Oh, It's On

Chapter 4

“Okay, so I’m going to come pick you up at 7,” Rachel tells me as we walk to class.

“Please tell me again,” I say sarcastically. “I mean, you’ve only told me like 500 times. How could I possibly remember? Just keep saying it.”

Rachel shoves me slightly. “Just be ready when we come okay.”

I wave at her dismissively and walk into my English class. “Fine. Bye.”

Over the noise in the hallway, I hear Rachel shout a bye. There’s still a few minutes until the class bell rings so the room is pretty empty. I sit down at my desk and pull out my Macbeth paper, reading it over one more time before I have to hand it in.

A backpack and books fall into the desk beside me.

Without looking up, I hold up my essay. “Hey Cameron, can you look over my paper?”

The paper is snatched out of my hand and a voice that’s not Cameron’s says, “Sure.”

I look up and do a double take. “What are you doing here?”

Jace flashes me a toothy grin. “I sit here.”

Scanning the classroom, I spot Cameron on the far end of the row of desks. He’s not looking in my direction. I bet he’s ignoring me on purpose.

“Do you always steal people’s seats?” I ask in annoyance.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Cameron let me sit here,” Jace says.

“He let you sit here?”

This is ridiculous. I am actually at a loss of words right now.

Jace nods once and goes onto reading my essay. “Hm, not bad.”

I roll my eyes and take my paper back. “Like you would know.”

“I would. Stella Justine Roberts.”

I ignore him. Obviously he’s just doing this to mock me, to agitate me. The name Justine on my paper is in the smallest font possible. It’s clear that I hate it. And I do. Justine is my middle name and I hate it with all the passion in the world. I don’t know why. I just hate the name Justine. It’s a horrible name. No offence. Who knows what my parents were thinking when they named me. I don’t.

When Ms. Lewinski, our English teacher, walks in, she glances from Jace to Cameron.

“Mr. Ward, why aren’t you sitting in your regular seat?” she asks.

“Jace wanted to sit there, miss,” Cameron replies, without making any eye contact with me.

“Stella helped me out earlier before so I just thought it’d be appropriate if I sat beside her. She’s such a good helper, since I’m new,” Jace explains, smirking at me.

Ms. Lewinski doesn’t look convinced but she lets it slide and begins talking about our papers. Around the room, a couple of girls send me jealous glares.

When we get up to hand in our essays, I wiggle in line behind Cameron.

“What the hell, Cameron?” I hiss.

Cameron edges a bit forward in line, eager to clear some distance. “I’m sorry!”

I jab him in the back with my finger. “That doesn’t explain anything.”

“He asked me and I couldn’t say no!”

“You couldn’t, or you didn’t want to?” I ask, spotting the 20 dollar bill sticking out from his back pocket.