High School Survival Theory

Chapter 30

Later when I enter the class, I don't look at any of my friends. Ashton comes and sits down beside me.

"I was saving the seat for Grace," I tell him.

"I know," he says. He doesn't ask me anything. So it's either he heard us talking or not interested in my love life in the first place. Though I'm glad he didn't.

"Then why are you here?"

To give me a hard time?

"Look behind."

I turn around and find Miles is sitting beside Owen while Asher is sitting with a random girl, leaving the seat beside Nyako empty.

I look at Miles and he shrugs.

"What is this?" I ask Ashton.

He shrugs. "What does it look like?"

Are they trying to play Cupid here?

The bell rings and Grace runs in the room. When she looks at the only available seat she pauses. The seat arrangement is the same since Grace and I convinced the class to help with mission Milton and so, there's only one seat left in the class.

The one beside Nyako.

She looks between me and Miles. We shrug. To her luck, Mrs. Roth walks in right then.

Mouthing me 'we'll talk about this later,' she moves to the seat beside Nyako and sits down. He doesn't even bother to look at her.

"Is there something going on that I should've been informed about?" I whisper Ashton.

"I didn't know either until Owen told me this morning. He said he saw Grace sneaking glances at Nyako every once in a while," Ashton whispers. "Miles confirmed it too."

My eyes go wide. "You mean to say that Grace is-"

Ashton nods. "Nyako hasn't been dating in a while. So Owen thought it would be wise if we set them up."

Ashton turns to the front of the class as Mrs. Roth starts her lecture, while I take my sweet time to process the newly found information.

The fact Grace has a crush and she didn't tell us about it isn't bothering me. It's not unlikely of her to have a crush and not tell anyone about it. Though Grace is very bold and outgoing,' when it comes about boys, she's as brave as a mouse. This might be the only reason why she never dated anyone in her four years of high school life.

I'm not upset with her for not telling me. But the fact I didn't notice it until Ashton told me made me furious at myself. I feel like the most horrible best friend on the planet.

I've been so busy with the committee's shits and college applications that I barely gave my friends the time I was supposed to give them.

It's then I realize I haven't heard a word Mrs. Roth has been saying.

'That's it,' I tell myself. 'I'm officially doomed.'

Ashton was wrong. I need to follow my survival theory to keep myself together. Because as long as I've followed the rules of it, my life was pitch-perfect. For the last three years, I've worked so hard, sacrificed all my dreams to focus on school, and build a good career. I can't let it all go to waste now.

I glance at Ashton when Mrs. Roth turns around to the blackboard. "What did she say?"

The corner of his lips turns up. "Miss goody two shoes wasn't listening to what the teacher was saying?"

I stomp on his foot. "Just say!"

But Ashton crosses his arms and turns away. This boy is so annoying!