Your Botched Attempts at Flirting

As interesting as she pretended biology was, Ishikawa Ito found the police officers in the courtyard past the window distracting. Her teacher, Mr. Taylor, had said it was routine, but watching the entire marshal's office flock across campus made that hard to believe.

Mr. Taylor clapped his hands together in a desperate attempt to regain his class. The response was lack luster. The man slouched, contemplating if he could handle the consequences of letting his students win this fight.

Directing her gaze away from the window, Ishi straightened in her chair and flipped her notebook open. Mr. Taylor mouthed Thank You, as if she'd done it for him. Trying to ignore the police, she scribbled several quick lines in a notebook until they resembled a head.

Seated next to her, Talia was the only person to take any notice. Ishi was blocking her view of the commotion outside after all. Scooting closer, Talia whispered, "Police make you nervous?"

They did, but she couldn't just say that. Without response, she penciled in two almond eyes, accented with perfect shine. Admitting it would make her suspicious, which seemed unfair. She hadn't done anything, it was just them and that expression they all shared, like they were waiting to arrest you.

As if Talia needed to know any of that. Even if they were lab partners, it was a fluke. She'd gamed the system by sending Mr. Taylor an email and specifically requesting Ishi. Who does that? They'd never even spoken before this class.

She'd arrived from the U.K. for the fall semester, but this was the first class Ishi had with her. Why bother with her then? She could have partnered up with anyone. Instead, she saddled herself with a stranger.

"I don't waste my attention on cops," Talia said, "You got a record?"

Glancing from the boy in front of her to her notebook, Ishi added a square jaw beneath a smug smile. "Not unless they find the bodies."

"Was that a joke? You can't go full psychopath on me now. Especially as partners, yeah?" Talia pushed Ishi from her shoulder, "Crack a smile at least."

She held back as long as she could, but there was no stopping a smile. Setting her pencil next to her notebook, Ishi played it up and offered Talia a fake, toothy grin.

"See, now you're making me nervous. They're definitely here to nab you."

"Shut up."

Up front, Mr. Taylor tried clapping again, and his class finally yielded. All except one boy, who shoved a pudgy finger against the window and declared, "This has got to be about the Larson's."

"Whose that?" Talia asked.

"No idea," Ishi answered, hoping for once that class would get back on track. Her plan was to be kind to Talia, but she wasn't sure she had the patience to back it up. "Why don't you ask the cops?"

Talia nodded her head thoughtfully. "There's an idea. Think we can make it out of class? Would Mr. Taylor even notice?"

"I didn't say why don't we ask the cops," Ishi said, "Or that we do it now."

Talia glanced around, as if double-checking for eaves droppers. "It'd be next to impossible to leave now. We're right under his nose. That's why we've got to do it. No choice, really. Just need a distraction."

In an attempt to pretend that didn't sound the least bit enticing, Ishi focused her attention on the board. The sloppy handwriting detailed the different ways to organize animals with latin names no one knew. Why would she ever want to leave this magical place?

A faint gunshot rang out in the distance. Mr. Taylor's head snapped towards the window as several students gasped and others ran toward the window to see what was going on. In the distance, the officers were all sprinting to the other side of campus, some even with guns drawn.

No one noticed the screech of Talia's chair moving, or her footsteps as she made for the door. Giving Ishi a final wave, Talia vanished through the doorway.

Of course, there was no way she'd actually get up and leave in the middle of class. Not with gunshots going off outside and cops running around on edge. Except, her body moved anyway. As if in mutiny, her legs carried her out the door.

In the hallway, Talia was beaming with pride.

"I never thought you'd actually do it."

Still too nervous to speak, Ishi shrugged and started down the hallway.

"So what? You gonna slum it with me then?" Talia asked, matching Ishi's gait.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. We both know I ain't your first choice of friend. Thought you were gonna take my head head off when Mr. Taylor paired us up."

Ishi clutched her notebook tighter, "You emailed him! You didn't even ask me."

"That's fair." Talia said, staring at the floor. "I need to ace this one though. Thought you looked nice."

"I am nice," Ishi replied. A knot was forming in her chest. She'd told herself she was going to let this go, but here she was, in the thick of it.

"Nice enough to forgive me is what I meant."

The silence that followed was interrupted by an announcement. A static voice declared, "If you heard gunfire, do not panic. You are not in any danger. The shot fired was dealing with wildlife at the edge of campus. The situation is under control. Class will continue as normal."

The end of the hall lightened, the windows in the double doors letting the light in. Ishi hadn't realized they'd leave the building, but there wasn't anywhere else to go. Emmeram Hall housed every upper-level class, and the lone sophomore biology class. The only room that wasn't in constant use during a school day was a study hall filled to bursting with library overflow. This left them with two real places to spend the final forty minutes of class: The bathroom or outside.

This was the first time she'd ever played hooky, and she was contemplating spending an hour dodging on-edge cops. Not to mention, it was freezing out. Her parents had the good sense to ship her off to an international school in Wisconsin. And, sure, Holy Mother Preparatory gleamed in the brochures.

The lakeside property was always framed with summer light falling on regal red-brick buildings. Not once had the school been photographed with snow on the ground or with the macabre, lifeless trees twisting in the chill wind. Wisconsin was a miserable place when it was cold, and it was always cold.

Before reaching the door, Ishi halted and glanced over her shoulder. "I'm going back to class."

Talia planted herself in the way. "Nah. We in this together, mate. You think Taylor won't ask about me?" Her words always came out biting. The way she spoke was part british accent, but far from posh. It was coarse and her sentences were full of clipped syllables and smoothed out pronunciations.

Ishi took a reflexive step back. Even though Talia joked around, the girl could be intimidating. It wasn't anything about how she looked. In fact, discounting the height her hair added (a wide mohawk, curling off her scalp), she stood a head shorter than Ishi. Her face even had a softness, with a round chin and these huge expressive eyes— complimented by the widest smile Ishi had ever seen. Her dark skin was smooth and glistening.

Most days she was just cute, but then, without warning, she could weaponize it. Her eyebrows would pinch, and her shoulders square. She'd plant her feet, purse her plump lips and flare her nostrils. Just like she was doing now. It was terrifying.

"There was a gunshot five seconds ago!" Ishi said, her voice starting to raise before she caught herself and returned to a whisper. "Why risk it?"

"Tell you what," Talia said, folding her arms, "I've got this sick hideout and I'll share it, yeah? You can finish your drawing and I'll nod off for a bit. Give you peace and quiet. Won't even need to sneak further than the gym. Out one door, in the next. Easy."

"You saw my drawing?"

Talia lifted an eyebrow. "Course. Damn Good, too. Even without a nose, I recognize him."

Heart catching in her throat, Ishi wanted to say no, you don't or pretend it was just a sketch, it wasn't anyone. Except it was—

"Marth, yeah?" Talia asked, "sits in front of you."

Ishi blushed. "He nearly asked me out before the break."

"Ha!" she shouted, pointing a finger at the notebook, "That's why you're so cross! You'd rather have the boy."

It wasn't untrue. Ishi would rav'r ave da boy. If given the opportunity, she'd have to ask where exactly Talia was from.

"My offer'll make it up, though. It's a real hideout. Top secret. You and me'll be the only two who know."

Ishi fidgeted with the notebook. Even with nerves going haywire, it sounded exciting. Ditching class was a sort of rite of passage, and she'd done the hard part. If she turned back, what did that mean? Either way, she'd still have to face the teacher or detention or whatever they cooked up. Why not go for it? Just this once?

"Sweeten the deal. You bring snacks to class."

"We trade off on the snacks. Partners is partners."

Loosening up, Ishi extended a hand. "Partners is partners."

Holy Mother Preparatory had once been a summer retreat for forlorn monks. Any religious association had long sense been abandoned, save the name and a few vestigial structures. What remained, however, was a warm weather layout that never failed to remind you how terrible winter could be.

The buildings arched around a center courtyard which, as you approached the lake, unfolded into a wide lawn and eventually a beach. For two thirds of the year, the lawn became a frozen tundra. For an underclassmen, everyday was a choice between braving the arctic expanse between the dorm and Lumper hall, or walking through every other building on campus to minimize your exposure.

Talia promised her hideout could be reached through the gym, which loomed just through the double doors. After peeking out the doorway, Talia signaled it was clear and burst from the exit. Ishi followed suit, hoping all the officers were in the courtyard with nothing to investigate in the gym.

The hallway skirting the basketball court was empty, and silent apart from a few echoing shouts and the squeak of P.E. Sneakers. Talia led the way down the left wing, gesturing for Ishi to keep up. The hall was lined with lockers, crowding the entrance to the boys' changing room. The girls' was in the other hall, which made walking this hall feel wrong.

"There's a maintenance room this way," Talia whispered.

"That's your grand hideout?" It hardly seemed worth the effort. Did Talia really think hanging out in a mop closet was enough to white wash her lab partner stunt?

"Have a little faith."

The door was marked, Maintenance Staff Only. It was also locked. Ishi sighed loudly, and, in response, Talia shoved a shiny metal key into her hand.

"Don't say I never gave you nothing."

The key fit, and Ishi yanked the door open. Talia slipped inside, pulling a light chain.

Before Ishi could follow, someone yelled from the far end of the hall, "Hey! You can't go in there!"

Her back snapped straight, and without thinking, she slammed the door shut, turning to face the stranger alone. Talia shouted something from the closet, but it was too muffled to make out.

In front of Ishi, a tall Indian boy strolled toward her, and— Holy Mother forgive her, clad only in a towel. The sheen of water droplets traced his lean muscles. Ishi tried to focus on his face, and not the faint definition of strong abs. With effort, she managed.

He looked familiar, but it was a small school. Everyone looked familiar. And she'd remember a face like this had they ever actually talked— the straight-line smile that narrowed his eyes, the black sheen of his short wavy hair, the breadth of his shoulders…

Nearing Ishi, the boy glanced at the door and then back to her, confused.

"Sorry," he said with a faint, lilting accent. "I thought you were going into the changing room."

Only a few feet away now, the boy's gaze traced her up and down. It was almost a compliment until he asked, "Are you in trouble?"

Drawing her hand past her ear, she tucked away a long strand of her own straight black hair and smiled. "No. I'm perfectly fine."

Pointing to the door, the boy said, "I meant, like, detention? I'd hate to get stuck cleaning this hall. It always reeks."

From the other side of the door, Ishi could make out the muffled sounds of laughter, but the boy didn't seem to notice. "Yeah, I got the short straw, I guess."

"What'd you do?" He asked, leaning against the wall. Any other time, she'd have loved this attention from him, but now? She had to be cornered by the cute stranger now?

Her brain was misfiring, scrambling for a believable answer. What had she done? Not snuck out of class, even if that was cool, the maintenance closet wasn't. He'd think she was a stoner, if not just super weird.

"Fire," she said, before processing. "I lit a fire." The boy's eyes widened. "On accident…in my dorm. Set off a couple sprinklers, so I've got to help clean to make up for…damages."

The boy shook his head, "I get it. Admin's a bunch of sticklers. So what, you're like a pyro?"

This must have been how the captain of the Titanic felt watching his ship split in two, staring at the ice berg and thinking, it was a good idea at the time. The analogy barely worked. She'd never thought of herself unsinkable, more like half-sunk. There had to be a better tactic.

Putting her hands on her hips, and mimicking Talia, Ishi asked, "What are you doing out here?"

The boy chuckled, smile dimpling and eyes narrowing to slits. Placing his hand on his head, he said, "Being rude, apparently. I'm Bara. I've got a free period, and the pool's empty, so…"

"Right," Ishi replied with a nervous giggle, "I'm Ishikawa Ito." Her face grew hot, realizing both that she'd given her full name, which she hated and that she'd given it formally enough she should have bowed. "Ishi, actually. I like to be called Ishi."

Her full name had once belonged to her grandfather, and been intended, she assumed, for a male. Instead, her parent's got her and gave her the same stupid name. To be fair, there was only one other Japanese student at Holy Mother, so the likelihood of someone making the connection was slim. She still hated the name.

"So how'd you start the fire?"

And they were back to this. Covering her face, Ishi let out a long, embarrassed grunt. "Can we please not talk about this?"

"You're the boss," Bara said, throwing his hands up. "I should get changed anyway. I'll run out of time for weights."

"Like you'd ignore a pretty girl for the sake of your muscles." The words were out before she could stop them, followed by immediate regret. Who even was she and what had she done with Ishi?

"Never!" he said, "but sadly, I will for the sake of the Lacrosse team. Another time?"

She nodded and he disappeared into the changing room, glancing back one last time as he pulled the door open, grinning and shaking his head.

As soon as the door was closed, Talia burst from the closet. "Thank God. I couldn't listen to your botched attempts at flirting for another second."

"I wasn't—"

"Sure you weren't. Let's go."

Inside the closet were several metal panels, a shelf of random supplies and a ladder. Talia led the way up the ladder, hunching to follow the narrow walkway on top. It ran parallel to the gym, opening up above a large, square room without any doors. One end of the room had several crisscrossing vents, while the side by the ladder was empty save for an abandoned locker.

Dropping into the room, Talia put in a combination on the locker and popped it open. Inside, she'd stored several camp chairs, a pillow, a mat and a boombox.

"Best part about this, the locker was already here. I cut the old lock and replaced it, no one ever noticed. They never come in here. Only if something's wrong with the vents."

Ishi came down the ladder, surprised at how spacious the room was if it was never used. Talia handed her a camp chair, and rolled the mat out for herself.

"I like to nap here sometimes," she said, "When my roommates are too loud, or I've had enough maths for the week. Anyway, as promised, peace and quiet for your drawing."

She opened her notebook to the unfinished picture of Marth, only missing a nose. The nose was the hardest part, for some reason. No matter how well she could picture it, it always came out wrong.

Talia stretched out on her mat. "I thought you said you and him were basically an item."

Before Christmas break, Marth had almost asked her out. She would have said yes, too. He was everything a girl could want: Athletic, Handsome, Funny, Outgoing. For whatever reason, he never asked. Even though she suffered the cold of a long, lakeside walk for him. She told herself he just hadn't worked up the nerve and tried to enjoy her break. She'd be lying if she said she'd thought of anything else.

"I said he almost asked me out."

"And you want him to, yeah?"

Ishi nodded, and focused on getting the width of Marth's prizefighter nose just flat enough. Minutes later, Talia was out cold and she was erasing the nose for the fifth time. Why was this, most basic piece of human anatomy, so difficult?

Shutting the notebook, she paced the hideout, ending at the locker to dig through Talia's music collection. She had a case for several burned CD's with titles scribbled in ink. Simz and Sovereign. Lo-fi. The Ladies.

"You like rap?" Talia asked, groggily.

"Some." Ishi set the Lo-fi CD in and pressed play. A few horns came on, followed by piano and a slow beat. "This is an old school set up."

"I've got a real turntable in my room. Can't spin to save my life, though."

The beat droned on, but without words. It was calm, especially for hiphop.

"I like to freestyle on this one."

Ishi sat back in her camp chair. "Let me hear it."

Talia slid her phone from her pocket and checked the screen. "Next time. We've got to go."