I just didn't want to believe it. Twilight took the journal? No. There's no way. Not him. It all adds up. Getting into my bathroom, missing journal!
(And honestly, if you were in my shoes, you'd be confused too.)
Their glaring match instantly vanished when the teacher walked in. Twilight headed to his seat, and yes. I watched him sit. Don't judge me.
"Good morning, class."
We all echoed back.
"My name is Miss Lily and I'll be your Biology teacher. Today, we're treating Plants: types, parts, functions, all of it."
She lifted her notebook.
"To make class more exciting, we'll be visiting the school garden. For safety, I'll give you books so no one touches anything poisonous."
The books passed down the rows.
"If you all have one, let's head to the garden. Simple file, please."
We walked out calmly.
The garden behind the school was huge,glass roof, sprinklers, warm air, literally plant heaven. (Meanwhile, I barely water the plastic flower in my room.)
"Fiona, spill everything. How did you talk to that hunk?" Aviva pressed.
"I met him, that's all."
She pouted.
"You don't just meet an angel; you trap him."
I ignored her.
We reached the back doors and stepped out, then crossed a few buildings to the wide glasshouse.
Inside, everything sparkled like it was grown on royalty's budget.
Miss Lily turned to us.
"Please get the gloves in front of the vases."
We grabbed them.
"I'll divide you into groups of five."
Twenty students, easy math.
She began calling names. I tried not to care if I got paired with Twilight. (Keyword: tried.)
One glance at him. Expression sharp and cold. I quickly looked away.
Frederick was easy to talk to even though we barely knew each other. Twilight? He grated on every last nerve I had.
"…Marvin Fiona, Benson Silver, Travis Joseph, Cruise Stella, and… Fall Twilight."
Beautiful. My enemy, a human refrigerator, and my ex-best friend. Love that for me.
Everyone split into groups.
"So I'll be group leader," Silver announced proudly.
Big Joe scoffed. "Nobody made you leader."
She sneered. "Who then? You?"
Twilight and Stella kept reading like the world wasn't burning beside them.
"If you're done arguing, can we start?" I asked. Silver exhaled sharply.
"Twilight and I will handle flowering plants. Joe and Stella will take herbs. You, Fiona…" She dragged my name. "…you'll find parasitic plants." Her smirk was annoying enough to give me allergies.
"I think you're the parasite," I muttered as I walked away.
The glasshouse was separated: fruits, flowers, herbs, trees.
I spotted a Venus flytrap. Pinkish mouth, needle-like spikes. It looked exactly like Silver's personality.
I jotted its name and moved on.
When I finished, I returned to them.
"I'm done."
"Oh, Fiona, I thought you left. Did a plant sting you already?" Silver smiled.
"Not at all. Being near you is enough poison for today."
Her smile died instantly.
She turned to Twilight.
"Twilight, have you seen carnations?" Another smirk aimed at me.
I spotted a white one, plucked it, and held it out to him.
"Is this what you were looking for?"
Twilight looked from the flower to my face, something unreadable in his eyes.
"We needed a red carnation."
He leaned past me. Close enough that I felt his breath, and plucked one behind me.
Before he could give it to me, Silver grabbed it.
"Awwn, Twilight… this is beautiful. It matches my eyes."
Twilight simply turned away and kept searching.
Silver cut me a glare.
"Go look for weeds, Fiona. Very on-brand. You love being in places you shouldn't."
I walked off. No energy to waste on her.
Then a scream.
Miss Lily and some students ran toward it. It was Joseph. Red skin, itching like mad. Poison ivy. They rushed him out.
I sighed. Trouble always found him.
We returned to the group. Silver collected everyone's notes, including mine. Miss Lily reappeared.
"Because of the incident, we'll go back to class."
We filed out.
After Biology, we headed to the gym.
We changed in the lockers. Girls to the left, boys opposite.
"So… have you gotten your science partner's number?" Aviva asked as she wiggled out of her skirt.
I froze. Nope. I completely forgot. My life is in shambles. We hadn't even written my number, I got nervous that time when we spoke in class. I couldn't even touch the pen, less write my number on his hand.
I shook my head.
I slipped into my jersey. Dark pink with blue stripes. Tied my hair into a ponytail.
"Wow, this jersey brings out curves you hide," Aviva teased.
"You never stop. And I'm not trying to impress anyone."
"Right, because you've given no one that body," she said, tickling me. I shoved her.
"Let's go."
We stepped out. The boys and coach were already waiting.
He blew his whistle.
"Hurry up!"
We formed a line opposite the boys.
"Twenty jumping jacks!"
We started.
(Doing jumping jacks while Twilight watches is a whole new level of embarrassment. My chest was jumping and so was my soul.)
The whistle shrieked again.
"Groups of two! Friendly basketball!" Some of my other classmates sat on the bench. We were twenty in our class after all.
Aviva ran to group two, so I moved toward her-
Piiiiii!
A whistle screamed at me.
"HEY!" the coach barked.
I froze, hand on my chest.
"I said groups of SIX and you wandered into group TWO. Do you have cotton wool in your ears?"
Everyone stared.
"S-Sorry, sir."
"Group one!"
Of course. Twilight's group. And Silver. My enemies were multiplying.
I hid behind the tall boys. Group of three boys, three girls.
Whistle. We spread out.
Girls guarded the basket. Boys spaced in an arc.
The coach tossed the ball another team caught it.
A dark-haired boy in front of me dribbled aggressively.
"Why don't you make those skinny legs useful somewhere else?"
He jumped and threw the ball directly into the basket.
My jaw dropped.
He landed, smirking.
"You can make them useful in my room."
He licked his lips and jogged off.
Disgusting.
Suddenly someone gripped my arm.
"You could've made that body of yours useful!" Silver snapped. "All you do is wait. You're useless. Use your head!"
I pulled my arm back.
"I'm not an open bag of chips like you, anyone can pick and dip when they like. I have dignity. Something you… almost never have."
Silver folded her arms, fuming.