The Wallflower of Parkview High

Chapter Four

"Noah, can you repeat what I just said?"

I snapped my head up from where I was busy doodling mindless shapes and scribbles in my sketchbook to look at my history teacher, Mr. Sinclair.

"I-I don't-" I started to say, but he cut me off.

"What I was saying, Mr. Barlowe, is that everyone in this class needs to partner up, flip to page 394 in the textbook, and read the text to answer the questions on the packet that I just passed out." Mr. Sinclair repeated, a slightly annoyed edge in his voice. As soon as he said those words, I froze up.

Partner work. F*cking partner work. The last thing I needed.

"I want you all to find your partners in thirty seconds, chop chop." Mr. Sinclair urged. As everyone went to go find their partners, I sat there not knowing what to do, until...

"Do you want to be partners?"

I turned and looked at the boy who had just sat down at the desk next to me. He had short chocolaty brown hair, hazel colored eyes and a friendly smile on his face that I could see emphasized a dimple that he had on his left cheek.

"Um..." I looked around and saw that everyone was partnered up and looking through textbooks, scribbling vigorously on their packets, or sitting there with looks of pure confusion on their faces.

"I guess..." I finally said.

"Great!" the boy exclaimed. "Should I go get a textbook for us?"

"Sure."

A minute later, the boy returned with a textbook. He flipped it to page 394 and placed it between us.

"So, what's your name, I've never seen you around before?" he asked, studying the directions on his packet.

"Noah." I replied.

"Cool name, I'm Damien by the way."

I didn't know what to say, so I just gave him a half smile and looked at the worksheet that we had to do. There were a ten questions which we had to write out the answers for. I flipped the first page of the packet over and saw even more questions.

"What was the Triangular Trade?" Damien read aloud. I scanned the textbook for the answer and wrote down the answer on the lines provided under the question. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Damien doing the same.

"You have nice handwriting." he commented as soon as I finished writing down the answer. I didn't say anything, but that didn't stop the red from rising to my cheeks.

"So how about I get to know you?" he said as I scanned the textbook for the answer to the next question. I was about to refuse, but then I saw the hopeful look on his face.

"Fine." I sighed. His face instantly lit up.

"Alright, so first of all, what do you like to do in your spare time?" he asked.

"Draw, sleep, and write in my journal."

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I don't know."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Lilac."

"What's your favorite food?"

"Chicken nuggets."

"Are you dating anyone?"

I dropped my pencil and turned to stare at him when he asked me that question.

"N-No! Why are you asking me that?!" I gasped, my eyes widening. He laughed.

"I'm just curious?"

"Why?!"

"No reason."

Wanting to distract myself, I started to scan the textbook for the answer to the next question on the packet. However, all these thoughts swirled around in my mind. Why was did he ask me that? Did he have a crush on me? But we just met! Unless...did he see me around while I was walking to my other classes? Is that why he decided to approach lonely, pathetic me and ask to be his partner? I groaned and rested my head on my desk just at the thought of it.

Just then, that nasally bell rang again, snapping me out of my thoughts. Damien was out of his seat immediately.

"Bye, Noah." he said, smiling at me. All I could do was offer him another half smile.

Right after that moment, he was gone.