The Lonely Hearts Club

01 / late lab partners

"I WANT to talk." Jordan Myers said crisply.

Verona Wang glanced up at this, unsurprised to find her recent ex-boyfriend standing there. She raised a single eyebrow, utterly unimpressed with him. She raised a single eyebrow, utterly unimpressed with him. Internally, she berated herself for dating him. Why did she even get herself into these situations? 

"We're talking right now, aren't we?" Verona sighed.

Jordan glanced around, obviously uncomfortable at speaking in the library.

It was quiet, obviously so. She could see the glances of other students as they pretended to be studying or doing their AP homework. Verona knew that it would be all over school tomorrow—cold-hearted Verona Wang strikes again, this time with golden soccer player Jordan Myers as a victim. Frankly though, Verona didn't care. Most people thought of whatever they wanted, and it wasn't like their opinion could change Verona. 

Verona sighed again, "Jordan, I'm not leaving to talk to you. I'm waiting for my stupid lab partner to come, so we can finish this lab report. You have until he comes."

Jordan's cheeks flushed red. With a disgruntled sigh, he shot her an impatient look.

Was he expecting that she would make this easy? Verona Wang was known for many things, but being easy was not one of those things. In fact, she had a penchant for being difficult to most people.

"I miss you," Jordan said.

"You should have thought about that before you broke up with me two weeks ago," Verona stated, reaching for one of her erasers. She had messed up one of her chemistry lab problems, and it was annoying to have to redo it. If it weren't for Jordan's distracting her, she probably could've finished half of the homework by now.

"I'm sorry about that."

"I'm not," Verona replied, running her hand over her chemistry book. Verona wondered where Roman was. He was very late, and she was getting vaguely annoyed. She reminded herself to blame him later on. If he hadn't been late, she wouldn't have had to deal with Jordan.

"I really miss you, I can't stop thinking about you."

"I didn't know you had the capacity to think." Verona raised an eyebrow at that, "You thinking is more of a lie than you missing me."

"Vera, I-"

"I told you I hated when people call me that." Verona turned back to her homework, "It makes me sound like that fashion designer."

"Verona," He corrected himself, "I really miss you." 

"That's just 'cause I didn't cry or fall at your feet when we broke up."

Jordan blinked, "Ver, you're really special. You're something special."

"I'm a someone, not a something, and I'm well aware of my specialness, thank you," Verona replied dryly.

"Can we get back together?" Jordan asked.

"No."

"I really miss you." He insisted.

"Do you remember what was the first thing I said after you asked me out?"

Jordan faltered. Verona wondered what possessed her to agree to date him. Then again, Verona had never been the best at making decisions romantically. It was probably why none of her relationships had ever worked out.

"I said that I don't do third chances," Verona told him. "Jordan, you've used up all your chances."

She glanced back down at her stuff in a way that clearly said that he was dismissed.

"You can't just do that!" Jordan gaped, "You can't dismiss me like that!"

"You're blocking the sunlight. I'm trying to finish this problem if you could please move your head to the right a little."

"Verona." He said.

"You're making a scene, Jordan." Verona threw him an annoyed glance, the most emotion she had shown in this conversation so far, "I already told you no. You can't break up with me and expect me to want to get back together."

Jordan clenched his jaw, "They told me you were heartless"

"Maybe." She was surprised by the sting his words carried, "I care about things worth caring about. You are not on that list."

"Actually, I agree with both of you." A new voice added, "Verona as heartless, and Jordan as not worth caring about."

Verona lifted her head to see Roman, holding his bag of schoolwork. He grinned down at her, a quick fleeting smile with the slightest teeth bare. Roman's reddish-blonde hair glinted beneath the sunlight, glowing a soft warm red. With the halo of sunlight behind him, he looked angelic, but Verona knew he was everything but. If anything, he leaned more on the side of mischievous and devilish.   

Jordan's jaw dropped down, "Is this why you won't give me another chance? Because of him? I thought you said you didn't do third chances." Jordan gave Roman a withering look.

"I don't do third chances." Verona moved her backpack to make room for Roman, "He is the late lab partner."

 Verona shot Roman a look, "I don't like late people."

"You don't like a lot of things." Roman sighed ruefully, "Dogs, people, stupid people. I've given up on keeping a list."

Verona rolled her eyes, "You're just biased since you belong to all three of those categories." 

"You should go." Verona glanced at Jordan, "You're going to be late to soccer practice."

Verona ignored Roman's offended gasp.  

Jordan huffed in a way to tell them that he was still very upset.

Verona and Roman both ruffled through their things, acutely acknowledging that they were done with Jordan. Jordan huffed again loudly as if he wanted them to notice he was still there.

Jordan finally gave up and stomped away like a grumpy child.

"Gosh, what a jerk." Roman spoke up when Jordan was far enough away, "Why do you only date jerks?"

"I dated you." Verona pointed out.

"Proving my point exactly," Roman replied, shaking his head in disappointment. 

"No." The side of Verona's mouth quirked up, "You're an idiot, too."

"I hate you."

"The feeling is mutual."

~~~