DO OVER 100

CHAPTER 6 PART THREE

MACKENZIE'S POV

"And William Bright and Crystal heart," the professor continued , as if dropping those bombs were no big deal. My eyes flickered to Crystal, who raised her eyebrows and shot me a look of pure disbelief. I groaned internally. I was now stuck with Daniel, and Crystal was paired with his charming, flirtatious cousin. This couldn't be happening.

The professor went on,"Once your pairs are made, feel free to choose your group of four. Now that you know your partners, start working on preparations for your group assignments which will be sent out soon." I exchanged a glance with Crystal, without a word, we both knew the inevitable-we would be forming a group with Daniel and William. It made the most sense. After all, we were already friends and we weren't gonna let anyone separate us. But the idea of working with Daniel made me feel uneasy, especially after the way things played out Saturday night and this morning too.

Reluctantly, Crystal and I stood and made our way over to where Daniel and William were sitting. Daniel's expression remained stoic, while William greeted us with a wide grin. "Well, well, looks like we're going to be stuck together for a while," William said, his voice filled with amusement. He leaned in toward Crystal with a smirk. "Guess we'll have to get to know each other better, huh?"

Crystal rolled her eyes , already prepared for his antics."Not interested, Bright. I don't want to catch whatever STI you're probably carrying." William's grin faltered for a second , but then he laughed it off, clearly not one to be deterred easily."Ouch. That was harsh, Crystal. You wound me."

"Not hard enough," Crystal muttered under her breath, crossing her arms.

I couldn't help but smirk at Crystal's response, but the tension in the air between me and Daniel lingered. I shifted my weight, feeling awkward standing there with him. He hadn't said a word, but his presence was heavy, like a storm cloud looming over me. I stole a quick glance at him, and to my surprise, he was already looking at me, his expression unreadable as always. There was something in his eyes-something I couldn't quite place my finger on. But before I could decipher it, he looked away, as if dismissing the moment entirely.

"Well," William said , breaking the silence. "Looks like we're officially a group. I'll leave the ladies to figure out the details since Crystal here seems to think I'm a walking disease." Crystal shot him a glare. "You're not wrong." William chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter, but I was barely paying attention. My mind was still reeling from being paired with Daniel. This was my life now. I had no choice but to work with him, to be around him, to depend on him for my grades. And after everything that had happened, I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

As the professor continued to explain more details about the project, I couldn't help but steal another glance at Daniel. He was staring straight ahead, his jaw tight, as if he wasn't entirely happy with the situation either. The tension between us was thick, and I had no idea how we were going to navigate this new partnership. But one thing was for sure-whatever this was between us, it was far from over.

DANIEL'S POV

I sat in my seat, clenching my jaw as the professor made the announcement. Mackenzie SaintClaire....until graduation. My stomach tightened, and I could feel the irritation bubbling up inside me. Just when I thought I could stay away.....The universe has a twisted sense of humour. I muttered under my breath,"If this is a joke, it's not funny."

I kept my eyes locked straight ahead, refusing to even glance in her direction. The last thing I needed was to meet her gaze again. Saturday night was bad enough-stepping in when I shouldn't have, feeling things I had no business feeling. But now, I was supposed to be around her, work with her, for the next few years? It was a nightmare. Her scent, though, was impossible to ignore. A faint, intoxicating mix of something sweet and subtle, enough to invade my senses and make it hard to think straight. My grip on the desk tightened. I couldn't let myself get distracted, not by her. I have to keep my cool, play it off like it didn't matter. Like she didn't matter.

As soon as class ended , I shot out of my seat. I was already thinking about how to fix this-how to undo the mess the professor had just throw me into. The moment the professor stood up , I was there, trying to sound casual despite the knot in my stomach. "Professor, I need to talk to you about the pairings," I started, trying to keep my tone neutral.

The professor raised an eyebrow."What about them, Mr Bright?" "I was wondering if there was any chance I could switch partners." I tried to stay calm, but my frustration was leaking into my words. "It's.....not an ideal match for me." The professor gave me a long, hard look, and I could already tell where this was going. " I'm afraid that's not possible. The pairings are final, and they've been made on academic compatibility. It doesn't matter what type of relationship you have or had with Miss SaintClaire , she's a bright mind that will surely boost your already excellent academic record. Now I know you kids of nowadays don't like working with people you were once involved with but as your teacher I must advise that you think of your academic future. You'll have to make it work, Mr Bright."

I felt a surge of irritation but kept his expression blank. "Right. Thanks," I muttered, turning away, cursing under my breath, "Fuck." But as I turned, I saw Mackenzie standing a few feet away, staring at me, her expression a mixture of shock and hurt. She had heard me. Of course, she had.

Her voice was sharp, cutting through the air between us. "You wanted to change partners? Is it really that unbearable to work with me?" I winced internally. I didn't mean for her to hear that, but now there was no avoiding it. I kept my  expression cold, hiding the storm of frustration and guilt swirling inside me."It's not about you, Mackenzie."

"Oh really? Because it sure sounds like it is," she snapped, her eyes blazing with anger." You can't even stand the idea of being near me, is that it?" I tried to stay calm, but the tension between us was too thick to ignore."That's not what I said!" "But it's what you meant." Her voice was shaking now, a mix of hurt and fury. "Why do you even care? you barely know me, and yet here you are, trying to run the moment you're paired with me."

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my composure. "I'm trying to what's best for both of us, alright? This isn't going  to work." Mackenzie's eyes narrowed, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone. "You mean it's not going to work for you. I'll figure out how to get through it just fine, Daniel. I'm not the one with a problem here." Her words stung more than they should have, and I hated how much they got under my skin. I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, Mackenzie turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving me standing there, speechless and frustrated.

As she disappeared down he hallway, I let out a long breath, running a hand through my hair. I screwed up-again. But what else was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to spend the next few years pretending she didn't affect me, pretending I could keep my distance when every time she was near, I felt like my control was slipping? 

I stared after her, my mind racing . This wasn't just about the project. It was about her. About how she was getting under my skin in ways I hadn't expected. I wanted to push her away, to keep that distance, but every time I tried , it only pulled me closer into the mess I was trying so hard to avoid. And now, it looked like there was no escaping it. 

For better or worse, I was stuck with Mackenzie SaintClaire.