~Assigned Seats~ Fpe ZipClaire fic

~Embracing the Unignorable~

Claire's alarm buzzed loudy, abruptly interrupting her deep sleep. Morning already? It felt like she barley slept. She groaned and rolled over, smacking the stop button. Her thoughts from the night before came rushing back, making her face heat up. How could she be so...

But there was no time to dwell on it now. She had to get to school before she was late. She jumped out of bed. MoeMoe stretched and yawned, looking at her with big, sleepy eyes.

"Alright, buddy," she said, scooping him up for a quick cuddle. "Let's get ready."

MoeMoe didn't seem to understand the urgency, but he didn't protest. He simply curled into her arms and allowed her to carry him downstairs as she got ready for school. The quiet morning routine was a stark contrast to the tumoril in her head.

As she brushed her teeth, Claire caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her, a mix of confusion and frustration on her face. She couldn't believe she was seriously considering the possibility of having a crush on Zip. It was absurd. But she couldn't deny the butterflies in her stomach every time she thought about her.
-----------------------------

She finally got out the door, MoeMoe resting on her shoulders.

The cool morning air helped to clear her mind somewhat, but not entirely. As she walked to school, her thoughts kept returning to Zip. Why couldn't she just forget about her? Claire had never felt this way about anyone before, especially not someone who was such a thorn in her side. It was... confusing.

Was it the way Zip acted that day or was it the artistic talent she had that made her so... so... appealing?

Claire finally reached school. The hallways were filled with the usual buzz and chatter and the sound of lockers slamming and opening. She walked to her locker, trying to push down the swarm of butterflies that had taken residence in her stomach.

Her hand trembled slightly as she turned the lock. She had to get it together. It was just a temporary crush, right? Something that would pass. She couldn't let it affect her, especially not when the math test was so close.

Bubble walked up to her as their lockers were pretty close, she noticed the slight trembling and nervousness.

"Hey, you okay?" Bubble asked with genuine concern in her gaze.

Claire took a deep breath and nodded, trying to put on a brave face. "Yeah, I'm just a bit tired," she lied, hoping Bubble would buy it.

Bubble crossed her arms "you sure cause you don't look 'just tired'..."

Claire let out a defeated sigh, knowing Bubble could see right through her. "I'm not just tired," she admitted, avoiding eye contact. "I'll talk about it library.."

Bubble nodded, her eyes widening with curiosity. "Okay," she said, "Lunchtime in the library."

Claire looked around for a moment "where's Engel?"

"He's absent today," Bubble said with a shrug, as she turned to leave for class. "Some family thing, I guess."

Claire walked into the classroom, she almost forgot about the new seating arrangement before her eyes shot at Zip. Miss Circle wasn't in the classroom right now so the class was loud with the students chattering and laughing.

To be honest, Zip looked bored out of her mind, but once Claire sat down, the smirk ran back to her face.

"Hey'a partner," she said attempting a country accent before winking.

Claire felt her face heat up like a stovetop, God why did she sound so cute saying that... It was even worse that she winked at her!?

The bell rang, cutting off the conversation, and Miss Circle walked into the room, her eyes scanning the class. "Alright everyone, settle down," she said calmly before Edward snickered loudly at Miss Circle's entrance.