Chapter 01

Crap

Just my luck. Who would want to get involved with these two dudes? I was used to getting attention from the bullies who knew nothing to make fun of someone who they thought were lesser than they were. But this? This is an entirely different story!

The whispering stopped when our professor finally came and called our attention.

“Class, go to your respective seats, NOW!” he commanded as he patted his stick on the table. Everyone followed but as for me and this jerk, we were still having a problem about taking a seat.

“Now, stand up. That’s my seat,” he said firmly. “I don’t want to miss this class. I’m trying to aim for a higher mark this year.”

“As if I care,” I answered. “Anyway, I saw and got in here first. Plus, shouldn't you be generous to a girl? You should be a gentleman!”

“As if I care,” he copied me.

Our teacher saw us and called our attention.

“You there! What’s going on?!” he asked. We spun our heads toward his direction and both of us answered together in the very same manner, “This is my seat and she/he’s trying to take it from me!”

“Is that the only vacant seat here?” he asked, and we nodded. He looked at me then back at him and then at me once again.

“Okay, Beauty Smith, is it?” he confirmed, and I nodded.

“You go and give that seat to Mr. Johnson” he said. “Just go to the faculty room and ask for one.”

“What?! I found this first!” I exclaimed. He gave me a warning look, so I stopped protesting. What the hell is wrong with this guy and this school?! Was he a teacher’s pet? What kind of teacher gives someone a special treatment just because he’s famous and all. What a total jerk.

I was soooooo mad that I flipped the desks and chairs in my imagination. I heaved a sigh, trying to stand up from the chair I first saw. I have no choice but to swallow the remaining ego and pride that I have in me.

“Well, that’s a good girl,” he said. Can you believe it?! And he said it smugly! It’s the first day and I am now hating this guy so much that I began strangling him inside my head.

“Hmp,” I reacted and walked away. Just when I was about to walk out of the classroom to go to the faculty room, Thomas Anderson called me.

“Hey, Smith,” he called and I looked at him.

“You can take my seat instead,” he offered. “Let me get a different seat for myself”

Of course, the whispering and exaggerated gasps began.

I don’t like getting too much attention, so I refused which made me get even more attention because of what Anderson did next.

He stood up and then walked towards me. He grabbed my hand and led me to his chair.

He’s joking!

Was he trying to get attention for himself by using me and the situation we’re currently in?! I removed his hands holding my hand and said, “No thanks” then I added. “And please don’t touch me just like that. We’re not close to begin with.”

“Sorry about that,” he answered. “In that case, let’s be friends.”

Hello no! I am never going to associate myself with these two, who, I assume, were both troublemakers.

I remained silent for a while and diverted the topic. “You can have your seat. I’ll get mine.”

“No. I insist” he said.

I ignored him and walked away to get a chair for myself. As I walked through the hallway heading to the faculty room, I heaved a sigh. “So much for not getting into trouble”

It didn’t take long before I reached the faculty office and asked where I could get a vacant seat. A teacher, who I don’t really know told me to go to the gymnasium and grabbed a vacant chair. Apparently, they pile up all the extra and unused chairs.

Seriously?! The gymnasium is located downstairs, and I am on the second floor, so I had to drag the chair all the way to the classroom. I just hope I can find help.

As soon as I got there, no one’s around. Wow today really is my lucky day! I had no choice but to drag one of the chairs and slowly made my way up, heading back to the classroom. Sure, it was really difficult but at least, I had my own chair.

When I showed up in front of the classroom with a chair in my hand, Anderson rushed towards me to help me. What’s the deal with this guy? We were not close and yet, he’s trying to help me? I’ve seen this kind of gesture in fiction stories. It’s either he was doing this because he secretly likes me, or he was doing this because he was trying to appear clean to everyone else. For some reason, I kind of trust this dude so I won’t overthink things.

If only I knew I would get tired like this, I should have just accepted his offer but he found the chair first, so I refused. I don’t want to act like Johnson, you know?

My seat was placed behind Johnson and beside Anderson. When I settled down, the class resumed. I hated being in the center of attention, but I keep on getting it today. Maybe they’ll forget what happened today. I just need to keep it low-key.

The class was so boring that I began dozing off.

I was so lost in thoughts that I didn't notice our grumpy professor was already calling my attention. I just realized that our prof. was calling my attention because I felt Thomas Anderson shaking me.

"Ms. Smith, if you're not paying attention, you can always step out of the room. I don't need someone here who is physically present but mentally absent!" Ms. - whatever-her-name-is told me using a high tone voice.

"I'm paying attention" I lied, embarrassed.

"If you're paying attention, could you tell me what I was just saying?" Our professor challenged me and obviously, I don't know what she was talking about because I wasn't really paying attention.

When I didn't answer, she let out a sigh and shook her head in disappointment. This is the second time today that someone shook their heads at me in disappointment. First, my mom because of my outfit and now, our professor.

"Ms. Smith, I've been thinking about something," our professor began. I gave her a confused look, wondering what she was up to. I don't know why but I'm having a bad feeling about this. Whenever I am having a bad feeling, something bad is really bound to happen, that's why I really don't like this feeling.

"W-what is it ma'am?" I stammered, starting to get nervous.

"I've been thinking of giving you a tutor. Someone or anyone who can help you to... you know, improve."

I shook my head and my hands. "No, no, no! I don't need a tutor! I-I can handle myself! I can do self study!"

"No, you can't. You need someone to tutor you," she said. "In fact, I know a perfect person who is suited to be your suitor. He's totally your opposite. He's smart and really good-looking. And no offense huh but, he might also help you dress up properly."

" He "

So, she's referring to a guy huh? I actually rather be taught by a girl but much better if I don't get a tutor.

"No! No! I don't want a tutor, you know? I'm not a kid anymore" I protested.

"Fine then. If you don't want a tutor, then I'll make you his buddy partner" she said, grinning.

"Buddy partner? What do you mean?" I asked and Thomas Anderson was the one who answered my question.

"Buddy partners was actually our topic. Ma'am will assign us a buddy partner for this semester and your buddy will be sharing the same grade as your partner. Meaning to say, in order to get a good grade, you have to work and cooperate with your partner for this semester." He explained.

Our professor didn't give me a chance to speak. She told me the name of my buddy and it really surprised me and I’m not the only one.

Nicholas Johnson.

Everyone, including me, never imagined that I am going to be paired up with an arrogant guy.

"NO WAY!!" Nicholas Johnson and I said in unison.

"There is no way I'm pairing up with that girl!" He said, pointing to my direction.

"Well I don't want to be your partner either, you know?" I said, crossing my arms under my chest.

"Don't worry, the feeling is mutual!" He said.

"Hey! I just said that earlier! You copycat!" I told him.

"Why? Are you the only one who's allowed to say that, miss no good?" He said and everyone chuckled at his comment.

I looked again at our professor with pleading eyes and said, "Please ma'am. Anyone but him! I just can't pair with that guy!"

"No, Miss Smith. You're going to pair up with Mr. Johnson. He could pull up your grade and help you improve"

"But ma'am!"

"No buts! You two are going to be buddies. You have to get along and learn how to work together. Working together can do no harm, right?"

In the corner of my eye, I saw Thomas Anderson raise his hand. "Ma'am, if they don't want to get paired up, I can volunteer to be Beauty's partner."

It's unusual for me to hear someone called by my name, "Beauty" by someone. And because of volunteering, my classmates began whispering. Jeez, this really sucks.

"I can actually work alone" I said but Anderson ignored me.

"No, Mr. Anderson. I already set a partner for you. Mr. Johnson will be Ms. Smith's partner. And that's it."

Nicholas Johnson and I groaned in frustration. "If you don't cooperate, don't expect a grade from me." Our professor added.

I just really hate my situation. Of all the guys I can be paired up, why him? Or much better if I don't have a partner. I'd rather work alone. I'm so pissed off. But I've got no other choice, right? Besides, it will only last for this semester. I'll just endure being his partner.

"Okay ma'am" I said grumpily, and Johnson let out another groan. Like me, he really hates becoming my partner.

I heard before that Johnson hate ugly, dumb and clumsy girl that's why it's no wonder that he doesn't like me. But the feeling is mutual. I hate guys like him either.

After pairing us up, our prof. announced the rest of the pairings and discussed our very first project together with our partners.

Our first project was to make cookies together. We're going to do it at school next week so we still have enough time to prepare.

But the problem was, I don't know how to bake cookies. I wonder if he knew how to bake cookies. It would become easier if he knew how to bake.

Frankly speaking, I couldn't care less about our grade. I know that I'll end up failing anyway, that's why I didn't try studying how to bake cookies. I just decided to go home as soon as school ends.

While I was heading out of the school campus, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked over my shoulder just to see Nicholas Johnson.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I just want to talk about our first project together," He started. "We both don't want to be partners but we've got no choice but to cooperate for the sake of our grade."

He was surprisingly calm which I didn't actually expect. Seems like he really cares about his grade a lot more than I expected.

"I don't actually care about grades, you know?" I stated honestly.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you heard me. I don't care about those stupid grades. I mean, why would I? They are just grades, you know?" I said, shrugging his hand off my shoulder. "And please, hands off. I don't like other people touching me."

"From now on, you should start caring about your grades because your grade is my grade!" He said, annoyed. "Gosh, I couldn't believe a nerd like you has such an attitude. I thought nerds are . . . ugh, never mind."

"You don't know me, alright? Keep that in mind. And sadly for you, your buddy doesn't really care about your grade. Good luck with that" I said and left him alone.

Then he said something that I didn't quite expect while I was walking away which made me halt.

"Beauty Smith, who wasn't really a beauty," he started. "Listen here, I'm going to help you have high grades. I'm going to transform you into a better person."

I turned to face him with my hands on my hips, furrowing my eyebrows. "And what was that supposed to mean?!" I asked, raising my voice but he just kept on speaking.

"I'll turn you from beast to beauty and I'm going to make guys notice you," he said, making me stare at him in surprise. "Don't get me wrong. I just don't want to have a pathetic loser partner and since we're sticking with each other for this whole semester, I might as well turn you into a human being."

"First, I don't need your help. Second, I never asked for your help and third, this is my life and I'm going to do anything that I want, alright? Who are you to tell me what I'm gonna do?!" I yelled at him.

"I told you, it's not like I wanted to help you or something. I just don't want to be seen with a pathetic loser like you."

"Then just back off. As simple as that!"

"If it weren't for the grades, I'd gladly do that even without you telling me, you know?"

"Jeez, what a grade freak guy. Why are you so obsessed with having a high grade?"

"I'm not obsessed with having a high grade! It's just YOU! YOU who doesn't really care at anything! It's just YOU who don't want to improve and become a better person! Changing to a positive won't harm, you know?"

"Whatever you say, Nicholas Johnson. Whatever you say."