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Chapter 12: Not as Anti-Social as I Thought

Dylan showed up for a few classes that semester, but eventually he had to put school to one side to focus on his music. As a result, I became a fully-fledged lone ranger. This meant sitting alone in the cafeteria or if there wasn't an empty table, wandering the school yard.

I was absolutely dreading partner work. Ugh, I hate it. It's bad enough having to pair up in classes where I don't have any friends. It's worse when I'm in a class where I usually do have a friend, but said friend is absent or doesn't show up to class anymore.

Usually, if Dylan and I have a class together and the teacher tells the class to pair up, we share a knowing look and a smile and instantly get to work. But since Dylan wasn't showing up to our classes anymore, I would have to find a new partner. And if there is an odd number of students, I'd probably end up on my own or the teacher would make me join an already-formed pair and make it a group of three. Both very embarrassing options. So, basically I hate partner work. Luckily, it doesn't happen very often.

Although a few weeks into the semester, it eventually did.

Mr Vergara, my Spanish teacher announced that we should work in groups of two and everyone was quick to choose their regular partners. It was the same as always. Except this time I didn't have to stand there and watch like I usually did when I couldn't find a partner. This time I didn't have to walk around the room and hopelessly try to see if anyone was doing the same thing I was. This time I didn't have to find someone to choose. Why not? Because this time, someone chose me.

You see, in the last few weeks something had kinda happened. Remember the new kid, Jeremy? The one who was almost instantly welcomed into Max's posse? Yeah, him. Well... he spoke to me the other day.

We were sitting in math class. I sit in the third row. He sits in the first.

"Hey, Taylor!" Jeremy said. He had made his way over to my table and plopped down in the seat next to me. Apparently our teacher didn't mind.

I looked up, startled. I wasn't aware that he even knew my name.

"What question are you on?" he asked.

"Seven," I replied, after a moment's deliberation.

"How do you do question six? I keep getting the wrong answer."

I froze. I'm not very fond of people asking me for help. As confident as I am in my math abilities, I always get that tiny twinge of doubt that I will somehow give them completely the wrong advice and that will end up tainting their knowledge forever. I don't want to be the one responsible for someone failing a class. I just don't.

Nevertheless, I quickly looked at my answers and then at Jeremy's notepad. It took me a second before I realised his mistake. "You differentiated," I said.

He didn't reply; he just looked at me as if he expected me to continue.

"You're supposed to integrate," I explained.

Jeremy leaned over to see what I was talking about. He slapped his head. "Oh, of course. No wonder. Thanks." He gave me a slight grin before returning to his work.

Okay, that wasn't too bad, I thought.

It happened again during a free period in the library later that week.

"Hey, uh, do you mind if I sit here?"

I looked up and saw the guy with the floppy hair staring down at me with a friendly grin. I hesitated. Out of the corner of my eye I could see an empty table not too far away. I considered pointing it out to him but I couldn't figure out a way to say it without sounding rude.