One Step Forward and two Step Back

Chapter II

"Mrs Nelly, I cannot be paired with River!"

"Well, I'm not changing your partner just because you asked for it. If I change your partner, everyone else will want to change their partner, and I refuse to waste so much time on this issue," she said as Keith and Vivian stormed into the classroom.

"Mrs Nelly, I would like to change my partner as well!" they demanded together.

"Watch your tone! Young man and young lady! You are still talking to your teacher," she reprimanded them.

" Mrs N, why would you ever pair me up with someone who is born with two left feet? I demand you to pair me up with River or, my father will hear about this," she screeched with annoyance.

"Look who needs the help of her daddy all the time. Can't fight your own battles? Need your daddy dearest for a simple partnering issue?" Keith retorted towards Vivian.

" Mrs N, even Keith wants to change his partner. I don't mind switching with him. Vivian gets River as a partner and, I get Keith. Both parties get what they want. There won't be any problems," I reasoned with Mrs Kelly.

"QUIET! All three of you! Vivian, I don't care who your father is, so don't bother threatening me again. Keith! Don't aggravate Vivan. Lastly, Adelia, if you want to switch partners with Keith, you must get River's consent. Until River personally comes up to me and asks for a partner change, I will not allow it." She said with finality.

I looked at her as if she had asked me to climb Mt. Everest.

Getting River's consent?

Has she lost her mind? Did she ask me to talk to that arrogant asshole?

I was very close to giving Mrs Nelly a piece of my mind. Didn't she know that he was the devil? Asking him to do something was going to be impossible for me.

"Now, get out of my classroom! Don't bother coming back without River's consent" She threw us out.

"Ugh! who even hired her as a teacher?" Vivian said with frustration.

She looked at me with malice and said, " Don't worry, Adelia, I will talk to River and tell him how ugly and unwanted you are. I m pretty sure he will immediately talk to Mrs Nelly. I mean, who would want to be with you? You're just plain ugly and fat. River needs a partner who is slim, graceful and sexy like me".

That hurt. To think that River would not want me just because of my looks. Tears prickled my eyes, but I didn't give Vivian the satisfaction of seeing those salty droplets. I looked back at her with coldness and said," That may or may not be correct, but I believe that its River's decision to make. Be my guest in convincing him, but I would like to have a word with him as well". With that, I walked away from her while she threw insults at my back.

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Natty and I were sitting at our lunch table waiting for Keith to bring our food.

"She did not just ask you to talk to River! That's impossible! The guy barely talks!" Natty exclaimed.

"I'm sure that she has absolutely lost it. Doesn't she know the reputation he has? It's like she's expecting me to have a death wish!"

River joined our school during sophomore year. He was a quiet kid who only spoke to Josiah in the beginning. However, that changed when he beat up a jock in his first week of school. Since then, he's feared by everyone. Some rumours claimed that he was part of a gang and used girls like his personal toys.

Yet, I noticed that he always came in the top five during exams. He never missed his classes. He was kind to the janitors and cafeteria ladies.

Was I the only one who noticed his acts of kindness? Why was I even defending him?

Suddenly the whole cafeteria became silent. Everyone was looking at the cafeteria doors.

As curious as a cat, I turned around.

Standing at the door like greek gods were none other than River and Josiah.

As they made their way to food lines, girls stared at them as if they were a piece of meat and, guys stared at them with jealousy and fear.

" A chicken sandwich for Natty and a vanilla milkshake and fries for Lia," Keith said as he served us with our food.

"Thank you, Kiki!" I said childishly, using his childhood nickname.

"Eww, Why would you even invent a name like that? It's so weird! Couldn't you have given me a more cool or unique nickname?" Keith cried out.

Natty and I laughed at his antics. While we ate, I felt a pair of eyes burning my head. I looked around to see...