Cecilia's father, a well-known and successful lawyer, was tired of her problems. Tired of the issues she had been causing for the family and it's name.
After an incident, which she kept claiming wasn't even her fault, she's sent away to a boarding s...
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English class did, in fact, suck.
Was it boring like all my others classes? Of course not, not with the presence of Luca and Gray who spent the entire class calling each other childish names or ripping each other's paper and throwing them at each other.
Was it, however, totally awkward sat next to a guy who seemed to completely despise your presence? Just a little bit.
My foot bounced under the desk as I tried to listen to what the teacher was saying, something about the impact of literature... I couldn't remember. All I know was one second I was completely zoned out staring at my teacher hands which gestured with what she was teaching, and the next second I was snapped out of my gaze by a few groans echoing around the class. Even Matteo threw his head back and huffed, his Adam's Apple on full display.
"What? What happened?" I asked in confusion as I hadn't been paying attention and didn't know what caused all of their annoyance.
"Alright, alright, calm down." Ms. Hansen rolled her eyes. "I mean you guys knew about this from the start of the semester. Did any of you guys pay attention to anything I said this year?" At their lack of answer, she rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, you don't need to answer."
Some girl huffed from in front of me.
"This project will be worth 40% of your semester grade so I suggest getting along with your partner and acting responsibly to get it done in time with visible effort."
Luca banged his head on the desk. Gray pretended to weep into his hands.
"Please let Cecilia be my partner." Luca made a praying motion with his hands and looked up towards the ceiling. "I need someone to carry me through this project.
Ms. Hansen's eyes narrowed on Luca. "There will be no "carrying through the project." I expect all of you to actually work with your partners and be helpful." She reproached.
When she turned her back, Luca mockingly mouthed her words back to her which caused a snort from Gray.
"I have a sheet of paper up here with all of your names and your partner. Find it yourself." She finished, slapping a white paper on the whiteboard.
Reluctantly, students started piling near the paper and reading off. I watched some people hang their heads after reading their names and I gnawed on the bottom of my lip, waiting for someone to walk over to me.
Luca banged his head one more time before slapping both his hands on the desk and pushing himself out of his desk.
"Yo, Luca, tell me my partner too?" Matteo asked Luca and he nodded back.
When he came back, Luca wore a smile he tried to suppress as he looked at me.
"Are we partners?" I guessed the reason for his weirdly giddy expression.
"Nope." He groaned but his face quickly turned happy again. "But guess who you get as your partner?"
"Who?"
His smile widened, like something was funny. "Our very dear roommate and friend of course, Matteo!"
"Oh."
"Oh?" Matteo repeated my word, arching an eyebrow. "You're disappointed to be working with me?"
"Oh, no-" my cheeks flushed. "I just thought I'd be working with Luca..."
He stared at me for another moment, before I swear I saw an almost smirk rise to his lips.
Hey, I didn't know he was capable of looking at me with anything but a blank stare. Progress.
He leans back in his chair so far back until the front legs lift slightly. "So what do you want our topic to be on?"
"Topic on what?" I ask unthinkingly.
He looks at me like I'm stupid. "The topic for our research project. Do you just not pay attention?"
I look at him in offense. "Of course I was paying attention."
"Yeah? Then what's our project about?"
"It's a research project...?" I respond sheepishly.
He rolls his eyes and huffs. "Right, well anyways, we're supposed to find a real world topic and how it's demonstrated through different pieces of literature."
Now it's mine turn to groan and bang my head against the desk. A hand pats the top of my head. Peeking an eye open, I see Luca's sympathizing smile.
"Who's your partner?" I mumble.
"Alex." He grumbles and gives him a dirty look. Alex side eyes him back.
"Whatever, we both know I'll end up being the only one to work on it and you'll just write your name at the top and take half credit for it."
"Anyways," Matteo takes my attention away from their mini squabble. "How about we meet in the school library later after lunch and we can come up with a topic there?"
I'm about to nod in agreement when Gray butts in, "that's a great idea! How about we all go down to the library after lunch?"
Matteo grits his teeth and looks like he's fighting words to say to him but nods his head. "Yeah, we can all go I guess."
I smile happily, glad I wasn't going to be alone with him and I'd have the company of Luca and Gray to keep me sane. "Sounds great."
