#'send me the nicest angel you have' - gets brett

[all-rock-and-roll-is-homosexual]

📸: Robin François

[super-unpredictable98]

Galway Guy (~Foreign Exchange AU~)

Chapter 2: A Call From the Fairy Godmother

(Galway Guy Masterlist)

After lunch, Sienna ran to her locker to grab her books and meet Cormac in the lab. She couldn't be angry at Hannah anymore for disappearing, how could she when that created the perfect opportunity to spend alone time with him? 

Sienna tried really hard not to get her hopes up. Cormac invited her to the dance, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything, lots of people were taking their friends as dates. Dreaming too much has caused her a lot of pain in the past, so she always tried to lower her expectations.

- Hey, Sienna, phone - Tara rolled her eyes.

- Who is it? 

- I'm not your secretary.

- Thanks... - She grabbed the phone, shaking her head - Hello.

- Ciao, bella! How are you? I miss you so much!

- Giovanna! - Sienna jumped with excitement - I miss you too! How's college?

- It's amazing! I've never been to so many parties before - her sister's voice through the phone was comforting, it brought her something she didn't even realize she needed.

- Then you must be having the time of your life...

- Damn right I am! How's your preppy school? Are people too snobby?

- Not at all, it's different from what I thought. I feel pretty much at home. The teachers are great, the room is nice, the food is good...

- Do you have any new friends?

- I know it's hard to believe, but yes - Sienna giggled.

- And how are they?

- They are some of the nicest people you can imagine. Hannah is like a ray of light, Brett is the coolest guy I've ever met, and Cormac is just... So intelligent and kind.

- Cormac, huh... You should really work on hiding how your voice changes when you say this boy's name.

- It's not like that, Gi...

- Don't lie to me, piccina - Giovanna laughed - I know you better than you know yourself!

- I don't wanna go down this rabbit hole again, it's always like this. Starts out great, and when I realize I'm in my room crying and stuffing my face with ice cream. 

- You can't just give up before you try, give yourself a chance. Ask him out or something.

- We're already going out.

- What? Where?

- There's this dance coming up and he invited me.

- Then he likes you! What is so hard to understand?

- He just wanted to help, there's this idiot who wouldn't stop bugging me to go with him.

- I'm not telling you to jump with both feet, all I'm saying is don't put up a wall that's gonna stop him from getting to you if he tries.

- I won't, I promise. I just think this is stupid!

- Too bad you think so... I was gonna send you my dress for you to wear. That green one with the ballerina skirt.

- Are you kidding me? I love that dress! Please send it to me, please Giovanna!

- Alright, just because you asked nicely. I'll send it right away.

- Thank you! You're an angel!

- I try... Well, I gotta go to class now, call me when you get the dress, ok?

- Alright, I have to go too. Love you.

- Love you, ciao.

Sienna hung up and bit her lip as she made her way to the lab, allowing herself to get excited. 

Cormac was already there, taking notes about a new invention. When he smelled Sienna's sweet perfume, he immediately turned around.

- Sorry I took so long, Mac, my sister rang me.

- That's okay, I was working on my new flying robot with an integrated camera.

- Oh, now that sounds more like a Cormac project.

- Would you like to see the blueprints? 

- Yeah, sounds awesome - Sienna looked over his project.

- What do you reckon?

- It's genius! Can we test it together?

- Yeah, I'll let you know, Enn - Cormac nodded - so, what's the project?

- We are supposed to create a hypothetical ecosystem and explain how it works.

- Alright, can I take a look at what you have?

Sienna took a sheet of paper that was in between pages of her book. Cormac put on his concentrated expression. She always thought it was cute the way he furrowed his eyebrows and fixed his glasses trying to think.

- What? - He chuckled noticing her stare.

- Nothing - Sienna looked away - I thought we could start with the plants, right? Bottom of the food chain...

- Yeah, here, let's make a list.

For the next half hour or so, Sienna and Cormac listed plants and studied the environment in which they grow, to see if they would fit the imaginary ecosystem. 

- I'm so sorry, Sienna - Hannah came into the lab panting as the bell was about to ring for the next class - I lost track of time, cause I was... Uh... Cleaning my room.

- I looked for you before lunch, you weren't there.

- I was probably in the bathroom or something...

- Is this sand? - Sienna took the ends of Hannah's red hair in her hands.

- No! Why would I have sand in my hair? That would be crazy, right? Anyway, how's the project going?

- We're about a third of the way done - Cormac flashed her a proud grin.

- Nice, I owe you guys a favor.

- Sure... - He mumbled.

He wanted to say she didn't. That maybe he, in fact, owed her a favor after he had the chance to be with Sienna alone and watch how she presses her lips together when she thinks, or how she rests the end of her pencil against her dimple while she watches him speak.

- What is up with you? You look so weird - Hannah jokingly put a hand on his forehead pretending to check for a fever.

- I'm fine - his voice cracked slightly.

Hannah was ready to dispute him, but the teacher came in and the lesson started.

Sienna usually likes to study, especially science, but today all she could think about was the fall dance. 

It was really hard to focus on the periodic table when the only thing in her head was Cormac's lovely voice saying: "I just asked you, didn't I?". 

She felt dumb for thinking of him like that when he probably just did that to save her from Martin, but she shouldn't help it.

- And then we have the Alkali metals and the Alkaline earth metals - the teacher said, pointing at the board - the two groups are similar, but not completely identical. They're all light, reactive, have low melting and boiling points, and form basic oxides... Yes, Cormac?

- Excuse me, miss - he held his hand up - Beryllium is actually amphoteric.

- You're right, I forgot about that one - she seemed surprisingly pleased to be corrected.

Sienna couldn't take her eyes away from him... To add on the contagious smile, the cute little curls at the ends of his perfectly combed hair, and the adorable nerdy glasses that framed his shiny green eyes, he was also the smartest kid in class.

 - Sienna... Sienna? - The teacher's voice made her wake up from her daydream.

- Yes, sorry - she straightened herself.

- Can you give me two practical applications of Lithium?

- Um, psychiatric medication, and batteries.

- Very good, moving on...

That night Sienna couldn't stop thinking about what her sister said. Giovanna was able to tell through the phone that she had a crush, maybe she wasn't that good at hiding it after all... Maybe Hannah and Brett knew. Hell, maybe Cormac knew and was taking her to the dance as a joke.

Next morning in the library, Sienna was trying to focus on Too Much Ado About Nothing, but a conversation on the next table kept getting her attention:

- Martin just asked me to the dance, can't believe he took so long! - Tara huffed.

- So you said no? - Hannah chuckled.

- No, are you stupid? I would have to not be right in the head to reject him... 

- Why is that? 

- He's handsome and... And rich, how can I not like him?

- Doesn't seem like the first thing I look for in a boy.

- Oh yeah? And who are you going with? 

- I don't know, nobody asked me yet... - Hannah didn't seem too worried about it though.

- You might wanna hurry, Hannah, if you don't you'll end up going with one of the ugly ones, like Cormac or whatever.

Sienna choked on her own spit at those words. Imagining Cormac taking Hannah instead was something she's been avoiding as long as she could.

- Jesus, Enn, are you alright? - Hannah ran to help.

Unable to get a word out, Sienna simply nodded, trying to inhale desperately. It wasn't that serious, but there were those horrible, brief seconds in which she felt like she would never be able to breathe again.

- Should I get the nurse? - Tara asked, slightly disgusted.

- No, I'm fine - Sienna panted - I'm okay.

- Are you sure, do you need some water? - Hannah kneeled by her.

- Thanks, I'm really okay, don't worry... I just have to go - she quickly got up and left.

- Did you see that? - Tara cocked an eyebrow - Bet she got this way after hearing that Martin asked me. She's been running after him ever since her first day...

- I don't think Martin is Sienna's type - Hannah rolled her eyes.

Sienna ran to the fountain to drink some water and get some fresh air in the garden. 

- Hey, Enn - Brett joined her on the bench - how's it hangin'?

- All right... 

- Doesn't look all right...

- It's just Tara, she was talking all this rubbish. 

- Nothing new there - he shrugged.

- Yeah, this whole dance thing is driving me crazy. I know it's just supposed to be a stupid party with music and silly dresses, but it doesn't feel this way.

- You know, the last thing I expected from you was to hear you freaking out over some dance... 

- I know, me too! I've never been the type to lose sleep over stuff like that, there's something else.

- And what is it? What's making you lose sleep? Or should I say who?

- Shut up - Sienna laughed, pushing him.

- Oh, did I strike a nerve?

- Why are guys so stupid? 

- I might be stupid, but I'm not blind...