“Can you believe it?” Lizzy said then, flashing me her paper. “She gave me a D minus!”
Lizzy was my psychology partner in eleventh grade. Knowing her, she wasn’t interested in the content at all, she just joined this class because I was here.
We were best buds in a sense, but with a sisterly affection, as well.
“Partners in crime” is what she told me.
“Well, ninety percent of your sources were labeled, my own brain,” I stated then.
She just huffed out in annoyance. “How can one expect me to read an entire article on brains? Lame.”
“Well, usually people join this class because they’re interested in the content,” I stated in amusement. “Not because they know very well they can copy off their sister’s answers for the final exam.”
She gave me a sad look. “But I can’t copy your paper because that’s plagiarism! She’ll know, too… she reads all of them thoroughly. This is why I’m willing to open a petition to make all exams multiple choice and have classes essay free.”
I smiled down at my desk as I pulled out my notebook. “Good luck with that.”
The bell rang then, and our teacher lightly tapped her pencil on her desk. “Welcome, welcome! It’s Monday!”
The room fell silent, apart from someone coughing in the background.
“My, tough crowd,” she said then, putting on her glasses as she read the papers on her front desk. "Well, I have some news for you all.”
She gazed up, smiling. “We are changing seats.”
Lizzy’s mouth dropped. “What? This is horrific!”
She gazed over at Lizzy then, eyeing her over her half-moon glasses. “You are the main reason for this, Elizabeth. For it is you I have found cheating on your sister’s work the most.”
Lizzy shrank back in her seat, grumbling in annoyance.
“Since we are starting a new unit today on relationship psychology, I have found it would be better to switch classmate seats so one can get to know the other better.” She stacked her papers and looked down at them. “Alright, the person sitting on the right will stay—you’re right—everyone else, move back to the front.”
“Looks like I’m sitting with Cassidy Clarence,” Lizzy grumbled as she stood, gathering her backpack and the belongings tossed about her desk, and she looked down at me. “See you in hell, sissy.”
She then walked off.
I sighed and stared back forward.
Almost two seconds later, my new partner sat beside me.
I glanced over briefly to see who it was.
My draw dropped.
You have got to be kidding me.
Jase sat there; his dark smile fixed on my nervous expression as he locked eyes with me.
Promising danger, once more… and excluding all freedom from keeping my own secrets.
Goddamn it.
He lowered his lashes, eyes glowing obsidian as he set his cheek in his hand.
“Alright!” my psychology teacher said, making me glance but, but Jase’s eyes were still fixed on me. “Our assignment? Get to know your partner. I would love for you all to learn what you can about your table partner and write at least twenty bullet points for your thirty-point due date tomorrow. Alright! Chop—chop!”
I stared at her.
Thirty points?
“Looks like you were right,” Jase said then, smirking as I looked over at him. His smile only darkened. “You said last night, you needed to get to know me for your psych assignment. You are well acquainted with our teacher, aren’t you? How else would you know of this upcoming assignment?”
I was? I lied to him, though. How thick was he?
I stared at him for a while, watching his dark eyes glow with amusement. He was taunting me as if he knew I was lying, and he had the hidden expression of someone who was playing a dangerous prank on their worst enemy.
Deep inside, I wondered what kind of mere coincidence would occur for something like this to happen. Where I lied about something for my own personal gain and the lie actually became truth.
It sent an unpleasant chill through me… even though it validated my lie of wanting answers from him.
“Alright,” I said then, shoving down all feelings as I pulled out my journal. “Let’s get started, shall we?”
He watched me with a dark smile, although I attempted to ignore it.
I poised my pen on the first line, prepared to write. “You’re name is Jase. Jase what?”
He never answered, and I glanced over at him.
His eyes were still on me.
“And don’t forget!” our teacher said, making me gaze up. “That this unit will include some pretty spicy content. We will have discussions on sexual relationships, as well as sex in general, and how the brain is connected to them and the sociological perspective of seeking relationships.”
I just stared.
Great. Just great.
“This assignment is due next class, but there’s still ten minutes left, so take your time!”
I then stared back down at my paper, staring at the singular word written in black ink.
Jase.
I was silent, eyes fixed on the single word before I blinked and looked around.
I then glanced down at him, finding him at work, writing a paragraph on his paper.
What the hell?
Goddamn him. I swore he was stalking me. What the hell did he want from me anyway?
“Are you going to be a nice friend and tell me your name?” I asked him.
“And she speaks!” he exclaimed, scratching the last sentence down.
I lowered my lashes.
He sat up and looked over at me. “I was worried you had an issue with conversation outside your own house.”
I just gave him a bored look.
He sent me a dark grin.
I then gazed back down at my paper. “Your last name?”
“Classified.”
“Can you please be of service and just tell me your last name?” I said then, brows drawing together as I gazed up. “This isn’t thirty points I’d enjoy losing.”
“Deriek,” he said then.
I just looked back down at my paper, spelling it out. “D-E-R-I-E-K.”
I then paused and kept staring at my paper. “Your favorite color?”
“Black,” he said then. “Oh! And red.”
Why am I not surprised?
I just sighed and scratched it down. “Favorite scent?”
“The scent of death.”
I scratched it down despite knowing he wasn’t serious.
“Don’t write that,” he said then, sitting up. “I was joking.”
“Bummer.” I just kept writing. “What’s your ideal image to see?”
“You, naked.”
I didn’t scratch that down this time, but sat up straighter. “I meant places you’d like to visit.”
“There’s only one place I’d like to visit,” he said then, smirking. “But sadly it is not allowed to be said in a school environment.”
I gave him a bored look. “Are you just horny ninety percent of the time?”
He just chuckled. “More like… ninety nine percent of the time.”
I sighed. “Can’t argue with that. This is why you suck at getting girls.”
“I just don’t want a girl,” he said then. “Well… now I do.”
“What’s the name of your favorite pet?” I said then, still ignoring him.
“Emma Swells.”
I gave him a look.
He kept the smile.
I rolled my eyes and scratched down, Romeo.
He glanced down at my paper. “That’s not what I said.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
He smirked. “Cheater.”
I sighed and looked back to him. “You aren’t being of any service here.”
“It would be a shame to say I wasn’t trying,” he said then.
I just glared. “I need more information, and we have only two minutes of class left.”
“Mmm… sucks,” he glanced down at his watch, “and I have work after this, too. Oh, feel free to stop by.” He gazed up and smirked. “I work at Sacred Sandwiches. I’m on break at six.”
“Not happening,” I said then.
“Unfortunate,” he said then, sighing as he stuffed his paper into his backpack.
I just rolled my eyes.
He stood then, and the bell rattled the classroom.
He then winked at me. “See you later, Emma-gater.”
And he was gone.
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