Our Song

Our Song (3)

"Okay, I was lying before. Now I think you're crazy."

I rolled my eyes at Cassie as I continued to sit on her desk, which was across the room from where Blake was sitting. Every now and then I would glance over at him, just to make sure he wasn't looking over at us. Just because I knew that he could read lips didn't mean that Cassie did.

When I saw that he wasn't looking at us, but out the window instead, I felt myself let out a sigh of relief.

"We're partners, Cassie," I tried to reason with her, even though I knew I didn't have to. "The point of the project is that we have to spend time together and write a song that describes the relationship with we have. We can't do that unless we hang out and become friends."

Cassie made a face. "But he never talks. You're going to end up doing all the work. All he's going to do is listen to his music with those big headphones of his and watch you do all the work. Is that really what you want, Leah?"

It wasn't like I could just switch partners. Once Mrs. Sparks made a decision, she made a decision. That was just how Mrs. Sparks was. I was used to it, and even though I had been angry about it in the beginning, I wasn't really bothered by it very much anymore.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about that," I shrugged, my stomach dropping when I saw that the tardy bell was going to ring in only two minutes. That meant I was going to have to go over to my actual seat soon. "Mrs. Sparks doesn't change her mind."

"That's why I'm glad that I have Mr. Keyes for English," Cassie continued on with a wave of her hand in front of her face. "He doesn't make us do projects like this. He's actually cool, unlike your teacher. He also lets us pick our own partners. And he doesn't have a stick up his ass like Mrs. Sparks does."

By now, I really wished that Leslie was with us because it was easier to change the subject when it was two against one. But since she was gone for a dentist appointment, it was just Cassie and me.

"Mrs. Sparks may be strict sometimes, but she's actually really a very nice person," I tried to tell her, but I knew she wasn't listening anymore. She was too busy glaring at the back of Blake's head, and I didn't think I wanted to know what she was about to say next.

"You're really going to hang out with him after school?" Cassie looked like she was genuinely afraid for me. "Leah, this guy is the mayor of Freaksville. He'll probably convert you into a silent freak! And then all you'll ever do is listen to music and you'll forget all about me, and Leslie, and Sean!"

I couldn't help but stare at her flatly. "Hopefully I'll forget about Sean."

Before Cassie could say anything else, I jumped up from her desk and started toward my own. The tardy bell was going to ring in thirty seconds, and I didn't want to be tardy for not sitting in my seat when I was still in the classroom.

"Afternoon, Burk," Mr. Meyers greeted me with a nod as I passed by his desk, obnoxious nickname and all.

"Afternoon, Mr. Meyers," I greeted back.

I didn't know where I stood with Blake at all at that moment. Did he consider me a friend, or even an acquaintance? Or was he going to act like normal and not talk to me at all?

Just like I thought, Blake didn't even look at me as I passed him to get to my seat beside him. I stayed silent, knowing he wouldn't have been able to hear me anyway if I said anything.

Blake didn't acknowledge me in our last two classes at all, so I was almost worried that he had forgotten that we were going to hang out after school.

"So," Sean started after he had come up to me during our last class, "I was thinking maybe we could hang out together after school today, babe."

Of course he added babe in there. I hope he noticed one day how he had made me utterly hate that term for affection. I didn't think I'd like anyone calling me that, and all because he had ruined it for me.