15.
chapter fifteen:
apparently I'm a different species.
<3

We got back to our classroom with four bottles of soft drinks. It was still as deserted as it was when we left. I saw a note shoved under the glue bottle.

Serena and the others, 
We've got the whole day to work on this, Professor Sycamore informed. We're still working on gathering our work and adding some more, so it is taking time. I hope the playlist crew will be done quickly. If you're done with the border, you can leave the rest of the decorative origami under my desk. Trevor and I will put them up. You guys can leave early then. 

Good luck! ^~^' 
Calem

I frowned, then called Serena over. She looked at the note and read it over my shoulder. "Seems like he's in deep," she muttered, more to herself. "Guess we'll finish this quick so that we can get back early!"

I nodded and pocketed the note. Serena didn’t seem to have paid it much attention. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t like Calem’s note when it involved Serena.

We got to work. I stuck to cutting and gluing, not trying my hand at crafting. It was the girls’ department, and they didn’t mind delegating to me the only tasks I was fairly fine at.

Yet another one of Serena’s playlists was on—2002 by Ed Sheeran and Anne-Marie. Just how optimistic could this girl get, to have all upbeat songs in a playlist?

"Girl, don’t you listen to any sad songs?" My curiosity got the best of me. Serena looked rather surprised at the question before she softly replied, giving me an outline to cut.

"I do. I just didn’t put those in the playlists."

"Wynaut?" I handed the cut one to Lisia to glue.

"I don’t know, it might dim our movements?" I shared a laugh with Shauna.

"Those are the ones that keep me going, to be honest," I said, drumming the table as I waited for her to finish drawing a cloud.

"You’re a different… species."

"I know."

Serena rolled her eyes and roughly handed the outline to me. Shauna looked at me in amusement. "I knew for one that you weren’t who you pretended to be, but I never expected you to be so entertaining. No wonder Serena texts you all the time!"

I quirked an eyebrow and looked at the girl beside me. She was sporting a faint blush, and upon sensing my gaze, doubled over so that her golden hair covered her face. I wanted to reach out and push it back, but controlled myself.

Fifteen or so minutes later, we sat leaning against our desks. The work was finally done—at least, the crafting part was. It was time to pin them to the soft board. "Ah, I guess it’s time to up the game," Lisia pointed out, checking the time. "We’ve got two more periods left before we can go home."

I pushed my sleeves back and rose to my feet. "Pinning them is my department. Aesthetics and looks are yours, girls."

They nodded, and Lisia and Shauna helped transport the cutouts while Serena took on cleaning duty. I removed my shoes and hoisted myself onto a bench. "Alright. What goes where?"

"Serena!" Lisia shrieked. The other girl made a disgruntled sound.

"I’m cleaning things up!"

"We’ll take care of those later! Get your creative head here!"

I laughed as Serena approached us, a frown etched on her face. There was a tiny lint on her shoulder blade, so I decided to take revenge for giving my heart an attack—but it would have to wait.

"What?" she hissed. Lisia pointed at me.

"Tell him what goes where."

Serena looked thoughtful and began to instruct me, with the other girls adding their opinions. Shauna handed me the cutouts while Lisia held the bulletin pins. Serena was the main brains, but all of us formed an excellent team.

"That cloud could be placed a little higher. Just a lit—no, that’s too far, Ash!"

"Huh?" I stared at her blankly. She sighed, removed her boots, and climbed onto the bench I was standing on. She wobbled a bit, and I grabbed her elbow to steady her. "Take it easy," I whispered, knowing her acrophobia. She nodded, then snatched the cloud from my hand.

I helped pin the cloud while she held it. This continued on, and I briefly wondered if I should seriously consider entering a marathon—my heart threatened to explode with every brush of her hand.

"Guys, I’m gonna clear stuff up!" Shauna piped up when we were almost done.

"Go ahead. I’ll take care of handing the pieces over," Lisia agreed, and Shauna hurried to complete that task. We got back to mentally imagining, arranging, and pinning the cutouts. After the outer border was finished, we let out a sigh and took a break.

All of us slumped down on the bench. It was a bit of a tight space, but I didn’t mind being pressed to the wall when Serena was pressed against my right. "Can I go to sleep?" I heard Lisia’s sleepy voice.

"Go on," Serena whispered, stifling a yawn herself. Shauna had left to wash up, so it was just a snoring Lisia, fast asleep on Serena’s shoulder, my blonde-haired crush, and me. An acoustic version of Love Me Like You Do was playing in the background.

"We’ve done so much," Serena’s whisper drifted to my ear. I nodded, my eyes closed as I savored the aroma of her strawberry perfume. "I hope Professor Sycamore feels elated."

"I hope he does," I whispered back. Serena smiled and stifled another yawn. "You’re worn out."

"No."

"Don’t lie to my face, you sheep. Your hair’s tickling me."

Serena’s face morphed into a smirk, and she snuggled closer, placing her head on my shoulder. My breath hitched. So. Close.

"I can’t help it. You’re an owl, so what do you know?" she managed between yawns. I reached for my tetra pack of mango milkshake with my free hand.

"Admit it. I’m stronger than you."

"Call it whatever you want."

"Calem? Where?" The third voice startled us, and Serena bolted upright. Lisia was rubbing her eyes. "Damn you guys! I was having a nice dream."

"Was it, by any chance, about You-Know-Who?" Serena snickered, and I was honestly taken aback by the sudden shift in her demeanor. Lisia turned red and pushed Serena a little, causing her to slump against me, sandwiching me to the wall.

"Girls!" I shouted, my voice muffled as the air was knocked out of my lungs. There was a shriek, and another before I was freed.

I was panting for breath, clutching my chest dramatically. Serena and Lisia were yelling at each other, and Serena’s phone was screaming War of Hearts loudly. I had to shout over them to grab their attention. "Girls! Noise pollution!"

Shauna chose that chaotic moment to enter and instantly ran to silence the phone. "Oh my! What’s happening here?!"

I sighed as the two girls huffed and turned away from each other. "I wish I knew, Shauna."

Shauna’s eyes glided over her friends, then she gasped and started laughing. The hell? "Why is everyone randomly having bursts of mood swings?" I found myself asking. The answer was shouted in my face, and I sobered up quickly.

"Shut up!"

"Sorry!"

Being the only guy among girls was downright frightening. I made a mental note to stay away from a trio of girls in the future.

As if nothing had escalated, Serena and Lisia quickly joined in, laughing their heads off, quite literally. I smiled. It made me feel all fuzzy inside to see Serena just having the time of her life at the smallest of things her friends did. I briefly wished I could find joy as easily as she does.

It was a boon in itself.