

Crossing my arms, I commented ‘It is a real shame that you have a shitty personality, or you would have been the perfect guy.’

He raised an eyebrow again. Even without a word from him, I knew he knew I was lying.

The lie was bitter on my tongue. I could only hold in the inevitable for so long.

I wish there was a stronger word than like or attraction because that is what I felt.

In the next second, I caved ‘Fine. I’m lying.’

Stone’s deep chuckle filled my ears once more and I revelled in the dark melodious sound.

‘Shut up and get on with your essay!’ I said after a while of us been caught in an intense eye lock.

‘Medusa’ He said after a while.

I looked up from my paper and blew a hair out of my face before I replied ‘Yes, Lurch?’

‘I am not attracted to green hair. I am attracted to you.’ He spoke sternly like he was making sure I knew ‘I like your green because it is you. Your hair is so bright that sometimes I cannot see anything else.’

Trying to ignore the fluttering in my stomach, I smiled down at my desk like a weirdo.

The determination to start my essay was over before it started because something entering the room caught my eye.

Chase waltzed into the class ten minutes before the period finished without a care in the world. He noticed the change in seating and winked at me before going to sit with his partner up front.

Out of politeness, I offered him a small wave.

The interaction stirred the person next to me because a low octaved gnarl erupted from him. The bellow was followed by something being grumbled under his breath as he moved his vein-bulged hand in and out of a fist.

‘I was just trying to be friendly.’ I pointed out in a light tone.

My light tone was a contrast to his deep one that promised bloodshed as he bit out ‘He is being too friendly.’

‘He is my friend. What do you expect?’ I said before I tell him ‘I am not going to stop talking to him because you do not like it.’

Everyone knew Chase and I were not the closest. Including back when it was more than a few words between us. The truth was I was not really defending my friendship with the blonde quarterback. It was more proving a point of principal to Stone. I could talk to whoever I wanted.

Stone tilted his head. The action was almost a challenge. The subtitles of his little head motion scream You bet that I cannot keep him away from you?

The giant had perfected the skill of being intimidating without every trying. His dangerous aura was effortless and authentic.

‘You need to let me talk to who I want. You can’t just decide that I can’t talk to Chase.’ I pointed out before I added ‘If you want something to command then get a dog.’

We glared at each other. I kept eye contact, so he knew that I was not going to back down. Neither did he break contact.

‘Fine.’ He finally growled out.

I was not convinced so I further elaborated ‘So I can walk to my locker with him for example and you will not go full on hulk?’

Silence.

He leant back in his chair and crossed his arms, his muscles flexing as he did so.

Stone then nodded but it was sharp and quick. If you blinked, then you would have missed it.

‘And you will not mind?’ I added

‘Of course, I will fucking mind.’ He grounded out as his jaw tightened.

With a sigh, I faced the front in my seat.

The large skull tattooed hand made its way onto my thigh as I kept my attention to the front of the class.

I could not stay mad at him, and I ended up sending him a faux glare that turned into a smile. He sent a small smile back.

Brennan was watching us in his chair from a few yards away as I turned away from Stone.

‘You two are a match made in Bedlam.’ Brennan said with a shark grin ‘Cupid must be crazy to put the two of you together. Two of the most strong willed and stubborn people that I have ever met who are crazy for each other. Although it is crazy to think about you both without each other.’

I could not imagine my life without him either.