Chapter 2 - Collaborate

English class after lunch

“Okay class, please settle down. We have a lot to do today.” Miss Una says when we walk into the class. Mark walks in last giving me a mournful look; I ignore him and look at Miss Una. He can’t guilt trip me into going on a date with him I don’t like him like that.

Kelly and I sit next to each other one desk from the door. I love sitting here because I can get out of class easily as soon as class is over.

“Okay, this is your midterm assignment.” She says and the class groans in disapproval. “It contributes 60% to your overall year mark. So it’s very important that you take this seriously.” She says ignoring the cries of despair from everyone.

She hands me two sheets of the assignment outline and then she moves to Kelly giving her the rest of the papers to pass around. “Please take one and pass the rest.” She says stopping in the middle of the class. I hand one of the sheets to the girl that sits at the door.

“It’s a group assignment.” She says and the class screams out in despair. I don’t normally partake in the complaints but today I feel them. I hate group assignments. One person ends up doing all of the work while the rest get free marks. The truth is students do want to works, so when teachers make it easy for them to get the marks with little to no work they take full advantage.

“And I’ll be assigning the groups.” She says and one student fakes a fall on the ground, everyone is so bored with the situation no one laughs. “Yes, so listen up.” She says taking a paper out of her back pocket. Kelly and I look at each when she whips out that little paper. We usually work together; it’s going to suck not working with her this time. “Oh! I almost forgot we’re changing the seating arrangement for the rest of the year.” She says and my life as I know it end, I can’t take so many changes in one day.

I look over at Kelly and she smiles at me sad; she feels the exact same way I do. She crosses her finger smiling at me.  I can’t deal with getting to know new people this late in the year.

“Okay, the first group is Kelly, Jameson, Oliver and Ryo.” She says and my jaw drops on the floor. Kelly looks at me her eyes popping out. “Will Oliver and Jameson please move to the front. You’ll be sitting next to your partners from now on.” Miss Una says smiling at them.

They get up and come to the front without protest. Oliver comes and stands right in front of me. He smiles a little when he catches me looking at him. I half smile and half panic. I can’t believe he’s going to be my partner for the rest of the year. I’ve never said a word to him, how do I talk to him now?

A few agonizing seconds later he moves and takes a seat behind me. I take a few long breaths to calm myself down.  But it’s not working because he’s so close to me still.

 After a few minutes Miss Una is done with assigning the groups, the students moan and groan about their partners but she doesn’t listen to them. She made her decision and she’s ticking to it.

“I’m going to give you a few minutes to go through the assignment, discuss it, decide what roles each of you is taking and then we’ll begin our lesson for the day.” She says smiling at the class, we frown at her and she gestures with her hands that time is ticking.

“I have a quick question.” Jameson says raising his hand. He smiles at her sweetly and she nods.

“What’s your question?” She says looking at him closely. Jameson is known as the on students that questions everything. Most teachers hate that he wants to know everything but they can’t fault him for doing it he’s an excellent student.

“Is there a reason why you chose to assign the groups?” He asks his mega smile plastered on his face.

“Yes there is a reason.” She says looking at him, her face blank. He looks at her expectantly but she doesn’t say anything further.  The class sits back listening attentively, it’s so quiet in her you can hear a pin drop.

Everyone wants to know why this lady would put us through such misery. And we want to know if we can change her mind. This is going to be torturous; she can’t make us do this.

“Do you mind telling us what it is?” Jameson asks as politely as possible.

“Yes I do mind.” she says and Jameson sighs in disappointment.

“Okay.” He says and I can hear the fight leave his body. He can tell by the look on Miss Una’s face that she’s not here for our complaints. She doesn’t want to hear any of it. This is our fate and she have to deal with all of it.

“Okay class you have ten minutes to strategize. I have a timer.” She says showing pointing to the alarm on her table

“Great.” Kelly says turning toward us. I turn around and my eyes collide with Oliver’s hazel ones. My breath catches at the sight of his face close to mine. I move back and create distance between us. I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to him before. We go to the same school and we have a few classes together but this is the first time we’re going to talk to each other.

“I’m Jameson.” He says offering us his hand to shake.

“Kelly.” My best friend says looking from Jameson to Oliver. I introduce myself next and then Oliver does the same thing too.

“What the hell is in this dawned assignment?” Jameson says flipping the paper over and over.

“Death, that’s what’s in it.” Kelly say and Oliver and Jameson laugh. I would laugh but I’m too tense. I’m sitting too close to this boy. This is not good for my health in any way. I need air, fresh air that is not contaminated by his scent. And the fact that he smells good doesn’t help me in any way.

“I thought you liked school. The two of you are straight A students right?” Jameson asks looking at me.

“I think you’re a straight A student too no?” I ask surprised my voice came out. I’m so parched my throat is itchy. I swallow a lot of saliva to lubricate it but it’s not helping.

“I’m doing it because I want a sports scholarship. What’s your excuse?” He asks looking me straight in my eyes.

“I heard it helps to have good grades when you’re an adult.” I say and he shrugs.

“Are we going to discuss the assignment?” Oliver says when Jameson was about to ask me another question.

“Before we do that, I have a question.” Kelly says starring at Oliver. My heart starts beating even faster. What is she planning on asking him? I hope it has nothing to do with me. I hope she doesn’t embarrass me like that. My palms start to sweat as Oliver and her stare at each other for a moment.

“Sure.” Oliver says smirking at her.

“I hear you have a certain girl that keeps tabs on you.” Kelly says and it takes everything in my power for me not to react. I want to scream at her for repeating the conversation we had at lunch. She’s going to embarrass me, this the worst day of my life. She’s going to tell this boy that I have a crush on him and he’s going to laugh at me in the middle of English class. I’m going to be the laughing stock of the school.

“I heard she attacks any girl that comes within two meters of you. My best friend I are crossing that boundary as is. Neither of us wants any drama; are we going to have problems with your girlfriend?” Kelly asks staring at him.

“First of all Marlene and I are not dating.” He says pausing for a moment, looking Kelly in her eyes to make his point. “And secondly this is school; none of my personal matters are going to interfere with that.” He says looking from me to Kelly.

“In all fairness she did make a girl cry in science class a few months ago.” Kelly say not letting it go. Jameson shakes his head looking at Oliver.

“I told you this shit is going to follow you for the rest of your life.” He says looking at his friend disappointed, “I told you about that girl.” He adds sighing.

“What Marlene did to that girl wasn’t my fault.” Oliver says looking at Jameson. I can tell he’s offended by his observation.

“That’s not at all what I’m saying.” Jameson says looking at him. They stare at each other with looks of disappointment.

“I know what you’re saying.” Oliver says dismissing him. “You don’t have to worry about all that.” Oliver says looking at me, I nod and he does the same.

“Okay the assignment.” Kelly says looking at ne knowingly. “We have a topic and we have to write four different tasks on it.” She says reading on the assignment paper. 

“We have to come up with a ten to fifteen page play.” Jameson says with contempt in his voice.

“A four page assay.” I say my voice sounding like I want to cry because I want to. No wonder we have more than six months to do this, this is going to be a lot of work.

“And that’s not all. We have to write a five stanza poem and individual reports on how the experience was.” Kelly says the four of us groan in unison.

“This is death on a paper.” Oliver says shaking his head.

“If the sky wasn’t blue, yellow or red the world would be?” Jameson says reading from the same spot I’m reading from.

“What the hell is that?” Oliver says looking at his paper and then looking at mine. He looks so confused right now.

“It’s the question we’re supposed to answer in the assignment.” Jameson, Kelly and I reply in unison.

“Still I ask what the hell is that supposed to mean?” He asks even more confused.

“I guess now we know what we’re supposed to do. Figure out what this is supposed to mean.” I say and three of them look at me confused.

“Do you have any ideas?” Kelly asks looking at me like I have the answers.

“I said we need to figure it out.” I say and they shake their heads at me. We sit in silence for about a minute trying to figure this out. I come up with nothing and when I look at Kelly she has this I don’t know jack look on her face.

“Should we each take an individual task and then we’ll come back at the end of the year with each task complete.” Jameson says after a little thought.

“No.” Kelly and Oliver say at the same time. They look at each other and smile.

“We need to figure it out together. Miss Una will know if we don’t work on everything as a group. Yu know how shrewd she is.” Kelly says using her business voice. She then takes her time giving each of us a serious look.

“Okay, I have just one request, can we do this after class. I have a headache now.” Jameson says shaking his head slightly.

“Okay, let’s meet up after school and figure out a schedule around this monster of an assignment.” Kelly says turning around to face the front. The rest of us do the same.

This is about to be an interesting year. I think as Miss Una stands up, the alarm goes off at her table and the whole class groans again.