Basically...

Chapter 3: Pairings

GINGER
I was right. I mean I'm not sure why I'm surprised, I'm usually always right. Joel sat next to me. He even smiled as he did so. Okay, so that was probably a snickering face. Still, he seemed pretty happy about sitting next to me.

I'm not gonna lie, I underestimated my charm. I was expecting to get Courtney, or maybe even Hayden next to me. But I got Joel. The Joel. One of the most popular members of the student body. So maybe his reputation isn't the best, I mean he did get expelled for crushing some guys glasses. And that one time he twisted the cheap plastic chairs in elementary. I'm getting carried away, what I'm trying to say is that I clearly have what it takes to conquer the student body.

Anyways, the class is starting up now and the teacher has just walked in. It's insane how silent the students become.

Our teacher's fairly pretty. She has wavy brunette hair that falls slightly past her shoulders and blue eyes. A blue cardigan wraps itself around her white dress.

The teacher first introduces herself and begins a speech on our expected behaviour. She also states these are our permanent seats. I can see Joel playing with his pen, clearly not interested. But he sighs at the mention of permanent seating.

He has this complicated pen with a maze spiralling around the ink. I'm waiting for the moment the teacher acknowledges his lack of attention, but it never comes.

Suddenly, Joel's head jerks up. He lifts his nose into the air, as though searching for a scent. His nose points in my direction and I can see he has located the smell.

He can probably smell my perfume.

But I doubt that because in an instant Joel's deodorant is being sprayed all over me.

"Trust me, this is not for you."

Sasha

I was trying my best to focus on Miss Keegan's speech but the string of words that escaped her scarlet lips flowed through one ear and out the other. Besides I had barely slept last night. Planning the best back to school outfit had taken hours. I placed a cheek into my palm and fixated my attention on the boy sitting next to Ginger who seemed devastated to be informed by Miss Keegan that the seating was, in fact, a permanent arrangement.

The corners of his lips tipped upside down as his long fingers wrapped around his ink pen, fiddling with it gently. A cough from my neighbour diverted my attention to Alex. I had picked up his name in the chatter before class. Girls were gushing over his curly blonde locks that fell over his forehead but failed to conceal his turquoise gaze. I was beginning to doze off when the sharp smell of deodorant shot up my nostrils prompting me to choke.

The boy sitting next to Ginger had practically emptied a can of deodorant on the poor girl.

I started coughing. Having asthma did not help the situation.

"I have asthma," I managed to stutter between strangled breaths.

Miss Keegan appeared flustered but motioned Alex to accompany me to sickbay.

I felt Alex stand up and look down at me.

"C'mon," He said.

ALEX
The murmuring around the class enlightened me as I heard that, fall tryouts will start soon meaning that I could claim the quarterback position and Holly is on the cheerleading squad. I mean, it's meant to be!

The murmuring stops as the teacher walks in and tell us we're sitting in ur permanent seats, so I glance back and find Joel and Ginger were in the row behind me. Could be better, but I'm glad that Ginger isn't sitting next to or in front of me.

I lose concentration and start to reminisce about my holiday and how I spent my vacation in Australia surfing the tidal waves of Byron Bay, but unfortunately, it got cut short as my grandma recently got robbed and we had to come back and support her. I spent the rest of Summer Break hanging out, binging and all that shizz, so hey that's an upside.

The sound of someone choking enters my head and breaks my trance, I look next to me and find the new girl choking on the strong smell coming out of Ginger. I knew that Joel spent some time making friends.

She was now choking really hard and I could see, for some reason, Joel got extremely worried. Why would he be worried?

Out of no breath, she releases some words.
"I.....have...asthma"
The teacher points to me and says " You, go take the girl down to sickbay"
I stand up and look at her
"Cmon," I say
Woah she is very pretty, with her blueberry eyes and peach lips. No wonder Joel is getting all worried

JOEL

It's class time and I'm surprised the teacher is late, I mean like I thought I was running late. Ms Keegan starts off with a huge lecture on our 'behavioural expectations' during class. I'm so bored I can already predict this year's going to be an unexciting year.

I grab my mazed pen and try to accomplish the maze, I just can't get to the end. I always get to the end of the maze. What the hell is bothering me? My nose starts to tingle and I realise it's because of an unusual scent in the air, I sniff around me. The scent is coming from the right, I instantly look towards Ginger. This bloody weird gypsy smells foul and I can't stand it anymore!

I quickly grab my deodorant can and spray it all over Ginger. Ms Keegan suddenly stops during her speech, the whole class is staring at me. I never was good with first reputations but I'm Joel the bully and I don't care.

Sasha starts to cough up really loud, I stop myself from spraying anymore. She finally under her breath stutters something, I can vaguely hear it, but I think she said that she has asthma. I feel bad, extremely bad I never intended to hurt her. She was the last person I wanted to hurt. She looks up in pain, tears were developing in her eyes.

Ms Keegan storms up towards us and immediately directs Alex to take Sasha to the sickbay.

She looks towards me and whispers, "And, you ...."

"GO TO THE PRINCIPALS OFFICE NOW" She yells immediately after.

This time I feel