Double life: Self study

Nic didnt appear for the first period class. Josh was already planning in going to the infirmary to see if she was there due to the jump from the second floor that she had taken. He was getting up, already with the excuse in mind to tell the next teacher -since he was taking his time to get to the classroom- so that he could go to the infirmary. The door opened and there was Nic, her eyes glued to a book, he thought that she was definitely going to fall since she wasn't looking where she was walking but skilfully she walked between the desk rows without taking her eyes off of the book. She sat and kept reading.

“hey you!” Josh said.
“hello” she said still not lifting her eyes from the book.
Maybe she doesn't want to talk to me, he thought, yet he still talked to her once more.
“I was worried that you´d gotten hurt after jumping like that... I know now that the rules forbid girls in the boy´s rooms but, come on! you didn't have to jump off like that, you could have hurt yourself” She didn't answer to that, he got a little annoyed and said “is that why you have that bandage? are you always jumping off of windows?” She turned around to see him right to the eye. It was a very intense look that she had, it was almost as if she could drill a hole in his head. Josh blinked and fought the urge to lower his gaze.
“Give me my Math notebook, please”
“hey, don't get mad, I didn't mean to...”
“mh, just give me my notebook” she interrupted him. He handed her the notebook.
“can I have it again today? you seem quite distracted but your notes are very detailed I don't think I´d find anyone with such notes”
“is that how you ask for favors?” she said in her monotone voice while lifting one of her eyebrows
“I...”

The door opened while he was going to answer “saved by the door” he thought. It was the principal announcing the teacher was not coming and since they had the next two periods with him and they were before brake they had to go to the library to a self-study period. Everybody started to gather their things.

“ppffffttt are you kidding me? -Josh said- self study? who´d do that?” The principal was long gone when he spoke. He realized when he got to the library of the school that everybody was there and they were at least pretending to study. Nic was walking towards one of the stands. He went there.

“so will you, please, lend me your notes again?” She handed him her notebook. This means she´s not mad at me, Josh thought “how come everybody is here, it´s not like the principal will know they didn't come, there´s not even a teacher here to watch them”
“didn't you said that this was a strict school? if you know it, they must know it too, don't you think?” Nic said while looking at a book back-cover
“well, yeah... but no one´s here to watch if they study or not... or if they´re here”
“in the entrance there is this thing similar to those things that they use to pay with credit cards... you have to pass your school ID there since we´re all signed for self-study today and in your way out you´ll have to do it again. If you don't check in...they´ll know you didn't come”
“what?” his eyes were wide
“you´d better do it now, before you get written down for coming late” Josh ran to the library entrance. Nic went to the farthest part of the library, the third floor, hardly anyone went to that floor mainly because it only had individual tables and you couldn't talk there as in the floors below that had group tables.

When he came back to the place they had talked and he didn't find her there he decided to look for a place where he could copy her notes and actually understand them, after all it was math and he wasn't a genius, more like average. Math is hard for almost everybody. He took a chair in one of the long tables filled with students, they were quite behaved for what he had seen but even so they were quite loud, he could barely concentrate. He had enough when he realized the girls in front of him were staring at him, and then giggling. He smiled at first, they were good looking, he thought for himself but this was not time to be checking out girls, he had to study for that test and maybe for Aaron´s sake too, who knows if I had to explain this to him later, he thought . Aaron was very capable for math much more than Josh but he liked to procrastinate and his talent never got the chance to be nurture because of his lazy owner...in the end Josh had to explain it all to Aaron. It´s so unfair that you don't have to make any effort to understand this stuff and yet you do nothing, Josh used to complain when Aaron got better grades than him. “I'm sorry that you are a dummy” his twin said and playfully punched his arm.
It was too much distraction. He took his things and went to explore looking for a place with some peace. He got to the third floor and sat on one of the tables. At the end f the alley formed by two long cabinets full of books he saw a couple kissing. Seems like no one bothers you over here, he thought and started to write Nic´s notes on his own notebook. Her notes were neat, clean even though her hand writing wasn't so perfect, it seemed to curl in every possible curve, it was small but still easy to read. In some pages there were some drawings: moons, stars and some flowers as well, other than that it was a clean notebook. After a while he heard voices speaking loudlier than usual, he payed attention to them.
“you made me fall purposely!” Josh heard a familiar voice.
“it was an accident, however; I apologize...” another familiar voice said. He went to see. The voices came from two bookcases away. As he suspected, it was Aaron, his twin, and Nic. Aaron nose was bleeding. He was mad. She was seated on the floor. Rushing to them he talked to his twin.
“Aaron, what happened?”
“this stupid girl made me fall” he said motioning to Nichole.
“I didn't made you, you did that on your own” Nic said while she took her book again “you should go to the infirmary... you´re staining your uniform”
“Shut up, you little...”
“Aaron!” Josh stopped him “I´ll take you to the infirmary... “ they started to walk away.
“Do you know where is it?” Nic half smiled at the resemblance of the boys and the contrast in their characters. She got to her feet and walked pass them “follow me”

She was walking ahead of them by some steps, she walked fast and gracefully. “Stop staring at me” she said. Both boys startled since she had not even turned. They looked at each other. “Plus -she said nonchalantly- you should lift up your head to help stop the bleeding, else you might faint”. He did faint, gladly they were already at the infirmary. He had a broken nose.

“You broke my brother´s nose” Josh accused her after the school´s doctor gave the diagnosis.
“Seems like the accusatory tone comes in the family...”
“Well, you should apologize” Josh said a bit more calmed.
“I did, even though it wasn't my fault... you shouldn't run in the library...specially after girls”
“Was he chasing you?” Josh asked with his eyes wider. She laughed.
“No, he was after Michelle, I guess she had come after him but as she looked for him she saw me ...she lead him there though I think her intentions were not to brake his nose and lets hope she didn't mean for me to step on me <>” She rolled her eyes and turned to leave.
“Wait... I didnt know...”
“mh, exactly” she turned again and walked away, he ran after her.
“wait” she stopped and faced him “why are you always leaving like that?” she didnt say a thing for a moment.
“You should stay with your brother” she said after and kept walking.
“But my stuff and your notes are on the library and apparently Aaron´s too” She just slightly turned and lifted an eyebrow then left.
Josh watched her leave. “what a strange girl, he thought, but she´s right, I should stay with Aaron,after all I don't think they´ll throw away our stuff.... I´ll ask some note from the nurse...”