I stared at the screen and tried to stay calm. "Uhmmm you put up the wrong file," I said, voice steady, I mean, it was just a simple mistake.
Adrian blinked at me, clearly confused. "What do you mean I put up the wrong file?"
"This isn't what we prepared," I said, trying not to panic. My notes felt useless in my hands. "I don't understand it, none of this looks familiar."
He froze, then leaned back slightly, incredulous. "What we prepared? What do you mean 'what we prepared'? I did this all by myself."
I opened my mouth. "You did it alone?" My chest tightened. How had I gotten this so wrong?
"Yes!" he snapped, though his voice had a hint of disbelief. "I didn't get any messages from you. So I did it myself. Why are you acting like we worked on this together?"
I blinked, completely thrown. "I thought…"
"Thought what?" He cut me off and raised an eyebrow, running a hand through his hair. "That I'd miraculously know what to do without hearing from you? That we'd somehow be on the same page without a single text?"
My stomach twisted. "I don't know! This isn't what we prepared! I don't understand it at all!"
Mr. Richardson cleared his throat, frowning at the commotion. "Ella! Adrian!" Looking down to confirm from his list. "You're supposed to be partners, right? Explain what's going on!"
The class was buzzing. Some whispered, some snickered, all watching us like this was some sort of live drama.
"I can't do this!" I muttered under my breath.
"Neither can I," he admitted, looking as lost as I felt. We both shifted awkwardly, the weight of stares pressing down on us.
Mr. Richardson waved his hands, exasperated. "Enough! You two are supposed to be partners!" His voice echoed across the room. "Now figure it out! And don't let the rest of this class witness another meltdown!"
We froze, both of us. Notes in hand, staring at each other like the world had collapsed in front of us. The slides behind Adrian perfectly prepared and completely useless. Neither of us said a word.
And that's when I realized that nothing about this was going to be easy.
Three Days Ago - Friday
If I'm being honest, Friday had already drained me long before everything went downhill on Monday.
We were in third period, the kind of class that makes time move like it's swimming through cement, painfully slow. Mr. Richardson stood in front of the board, droning on about "paired collaborative assessment" which, in normal English, just meant "group project". Everyone groaned, I did too, quietly, because I knew what was coming. He always paired us himself, no freedom or escape route.
I tapped my pen against my notebook, watching the list of topics on the board blur. Sophie sorry, Miss Collins as she prefers to be called because she thinks it's chic, leaned toward me from the next desk.
"If I get paired with Fred, I'm dropping out," she whispered dramatically.
I smirked, typical Sophie.
Mr. Richardson flipped open a list with the seriousness of someone announcing royal marriages. "Alright, listen up. Partners will be assigned, no complaints nor negotiations."
A collective sigh floated around the class.
"Julianne Francis and Frediano Jones". He began.
"Adrian Harper and Daniella Bennett."
My heart dropped straight to my shoes.
Sophie's eyes widened. "Oops Good luck, Miss Bennett."
I shot her a glare. Mr. Richardson proceeded with the pairings but my situation drowned out his voice.
Adrian looked up from his textbook with that blank, mildly irritated expression he always had. The type of look that said I'm too good for this conversation. He didn't roll his eyes, but somehow his face did it for him.
Great! Perfect!!! Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!!!
After class ended, people shuffled out, excited to escape. I packed my books slowly, trying to figure out the best way to start a conversation with him since we've never spoken in the 3 years we've "known" each other. More like, aware of each other's existence.
He walked up to my desk, hands in his pockets, brows pulled together in mild annoyance but also polite? Somehow?
"So," he said flatly, "we're partners."
"I noticed," I replied, just as flat. My voice felt a little too stiff. He intimidated me, not in a scary way, more in a why-do-you-look-like-you-don't-have-emotions way.
"We should probably exchange numbers," he said.
"Yeah." I nodded. "Sure."
He tore a small piece of paper from his notebook, scribbled his number, and handed it to me. His handwriting was neat, neater than I expected. Wait! Was I even expecting anything?
I tucked it into my notebook carefully. "I'll text you later today."
"Okay." That was it. No smile, no nod, no wave, no anything. He just turned and walked off, and I stood there thinking, "Maybe he's not as bad as he looks. Or maybe he was exactly as bad as he looked". I hadn't decided yet.
Miss Collins, my homegirl, appeared beside me like she'd teleported. "So? Did he talk? Did he blink? Did he malfunction?"
I shoved her shoulder lightly. "He's normal, kinda, I guess."
"Kinda is generous," she teased. "Anyway, text him today before you forget."
"I won't forget." I said, rolling my eyes.
But of course I did, not intentionally, just typical Ella-ly stuff.
By the time I got home, tossed my bag somewhere, took a shower, got something to eat, then collapsed on my bed. It was just about when I almost drifted off to sleep I remembered I had to text Adrian. Reluctantly, I stood up to get the small slip of paper containing Adrian's number. That's when I realised it had already vanished into the black hole that was my notebook, or bag, or the universe.
And that was exactly how the disaster started.