Lab Partners?

    "Evie! Evie! Evelen Hamilton are you listening to me?"
    "Huh? What?" I asked coming out of my daydream.
    "I said, are you listening to me?" my best friend Sierra replied. "But it's obvious that you weren't so, back to what I was saying. My mom and Mrs. Bates were talking last night and I heard them say that someone just moved into that house next to Mrs. Bates. She said that the woman that moved in next door has a son that's supposed to be coming to our school," she told me excitedly.
    "That poor boy," I replied. "I'm sorry he has to come to this stupid school." Sierra nodded in agreement. Sierra Taylor has been my best friend since kindergarten.  A little redheaded girl was swinging on the swing set at school and a boy came up to her and pushed her off and started laughing. The redheaded girl sat down on the ground and cried. A blonde girl saw the whole thing and punched the boy in the nose. He ran off screaming. The blonde girl helped the redheaded little girl up off the ground. "It's okay, don't cry," she said.
    "Thank you," the redheaded girl answered wiping her eyes.
    "Your welcome, my name is Sierra; what's yours?"
    "Evelen, but my friends call me Evie."
    "Hello Evie, wanna be my best friend?"
    "Yes."
    "Cool, come on lets swing." And we've been inseparable from then to now our senior year in high school. Sierra is the complete opposite of me, I think that's why we get along so well. She's out-going, funny, strong, and really pretty. I'm not any of those things, well, I mean I can be funny sometimes but I'm not really a funny person. As for being out-going, I'd have to laugh. I'm one of the shiest people there is, which usually doesn't turn out well when trying to make friends.
    I guess you could say I'm pretty average looking, with thick auburn hair that falls down my back in loose curls and green eyes. I'd be pretty okay were it not for the abnormal shortness that plagued me; at 4'11 I was one of the shortest people at my high school, and if that wasn't bad enough I was chubby and my breasts were, how do I say-quite large?- for my short little body. Picturing it now I resembled, very closing, an apple; big up top small at the bottom.
    Sierra of course is the exact opposite, she's tall about 5'8 and has blonde hair that's super straight and comes to her shoulders, her eyes are a pretty, electric, blue color. She's gorgeous and has had plenty of boyfriends, with the amazing feet of not being s****y or trampy in the slightest.
    I was what you'd call very inexperienced, and lacked any of the firsts; first date, first kiss, first boyfriend, the works. As much as I hate to admit it, it really is my own fault. I was a huge nerd. The very definition of nerd was me, loves to read, good grades, very inactive, shy, then there was my own little twist on it that just made it so much better. My love for different languages, and a great love of music and art. Yeah, I was pretty hopeless.
    Sierra and I were talking when Mr. Anderson appeared in front of us ordering everyone to be quiet. Everyone quieted down and turned to look at him. "Class," he started, "we have a new student joining us, Mr. Diego would you come here?" A boy stepped out from in the hall to stand next to Mr. Anderson. He was tall, about 6' 3 I would say. He had hazel eyes, and dark brown hair that had some red streaks in it. He was wearing a leather jacket and dark pants, he wore a small frown on his face. Everything about him said 'stay away', he was basically your everyday bad boy. And to tell the truth, he was incredibly sexy. "This is Cain Diego, he just moved here, I expect all of you to be nice to him," Mr. Anderson told us, "Mr. Diego, you can go sit next to...Ms. Summers. Ms. Summers, would you please raise your hand?" Stacey Summers, the school s**t, raised her hand smiling at Cain flirtatiously. He didn't return the smile and sat next to her ignoring her attempts at getting his attention. I stifled a laugh. She had probably never been refused before in her life.
    "So," Sierra started, "the new guys hot, huh?"
    "Yeah I guess," I answered cautiously, "but he's not really my type."
    "What? You don't like the whole 'bad boy' attitude?" she asked smirking.
    "Not really," I told her. She shook her head at me and turned to look at Mr. Anderson, trying to understand what he was teaching. Finally after a long hour of listening to Mr. Anderson go on and on about nothing the bell rang. Sierra and I gathered our books and headed out the door. I saw that Cain had already got out of the classroom and now Stacey was right behind him, following him.
    "Hi, I'm Stacey Summers," Stacey greeted placing her hand out for him to shake. He looked at her hand then back in front of him.
    "Great," he replied. She ignored his obvious annoyance at her and kept talking.
    "So, you know since I'm like having a party Friday and you're new and everything I was thinking we could go together. Going with me, would totally boost your image. So, yeah, like I guess I'll see Friday at my house."
    "No you won't," he replied simply.
    "Excuse me?" she asked shocked and angry.
    "You heard me, now get the hell away from me." he growled. She looked slightly scared and ran away.
    "What are you looking at cow?" she hissed while passing me. I shook my head and looked at the ground. Sierra's face twisted into in rage, and opened her mouth to tell Stacy off, but I shook my head not wanting her to start something and get into trouble.
    "Don't listen to that s**t Evie, you're not a cow." I just nodded not believing a word she said. I glanced up and my eyes made contact with a pair of hazel ones. Cain looked at me indifferently and continued down the hallway, while I pretended to pay attention to Sierra talk about this guy she talked to on Myspace.
 
                           ***
    The lunch bell finally rang, signally an end to Mr. West, my Calculus teacher's, lecture. Sierra and I hurried off to our usual spot near a big oak tree to eat. I pulled my lunch bag out of my book bag, while Sierra sat down her stuff then to the cafeteria to get her lunch. I opened the bag revealing my peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich. Yummy. People might think I'm weird packing a pb and J sandwich for my lunch as a senior in high school, but I don't really care because if you ask me it tastes better then that nasty crap the school sells claiming as food. I took a bite out of my sandwich, pulled a book out of my book bag, and started reading. The story really started getting interesting when I heard my name. Looking around, I didn't notice anyone close by so I continued reading. My name was called again and I again I looked around and saw no one.
    "Evie! Up here you retard!" I heard from...above me? I looked up to meet the eyes of one of my other friends Emily, and smiled. Emily is short like me, only she's an inch taller, and there isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't remind me of that inch she has over me. She's pretty, with brown hair that's cut into choppy layers and bangs dyed purple. She has green eyes and she's very thin. Emily has this spunky, crazy, have-fun-all-the-time attitude that makes people like her, no matter how much they may try not too.
    "Oh, hey Emily," I replied. "I thought I was going crazy there for a minute."
    "Went there a long time ago Evie." I rolled my eyes at her with a laugh.
    "So, what are you doing up there in a tree?" I asked.
    "Well, I decided to sit here and keep you company until Sierra came back," she answered. I looked at her skeptically. "Fine," she broke, "I'm waiting on Rachel's slow self to get out of tutoring and I didn't want to sit alone," she confessed. I laughed and shook my head. "Stop laughing at me," she whined like a two year old and pouted.
    "Nice,” I commented sarcastically. She laughed and nodded.
    "Hey Emily!" I heard a small voice call. I turned my head to see a short Chinese girl, Rachel.
    "Oh hey you're done!" she answered. "Okay, bye Evie see you in sixth hour."
    "Bye." About the time they left I saw Sierra making her away toward me with an excited look on her face. She hurriedly made her way next to me and plopped down, looking like she was about to explode with excitement. "Okay Sierra, spill. What happened?" I asked.
    "Well, I was going to get my lunch and you know Aiden, right?" Okay, Aiden is this tall, black haired, hazel eyed, hot guy in our grade that plays guitar and saxophone at our school, the works.
    "Yeah, I know him. He's in my Lit. class," I answered.
    "Okay well, I was just standing there in line when he came up to me and asked me out!" she squealed, “I think imadie." Just to clear things up imadie is actually I'm-going-to-die fit all in one. Sierra just has this thing where she sqeezes four to five words together to make one when she gets excited.
    "Yay, I'm so happy for you!" I answered. And I was, Sierra had liked Aiden since forever.
    "We're going to the movie's Saturday, Evie I can't believe Aiden actually ask me out!" Right then the lunch bell rang signally time for class. "Come on Sierra, if we're late for Chemistry Mrs. Vernis will kill us, plus we get our lab partners today," I told her. She dumped her uneaten food in the trash grabbed her book bag and we ran off to class.
    We made it to Chemistry just as the bell rang and took our seats in the back of the room. Mrs. Vernis stood up in front of us carrying a sheet of paper. She told everyone to shut up and that she was giving out lab partners. We all groaned. I'd been hoping she'd let us pick our own partners. Damnit! "Ugh! I was hoping we would get to pick our partners," Sierra whispered to me.
    "I know, I hate her," I whispered back.
    "Ok," Mrs. Vernis started, "When I call out your name I want you to go sit next your partner." Sierra crossed her fingers and closed her eyes tightly. Mrs. Vernis called out a bunch of names and finally came to mine. “Evelen Hamilton and Cain Diego," she announced pointing to Cain where he was sitting in the corner of the room. I hadn't even realized he was in this class. Sierra smirked at me as I grabbed my stuff and headed over to the empty desk next to Cain. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to what was going, seeming pretty engrossed in whatever he was scribbling on a piece of paper. "This will be your permanent seat for the rest of the year," Mrs.Vernis said, "And these are your lab partners, if you have a problem with who you are with, get over it."
    I looked over at Sierra, she was paired up with one of our other friends Diana. Lucky. I looked over at Cain who continued to scribble. "I want you to take the next fifteen minutes or so to get to know your partner while I go make copies of your assignment," Mrs. Vernis said before walking out the door. I sighed and pulled a book out of my book bag to read.
    I was buried within the book's pages, to far to notice what was going on around me so when I felt a tap on my shoulder, I jumped and just about fell out of my chair. I blushed in embarressment and looked over at Cain to see what he'd wanted. He handed me our worksheet and went back to ignoring me. I looked down at it and started filling it out, it said that we were supposed to work on in together with our partner but it didn't look like my partner was going to talking to me anytime soon. I finished quickly since I wasn't slowed down having to explain everything like I usually had to when I had a partner. I picked my book up again, but glanced over at Cain's paper in curious to see if he even did it. To my surprise it was complete and he was once again scribbling stuff down on that piece of paper. The class period came to a close with the sound of the bell ringing shrilly. Cain jumped out of his seat and walked out of the class before anyone else had gotten out of their seat. I stuck my stuff into my book bag and felt a presence next to me. I turned to see Jayden standing there.
    "Hey Jayden," I greeted one of my best friends with a smile.
    "Hey Evie, so you had to be partners with the new guy, I feel sorry for you," he told me as we waited for Sierra.
    "Yeah, he didn't talk at all he kind of just ignored me."
    "That's a good thing, be happy about that. I heard that he wasn't the greatest guy to hang out with. He's bad news and comes with a pretty seroius crime record," he told me.
    "You can't believe everything you hear Jayden, I mean we do live in small town Georgia, people make up things just to have something to talk about."
    "I know, I just want you to be careful Evie, ok?"
    "Yeah."
    "Good, alright well I have to get to class I'll see you later," he said pulling me into a hug. I felt butterflies assault my stomach even as he walked away. I've had a crush on Jayden for a while now but he's one of my best friends I can't tell him. He was beautiful in every way from his black hair to his light brown eyes, to his thin, lithe form. Who could tell an absolute god that you liked them? Not me sadly.
    Sierra came over to me and gave me a sympathetic look. She rapped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me lightly. "You need to tell him Evie," she told me. I just shook my head. "Fine," she sighed.
    Our last class dragged on for what seemed like an eternity and finally the last bell of the day rang, signaling freedom from this prison. I grabbed my stuff and walked out the door with Sierra. We came down the steps and waited for Diana so we could go to our lockers, which were conveniently located on the same hall, making it easier for us to walk home together. "Hey Diana!" Sierra exclaimed, exaggerating each vowel, as Diana met up with us.
    "Hey Sierra!" she replied, in the same manner.
    "Come on retards we gotta go," I told them, laughing at their stupidity.
    "Fine you soginator!" she replied.
    "No doll face, that would be you," I told her. Now don't ask me what exactly a soginator is because I honestly couldn't tell you. I think it had something to do with Sierra thinking someone called her soggy so we started calling her that and she somehow came up with a soginator. Yes, I am aware that we are special. We quickly went to our lockers and headed out the door to the school. Sierra and Diana started talking about something random I think it was about what color her converses were exactly I'm not quite sure because I just sort of zoned out on them. I was quickly brought back to Earth by something hitting me in the back of the head.
    "What the hell?!" I exclaimed looking around and finding Sierra and Diana laughing at me. I looked down and realized that I'd been assaulted by an apple core. I knew right then that Diana threw it she has an obsession with stealing cafeteria apples. Why? I don't know. I picked up the apple and threw back at her but with my aim it just ended up hitting sierra who was about two feet from her. She wasn't expecting it and tripped and fell into the deep ditch beside us. Call me horrible for laughing at other people's misfortunes but I burst out laughing so hard that I just about peed on myself and Diana was right along beside me rolling around on the ground laughing. Literally. "You farthead!" she exclaimed, "I'm not yells friends no more."
    "I'm sorry Sierra," I told her still laughing.
    "Shut up, I'm not talking to you," she joked and continued walking. Diana got up off the ground and ran over to Sierra and tackled her bringing them both to the ground. I was laughing so hard that it was just about impossible breathe. I looked at my phone and realized that we were already supposed to be home I started over to Sierra and Diana to tell them we better go but I stopped in my tracks when I spotted someone under a tree smoking not fifteen feet away from us. Cain had been there watching us the whole time.
    I felt shivers run up my spine as our eyes connected. I quickly looked away but felt a deep blush spread over my cheeks and neck. Behind me I heard snickers. I looked to find that Diana and Sierra were laughing hysterically at me. I glared at them and walked past.
    "So, what were looking at?" Sierra sang.
    "Nothing," I grumbled.
    "Mhm." She dropped it for which I was very thankful. Diana started another random conversation about something probably really retarded while I drifted in and out of Lala land.
    "Evie, I’m going to  shank you! You're being boring!" Diana exclaimed, amongst my drifting.
    "Sorry, I'm just not all there today."
    "When are you ever?" Sierra joked playfully. Trying to get me to talk I guess.
    "When are you?" I replied deciding to give in.
    "Haha true," she laughed. We soon reached Diana's house and waved goodbye. "Bye Dianapoo!" Sierra yelled.
    "Bye Sierrapoo! Bye Kitty!" she replied.
    "Bye!" I yelled. To this day I'm not really sure why she called me that. Sierra and I continued on our way to her house. I go to her house everyday after school because my mom can't pick me up when school ends and my house is to far away to walk to. It takes about ten minutes to get to her house and along the way we make random conversation. I'm a rather boring person so without Diana there isn't much talking going on. Sierra sat down at her computer and started checking her Myspace while I sat on her bed and stared aimlessly at her rainbow ceiling fan. No, she's not gay it came with the house. "Sierra I'm bored," I complained just as someone knocked on the front door.
    "Well, that's probably your mom," she told me.
    "Oh goody," I mumbled. It's not that I don't like my mom because I do it's just... well at my house there's nothing but a whole bunch of drama and I don't like going home to so I'd rather that she didn't pick me up at all. "Bye," I told her as I met up with my mom.
    "Bye, call me when you get home," she said giving me a look.
    "Kay." I opened the door to the car and got in. "Hey mom, what's wrong?" I asked. She looked like she'd been crying.
    "Same as always," she answered.
    "Oh," I mumbled. My parents didn't have what people would call a normal relationship. My mom was in love with my dad, but he wasn't returning the favor. They were divorced for four years, but for reasons beyond my knowledge, they remarried.    
    The drive home was very quite and nerve wracking, then again they were usually like this. Either that or we were yelling at each other. My mom and I can never seem to get along. I mean I love her but sometimes she just gets ridiculous.
    We pulled into the parking lot of our apartment and I ran up the steps into the second tiny little living room where I live on the couch. There wasn't room for me anywhere else. There's five people living in a one bedroom apartment and there's no way I'm sharing that little room with the rest of them. I was in the middle of checking my email when all of a sudden the house blew up! It didn't really but with all the noise you could have mistaken it for just that. Mom and dad were fighting again. It's nothing I'm not already used to but it's still annoying I guess you could say. I picked up my mp3 player and turned it to 'I never told you what I did for a living' by My Chemical Romance. I made sure the music was all the way up before I continued with what I was doing. I felt the wall move and knew something had been thrown at one of them. I yanked my head phones out and went into the bedroom. Mom got up off the floor and slapped my dad. So she'd hit the wall, I realized.
    "Hey! Stop!" I yelled at them. "Do you want us to get kicked out?" They paid no attention to me. I guess it was a good thing Hannah and Jacob, my brother and sister, weren't home so I wouldn't have to worry about them getting in it to. Well, I'm not staying to see how this turns out. I grabbed my mp3 player and ran out the door and down the stairs. In my haste I hadn't been looking and ran right into someone. "Oh, sorry," I apologized. I looked up at them and realized that it was Cain that I'd ran into. Oh great.
    He shrugged and put his hand out to me. I looked at it quizzically wondering what he was doing. He sighed bored and asked, "So, are you going to take it or get up on your own?" It then donned on me and I felt incredibly stupid.
    "Oh." I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up off the steps.
    "You okay?" he asked looking me over. I felt a blush spread over my face under his intense gaze.
    "Um...y-yeah," I stuttered, “thanks." He shrugged then passed me not looking back. I shook off my surprise and finished my way down the steps and ran across the field into the woods behind the apartment complex. I always come out here when I'm upset or stressed or just to get away. I sat down under the biggest pine out there and leaned up against it. I pondered what had just happened. Why had he been nice to me? Didn't everything I heard and witnessed about him, prove that he was supposed to be mean and hateful. If so, shouldn’t he have been pissed at me for running into him? I don't know, maybe he was distracted or something, I decided. I was definitely going to have to tell Sierra about this one, she'd never forgive me if I didn't. I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep until I was jolted awake by people yelling my name. I got up and dusted myself off, realizing it was now pretty dark outside, and ran out from the trees back to my apartment as quick as I could. No reason to get into more trouble than I already would be in. Upon opening the door I was greeted by yelling and my little sister. She had tears running down her face and was latching onto me like a leach. I found out that it had been my little brother and sister looking for me, my parents had not realized I was even gone. Thank god. I sighed relieved.
    "Sorry I scared you Hannah, " I apologized, giving her a hug. "Where's Jacob?" I asked.
    "H-he's out o-on the balcony," She sniffled.
    "Okay, just leave him out there and let him cool off or something," I told her. She nodded. I put a movie on for her and closed my mom and dad's door so they could fight by themselves. I should have stayed at Sierra's. And as I laid down on my little couch to sleep, instead of thinking about how much my parents annoyed me, I thought about Cain.





                

Author's Note

Any crappy grammar, would you please ignore? I appologize in advance for any future grammar issues that may and probably will occur.

Reviews

[ebur™]

This is was sooo much better than I expected it to be. At first, I thought it might be another sappy love story with the girl going ooh la la all over the boy ALL THE TIME.... but, your story is much more complex than that. There were many things going on, like Evie's life (her parents), her siblings, and I enjoyed hearing all of that instead of just all about Cain. The occasional mystery moments were well done. Overall, great job! :)

[Eye0fthebeh0lder]

To be honest, I usually don't pay that much attention to stories unless they're Fantasy stories, but I really enjoyed this one, the character's seem well thought out, and the overall feel of it doesn't scream "Fake".
You've done a great job :)

[Jetta Zippora]

Nice! Great dialogue and description, friend! Love the characters, too. :) Can't wait for more!