***Alex’s POV***

I was about to go emo myself. Well…that was taking things too far. Emos are nasty after all. And I am certainly not nasty!

However, Seamus was in all of my classes except 3rd period.

I groaned as I walked into Living Environment. “Hey ya Alex!” he said happily, waving like an idiot with Jay snickering. He had the same schedule as Seamus. I sat down with Paige and we tried to ignore the emos.

The teacher walked in and clapped her hands for attention as the bell rang to start the period. “Now then, you have all signed the safety sheets. Today, I will be passing around a chemical. Its pH is high, so I do not anyone to open it or touch it!” Her voice was serious in a scary way.

She held up a bottle with a nasty colored liquid inside.

“Anyone who so much as twists the top will be expelled.” I was fairly sure she was exaggerating, but the tone in her voice made me slightly doubt it. I was almost too afraid to touch it when it came to me.

I gently held the bottle and passed it on as the teacher continued to talk. She was explaining pH levels as I began to doze off.

Seamus’s agonized yell erupted from across the room.

We all looked at him. He was holding his wrist tightly as his hand twitched painfully. Seamus was making a noise that sounded like an agonized laugh. The kid behind Seamus held up his hands in terror. “I-it was unscrewed I swear!” he cried.

The bottle had fallen to the ground and I could now see the nasty liquid clinging to Seamus’s hand. It almost looked like it was steaming!

The teacher screamed at everyone to shut up before running to Seamus. “What happened?” she demanded. “It spilled on me you dumb fuck!” he snapped before making the agonized laughing noise again, his hand twitching furiously.

She looked around wildly and pointed at me. “You! Take him to the nurse immediately!” You?! How rude! But his agonized laugh made me jump up and lead him out the door. He bit down on his lip, drawing blood, as we walked. “God damn him!” he growled. “Who?” I asked curiously despite the situation.

“Jake!”

“The hot one?” Seamus glared. I glared right back. We made it to the nurse’s office and she gasped. “Oh my gosh!” she cried and hurried over to Seamus as I explained what happened.

She gently took his arm and inspected his hand. “I need to either call an ambulance or call a relative or guardian to take you to a hospital.” Seamus gritted his teeth. “My sister,” he managed and said the number.

I sat down next to Seamus. “Hello would you be Seamus Fitzpatrick’s sister? His hand was badly burned and he needs to be taken to a hospital immediately.” The nurse continued to talk in a hurried tone before hanging up.

“How did it happen?” the nurse asked. Seamus yelped. He had made a fist with the burned hand. “Dammit!” he growled. A security guard came to tell the nurse Seamus’s sister was here for him. It was the guard that had come into our study hall.

He sighed. “Karma, Shame,” he said. “Oh shut up!” Seamus snapped. He groaned in pain. The guard waited until Seamus had made his way over there before leading him out.

I walked behind them to get to class. Curious. I didn’t even know Seamus had a sister.

***Seamus’s POV***

I kicked open my front door feeling humiliated. My hand was tightly bound and-get this-my arm was in a sling.

For a burn.

I met up with Lizzy in the kitchen. “Don’t scare me you dumb shit! I get a call at work telling me you’re hurt!” I sat my sorry ass down, glaring at the floor. “God Dammit!” I shrieked at last. I glared at my stupid hand, hating Jake with a passion.

He sat next to the kid who had handed me the chemical. The kid had gone to hand it to me with it tipped towards me. I had put my hand out for him to drop it into my palm and the cap had fallen. Before I had known what was happening, it had erupted into a burning pain.

And then Alex, of all people, had to take me to the nurse. How embarrassing! Shit! She would never let me live this down. I didn’t want to see her tomorrow. There was a reason they called me Shame other than it being short for Seamus.

I kicked the table as hard as I could and it crashed to the ground. “Seamus!” Lizzy cried in shock. “No!” I snapped at her. “Fuck you!” I jumped up and stormed off towards the stairs. “Shame! Come back!” Her voice was pleading.

I slammed my bedroom door. In my anger, I kicked it and punched it violently with my good hand. I was imagining it was Jake. “FUCK!” I screamed. “Seamus Anthony Fitzpatrick! Open this fucking door right now!” Lizzy yelled from the other side. She rattled the handle and I glared. God I felt like I was about to explode.

“Go away!” I screamed. My phone buzzed and I was tempted to throw it against the wall and watch it shatter into a million little pieces. But I knew I wouldn’t get another one. No, Lizzy wouldn’t let me.

I flipped it open and read the message. My anger drained and locked itself back up in my head as I read the message.

Howz ur hand??

What the…

Why did she care?

Why did Alex care?