Page 36 of Five to Love Him

seventeen

Apparently it was bring your roomie or mate or secret boyfriend to school day. Ezra looked a lot less comfortable taking up the seat on Tate’s right than the hive did flanking me. I sat on Tate’s left while the hivelings grabbed spare chairs and were back to join me in moments, everyone else in class watching with varying degrees of fascination.

“Hi,” I said to Tate and let my eyes drift to Ezra.

Tate got the message. “Hey. I bribed him with a brownie experiment.” He shrugged and looked at my entourage. “Just in case.”

“Hello.”

The hive echoed it from two mouths while one of them squeezed their chair in on my left—not too tight a squeeze given that St. Auguste’s fancy desks were spacious—and pried my bag from my fingers. The other one sat a little behind us and had brought another chair for the hiveling on the cafeteria run. Tate noticed, cocked his head, but said nothing.

“I bet we’ll talk about taxes again today,” Tate said.

Ezra grumbled. “You didn’t tell me I was going to have to sit through something tax related.”

Tate turned. “Leo and I can share those brownies if you want to leave.”

Ezra frowned, then looked at the hive. “Sorry. They’re just friends. Tate means nothing by that.”

At which Tate rolled his eyes, getting ready to say something back, but before he could, Instructor Arick’s heavy footfalls silenced every hushed conversation in the room.

The chimera put his bag and phone on the desk, the non-human head looking at our crowded corner while the other head took in everyone else.

“Another guest,” the non-human head said.

Tate beamed. “I wanted to share my progress with my roommate. He’s been so supportive.”

The human head looked at Ezra, who didn’t meet his gaze. “I see. Well, it would appear I made my lesson plan for nothing, but no reason to waste the opportunity. Hive, and Mr….”

“Murland, sir. Ezra Murland.”

Both of the instructor’s heads nodded. “Hive and Mr. Murland. I think with you two here, a Q&A would be in order to give every student the opportunity to learn more about you. You’re not opposed to furthering anyone’s learning, I’m sure.”

Excited whispers went through the class, and Ezra clutched the brownies tighter as if they were a life raft.

Tate leaned over to me. “I think we just got around a quiz. That was totally worth the brownie experiment.”

***

The hive had my notebook open and sat there, ready to take notes while hands rose all around us, everyone eager to get picked to ask the first question.

“You really don’t have to, not with a Q&A,” I told him, then groaned. “I haven’t gotten around to copying yesterday’s notes.”

“Let us do that,” the hiveling sitting behind me whispered in my ear.

Tate heard. “Here, you can copy these.”

He handed the hiveling his own folder, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“I thought you were being suspicious and brought Ezra because you’re afraid I’m getting overpowered here.”

The hiveling behind me put a hand on my shoulder while the other one went to work copying from Tate.

“We’re glad you have protective friends.” They smiled at Tate. “We like you. Would you like anything from the cafeteria?”

One of Instructor Arick’s heads made an annoyed noise as Tate whispered, “Coffee.” Behind him, Ezra’s frown deepened.

“A semblance of discipline, please,” the instructor’s human head said. “Now, let’s get to questions.”