"Best friends forever" is such bullshit because I had a best friend, but he sure as hell isn't forever. Then why is the universe making him my project partner now? And why is he so hot and beautiful... just why?
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It's been four days since I left Mason's text on "seen." Oh, and I've been avoiding him. We have two classes of English Lit each week, one on Wednesday and one on Monday. I don't know how I'll be able to avoid him today in class. I even skipped the home hockey game yesterday to avoid seeing him. And I have a perfect excuse for him dad came for the weekend so... but I can't skip the class today; I don't want my credits to go down, so I plan to get to the class as late as possible and sit at the back. As the bell rings for the end of the class, I leave as soon as I can. This type of behavior can be labeled as cowardly, but, well, it's better to run than talk to him. I get to my lockers and remove my books for the next class.
"Going somewhere?" I jump as I hear his voice.
"Jeez! You scared me!"
"Why? Do you have anything to be scared about?" He raises his eyebrow skeptically.
"What do you want, Mason? I have to get to class." I close my locker and face him.
"Why are you avoiding me?" He crosses his arms and leans against the lockers. Oh! Someone's working out! I see his muscles bulging and...
Noa! Focus!
"Why would I avoid you? You're not so important to be avoided" What am I saying!? Ughhhh...
"I sent you a text last Wednesday to meet up for studies. You left it on 'seen.'"
"No, I haven't."
"Yes, you have."
"No, I haven't. I know what I do, Mason."
He gives me a look and removes his phone from his pocket, showing me the text he sent.
"Oh! That was you. I thought it was the wrong number or something." I scratch my nose, clearly lying to him.
"Stop lying, Noa." He narrows his eyes toward me.
"I'm not lying!"
"Yes, you are. You have a tell when you lie."
"What tell?"
"You scratched your nose-ergo, You lied." He tilts his head as if he won at something.
"Fine!" I stomp my leg like a toddler having a tantrum. I don't know why I did that. "My dad was back home, so I didn't have time."
His eyes lose the challenging look and soften. See! A perfect excuse.
"Look, we're study buddies, so we have to schedule a session together at least once a week. We have a report to submit, so let's meet."
"Yeah, yeah. I have to get to class." I turn my back to him and start walking.
"Oh! Come on, Noa. I'm serious. Stop doing whatever you're doing." I turn towards him.
"I'm walking and trying not to talk to you, so I'm doing what you did to me!" Noa! You idiot!
Mason chuckles uncomfortably. "I'm sorry if you're hurt because of that, but that was 5 years ago, and-"
"Doesn't matter, and I don't care." He raises his eyebrows, not believing me. "I don't know why this is a big deal. I'll request Miss Layla to switch partners."
"She won't take requests."
"Then we can do studies on our own!" I say stubbornly. "I don't see the point. I'm better off doing things on my own. We'll just write the report as if we studied together."
"I'm not gonna lie on the report just because you don't want to." I can see the veins in his forehead almost popping. I know I'm testing his patience.
"Well, too bad. I'm doing it on my own." I turn my back and walk away.
I thought that junior year would be good, but oh, well...
