Chapter 12: The Unexpected Partner

Wednesday – Class 4IR

If there was one thing I hated more than public speaking, it was group projects. Not because I didn't like working with people, but because teachers had a special talent for pairing me with the most unexpected classmates.

And today was no different.

"Alright, class," Cikgu Zul announced. "For this Bahasa Melayu assignment, you will work in pairs. I will be assigning the pairs randomly."

Everyone groaned. Randomly meant no choosing your friends. Which meant I was probably doomed.

Cikgu Zul began reading out the names.

"Azri and Rina."

Azri grinned. "Easy."

Rina smirked. "Let's get this A."

I waited nervously as he continued down the list.

And then—

"Mana and Nadirah."

My brain short-circuited.

I blinked. Did he just say… Nad?

I turned to look at her. She was already looking at me, a small, polite smile on her face.

"Looks like we're partners," she said.

I nodded, trying to act normal. "Yeah. Cool."

Not cool. Not cool at all.

After School – Library

Nad and I sat across from each other, our books and papers spread out on the table. The assignment was simple: analyze a classic Malay poem and present our interpretation next week.

Easy, right?

Except my brain had stopped functioning the moment we sat down.

"Do you want to start with the summary or the themes?" Nad asked, flipping through the textbook.

I stared at her like she had just spoken in ancient Greek. "Uh… yeah. That sounds good."

She raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

Say something intelligent, Mana.

"…Themes?"

She smiled. "Good choice."

I exhaled in relief. Nice save.

For the next 15 minutes, we actually got some work done. Nad was really good at explaining things. She broke down the poem so well that even I, a certified "do the minimum" student, started getting into it.

And then, out of nowhere, she asked, "Hey, do you like reading?"

I hesitated. "Uh… sometimes?"

She tilted her head. "What books do you read?"

My mind went blank. I couldn't just say The Maze Runner and sound basic. I needed to say something cool.

"…Textbooks."

She blinked. Then laughed. "Really? That's your answer?"

I groaned. "Okay, fine. I read some novels. Just not that many."

She smiled. "You should read more. It helps with writing."

I nodded, pretending I would take her advice.

We continued working until the library started emptying out. As we packed up, Nad suddenly said, "By the way, you did well during rehearsal."

I nearly dropped my book. "Huh?"

She shrugged. "Most people would panic, but you recovered fast."

I scratched my neck. "Yeah, well… I had help."

She smiled. "Still, good job."

And then, just like that, she walked away.

I sat there for a moment, staring at my notes, completely forgetting how to function.

Azri and Rina were never going to let me live this down.

—Mana, Feb 2017