Unexpected

| iv | the greatest (love) of all

iv~ this, i'm sure, is the greatest [love] of all

iv-iv-iv-iv-iv

Grayson slinks lower in his seat. He pretends that he can avoid any attention if he does so. His hair is pathetically combed over-he thought it would be a good idea for whatever reason-and he can feel a new pimple straining at the skin of his cheek, as if he did not have enough already.

Chattering fills his ears, and a paper airplane comes from somewhere in the back of the glass and knocks against Grayson's temple. He flinches but otherwise ignores the situation, even though a red flush is burning and choking his neck. Laughter sounds and he knows that it is directed at him.

Not a moment too soon, the teacher takes his place at the front of the room, looking down at all the stunted hybrids (is there any other way to describe those creatures who are in the midst of puberty-not yet adults yet too developed to be children?). He seems tired, as if he does not wish to be there.

Oh, Grayson can definitely sympathize.

"Today you will be receiving your book assignments for the group reading project," he pauses when there is a satisfied murmuring at the word 'group'. "Lucky for you, I have already chosen who you will be working with."

The excitement dies down and is replaced with trepidation. Their teacher draws the roll call sheet from a manila folder and reads off names. Grayson tunes out until he hears his last name called,

"-and Carin."

Wondering who he is placed with, and yet at the same time not quite caring as much as he should, Grayson glances around the room. A boy in the front row is peering at him from under long, pale bangs. The boy's wide, nervous blue eyes also dart to someone sitting behind Grayson. He looks as well.

To Grayson's dismay, he sees one of the kids in the back looking at him. It is an athletic prodigy from their local junior football system, and he has never spared Grayson anything more than a snide comment. More than that, Grayson recognizes him as one of the mean faces that stared down at him when he was trapped against the brick wall of the elementary school two years prior.

"Get into your groups. I will come around to assign you your novels."

Grayson does not move. He cannot move. Instead, he waits for his partners to come to him. He does not even know their names, and yet he finds himself already feeling grudging resentment towards them.

"So. Will, Gray, I see that we're going to be partners," the popular boy says with a ruddy smile. He is pleasantly chubby in a way that leads more to bulkiness than anything unhealthy.

"Don't call me Gray." Grayson answers coldly.

"I'm going to call you Gray," says Ian simply. He turns to Will, which is apparently the skinny, blond kid's name. "William, let's make a deal. You're smart, I know you are. See, I have practice... Just about every day. And, well, Gray here doesn't have the best grades. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Will seems puffed up like an angry bird, but after only a few seconds of anger, his narrow shoulders hunch passively. "Yeah."

"No." Grayson surprises himself when he speaks up. "We are going to all work on it. It's bullshit otherwise-"

"Language, Mr. Carin," their teacher slams a particularly thick book onto the table between them. "This book is slightly more difficult than the others. If you want to, I can give the three of you an abridge-"