Adventures in Dreamscapering

science partner

My next day at school went alright. I had just transferred after moving with my mom and my sister to a new city, so I hadn't made too many friends. I'm pretty sure everyone here assumed I'm too goth to function because I wear all black every day and occasionally zone out to alternative music when we are allowed to use earbuds in class. 

Normally, I don't really care about this friendless disposition... until it's time to find partners. 

Ms. Boyd, my favorite teacher but also the teacher most prone to group assignments did the unthinkable. 

"Class," she said, "we are going to be doing an end of quarter project! I'm going to let you all choose the topic, it can be about anything that you'd like as long as it can be viewed and reported on from a scientific perspective. Because you guys have been a good class this quarter...I'll let you choose partners."

Oh no. 

Oh no. 

How am I supposed to choose a lab partner when I don't know anybody? My heart sinks as I anxiously look about the room. 

Hey, maybe that girl with the red hair who let you borrow her pencil one time? I think to myself. I turn to make eye contact with her, but she's already reached her partner. 

How about that guy you let copy homework off of you? He owes you one! I turn to the guy's direction, but alas, he too has a friend to work with. 

My prospects get slimmer and slimmer; I wait for the teacher's call of shame so I can be assigned a partner. 

"Who here still needs a partner?" Ms. Boyd asked. 

I raised my hand, and my heart slipped to the floor when I noticed who else was raising their hand. 

Nathan Black. 

Nathan Black and I were sworn enemies, though we had never formally spoken. Nathan was stuck up but incredibly smart, my good grades threatened his valedictorian status more than anyone else apparently. So he took it out on me. If I volunteered for an answer and got it right, he would scoff and try to one up me. If I got it wrong, he snickered. Sometimes he intentionally brushed past my desk to sweep my lab reports onto the ground. 

Nathan let out an audible groan, I was tempted to do the same. Ms. Boyd sent us to get to work, and both Nathan and I approached her desk. Nathan nearly tripped me trying to get there first. 

"Ms. Boyd," we both spoke simultaneously. 

"How can I help you two? Do you have a topic yet?" Ms. Boyd said.

"Ms. Boyd, I cannot  work with Gwendolyn. She's kind of a freak and---"

"The feeling is mutual Nathan. I can't stand him, can we just work on our own?"

Ms. Boyd pursed her lips and looked up from her computer. 

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you two have special privileges. You'll just have to...figure out your differences," Ms. Boyd replied. 

Nathan let out an indignant sound and turned to glare at me, brushing my shoulder as he balked past. 

I turned and shoulder-checked him, although harder than I expected. He stumbled into a desk and dramatically flopped to the floor. 

"See! She just assaulted me!" Nathan cried. A few people giggled nearby. 

"Gwendolyn, see me after class," Mrs. Boyd sighed.

After class I was tempted to just duck out of class, but I couldn't stomach blowing Ms. Boyd off, so I went to go talk to her. 

"Look," she said, "I know that it's difficult given that you're new to this school, finding friends is hard and Nathan is... difficult. But I trust in your ability to...get along fine. If it becomes really problematic, we'll figure something out. Okay?"

I sighed dejectedly and nod. "Alright, Ms. Boyd. I'll try."