Maddy and Me

Chapter 10: Lab Partners

Maddy walked into the Bio class dressed like Cher from Clueless, feeling that the rush of walking into the class to see Sonia was worth making her Saturday and Sunday boring by sitting home alone and completing assignments. Except Sonia wasn't there and neither were her friends. She believed the day was rued until a realization shook down a dust of snow, Maddy was early to a class for the first time.

Mr. Ramirez interrupted her thoughts, "Ms. Perez, if you're done gawking at the classroom, could you please catch a seat and not block the entrance?"

"Y-Yes sir," she said walking to a seat. That's when she got an idea. I should catch seats for Sonia and her friends. Maybe they'll like me more. So she took her three books and kept one to her right and two in front. She patiently waited for them. They will see how kind I am ...But it looks desperate. But I am desperate. No I can't look desperate, that's wrong.

So she got up and took the front two books and shoved them in her desk, earning a look from Mr. Ramirez that she didn't notice. When she sat back in her seat, she began debating whether she should keep the books back and catch Evie and Joel seats till the three of them entered.

Maddy looked up with shining eyes and a genuine smile that tripped Sonia, but not her best friends. Maddy waved at Sonia and patted the table on her right, Sonia followed Maddy's directions. She took her book from the table and said, "Hi!" as if she didn't want anybody to see her drowning.

"Hi!" said Sonia in the same way. Maddy looked away for a second and when she brought her eyes back to Sonia, she noticed Evie and Joel still standing near the door. She called them using her hands, smiling as if her interacting with them was not gonna be breaking news throughout town, and pointed to the tables in front of her and Sonia. They gestured, 'Us?'

She gestured back, 'YeAh.' 

Sonia turned to face them with a fazed smile and mouthed, 'Come on already!'

At the time Evie and Joel didn't understand why they couldn't hear the filled class's monkey noises, why the entire time from when their best friend walked over to Maddy to when she left them after class was in slow-motion. The four of them didn't pay attention to what was being taught. 

Joel and Evie much, much later understood that time crawled ever so slowly because they feared they were losing their best friend to the evil the six of them used to hate together.

Maddy left after saying bye and met her friends, who were waiting outside, with huge grin when the class ended. She told them the highlights of what happened, which was really nothing but never so in a lover's minds, before they departed for their next class. Evie and Joel teased Sonia again and Tony, Jake and Melissa laughed with them again, forcing her lie about her feelings to them and herself.

*****

The next day Sonia came first to the Bio lab, leaving her friends and their belittling behind, and she greeted Maddy when was she was at the door with a smile and a wave that made Maddy subtly blush. She looks like Gwen Stacy in the lab coat and those clothes. The class was mostly empty.

Maddy got to their table in the back and smiled, "Hey."

"Hi," Sonia said back. She is so worth being teased for.

"How are you?"

She smiled, being taken aback for a second, and replied, "Uh, I'm fine. And you?" Sonia hadn't yet gotten used to Maddy being polite.

"Great."

"Good."

The two of them smiled at each other and looked away till Sonia leaned to Maddy and said, "I feel like we're talking like 19th century people, like people from Pride and Prejudice." Like Lizzy and Darcy.

Maddy giggled and said, "Yeah, it's awkward. Lol. ....So where are your friends?"

"I don't know, they were making fun of me so I just left them and came here straight," she annoyedly blurted out.

"What did they make fun of you for?"

Shit. "Uh, nothing! It doesn't matter."

Maddy knew that it must've been about her, like the time at the cafeteria, and she smiled to herself. Just then a jock who hadn't given any mind until that day walked up to them. He gave Sonia a disgusted look before putting on his charm and telling Maddy, "Maddy, why are you her partner? Come sit with me." All of the class's attention fell on that table and Evie and Joel reached the class in time to see it all.

"Oh..." Fuck Nate must've sent him. "Um, I need Sonia's help. I'm a bit lost and she's really good and she said she'd help me."

He turned his view to Sonia and altered his tone to her, "Who told you, you could help her?"

Sonia's eyes glowed red at him. But before she could say anything, Maddy said, "I asked her for help. Plus, I don't think your girlfriend or my.. boyfriend would like it if I were your partner."

He became sweet again. "Lucky for you, they told me to help you. So-"

Mr. Ramirez interrupted the jock and said, "Okay students, please get to your seats. Quickly."

The jock couldn't say anything more, it would be too suspicious, and returned to his place with clenched teeth. Joel and Evie got to their table beside Sonia and Maddy, they asked Sonia with widened eyes 'Are you okay??'

She titled her head and said, "Yeah."

Sonia then whispered to Maddy, "Are you alright?"

Maddy looked up at her, "Yeah. I'm sorry he talked to you like that."

"It's ok. Not the first and it's never gonna be the last."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault." They gave each other sad-eyed smiles for a second before they turned their attention Mr. Ramirez who said, "I have an announcement to make. The partners you have today will be your partners for the rest of the year." The two of them shared a smile. "You and your partner will have to prepare a project on anything related to this year's syllabus and submit at the end of the year. Any questions?"

Silence and excited, disappointed and annoyed looks settled over the classroom. Mr. Ramirez took that as an answer and said, "Okay. So what you have in front of you-"

*****

Before Maddy left, Mr. Ramirez talked to her. She stood before him anxious of what he would have to say.

"Maddy, if you need anything, any help, please don't be shy or scared to ask for it. Everybody knows what you've been through, and they won't judge you for asking for help. If someone embarrasses you for asking for help, you come right back to me even if it's in between a class and I'll give them a piece of my mind. Nobody can hurt you after that. Okay?"

Maddy's anxiety turned into joy and she said, "Yes sir. ...Thank you. Bye."

"Take care," he said as students came in for the next class.

She left with filled eyes and a smile.

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AN: Thanks for reading! If you liked it, please vote! Next chapter comes Monday. Till then,

Ciao,

Perse