Ezra drew his bow, concentrating on the bullseye, ready to shoot. He doesn't know why he's feeling nervous all of a sudden. Maybe, it is because Arthur is watching him.
He releases the arrow and it barely touches the bullseye. "Good job, Ezra," Ms. Winefry commented happily, "Continue and very soon we'll be going to the nationals," she said cheerfully.
Ezra smiles helplessly. "I doubt that would happen," he said in a low voice.
Ms. Winefry heard him and pouted at him. "You keep saying that but you're good at this," she said. "Be more confident in yourself!" She patted his back and said, "You can go and rest."
Ezra nodded and went to where Arthur was seated with a smile on his face. "You were amazing," Arthur praised.
Ezra blushed a bit. "Th-thanks," he stammered, sitting down.
Arthur smiled at him and said, "So after this, we go home?" he asked.
Ezra fondles his shirt a bit. "No," he replies. "I have to return to my apartment today since I technically live there," he said.
"Oh," Arthur said, sounding a bit heartbroken.
'Why does he sound like that?' Ezra thought, a bit panicked. "Don't worry though, I can come over this weekend if Mr. Dumas gives me permission to do so," he said in a hurry.
Arthur frowns at this. 'Mr. Dumas wouldn't permit him to come,' he thought thinking of the cold, cruel, head of the Dumas family. "Don't worry about it," he said coldly.
Ezra became worried. 'Is he angry at me?' he thought.
He bows his head a bit. "I'm sorry," he said.
Arthur was confused as to why he was apologizing. "Why are you apologizing again?" he asked.
"I made you upset," Ezra replies nervously.
"No, no, I'm not angry at you, why would think I'm angry at you?" Arthur said worriedly.
Ezra looked very relieved. "Nothing," he said.
Arthur wasn't convinced by this. He held Ezra's shoulder, and said, "Don't apologize when you've done nothing wrong," he said, his gaze softening.
Ezra was surprised, he shouldn't though, Arthur isn't like his father. Why isn't he used to this?
"Okay," he said smiling.
Arthur knows that Ezra will continue apologizing like yesterday when he accidentally hurt him and he apologized.
He felt helpless for Ezra. "The next time you apologize without having a meaningful reason behind it, I will be angry with you," he said looking into Ezra's eyes.
Ezra sweated nervously. "Alright," he said, avoiding eye contact.
"No, no," Arthur said snapping his fingers in front of Ezra's face. "Look at me," he said, Ezra reluctantly looked at him. "I want you to promise that you wouldn't apologize without any meaning," he said.
"I promise," Ezra replies reluctantly.
Arthur raised his left pinky finger. Ezra was very surprised and embarrassed that it had to come to this. "Are you being serious?" he asked, hoping that Arthur would just laugh and put his finger down.
Arthur looked very serious to his dismay. "Pinky, now," he said.
Ezra covered his already red face raised his left pinky and interlocked it with Arthur's. "Now you shall repeat after me," Arthur said.
"Oh my God, no," Ezra said trying not to laugh.
"I," Arthur said.
"I," Ezra replied, holding his laughter.
"Raise your head," Arthur said strictly, "and repeat after me, I..."
Ezra couldn't hold his laughter anymore. "I..." he said laughing, while barely breathing.
"Ezra Dumas..."
"Ezra Dumas..."
"Will never ever apologize for no absolute reason no matter what..."
"Will never ever apologize for no absolute reason no matter what..."
"It's done," Arthur said shaking the pinky like a handshake and then releasing it.
"You two are weird," Ms. Winefry said looking at them as well as the other students present there.
Ezra bent down and covered in embarrassment. "I can't believe you made me do that," he said, his voice was a bit muffled, but was clear enough for Arthur to understand.
"I'm just worried someone would try to take advantage of your timid and fragile appearance," Arthur said in a caring voice.
Ezra blushed a bit, his heart quickened slightly. He turns his face to look at Arthur. "You are so nice to me," he said smiling.
Arthur blushed a bit as he turned around in embarrassment. "Sometimes you're too cute for your own good," he said.
Ezra was surprised and he covered his face up again. His face felt hotter this time around and his heartbeat was faster than before. 'This is bad,' he thought.
Arthur's heart too was beating quite fast. When Ezra turned to him, he looked so cute and he even said it out loud. 'This is bad,' he thought.
'I hope he doesn't figure out how I feel,' they both thought at the same time.
Ms. Winefry shook her head when she saw the two teenagers. "They act like idiots in love," she muttered, smiling. But she couldn't help but worry for them. The Dumas family probably wouldn't want them together and they would do anything in their power to separate them.
Hopefully, they find a way through this.