Trust In Love - Chapter 249

The chemistry lab had 6 long tables. Each one had a metal framing with cupboards on both sides. The shelves in the middle split the table lengthwise. At the end, a sink had been installed. The blue paint of the storage units under the table added a bit of color to the monochrome interior of the laboratory.

A middle-aged woman stood at the podium. Her beady eyes gazed through cat-eye shaped glasses. The downturned corners of her mouth seemed to be permanent. Age lines carved the sides of her face. Her white lab coat hid her slim frame.

“The three tables in front do the lab experiment on page 16,” she announced, her hands inside the coat’s packets. Her dyed jet black hair was up in a bun. “The ones at the back do page 32. Make sure to submit your answered sheets before the end of class. Everything you need is at the back. I will make rounds later.”

Alex opened her Chemistry Lab book, following the instructions. She turned to page 32 and read the mechanics for the ȧssigned experiment. It was easy enough to understand. The illustrations surely helped.

“Wait here, Alex.” Her partner said softly. “I will go get the stuff we need.”

When Alex looked up to reply, Kate had already left. Another stool scrapped the floor. The seat across from her had been emptied. A pair of long legs headed to the back of the room.

Xiera took action and seized the opportunity. She moved to Neal’s seat and leaned over. She bent low, peeking through the shelves. She had her charcoal hair tied back into a ponytail. It pulled at her scalp but she had to follow the lab rules.

“Alex, what is this?” She hissed.

“What is what?” Alex asked without looking away from the answer sheet. Her hand continued to fill out the details. Neat black handwriting filled out the blanks.

“Before today, Neal and I hardly talked. I can count them all in one hand,” Xiera informed her. “Then, he suddenly wanted to be my partner? I know something is going between the two of you. I won’t pry but if you need me to fail this experiment so he would be forced to leave, just tell me.”

When the infamous Marquis approached them, Xiera figured he came for Alex. She even cleaned out her ears to check if she had heard him right. It didn’t make sense for him to ask her, Xiera Wu, who he didn’t cross paths with. A small part of her was amazed that he knew her name.

She saw first-hand how girls could fall for him. His pearly white teeth could hypnotize a person.

Her blunt words made Alex snigger. Smiling gray eyes turned to mocha ones. Alex patted Xiera’s hand. “Thanks but it’s really okay. We’re not enemies. I just… don’t always find him as a pleasing person.”

Alex glanced towards the back. Each student had a tray to use for carrying. They swarmed the long table like a hive of bees. Kate’s bob hair hovered at Neal’s shoulder level. They stood side by side as they collected the items.

Kate shifted her weight to her toes. She stretched her hand towards the wall shelves. She had her eye on the row of bunsen burners. Their glass shape resembled an upside down light bulb. The charred tip of a white rope stuck out its opening.

Another hand swiped the one she aimed for.

“Here. Were you reaching for this?” Neal said as he handed it to her.

“Oh,” Kate blinked. She placed the burner on her tray. “Thank you, Marquis.”

“Neal is fine.”

“I see…” she replied, dragging the last syllable. She cleared her throat and smiled politely. “It might take time to get used to but I’ll keep it in mind.”

Alex couldn’t hear the conversation but it seemed to be going well. Twirling a pen between her fingers, she looked back into her attitude so far. Her annoyance had gotten the best of her several times. Her transfer had been decided by not only Neal’s family but also her grandfather. If she had anyone to be pissed to, it should be them.

Then again, who told Neal to suddenly address himself as her fiance?

What if people had heard and created a misunderstanding?

“Man, I wonder what he did for you and your cousin to dislike him.” Xiera remarked, also staring at their partners as they talked. Both of them turned around and walked back to the table.

“A story for another time.” Alex answered. She pressed her lips together and returned to her book. A small bun lingered on the nape of her neck.

Kate placed the tray between her and Alex. She opened a drawer and pulled out a digital weighing scale. She looked over the list of supplies and unscrewed the lid of a Zinc Sulfate bottle.

“Let me fill the beakers.” Alex offered. She sat nearer to the sink. Hopping off her stool, she took the two beakers before Kate could say anything. She filled the smaller one with about three-fourth tap water.

For the bigger beaker, she double checked the measuring lines at the side. The book had provided a precise amount.

“Is that 100ml?”

“What?” Alex blinked. She lifted the beaker up to her eye level. “It is!”

Neal laughed softly. “You looked so serious. At this rate, you’ll have worry lines at a young age.”

“Har-har,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

The Marquis’ silent amusement didn’t go unnoticed. Other than his companions at the table, midnight blue eyes watched from the corner of the room. His partner got up to their own sink while he enjoyed the show. A coy smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

“Is that who I think it is?” Noah thought out loud, referring to a student with honey brown hair. He could hardly believe the sight before him. “School just became more interesting it seems.”

Across from him, a female student also had her gaze at the same table. The open page crinkled under her grip. Her teeth gnashed, grinding against each other. Sharp ochre eyes glared above flared nostrils. Neal’s rejection stung inside her ċhėst.

What motive did he have to pick another girl for his partner? Normally, she secured that spot by asking before anyone else. This time, he approached someone.

What changed for him to act this way?

Alex walked back to her stool and left Neal at the sink. Kate had already set up the bunsen burner under its tripod. A wire gauze covered the ring on top. Alex placed the beaker with 100ml water over it.

Kate added 30g of Zinc Sulfate.

Then, she dropped a copper penny in the middle.

Both girls waited and observed for a reaction.

On the other side, Neal let Xiera take charge of the execution. He watched her movements with little supervision. He wrote down in cursive letters the needed question and hypothesis. Xiera didn’t mind it.

She didn’t have enough brain cells for the paperwork.

She left that to Kate whenever they paired together.

Five minutes passed and Xiera became agitated. She peeked at the other side of the table. Kate and Alex seemed unworried with their penny. They passed the time with small talk. She would have joined if it weren’t for Neal. It seemed rude to ignore him for them.

Staring at the ceiling, she drummed her fingers on the table.

“Xiera,” Neal called out. He moved closer to their experiment. “Look at what you created.”

His words made Xiera panic. She nearly fell off her stool if he hadn’t caught her in time. “What is it? Did I do it wrong? I knew it! I should h—”

“It turned silver! Omg! That’s so cool!”

“It is.” Neal nodded. “You did good.”

Xiera glanced at him. She wore a weird expression on her face. “What are you? A teacher? Why do you sound like you’re grading me?”

Alex hid a smile at Xiera’s voice. She wrote down the results as Kate picked out their silver penny with tongs. The coin landed inside the smaller beaker, rinsing off the solution. They remained quiet while their tablemates finally held a conversation.

The Marquis raised his eyebrows. “Do I?”

“Yes?” Xiera answered. Was he serious right now? “You talk like you’re in your 30s. It’s as if you want to grow up so fast. Why would you want to when being young is so much better?”

Neal frowned. “Maybe it’s because I am used to attending business meetings.”

“Ohmygods, are you working already?”

“Not entirely. I study my family’s company by visiting and observing.”

“You are?” Alex exclaimed. Her lips remained parted.

“Yes, eavesdropping Alexandra.” Neal replied, shifting his attention towards her, “Why the sudden interest?”

She rolled her eyes at the nickname. “When I asked for documents to study over the summer, my mother protested. She told me not to dabble in business matters until I graduated high school.”

“Do you envy me then?” He asked.

Alex flashed a sarcastic smile. She fluttered her eyelashes for effect. “No, I’m actually glad that I don’t talk like I’m in my 30s.”

“Awh, that was a burn!” Xiera guffawed. She clutched her stomach and shook her head. She gazed at Alex. “I like you better and better. Any more and I might change gender orientation.”

Neal smirked. “Alexandra was actually quite a tomboy.”

“Really?!”

“And Neal wore a dress for Halloween,” Alex cut in. She glared at the Marquis. The casual way he revealed her past ticked her off. He seemed unconcerned by her expression. The indifference only triggered her more.

Oh, it was on.

Two could play this game.

“It was a toga,” he retorted.

“You had a corset.”

“That wasn’t Halloween.”

Alex pointed her pen at him, triumph written all over her face. She leaned forward with a smug smile on her lips. She had him right where she wanted him.

“So you did wear one?”