Chapter 143 Chapter One Hundred And Forty Three
LENA'S POV
Mr. Reeves turned to the whiteboard and wrote in giant letters: THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF 1787
"Alright, class," he said, his voice having an authoritative edge that made everyone sit a little straighter. "Today we're discussing the Constitutional Convention; the compromises, the conflicts, and the creation of the document that would define American democracy. Can anyone tell me what the Great Compromise was?"
A few hands went up tentatively, plus mine because I knew the answer to that question and I could do this in my sleep.
Tina, who was still hovering near my desk in the hope that I would talk to her also raised hers enthusiastically.
But before Mr. Reeves could call on anyone, I felt something catch me off guard.
There was a tap on my shoulder from behind, but I chose to ignore it, keeping my eyes fixed on the board.
Then came another tap, this time a lot more insistent. I pressed my lips together and continued ignoring him.
I couldn’t dare say it out loud and draw even more attention to myself, so in my head I went, “All I want to do is concentrate in class so I don’t fail. Is that too much to ask from this jerk? Of all the arrogant, self-centred, stubborn, hard-headed—”
Right in the middle of my grumbling, I felt something drop onto my hair. I reached up and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper.
I crumpled it without reading it and set it on my desk so he could see I had zero interest in his messages.
"The Great Compromise," Mr. Reeves was saying, "also known as the Connecticut Compromise, established—"
I started to take notes in my notebook when my chair suddenly jerked backwards with a loud, scraping sound. Jace had apparently hooked his foot around one of the legs and pulled it towards him.
I grabbed my desk to steady myself, shooting him a glare over my shoulder that could've given literally anyone else on planet earth the message, “Stop being so annoying.”
He raised his eyebrows innocently, as if to say “ What? I didn't do anything.”
I turned back around, my jaw clenched so tight it ached and went back to writing in my notebook.
"—a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate providing equal representation for all states. This was crucial because—"
I felt something poking my back, once, then twice, then three times in rapid succession.
I reached behind me without looking and swatted at his hand. He caught my wrist, his thumb pressing against my pulse point for just a second before I yanked free.
“Stop it, Jace,” I whispered through gritted teeth.
"Miss, are you alright?" Mr. Reeves stopped while he was writing on the board and paused mid-sentence, turning to stare directly at me.
"Yes, sorry," I said quickly, my face heating up. "Please continue."
He studied me for a moment longer, then resumed his lecture. "The smaller states feared that larger states would dominate the government, while larger states felt it was unfair that smaller states would have equal say despite having fewer citizens—"
I felt Jace lean forward, his breath warm against my ear. "You know, you look really good when you're trying to ignore me," he whispered, so low only I could hear.
My pen stilled on my notebook. I refused to turn around or give him the satisfaction of distracting me.
“Jace, please cut that out. We’re in public.” I whispered.
"You know what else you look good in?" he continued, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine despite my best efforts to focus.
"That red dress from the party. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. You, in that dress, in that holding cell. Do you remember what we almost did—"
“Seriously, shut up.” If I admitted that I had been dreaming about the same thing, I would’ve literally died of shame, so I turned my face away from him and refused to let him see how uncomfortably hot his words made me.
“You were so into it, just as much as I was, which leads me to believe this bullshit you have going on with Noah is nothing more than—”
I drove my elbow backwards, connecting with what I hoped was his head. “I said, shut up.”
He let out a soft grunt but didn't back away. If anything, he leaned closer.
"Feisty," he murmured. "I like it."
"—which is why the Three-Fifths Compromise remains one of the most controversial aspects of—"
Not even ten minutes later, and there I was, watching in confusion as my notebook started to magically slide off my desk.
I looked down to see Jace's long arm stretched out, his finger hooked around the edge of my notebook, slowly dragging it toward him.
"What are you doing? Give that back," I hissed.
"Come get it."
"Jace—"
"What? I can't hear you. You'll have to speak up."
Several students were watching us now instead of paying attention to Mr. Reeves.
I could see Madison whispering to the girl next to her, both of them staring.
Meanwhile, Allison was watching with us narrowed eyes, her perfectly manicured nails tapping an angry, irritated rhythm on her desk.
I reached back to grab my notebook, but Jace held it just out of reach, forcing me to twist in my seat to get it. “What is wrong with you? I’m trying to pay attention, stop—"
"Miss Hartwell," Mr Reeves said loudly, making me freeze in my seat. "Would you and your friend like to be excused to speak outside?"
I turned back around so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. "He's not my friend."
My denial sounded a lot harsher than I meant it to, and I saw a dark look flicker across Jace's face; whether it was hurt or anger, I wasn’t sure, but it was gone before I could find out
Mr. Reeves set down the dry-erase marker, turning his full attention on me "You are Lena Hartwell, correct?"