The Gods Of Lowell (Book I)

XV... Partners!?

I walk in world history class. I sit down with Heath. 

"Hi, Heath." I smile, my words interrupting his personal time with his phone. 

"Oh, hey, Marcelina. I didn't see you there." 

Class begins with Mr. Palmer striding in, the same stern and bored expression painted on his face that seemed forever permanent. 

"All right class, today we are doing projects. You will all have to partner up." Small whispers drag all around room. Dread soon creeps up, the dryness curling up in my throat. If I don't partner up with Heath, and get with someone else, it will be awkward as hell. "I am choosing partners, there's no way I would've let you all choose your own partners." God, kill me. I bury my head into my textbook. "Marcelina Attwell and Alexander Hastings." 

What?

"What!?"  Victoria Bechtel shoots up from her chair beside Alexander and slams her hands on the desk. Victoria screeches, she reminds me of a pterodactyl with her deafening screech. I pinch my eyebrows together as I feel the burning glares of Victoria.

"Sit down, Ms. Bechtel." She grunts in angry as she holds her gaze on me. I lean over to ask Heath.

"So, like, does Victoria like him?" I whisper as Mr. Palmer continues of all of the pairs. 

"Nooo, why would she?" Heath sarcastically drags his words. "Duh. She's had a thing for him since middle school in like grade 7 or 8." Heath leans back and stretches.

"But, I thought Beatrice and Alexan-" Heath pulls his finger to my lips and shushes me. I feel a giggle in my throat, but I just have a dumb smile on my face.

"Never. Beatrice would rather rip her own hair out than spend more than an hour with Alexander." He whispers. Huh. 

I was thinking about walking to Alexander, but before I could even stand up fully, Victoria gets all up in my face, jump scaring me. 

"You know Alexander will never go for a sleazy, cow-like wench that has a loose pussy. So, do yourself a favour and don't make any moves." She taps me on the shoulder as she treads away, her shoes clicking farther and farther away. Wench? What, are we in the 1700's? 

I take one look behind my shoulder to glance at Victoria, I see her cuddling up to her partner Preston Hearst. 

That's ironic. 

I turn to head over to Alexander, who watches my every fidget and shiver.

"Why do I have to be paired with you?" I groan as I sit next to him, his forest green eyes digging far into me. 

"I can ask the same thing. I mean, I know you don't want to be with me," I stifle a tremble, why is he talking as if we're together, 'together'? "I know exactly who you want to be partnered up with, you know what I mean?" He has this smirky grin that curl his lips. My face flushed, my fingers grasping the paper it crumpled. You know what I mean? You know what I mean!? 

God, I'm so humiliated. And his taunting tone of words that awakened the wrong but lustful parts of me do not help. Especially the tug that reveals this tempting grin that arouse an imploring need in the depths of me. Even his eyes, seriously, fuck you, hormones. 

"Shut up, you fucking psycho." I groan. He's still sat there, his long fingers tracing over his book. A haughty and.. flirty expression..? I suck in a sharp breath as this quiet moment passes us by, I mean, I told him to shut up, but there's this heavy atmosphere, so thick it could be cut by a knife.

"Only if you say please." He coos, his pink lips pursed. 

"You're a detestable person." I clutch my textbook in front of me, holding clear and strong eye contact with him. It took every nerve in me to not look away.