Average (Jinx x Fem!Reader)

2. Ionic Bonds

Calista and I arrived at our Biology Class a couple of minutes before the bell chimed its warning. I settled into my assigned spot by the window, pulling out my green notebook and mechanical pencil, flipping to a fresh page. I was eager to start today's lesson on our next topic, Biochemistry. Thankfully, we just wrapped up our lesson on reproduction just the day before. With the boys seizing every chance to interject with their innuendos, the lesson went on a bit longer than intended. They irked the fuck out of me. Boys were dumb, especially the jocks.

A couple of minutes after the bell, Jinx nonchalantly entered the classroom, hurriedly taking her seat right in front of me. I stared at one of her braids that landed on my desk, dangling off the corner, the tip of it almost touching the ground. This was a common occurrence, if not daily. I followed her braid to the back of her head then to her bare shoulder. Another reason why I knew the exact number of cloud tattoos she had. It was 4 if you were wondering.

"Jinx." Mr. Grand's booming voice called out, his back still facing us while he wrote on the chalkboard. Jinx stiffened at the sound, knowing she'd been caught. "You're late. Again."

"Damn it..." Jinx muttered under her breath, her rigid body slowly relaxing as she slumped in her chair. "Sorry." She responded, followed by a defeated sigh.

As our teacher continued to write today's topics on the board, Jinx slid her hand into her leather drawstring bag that sat by my feet and pulled out a black notebook covered with white graffiti like etchings. She placed it in front of her before plugging her hand back into her bag in search of something else. I tried to keep my focus fixated on the chalkboard but I kept getting distracted at Jinx still rummaging through her bag.

The blue haired girl suddenly turned around in their seat and whispered to me, "Hey...do you have a pen or pencil I can borrow?"

I stared at her for a moment, completely caught off guard. I blinked a few times before registering her request.

"Oh, yeah. I got you." I replied quietly as I reached into my backpack, immediately making contact with a ballpoint pen.

I handed it to her, her fingers briefly brushing against mine before she thanked me with a smile, turning back around, pulling her braid that rested on my desk with her.

"Okay, okay. As I mentioned, today's topic is all about fun stuff that helps you function, helps plants grow and things that make you explode!" Mr. Grand said enthusiastically while giving us vigorous jazz hands. All of us stayed quiet. "No one? Really? Not even about the part about things exploding? You know, boom?" He looked dumbfounded. I'm pretty sure I heard a cricket fart. He rolled his eyes and clasped his hands together. "Tough crowd."

Class went by relatively quickly. My once blank page was now covered with notes neatly categorized with subheadings and bullet points. When it came to notes, they had to be perfect. I was the type to rewrite a whole page if I made even one ugly looking letter. Some call it perfectionism, but I call it undiagnosed OCD.

"So, don't hate me." Mr. Grand began, placing his hands in the pockets of his gray dress pants. "I already have a project for you to work on. Don't worry! It'll be fun." Everyone groaned in unison, their faces visibly annoyed by the sudden assignment. "It's a partner project."

The once distraught groans gradually transformed into excited chatter, my eyes automatically connecting with Calista's who sat on the opposite side of the room giving her a smug look. Thank god I had a friend in this class. There was nothing more humiliating than being the only one without a partner.

"However, there is a catch. Sadly, you won't be picking your partner. I've paired you up for the sake of said project. Ionic bonds!"

The crickets returned, filling the awkward silence as Mr.Grand let out an exasperated sigh before sinking into the chair behind his desk. He began to list off the pairs, each name intensifying the pit I felt in my stomach. I clenched my hands tightly, feeling the sweat on my palms as my heart raced. My stomach morphed into a complicated knot, my mind spinning with possibilities, as I anxiously waited to hear who my partner would be.