In A New Life [Lams]

Chapter 17: Lost Puppy

It had been five days and I had not heard back from John. He had not gotten back to me, spoken at me, nor looked at me since the night at Olive Garden. He avoided me at school and refused to sit near me. He would make eye contact with me as I try to talk to him, and intentionally not reply to me. Following that, he would say hi to someone else that was sitting right behind me.

In class, he would actually move seats to get away from me so he wouldn't have to sit near me. It was the most heart breaking thing I had ever gone through in my life. Honestly, I didn't really know what to do, because following in John's footsteps, was Lafayette and Hercules. I had no idea how to cope with what had happened.

I had had three best friends, three good friends, and an amazing boyfriend. I now had zero best friends, zero good friends, no boyfriend, and two enemies.

I was back to where I was before I came to this school. This was the last thing I had ever wanted to happen. I had no way to control what was going on, and knowing that made me not want to do anything.

"Alex, you know you have to go to school." That was the thing Washington had started to wake me up with. It made my heart leap in my chest every time. He didn't understand -- of course he didn't. It would be a miracle if he understood how to use the emojis on his phone -- let alone why my classmates are missing some screws.

"Only if you make it so that we're paired together in class, he can't switch, and we're forced to get to know each other," I snapped, my eyes still closed. As I opened my eyes, Washington was leaning against my doorway, smirking.

"Funny you say that."

"My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I already have an activity like that planned for today. It's a big project, and I think it might help you two to work out whatever is going on between the two of you. Now, get up and grab some breakfast so that we can get to school."

***

The day felt like it was the slowest day ever. Time moving slower than a snail. I couldn't get to George's class fast enough. He had refused to tell me what he had planned. This was going to be a very interesting class.

I walked into his class and there was an open seat next to John. Quickly, I rushed over to the seat, trying to take it before someone else did.

John's eyes raked over me with disgust before picking up his backpack and shoving his supplies inside it. Quietly, he stood up and went to find a new seat.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Laurens," George's voice rang out. John stopped dead in his tracks.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said, that won't be necessary, so you can just put your stuff down. You're not moving. That goes for the rest of the class as well. If you're sitting next to someone, that is your partner for the day, no quick changes right now. It has come to my attention you don't socialize enough with new people, so that is what you're going to be doing today."

I was aware of the glares that John was shooting my way, figuring I had something to do with this, when I kind of really didn't.

Why George was doing it like this was beyond me. It seemed strange, unnecessary, and embarrassing. Everyone murmured when he spoke.

"Your project," Washington's voice bellowed. "Is to take your assigned countries -- your very different countries, and form an alliance. How you will help and support each other through the hard times of World War Three. Let's get going!" We stared at him blankly. When no one moved, he asked. "Come on, what's wrong?"