Chapter Two: No Way

Alrighty, first off, I would like to thank everyone for their reviews. Especially those people who gave me constructive criticism. I agree with those who said that the POV was weird because I thought it was kinda off as well. I tried fixing it, so let's see how it turns out this chapter. More constructive criticism would be appreciated :)

I immediately tuned out my grade 11 chemistry teacher, Mr. Burnington, after he had announced that we would be assigned new partners in class today. I was slightly disappointed because I was currently seated next to Leo in the back of the class where we had a hell of a time, but on the other hand, Leo was an annoying pain in the ass (I still love him though).

I wasn't too worried about the partner thing because we always got to choose our new partners. I wasn't exactly "popular", but I was on good terms with 99.99% of the people in my classes (although, there are admittedly one or two exceptions, but that's a story for another day), so I wouldn't have a problem with the partners.

I doodled mindlessly on the margin of my notebook paper while Leo fiddled with his pen (he's always doing stuff like that because of his ADHD). I had told him this morning all about my predicament yesterday and Leo had totally flipped. He went absolutely ballistic and got upset that I hadn't told him sooner. When he managed to calm down (after repeatedly asking me if I was okay), I told him about my savior the jackass. And you know what he did? He laughed. He thought it was hilarious that the guy had been a jerk to me. He even suggested that I should have just said thank you. The nerve of that boy. Needless to say, I gave him the silent treatment. It was broken fifteen minutes later because he is my best friend and I don't really know how to be mad at him.

I was creating a swirl design in my book, listening with one ear, when I heard Mr. Burnington say, "We have a new student transferring into class today."

This perked my interest, so I closed my notebook and glanced toward the front of the class. My eyes skimmed over my teacher, a balding man with a love for argyle sweaters, and landed on the student standing next to him.

I stopped breathing. It was him. It was him.

He looked uncomfortable with all the attention; he was fidgeting with the binder in his hand. He was wearing a plain black hoodie, a purple shirt, and dark jeans. I had been right about the medium build yesterday and my height estimate was fairly close as well (around six feet). Obviously he was about sixteen if he was in my grade, so I had been right about the age as well. His eyes were as blue as ever, even more so if that was possible. I looked closely at him and noticed a small scar just above his mouth that must have gone unnoticed in the dark of the alley. It brought me some satisfaction to know that he wasn't completely perfect.

I narrowed my eyes and fixed him with a steely glare, waiting for him to notice. His eyes travelled across the room and met mine, nearly dropping his binder in surprise. As the shock wore off, he formed his mouth into a smirk and winked at me, as if we had some inside joke that he wasn't willing to share with the rest of the class.

A majority of the girls in my class gave him their undivided attention. Had I not been so focused on my task of trying to burn through his soul with my glare, I probably would have rolled my eyes at them.

"It's him." I hissed to Leo, not taking my eyes off of the new kid.

In my peripheral vision I saw Leo, who had not been paying any attention before, snap his head up and analyze the guy at the front.

"Who?" he asked.

"The jerk from the alley."

"The one that saved you?"

"Yeah. That's the one."

"And you're okay with this?"

"Not much I can do, is there?"

"This is Jason Grace, he's new, so don't give him a hard time." Mr. Burnington told us.

Jason had not yet broken eye contact with me, and I wasn't going to be the first one to look away.

"And I know that we normally choose our partners," the teacher continued, "But if we do that today, Jason won't have a partner seeing as he doesn't know anybody."

I snorted. "Yeah, right." I whispered to Leo, breaking eye contact with Jason because his eyes were unnerving. "I bet there would be bloodshed between half the girls in our class to decide who gets to sit next to him."

Leo tried to keep a straight face, but I saw a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"C'mon," I elbowed him playfully, "You know it's true."

He smiled, but kept his eyes on Jason, pretending not to hear me.

Mr. Burnington continued his instructions, "So that is why I'll be picking names out of a hat."

Some people in the class groaned. Mr. Burnington walked over to my friend, Reyna, and instructed her to pick a name out of a black top hat. Reyna reached in tentatively and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Read the name." the teacher told her.

Reyna unfolded to piece of paper. "Abby."

"Good, you're partners." Mr. Burnington told her as he moved on toward Madison. She picked a slip and got partnered with Tyler.

Emily was up next and she picked up a slip and held it out to the teacher, covering her eyes, "Could you read it? I'm scared to know who it is."

Mr. Burnington took the sheet of paper and sighed. "Mr. Valdez."

"Yes!" Leo said at the same time that Emily groaned loudly. I felt bad for her, knowing that Leo would just flirt with her and tease her endlessly.

I was next in the aisle so I stuck my hand out for the hat, but Mr. Burnington walked to the front of the class instead and offered the hat to Jason.

"Why don't you pick, Jason?" Mr. Burlington suggested.

Jason just shrugged and reached into the hat, picking out a name. He handed the sheet to Mr. Burnington.

I could practically hear all the girls in my class (and one or two guys as well) praying that he would pick their name. I, of course, was hoping for the exact opposite.

But I also have the worst luck of anyone I know.

"Ah, Piper." Mr. Burlington said after he had unfolded the sheet. I clenched my eyes shut. Of course, this is so typical. I could feel eyes staring at me from everywhere in the class even though mine were closed.

Leo was laughing next to me, practically in tears. I stomped on his foot to shut him up and he let out a string of profane words.

"Piper?" Jason asked.

"The young lady in the back next to Leo Valdez." Mr. Burlington informed him, pointing me out as I tried to slide down lower on my stool. And even though Jason made no change in his facial feature, I swear I saw a smile in his eyes. Cocky asshole.

"Okay, I'm fine with that." Jason told the teacher.

Mr. Burnington made his way around to the rest of the class but I had stopped listening, choosing to instead resume my mission of making Jason uncomfortable through glaring.

After everyone had been assigned a new partner, Mr, Burnington told us to move to a table with our partner. I crossed my arms over my chest, making it obvious that I had no intentions of moving.

"Good luck. Try not to maul him." Leo whispered to me before moving to the front of the class to sit next to Emily.

Jason made his way toward me once he saw that I had refused to get up from my seat. "So, Piper," he said, testing out my name, "We meet again."

He took a seat on the stool to my left. I scooted my stool over as far away as I could.

"I don't bite." Jason chuckled.

I just glared at him.

"Are you mute all of a sudden?" he asked me.

"No, I'm not." I hissed through clenched teeth.

"That's unfortunate." he said conversationally. "You're much more appealing when you keep your mouth shut."

I was so close to punching him in the face right now.

I scrunched my eyebrows together. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"It was the sound of your idiocy echoing off the walls." I told him with a sickly sweet smile on my face. He just gave me a crooked smile as if I amused him.

I didn't talk to him for the rest of the class, but sneaked glances at him while we were taking notes. He caught me looking at him one time and I looked away, blushing furiously. I saw him smirking out of the corner of my eye.

I didn't look at him for the rest of class.

A minute before class ended for lunch, Mr, Burnington cleared his throat to get our attention. "Would anyone like to show Mr. Grace around the school?"

A dozen or so hands shot up eagerly into the air and as Mr. Burlington was about to choose someone, Jason interrupted.

"Thank you for the offer Mr. Burnington, but Piper here has already kindly volunteer to show me around."

My mouth opened and closed like a fish. I had done no such thing.

"Very well." Mr. Burnington said, oblivious to my flustered movements and mute protests.

I got a few dirty looks from some of the girls in my class and I rolled my eyes. Please, as if I was doing this because I wanted to. And I couldn't even back out now or I would be the jerk that refused to show to new kid around on his first day.

"Fine," I mumbled to Jason, "But you owe me."

Jason cocked an eyebrow. "Actually, I think we're even."