Sunflowers and Four leaf clovers

Chemistry

The next day Shelby heads into class, her hair falling (as always) perfectly past her shoulders, holding her book to her chest, saying hello to everybody in the hallway as she floats part (as always).

Yet as she glides into her first class of the morning she's stopped in her tracks at sight of the same girl from the lunch hall.

Her hair is down today, just like Shelbys. Seems like they just can't stop matching.

After a few moments she drags her eyes away from the girl and looks up at the board to see the seating plan for this year. Her eyes scan the board and finds her name next to Toni  based on the positioning of the table she assumes that's the name of the new girl. 

She flattens down her skirt and goes over to join her, placing down her bag next to the chair leg before turning to the girl, making sure to give her the official Shelby Goodkind welcome to the school.

"Hiya there, you must be new, I'm Shelby,"

She puts out her hand to shake as she takes her seat. Toni looks her up and down with an amused smile, before cautiously taking her hand, "Toni,"

Toni's slightly taken back, not just by the very enthusiastic introduction but also the softness of her hand, she lets her hand linger for a moment longer than necessary before taking it back quickly and resting it on her bouncing knee.

"Why it's a pleasure to meet you Toni. I just want you to know, as the class president for our year, if you ever need anything I'm more than happy to help."

Toni gives a slightly strained smile in return, "good to know," her low slightly gravely voice captures Shelbys attention and she has to remind herself to close her mouth offering back a wide grin.

Mr Johnson starts leading the class, jumping straight into the learning material so they both face the front. Shelby making intense notes, with her hilighters lined up in front of her in a very specific order.

Toni on the other hand mainly doodles in her notebook, trying to catch glimpes of the gorgeous, and very outgoing (though slightly cheesy), girl sat next to her. She can't get Shelby out of her head. Obviously theres not much opportunity to since she's sitting mere inches away from her. 

But when she looks down at her notes twenty minutes in and sees a light sketch of her side profile she knows she needs to focus.

And pull herself together.

Embarassed she scribbles over the drawing, ripping a slight hole in the page, and turns to the front.

"Ok work through these activity sheets with your partner please, you have till the bell rings, anything you don't finish, you will be finishing for homework." Mr Johnson says in a bored voice as he walks through to the back of class handing out the papers to each duo.

Toni looks at the worksheet in front of her utterly confused.

There's ten questions on balancing equations and she doesn't even bother to check the other side because shes stumped at the first question.

"How about you take the first 5 and I'll take the last 5 and we can catch up and exchange answers," Shelby says with her pageant worthy smile.

Toni looks at her, slightly overwhelmed, "uh yeah yeah for sure," before flashing another awkward smile. Shelbys eyes stay on her for another moment before returning to the paper in front of her. Toni glances over to see her blasting through the question and quickly turns her eyes back to her own page.

With the end of her pencil in her mouth she starts biting on the eraser, staring through the paper more than at the paper. Toni knows she's not the smartest or the most hard working- but looking at this jumble of numbers and letters she's starting to wonder if she might be downright thick.

After a few more moments Shelby glances over at Tonis sheet and sees nothing but random scribblings. She glances back at her own, already full answers. After a second of hesitation she moves her sheet to one side and nudges Toni's arm slightly to get her attention.

"huh?" 

Toni's head snaps up suddenly and looks at her wide eyed, "yeah whatsup."

"I think most people are working on them together," Shelby says glancing around, "Should we do that instead of half and half,"

Toni laughs slightly uncomfortably, "uh yeah sure but, here's a bit of warning, chemistry is kind of my biggest weakness,"

"Well that's alright, I go crazy for chemistry,"  Shelby says excitedly.

Toni think this might just be the cheesiest girl she's ever met. Though its kind of cute so she won't complain.

"You do huh?" Toni says, flashing a grin, and looking right into her eyes.

"Uh-yeah" Shelbys smiles turns down a bit to a more subdued smile.

Toni likes it though. It seems a bit more real.

"Well show me what you got chem wiz."

Shelby tries to supress a grin as she moves her chair closer to Tonis- though not entirely neccessary considering they're already almost touching. 

But as she leans in and they start to work, they both find it impossible to ignore the burning sensation whenever Shelbys arm brushes past Tonis, or when she laughs at one of Toni's jokes and places her hand on her arm.

Toni doesn't know what she likes more, the feeling of her fingers grasped around her arm, or the sound of her laugh whenever she tells one of her cheesy jokes.

 "Shelby, Toni," Mr johnson calls from the front of the class, suddenly Shelby rips her hand away from her like it was actually on fire and her her eyes widen, "yes sir?"

"Too much laughing ladies, not enough working. This is a classroom not a comedy club"

"Yes sir," Shelby says, with a grin.

She turns back to Toni wrapping her arms around herself this time before she continues talking to her.

Toni looks at her slightly funny but tries to ignore it, writing down the answers as Shelby says them.

When the bell rings Shelby picks up her bag and takes the paper, "it was real nice meeting you Toni, I'll see you later,"

She rushes out, dropping the worksheet on the teachers desk on the way out the door.

Toni just watches her go before slowly packing up and strolling out, wandering around trying to find her next class.