"Okay, class, that is it for the lesson today. So for the rest of the period, I want you to meet with your partners and work on your project," Mrs. Darcy said, and some students got up, walking up to the partners. As for Zane, he shot up from his chair and rushed towards Nico's desk, grabbing the empty desk in front of her turning it around. Finally, he slammed it against her desk, sitting in the chair looking over at Nico, who looked at him surprised but confused mainly by his actions.
"You are looking a little crazy right now. I didn't know the project was so interesting to you," Nico said, but Zane shook his head, leaning closer towards her.
"Forget about the stupid project. I have something bigger than the project," Zane said. Nico looked at Zane with an arched eyebrow, her confusion growing.
"Okay," Nico said, crossing her arms leaning back.
"I figured it out," Zane said in a low tone.
"Figured what out," Nico asked, and Zane sighed.
"Where is the journal," Zane asked.
"In my bag," Nico asked, crossing her arms.
"Can I see it?" Zane asked.
"Why?" Nico asked.
"You want answers, right?" Zane asked. Nico sighed and grabbed her bag from under her chair, opening it pulling out the journal before passing it to Zane, who took it from her hands, flipping through the pages.
"What is going on, Zane," Nico asked, and Zane remained silent, looking through the pages until he slammed the book down, turning it around, showing Nico his discovery.
"This. This is what figured out," Zane said, pointing at the list of numbers.
"I don't follow," Nico said, switching her gaze from the journal to Zane.
"Look at the numbers. Look at how the numbers are written. Do you see the pattern?" Zane said, and Nico stared at the page.
"Yea. There is a space that appears after two numbers." Nico said, looking at Zane was smirking.
"Does it look familiar? " Zane asked, leaning to the side, gesturing toward the board. Nico tilted her head, scanning the board, not understanding what he was talking about. Once Nico was ready to give up until she spotted it and her eyes widened in realization, gasping.
"Holy shit!" Nico shouted, covering her mouth, instantly earning the attention of her classmates and teacher.
"Ms. Waters profanities will not be tolerated of any kind in this classroom," Mrs. Darcy said, glaring at Nico and Zane.
"Sorry. It won't happen again," Nico said, sinking into her chair.
"It better not because I am not afraid to give out a detention," Mrs. Darcy said. Nico nodded her head, and Mrs. Darcy resumed what she was doing as the rest of the students, except some of them looking at the pair a little longer. Nico sat up, leaning towards Zane, mirroring her actions.
"Oh my god, the date," Nico said in an excited whisper.
"Right, I was starting at the board watching Mrs. Darcy, and then it clicked," Zane said.
"I just don't understand how I'd miss that," Nico said, running a hand through her hair.
"Hey, don't sweat it. Sometimes we miss the things that are right in front of us," Zane smiled at her, and she returned it. "So what to do we do now?" Zane asked. Nico fell silent, grabbing the journal looking at the numbers again, turning the book around, sliding it towards Zane.
"This. Now that you said these are dates, then these notes make more sense," Nico said.
"What do you mean?" Zane asked, leaning closer to Nico.
"Well, through the list of numbers, whoever had this book before me, they wrote only four notes next to these names," Nico said, pointing at what Zane should look at.
"Why only those four names?" Zane asked, looking down at the book.
"I don't know, but I think those four have some connection to this mystery person," Nico said, looking down at the name.
"Okay, so we figure out what the connection is, then we would figure out who had this book before you and then their connection to the author," Zane said, glancing up at Nico. So she nodded her head before taking the book back.
"Exactly," Nico said, and Zane nodded his head.
"So, how are we going to find out who these people are," Zane asked.
"Simple, we can look through an archive database and find out who these people are and why are those dates are next to those four are so important," Nico said.
"So we have to go to the public library because I remember there is a database there," Zane said. She shook her head, and Zane leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms, waiting for her to give him an answer.
"Nope, we can look through by simply looking through online without even stepping into the library," Nico said, giving him a big smile.
"Okay, so we will do some research during lunch today?" Nico's smile faltered as she shook her head. "What?" Zane asked.
"Did you forget that we have a test next week? You have to study," Nico said, closing the book sliding it back into her backpack.
"We can focus on that later. This is more important," Zane said. Nico sighed and leaned forward, flicking Zane's forehead before settling back in her desk.
"No, Zane, I said that I was going to help you pass this test, and I am going to do," Nico said, crossing her arms.
"Fine, what about after school? What are you doing?" Zane asked, rubbing his forehead.
"I have work," Nico responded.
"The bookstore, right?" Nico nodded. "Okay, so the bookstore has computers, right?" Nico nodded. "Okay, so we can research there. Would your boss mind?" Zane asked.
"Mr. Davis won't have a problem with that, so it's fine," Nico said.
"Okay, so I have practice today, so I'll be there after practice," Zane said, and Nico agreed, and the bell rang.
"Okay, everyone put the chair back to the way they were for the next class. So I'll see you tomorrow and try to make it on time," Mrs. Darcy said, glancing at Nico.
The students packed their things, walking out of the classroom bit by bit. Zane grabbed his bag off the floor, getting up from the chair and putting the desk back to where it was before turning around at Nico, who was getting up from her chair, locking eyes with her.
"So now that we have a plan, I'll see you later at lunch," Zane said.
"Okay, just don't be late this time," Nico said, and Zane chuckled, giving her a small smile.
"No promises," Zane said. Nico rolled her eyes, and Zane waved goodbye before walking over to his friends outside the classroom, leaving Nico alone. Nico adjusted her bag on her shoulder before walking out of the room.
"You and Mr. Dimples seemed to be getting along," Nico heard and turned her head, looking at Nate, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"Mr. Dimples?" Nico questioned, and Nate pushed himself off of the wall walking up to her.
"You know that is what all the girls call him because those dimples are to die for," Nate said. Nico rolled her eyes and proceeded to walk down the hallway with Nate walking alongside her.
"You know that sounds ridiculous, right," Nico said, dodging some students who were rushing to get to their next class.
"Hey, that is what is in the mind of every teenage girl here," Nate said.
"If that is what is in a teenage girl's mind, then I want no part of it," Nico said.
"Well, you're different," Nate said.
"I'll take it," Nico said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Well, never mind about that. Tell me everything," Nate said, looking at Nico.
"Tell you what," Nico said, glancing at Nate.
"Tell me what happened between you guys," Nate said.
"And what makes you think something happens," Nico said, reaching her locker putting in the combination.
"Oh, come on, Nic, last time you guys were near each other, he practically threatened you. And now you guys were all close a cuddly at your desk. So what changed?" Nate asked, leaning onto the locker next to Nico as she opened up the locker.
"Nothing, we just agreed that fighting was not going to get our project done," Nico said, switching her books out.
"So there is really nothing going on between you two?" Nate asked, arching his eyebrow, and Nico slammed her locker close before looking at Nate.
"Yes, nothing is going on," Nico started walking down the hall, and Nate caught up to her matching her pace. "I really don't know where you got that crazy idea," Nico said.
"Well, can you blame me? Anyone with eyes can see that something is going on," Nate said, shrugging her shoulders.
"You're weird. I'll talk to you later," Nico said, walking ahead."At lunch?" Nate called out, and Nico turned around.
"Nope got to tutor someone. So I'll see you after school at my house. You're still my ride to work, right?" Nico said, walking backward.
"Yea, I got you," Nate replied. Nico saluted him, turning back around and picking up her next class pace.
Nico sat in the library in the same spot, reading her math textbook, copying the problems in her notebook, and solving them. Zane walked into the library, spotting Nico instantly walking over to her with haste, knowing that he was late and she would be mad. Zane walked up to the table and watched Nico scribbling in her notebook.
"You're late. Again," Nico said, scribbling in her notebook, not bothering to look up at Zane.
"Sorry, but I have a good excuse," Zane slipped into the chair across from her, and Nico looked up at him, waiting for his excuse. "Um, I got hungry," Zane said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, and Nico sighed and pulled out a piece of paper from under her notebook, placing it in front of Zane.
"Work on these problems, and we will go from there," Nico said, resuming finishing her homework. Zane worked on his problems for ten minutes before passing the paper to Nico, who worked on her history homework. Nico picked up the paper and slid her math textbook to Zane, which was open to what she was working on earlier.
"Work on today's homework assignment, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask," Nico said as she started grading Zane's paper.
Zane and Nico worked in silence when Zane asked for help on a confusing problem. Once Nico was done grading his paper, she looked over to Zane, who worked hard on these problems, and Nico started to examine Zane more thoroughly. Nico's eyes looked at Zane's messy black hair that actually looked good on him. Nico looked at his face from his full lips to his squinted amber eyes and going back to his full lips. He was slightly biting his lower lip with his shapely eyebrows scrunched together, concentrating as he worked on the problem. Nico would be lying if she said Zane didn't look attractive from the cheekbones to those amber eyes. Those eyes were mesmerizing; they could weaken any girl.
Nico lowered her eyes to his arms, those arms. Nico's eyes raked up his muscular arms. She knew that playing football makes you buff but not this buff. Nico cursed the man who invented the letterman jacket because they make men look frail when clearly not. Nico's eyes trailed to Zane's chest and how his shirt fitted him perfectly, and she was wondering what was under that shirt. As Nico basically undressed Zane with her eyes, unknowing, Zane secretly caught Nico staring at him. Zane felt someone staring at him and glanced over at Nico and saw that she was staring at his chest. Zane was never a fan when the girls stared at him, practically drooling over him, but it made him somewhat excited when Nico did. After five minutes of Nico staring at him, Zane thought that it was time that they should get back on track. Zane started to stretch and faced Nico and cleared his throat, forcing her out of her thoughts, looking up at Zane's face, and he looked over at Nico, holding his paper up towards her.
"Can you check this, please?" Zane said.
"Oh, um yeah," Nico said, grabbing his paper looking over his answer, feeling her face heat up in embarrassment.
"So, how'd I do?" Nico remained silent, staring at his paper, and Zane tilted his head in confusion. "Um, Nico," Zane said, placing a hand on Nico's shoulder, and Nico jumped in her seat, looking up at him, surprised.
"Yes!" Nico said a little too loudly, earning a glare from the librarian telling her to keep it down.
"Are you okay, Nico?" Zane said and shoved the paper towards Zane.
"Y- your answers are good," Nico said, and Zane looked at Nico, but before he could say anything, the bell rang, and Nico shot up from her chair, grabbing her things shoving them in her bag. Zane slowly rose from his chair and watched Nico frantically shove things into her bag before looking up at him.
"So I guess I'll see you later at the bookstore. Bye," Nico said, running off.
Zane opened his mouth to say something, but Nico was already running out the door, leaving Zane standing there confused about what had just happened.