Chapter 25
Nicolas could feel the weight of guilt on his chest as he glanced back and forth between Azure and the floor. Him and his friends were walking back from Math class, and Zachary was complaining about the headache he was suffering from the subject.
"Arghhh! I could sue this camp for their cruel and unusual punishments!" He declared, gripping his head in exaggerated agony. Patton looked at him and smiled his same old smile. Azure, obviously, didn't think her brother was being funny. "It's not a 'cruel and unusual punishment,' it's education!" she retorted through her teeth. Nicolas knew that her annoyance didn't just stem from Zachary being overdramatic—it was because Nicolas had fallen asleep during their study time, and she takes that time very seriously.
Ravi was engulfed in yet another book he held in his left hand, playing with a squishy red ball in his other. Nicolas looked over at him and noticed that his pupils often flicked along through the pages he swiftly turned with his finger. Ravi glanced up from his book and arched his eyebrows, "Something wrong?" he asked Nicolas.
"No, no," replied Nicolas hastily, "I was just wondering how you read your books so quickly..."
Ravi smirked, putting his squishy ball away in his coat and then raising his hand to his face to adjust his glasses. "I've been devouring my books since I was a little baby," he said, "...at least that's what my parents tell me. I think you can, too, if you want to. I know fellow brainiacs when I see them, and believe me, you and Azure have definitely got the aura of it." The hand that used to hold the squishy ball then jumped, as if from muscle memory, to the book and flew through the pages once again until stopping on one. Ravi the entire page out loud, without looking down.
"Daro mat, bhai, kyunki mere paas aapke khilaaf kuchh bhi nahi hai main keval yahi chahta hoon ki ramati meri dalilen sunen... shayad, ek baar ke liye, mujhe jawab den?"
He suddenly shut the book, giving Nicolas a start. As Ravi put the book away into his coat, he frowned. "Nicolas, you do not seem as confident as when I met you," he said to him. "Ever since yesterday, you've been very jumpy and, visibly, very tired. Is something wrong?"
Nicolas shook his head, continuing to brush off the fact that, deep down inside of him, he felt a dark orb of angst, guilt, and confusion bubbling up, waiting to crawl out from his soul and wreak havoc on the outside. He wasn't going to give it attention. If he mentioned it, it would be real, and he couldn't let that happen. He took in a deep breath, internally convinced himself that he was mentally stable, and sped up his walking pace, leaving those who worry about him farther back.
He felt a hand hook his arm, suddenly pulling him back. He snapped his head around to meet the eyes of Azure, holding his arm and staring at him with fed up eyes. She pointed to a door with letters right above it that said "Science". Nicolas felt embarrassed, but refused to show it, and instead he snatched his arm away from her and stormed into the classroom with a belligerent expression on his face. He husked over to his chair and quietly sat in it informally. He then ran his fingers through his hair, his leg bouncing frantically.
He struggled to avert his eyes from his friends'. He knew that they were staring at him with utmost contempt. But who wouldn't? He acted churlish because he wanted to avoid their help. He had made up his mind that they couldn't aid in his internal battle... It was their fault for wanting to. They asked for curtness.
Professor Goldman came in looking as unpleasant as ever. Nicolas slowly adjusted his position to a formal one, so as to not look scared into changing by her. She scanned the room with judging eyes. "Let us get to work," she said sharply.
Nicolas avoided looking at his friends for the remainder of the class, although, he could feel eyes glance at him every now and then.
End of Chapter
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nobodyimportant out—
