Unfortunate

Chapter 2

Mallory's Point of View

      I come to 8th hour prepared today. Last night I wrote down about twenty questions to ask Elliot so that I can get to know him and work on the project. Clever? I’d like to think so. Going over the questions in my head, I walk into class and sit down next to Jonah who is giving me a smug look.

      “Ready for today, Mrs. Campbell? Stayed up last night preparing, didn’t you?” Jonah says.

      “Shut up,” I reply. “But… yes, I did. Don’t laugh, though! You don’t understand.”

     “You’re right, Mal. How could I possibly understand the feeling of liking someone? It’s so rare. Hardly ever happens, you know. Sorry I can’t help, I have no idea how you feel,” he says a little too dramatically. I send him an annoyed look, which in his mind apparently meant to keep talking.

      “Liking someone,” Jonah continues with fake awe. “Tell me, how does it feel? Good? Bad? I would know, now would I? I just don’t….understand.”

      “Ha-ha. You’re so funny,” I reply dryly. “You still can’t help me, though.”

      “But I-“ before Jonah could finish, the bell rings and Elliot walks through the door without a second to spare.

      Ms. Robin marches to the front of the room and explains that today was going to be another work day, in which the class already knew. “So get with your partners, everyone. You have all today and tomorrow to work before the weekend, and then we’ll have Monday and Tuesday to work as well. Your assignments are due the next Tuesday.”

      I don’t know whether to walk over to Elliot or wait for him to come to me, so I just awkwardly sit at my desk and watch Elliot stride towards me.

      “I still don’t know what the hell we’re doing for the assignment,” he says as he sat down.

     “Erm… right. So, basically, we need to write a short story and then make a video or movie thing about it. And it can be about anything. Our first step is to decide what the topic is. Any ideas?”

     Elliot stays quiet for a minute. I patiently wait for him to answer, but he didn’t. Glancing over at him, I realize his eyes were closed. “Elliot! Are you sleeping? What the heck, I was only talking for like two seconds!” As I say that, I reach over and push his shoulders trying to wake him. How fast did he fall asleep?

     He pushes my hand off his shoulders and re[lies, “I was just thinking.”

      “You were sleeping.”

       “And thinking.”

       “Think faster! We have work to do!” There was no way I am going to let Elliot slack off.

       “Whatever,” he says sounding bored.

       Trying to get him going, I ask one of my prepared questions. “Do you have any hobbies or favorite stories we could write about?”

      “Nah. Just soccer, but I mean it’s not that great of a topic,” he offers. Yay! Eliiot was engaging! Now I need to support his ideas…

     “Soccer,” I say while thinking of ideas. “I don’t know anything about it. Anything. You kick the ball and score goals, right? That’s where my knowledge ends.”

     Just then, I see a flicker of passion in Elliot’s eyes. He sits up straighter and  faces me so he can talk to me better. I start to get excited at his interest.