You'll Be Okay

Chapter 2

I was six minutes late to Home Economics.

"Sorry, sir." The whole class was staring as I barged into the room. "Lost track of time..."

The truth was that I was at the front office, trying to persuade the nasty reception ladies to change my timetable. They refused, spewing some nonsense about messing up the algorithm and the only thing I could do was drag myself to class.

"Take a seat, Miss Patterson." Mr Creed was an absent-minded and apparently very laid back old man who waved off my concerns. "We were just getting started."

I sat down by the window as Mr Creed went on.

"We will be cooking and creating recipes for the next few months. I've pre-assigned partners so get to know each other and write a page of observations each."

A list of names pulled up on the projector and my eyes trailed down before - Alexa Patterson and Tyler Kypriano.

I couldn't believe my luck.

Already irritated, I turned and spotted Tyler sitting with Reid and Jarred at the back of the classroom, chatting up some girls from the volleyball team. I wasn't sure why any of them were in this class but that was the least of my worries. He grinned, sauntering over and flopping down beside me, smelling strongly of cologne. Tyler Kypriano was vaguely part-Asian, all tousled black hair and dark eyes that gleamed with humour, charming when he smiled.

"Lex, right?"

"Right." I flipped open my binder and handed him a sheet of paper. "We both need to pass this class, so let's help each other out."

He looked wounded by the cold reception. "Yes, ma'am."

Before I could feel even a little relieved, Tyler's attention diverged to a blonde girl with glasses sitting behind us. However, it was Jarred who did my work for me as he and Reid sat down across the aisle from us.

"Hey, man." He slapped Tyler upside the head, making him yelp. "Think you're forgetting someone - her name starts with Bree and ends with Richardson?"

I was amazed at the chances of Reid and Jarred ending up as partners, considering it was a relatively big class. If only Dennis had taken up Home Economics, then perhaps he could've been partnered with Tyler. Unfortunately, Dennis was the favourite for valedictorian and voted Most Likely to Succeed in eighth grade so his schedule was probably full.

"Dickhead," muttered Tyler, rolling his eyes and turning back to me. "So I'm trying to make some lifestyle changes, you know? I truly believe it starts with cutting off toxic people and Jarred is at the top of my list."

"Because he reminded you that you have a girlfriend?" I asked.

"That makes you second on my list."

I sighed, tuning out Tyler and against my better judgement, into Reid and Jarred's conversation instead. They were discussing college, which actually surprised me.

"...they're all the same," Reid scoffed, spinning a pen in his hands. "I've spent my entire life trying to impress these Ivy schools. What else do they want from me? He's just trying to keep me distracted so I can't go to Chicago in January."

"But it's the Draft," said Jarred incredulously. "It's the most important night of your life."

"That means absolutely jackshit to him."

"But it's the Draft," repeated Jarred. "The whole world will be watching. And we didn't train all summer for Demetrius to just not give a shit!"

"Well, he doesn't and it's nothing new."