One Step Forward

f o u r

"Partners," begins Ms. Barrymore. "Are what make studying so important, my dears."

Audible groans are let out at her words.

She drops her hands down and lets them slap against her thighs, as she lets out a sigh in response. She shakes her head at us as she turns around to grab a sheet from her desk and mumbles, "disappointing."

"Okay," she drones out as she fixes her glasses. "Eloise Ardett?"

My soul freezes.

I raise my hand, trying to ward off the tremble in my fingertips all while attempting to appear cool. Keyword being attempting.

All gazes are on me, but the only one I can literally feel is the one belonging to the jerk on my right.

"You are with," Ms. Barrymore drawls off, trying to focus on the paper which probably has a small font. "Ted Olker."

I see another hand raise in the air and look to see a guy smiling at me from up ahead. He waves when I smile back.

Okay cool. My partner seems cool.

"Oh sorry" Ms. Barrymore laughs a husky laugh that makes me stiffen. "You're with Thomas Ardett."
I choke. No really, I actually choke and can't breathe. I embarrassingly claw at my throat when I feel a warm hand rub my back and a water bottle being pressed to my lips.

"Easy, easy. Drink up, come on." A voice mumbles and he rubs his hand up and down slowly as I take tiny sips and begin to calm down.
When she sees I'm okay, Ms. Barrymore shrugs and continues to ruin lives of others as she has mine.

I look at the green eyed gaze and find him way too close, a look of softness on his face which is immediately washed away when he blinks. He jumps back, his warmth leaving me and doesn't look at me again until class ends.

He looks back at me as he's walking out the door and slinging a bag over his shoulder. We hold each other with our gaze for three seconds before he walks out.

I sit there after everyone has left, wondering if studying chemistry is even worth it.

+++

"So," Thomas speaks as I grab all the books I'll be needing for tonight's homework. I ignore him, hoping he'll go away.

He doesn't.

"Your place or mine?"

"Excuse me?" I frown at him. "What did you just say?"

He rolls his eyes. "Relax, twinkle toes. I meant where do you want to get started in this stupid project?" He folds his arms across his chest and leans back against the lockers next to mine.

His eyes scan my frame, slowing on my cheek and then snap back to my eyes. I narrow mine at him and he winks.
"How about you do all the work and I can pretend you don't exist?" I smile at him and he smiles back, a huge a fake one that oddly reminds me of Pennywise.

"How about I do a bad job and fail us both?"

"Ha. You can't get me failed because I'm already failing."

Wait. Did I just roast my own self?

His lips begin to twitch into a smile before he coughs and goes, "Uh. Yeah got me there. Good one, Wrecker."

I frown. "Wrecker?"

"Car wrecker." He smirks and I glare at him and turn around huffing as I speed walk away from him.