School started again. Olga beat up Mandark, Ellen dissed Nora, Dexter and Mandark argued, Natalie whacked them both with a ruler, Dee-Dee started to sing… and that was before any classes even started.
Nora looked incredulously at her schedule. Her first class was clear across the school building. Her face fell.
"What?" Dee-Dee asked, having picked up her brand-new eighth grade schedule.
"My first class is in room 921," Nora whined.
"Dang," Mandark sighed. He wasn't in her first class.
"Why, what's your first class?" Nora asked. Mandark looked at the schedule as he leaned against Nora's locker.
"801," Mandark said.
"Dang," Dexter griped.
"You better not be in my class."
"I am."
"This stinks. I want a transfer."
"You won't get a transfer if I get one first!"
Nora sighed. School was still the same old, same old.
Dexter was working silently on his science work when a thought struck him.
Is the reason I've hated Mandark for so long because I love him?
Dexter continued to work, acting like nothing was wrong, as he deciphered the periodic table.
Isn't that what happens so often? Two people hate each other so intensely that they begin to fall in love… it's so common nowadays.
Dexter could tell that Mandark was trying to finish before him. It was just a rivalry to him. Dexter was a bug to be squashed, a game to be won. Dexter was sure of it, and his heart sank.
Dexter was almost done with his work.
And now that I finally realize that I love him, he has another… Nora Debussi, the girl I thought I loved…
Heh. She's no threat.
A cell phone went off. Ellen Rourke smirked and answered it, before the teacher wretched it out of her hands. Dexter smiled evilly.
Ellen Rourke. Of course she'd know how to get rid of Nora…
But she hates me. So much for that…
Mandark looked up from his work. He could've sworn he'd heard someone snicker. He whirled his head towards Dexter. He was calmly working. He looked to Ellen. She was crying, having had her pink high-tech cell phone taken away.
Mandark shrugged to himself, working on his work and thinking about Nora… and rubbing a bruise on his arm that Olga had given him.
Nora and Mandark had their next class, English, together. But Dexter was in that class, too.
The two of them sat next to each other, but they were calm… not at all like they were during passing periods or anything. Dexter found this just a bit curious.
If they're so in love with each other, then why aren't they even acknowledging the other's presence? Dexter thought. If they like each other so much, why aren't they talking?
Is it because Mandark, in fact, doesn't like her? Or is it that Nora's just using Mandark? Or is it because they don't want to get yelled at?
Dexter blanked out. Yeah. They probably don't want to get yelled at.
Dexter still watched them out of the corner of his eye, and saw, at one point, Nora turning to Mandark and saying something. Mandark nodded and said something else.
Hah!
They're probably planning something really nasty!
Mandark
handed Nora a pencil sharpener.
Sheez… what is with these people? Do they EVER drop clues??
Dexter went back to his work, but he still kept a constant watch on the two. The bell rang and Dexter quickly packed up his stuff and left the class for nutrition.
Mandark breathed a sigh of relief, and then turned to Nora. "What was up with Dexter this period?"
Nora stuffed a notebook into her black hole of a backpack. "I didn't notice anything."
"He was watching us for the entire period," Mandark complained.
"He was not," Nora retorted. "Don't go crazy on me."
"I'm not going crazy," Mandark sighed.
"Yes you are," Ellen said from across the room. Nora got a bit mad.
"Can't you bug someone else?!" Nora yelled.
"Oh, sorry," Ellen answered sarcastically, pulling her backpack over her shoulder and walking out of the classroom haughtily.
Nora put her own backpack on, and then looked to Mandark. "We can't stay in the classroom forever."
"Maybe we can…" Mandark countered suggestively.
Nora blushed. "We'd get in trouble. What if the teacher came back in here?"
"I guess so," Mandark shrugged. He held Nora's hand as they left the classroom.
"But I still think he was looking at us."
"Why would he watch us all period, though?" Nora asked Mandark, trying very hard to suppress her glee. Mandark was holding her hand, so she was happy. Really happy.
"Who knows?" Mandark responded. "He's a nutcase."
"He's my friend though. Do you think something's wrong?"
The corner of Mandark's mouth began to twitch. He didn't say anything else. Mandark let go of Nora's hand, and walked toward his locker. Nora followed him, a bit worried about why he was acting so hostile.
Mandark opened his locker with a click. He pushed a binder into it, all the while looking at Nora out of the corner of his eye. She looked a bit frightened. Mandark sighed.
"Look," Mandark said, "I just have to stay on my toes with that boy. He wants me dead."
"I think it's you that wants him dead," Nora countered. Mandark dropped his head. Nora was right. Maybe she was right about Dexter staring at him…
Nora put her hand on Mandark's shoulder. She was looking at Mandark's palm. It had been scratched open by the knife just the day before. It was scabbing, and it didn't look all that great. Nora looked to Mandark again.
"What's that?" Nora asked in a worried tone.
"Nothing," Mandark lied.
"You didn't cut yourself… on purpose, did you?"
"It was an accident."
"Really?"
"Really."
Nora looked at the congealed mess that was Mandark's left hand. "Were you okay?"
"I'm fine," Mandark smirked. "Don't get so worked up over it, Nora. I'll be fine."
"You better be," Nora huffed as Mandark shut his locker. "If anything happens to you, what'll happen to me?"
Mandark smirked as Nora followed him down the hallway. The school year was getting off to an interesting start.
PE. How Nora loathed it. She spat on the ground as she waited for her PE teacher to show up. Only half the class was dressed, anyway. Unfortunately, Ellen Rourke was in this class, and so were her lackeys. All beautiful, all shrewd, and all of them were brats. But on the upside, Natalie Faye was in the class with Nora.
Natalie brushed a strand of brown hair aside. "PE. Gotta hate it."
"You hate PE?" Nora asked incredulously. "But you're the fastest runner I've ever met!"
"Ah. I used to be in track. No big deal," Natalie shrugged. "Hey, Mandark's coming."
Mandark walked over to Natalie and Nora's group. The three of them began talking, and Ellen took notice.
"I hate those three," Ellen sneered. "Mandark and Nora… they're like Nick and Jessica. They're super popular… the It Couple… and they're just a couple of dorks…"
A girl with black cornrows and Asian features nodded. "What's so bad about those two?"
"Oh yeah. I forgot. You're new here, aren't you, Talitha?" Ellen asked snidely. "Mandark Astronominov and Nora Debussi. Nora was new here last year, and she became really popular really fast. She's a billionaire, and a freak, on top of that. Mandark is a demented genius. He likes the darkness and all that crap. They were officially together at the school wide formal dance last year, when my ex, Carter Richardson, caught them kissing during a slow dance… and that's it."
Talitha stared longingly at the small group of three, which became four when a girl with blonde pigtails joined them. She looked like she was an eighth grader, the elite. Talitha had seen her with her own lunchroom table for her friends – which meant ultimate social status. If those two were really dorks, then why was an eighth grader that influential with them?
"Talitha!" Ellen yelled. "Get your head out of the clouds for a second!"
"Sorry," Talitha bowed. Ellen rolled her eyes.
"Don't think that they're all that," Ellen sneered. "Because the whole lot of them are backstabbing traitors."
"Traitors?" Talitha repeated.
"Yeah. Nora refused to date one of the most popular boys in school, Natalie joined her little crusade, Dee-Dee helped her rise to power, and Mandark… he's stranger than strange. So don't mess with them."
Talitha sighed and looked at the group. They seemed happy, unlike her. Ellen put down everyone, telling a lot of stories – with the help of her cronies – about their unsurpassed weirdness and their faithless ways. But Talitha didn't want to believe Ellen.
She sighed and followed Ellen's group, her cornrows bobbing with her movement.
Dexter stared at his computer screen. It was after school, Dexter's homework was done, and he couldn't figure out why he was so enamored with Mandark.
He was watching his security cameras closely. Nothing moved inside his sanctuary. Everything was pristine; everything was perfect – except for Dexter himself.
Why? Dexter thought worriedly. Why is this happening? No matter how hard I try, the only thing I think about is him… Mandark! WHY? I don't understand!
Dexter banged his fist on the table. He didn't quite understand anything now. He took off his glasses and wiped them off, still thinking.
Maybe I should just accept it…
Dexter heard the doorbell, and Nora's voice as the door clicked open. He narrowed his eyes.
This is all her fault, Dexter thought. All of this – if she had never come here, I'd be fine! That crazy genius is ruining my life!
Dexter made sure that his laboratory was locked up tight. He didn't want anyone – particularly Nora – to violate his refuge.
Dexter returned to his main computer. Nothing stirred, as before. Dexter, sometimes, used to feel lonely when he was holed up in his lab – not today. Today he was just desperate and confused… not a good combination. A maniacal glint had formed in his eyes, and his mouth twisted into an evil smirk – a smirk that, even if he didn't realize it, he had seen before on another person.
Dexter was now in a completely different mindset. He ran from experiment to experiment, zealously checking on them and taking notes… he was plotting something.
Meanwhile, Nora sighed as she lay down on Dee-Dee's bed.
"What's up with you?" Dee-Dee asked her. Nora closed her eyes.
"It's… Dexter and Mandark. They both hate each other, but they're both my friends… and I have an idea as to why…" Nora trailed off.
Dee-Dee blinked. "They hated each other way before you came along."
"But… what if they both… you know… like me?" Nora thought.
Nora had no idea that she was a bit more on the dot than she thought.
"I doubt it," Dee-Dee smiled. "You and Mandark are like… meant to be, I guess. Even Dexter could see that… probably…"
Nora grinned slightly.
Dee-Dee's right, Nora reasoned. Why worry about unimportant things?
Little did those two know that this was very, very important indeed.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dexter's Lab.
A/N: This took forever to write… sorry, Vindaloo… (sweat drops) Oh well! I have no idea what to do for the next chapter, so… I'm winging it!