Chapter 113: Chapter 113 - Angry Kiss
The packet stayed between them, bent under both their hands.
Zac looked at her like he was waiting for her to move first.
Roxie hated that.
She let go of the packet and grabbed the marker instead. "Move."
Zac’s eyes stayed on hers. "You move."
"My back is on the table."
"You got there yourself."
"Because you were in my face."
"You keep saying that like you hate it."
Roxie’s fingers tightened around the marker. "You’re so fucking full of yourself."
"Then prove me wrong."
Her pulse jumped.
The prep room was quiet except for Mr. Callahan’s chair creaking once. Papers shifted. A stapler clicked.
Zac heard it too.
His eyes flicked toward the half-open door, then back to her.
That one glance made Roxie’s anger spike again.
"Still checking who can see?" she asked.
His jaw tightened. "Don’t start."
"You started it."
"I looked at the door because Callahan is right there."
"Right. That’s the problem."
"The problem is you don’t know when to stop."
Roxie gave a small, sharp laugh. "You want me quiet now?"
"No." Zac leaned closer. "I want you to say what you mean without pretending like you don’t care."
"I mean you’re a coward."
His hand hit the table beside her hip.
The cups rattled.
Roxie looked down at his hand, then back at his face.
"Careful," she said. "You’ll scare the salt water."
Zac’s eyes narrowed.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
The space between them was too small. His chest was close enough that Roxie could feel the heat from him. Her back pressed into the hard table edge. Her headache throbbed. Her eyes still burned from two nights without real sleep.
She should have pushed him away.
She should have grabbed the packet and written the stupid hypothesis.
She should have cared that Mr. Callahan was in the next room.
Zac’s eyes dropped to her mouth again. Roxie’s stomach flipped. She should say something. She should tell him to back off. She should remind him that his mother thought she was trash. She didn’t say any of it.
Zac dropped the packet. It hit the floor.
He leaned down and grabbed the front of her shirt, yanking her forward. His mouth crashed into hers. Hard. No slow build.
His lips were rough and hot. He kissed like he was still pissed off at her. Like he wanted to shut her up with his mouth.
Roxie grabbed his shirt. She pulled him closer even though part of her wanted to shove him away.
Zac groaned. Low. Rough. The sound came from deep in his chest and went straight into her mouth.
He pulled her up onto her tiptoes as he kissed her deeper. His tongue pushed past her lips. His mouth was hot. His tongue was wet and thick as it slid against hers.
Roxie moaned. The sound was muffled and needy against his lips.
She bit his bottom lip. Sharp.
Zac groaned louder. His hand moved up and tangled tight in her hair. His fingers gripped the back of her head and held her still while he kissed her deeper.
His other hand went to her waist. He yanked her body forward until she was pressed flush against him. Chest to chest. The lab table edge dug into her back. Her toes barely touched the floor.
A cup fell over behind her. Liquid spilled. Neither of them stopped.
Roxie’s hands slid up to his neck. Her nails dragged across his skin. Zac hissed into the kiss but didn’t pull back. He kissed her harder. His hand in her hair tightened just enough to tilt her head back further.
She moaned again. Softer. Right into his mouth.
Zac broke the kiss for half a second. His forehead rested against hers. Both of them breathing hard.
"Fuck," he muttered. Voice low and rough.
Then he kissed her again. Harder. His tongue pushed back into her mouth like he wasn’t finished with her.
Roxie kissed him back just as rough. Her hands stayed on his neck. She could feel how fast his heart was beating.
A chair scraped in the prep room.
They froze.
Zac’s mouth was still on hers. His hand was still in her hair. Her hands were still on his neck.
Mr. Callahan was moving around in the other room.
Zac pulled back. His lips were red and wet. His breathing was uneven.
Roxie stared at him. Her mouth felt swollen and hot.
Neither of them moved.
The spilled liquid kept spreading slowly across the black table.
Zac looked at it.
Then at her.
Roxie still had one hand near his neck. His hand was still at her waist.
Mr. Callahan’s chair scraped again.
Zac stepped back.
Roxie dropped her hand fast.
The cold air between them made her angry at once.
Zac wiped his mouth with his thumb.
Roxie hated that she watched.
The prep room door opened.
Mr. Callahan stepped out with a stack of papers in one hand. His eyes went to Zac first, then Roxie, then the overturned cup.
Nobody moved.
Mr. Callahan stared at the spreading liquid. "Seriously?"
Roxie grabbed paper towels from the side counter.
Zac picked up the cup.
They cleaned without looking at each other.
The paper towels smeared vinegar across the table before Roxie wiped harder. Zac refilled the cup and set it down too sharply. The liquid shook inside.
Mr. Callahan looked at the packet on the floor. "Pick it up."
Roxie bent for it.
Zac bent too.
Their shoulders hit.
Roxie snatched the packet first and slapped it onto the table.
Zac grabbed the marker.
Mr. Callahan’s face tightened. "You have fifteen minutes. Hypothesis. Variables. Materials. Procedure. Data table. Then both of you get out of my room."
Roxie uncapped the marker.
Zac reached for the pencil.
They worked.
No talking.
Only the scrape of the pencil, the squeak of the marker, the sharp sound of plastic cups being pushed into place.
Roxie wrote the hypothesis too hard.
Zac crossed out one word.
She crossed out his correction.
He took the paper back and wrote over it.
She shoved the materials list toward him.
He shoved the procedure back.
Their elbows hit twice.
Neither apologized.
Mr. Callahan stayed by the prep room door with his arms crossed, watching them like he expected one of them to throw a beaker.
Roxie’s face burned the whole time.
Her mouth still felt like Zac.
That made her press the marker harder until the tip bent.
Zac saw.
His jaw tightened.
He said nothing.
She had no room left for words.
By the time the packet was done, the cups sat in a crooked row at the back counter.
Mr. Callahan checked the packet. His eyes moved over the hypothesis, variables, materials, procedure, and data table.
"Barely acceptable."
Roxie grabbed her bag.
"Tuesday and Wednesday after school," Mr. Callahan said. "Same time. Same observations. Friday before lunch, the paper is on my desk."
Zac nodded once.
Roxie was already walking.
"Miss Jones."
She stopped at the door.
Mr. Callahan pointed to the table. "Trash."
Roxie turned back, grabbed the wet paper towels, and threw them into the bin hard enough that the bin slid against the wall.
Zac watched her.
She looked at him once.
His mouth was still red. His hoodie was wrinkled where her hands had been. His face was hard, but his breathing still had not settled.
Roxie hated him for looking like that.
She hated herself more for wanting to go back.
"Tomorrow," Zac said.
Roxie’s hand tightened on her bag strap. "For the project."
His jaw flexed.
She walked out before he could answer.
The hallway was almost empty.
Roxie stormed toward the gym with her mouth burning, her hands shaking, and the taste of him still making her angrier.
