The Hating Game

SOTC: basketcase (green day)

They stared at the various liquids laid out on the bench.

One look at his partner and he could tell that she was as dumbstruck as him on this.

"Well?"

Mia was wearing makeup today, which in Julian's opinion, looked great, but being honest; she looked better without it.

But her call.

Mia turned to him, an eyebrow raised.

"I don't know, do I look like a science geek?" She didn't know why she had expected that he would be of any help.

"Hey, that's rude, geeks make everything around you," A voice piped up, an arm reaching around Mia's shoulder.

It was Connor the science freak.

Otherwise know as Mia's best friend.

But it was a known fact that he'd a crush on her since the dawn of time that remained unreciprocated. Julian was willing to bet that Mia was more than aware of it too.

Mia faced Connor and smiled, "Don't worry Con, you're my favourite geek," ruffling up his hair for effect.

The aforementioned rumour was proven to be true as Connor looked at Mia with such a sappy gleam in his eyes that it made Julian want to puke.

"Get a room!" His outburst caused the two of them to look over him.

Mia didn't look disturbed, but Connor sure as hell did.

Success. Connor quickly stepped away from Mia and scurried back to his station.

A sharp pain hit his cheek.

"What the fuck-" Grasping his cheek in pain, Julian was met with a glare from Mia.

"What the hell Preston!"

He decided to keep up the feigned innocent act. "What?"

She glared at him and huffed.

"So close Preston, so close."

He decided to push her further. "With what?"

Mia gritted her teeth.

"Shut up."

Julian decided to egg her on.

"What was that, Mia?"

Then immediately, her fist collided with his jaw, sending him down.

As he grabbed his chin, spurting out a number of 'shits', rolling around on the ground, Mia took action by covering her mouth in shock and falling down onto the floor beside the fallen soldier.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Julian, I didn't mean that-" She said, pressing his jaw, to see if he was alright.

Making his way through the crowd of students surrounding Julian, Mr. Angez pushed Mia away and examined him.

"He seems conscious...though, just. Miss-" He said, pointing at Mia, "Um, Miss-you, take him up to the nurse please." And with that, Mr. Angez lazily shooed the pair off.

Mia helped Julian up, struggling to get them both to the door.

What Mia was unaware of, was that Julian's jaw wasn't injured in the slightest. But whatever it took to get back at Mia, he'd do it.

Once outside, he shoved Mia away and grinned.

"Well see you." He walked away from her, hearing her shout after him, "Oi! You come back here you-" Julian was feeling victorious until something jumped onto his back.

Shit.

"Are you serious? Oh my god, you're so fucking strong-"

A string of curses escaped Julian's mouth in his futile attempts to get Mia off his back. In the midst of the racket they were creating, Mr. Jones had come out to see the pair throwing hands.

He looked amused and waited for us to stop. Once we did, Mr. Jones raised his eyebrows and pointed to the gym.

"This is the hallway, take it to the gym." Then went back inside.

Julian knew there was reason he liked him so much. He figured that the teacher's salary wasn't worth the energy of breaking up fights.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Mia appeared to have exerted her energy, jumping off Julian, for a drink.

Though it would take hours of endless waterboarding torture before Julian would ever admit this to her, or anyone else for that matter - being mortal enemies with Mia was pretty entertaining.

Well, at least it was better than whatever Mr. Angez had in store for them.

By the time Julian had looked back at Mia, she was heading back towards Chemistry, but not before turning back and saying, "I won that fight."

Then she disappeared into the room.

Julian decided to let her believe that.

All through lunch, Mia knew what was coming before Constance had even opened her mouth. She had seen her glances in her direction during her conversation with Devon.

"So I heard that you knocked Preston unconscious in Chemistry."

"You heard right."

"Mia!"

Mia gave her a shrug in response.

"You can't keep assaulting him. It literally gives me negative points with Devon."

Negative points, really? She was going to retort about Devon's seemingly obnoxious point system but upon catching the desperation in her friend's eyes, Mia bit her tongue.

"Fine. I'll keep my hands to myself until you win Devon over with your charm."

"Good. Keep it up until we're at the altar."

"You scare me."

As the two sat in silence, eating through their respective lunches, Mia dreaded the thoughts that had begun to swarm her brain. She had enjoyed the distraction that was school, enough to keep her mind off...home. Once she had stepped through those doors, she had decided that her home life wouldn't be spared even a second of her worries, at least whilst she was here.

But now...even Constance's seemingly harmless joke had brought up what was the reality of what her life had become.

Once upon a time, her parents had said their vows. Vowed to love each other forever more.

"What's wrong?"

The concern in Constance's voice brought Mia back to her food.

"Deep in thought, sorry."

"I bet. You even missed my big spiel on how Julian's probably not as bad as you think he is. That scared me."

"You can always tell me again. I'll gladly find some colourful words to describe just what I think of him. I promise."

And just like that, her parent's divorce was pushed back into the furthest corner of Mia's mind. For now.