Two Eyes

The Science Project

She nudges my arm. She's smiling. I know it, thinking she's won and finally found someone I like. It seems to be her personal mission to find me boyfriend. Ugh, I don't think she'll ever get it.

I watch the new kid. He sits quietly, reading a book. As I watch him, though, I notice that it's really a cover. I can tell he's really listening to others' conversations. He turns a page. I smile. It's actually a pretty convincing cover.

The teacher walks in and shuts the door. The new guy closes his book and looks around, most likely at the sound of the door. Oh no, is he looking at me? Like, straight at me? I feel as if he's looking directly into my soul, prodding around my thoughts. His unblinking stare gives me a creepy feeling.

C'mon, do something, my brain says. He'll think you're strange, otherwise!

As if I'm not already strange, I answer back.

I make a small smile and wave, anyway. He grins and waves back.

See, says my brain. Was that so hard, now?

In my imagination, I stick my tongue out at it. The teacher begins talking and I listen to her. Today in class, we have a new project. Just what I need: A new project that's so time consuming that I'll fail it and make my grade even worse. Great.

"You will have a partner for this assignment," Mrs. Stuart announces as one of the students passes out papers with information over the project. I follow along as she tells us our assignment. "You two will need to pick a living organism. You have three options. Number one--make a poster over it. Number two--write an essay over it, at least three pages. Number three--create a model of it. All of these must describe your chosen organism. And get creative with it! I want something to remember. Your grade will be based on creativeness, facts, and presentation.

"I will now announce your partners." The class groans since we can't pick our own partners. "Once you have your partner sit with whoever it is start talking about what your organism will be. Please all stand so we can have tables for you to sit at." We reluctantly stand from our "comfortable" chairs and move away from the tables.

"Julia and Juliet," she calls. "Rob and Chris ..." Ah, I see how she partnered us up. Of course, I should've seen this coming. Julia and Juliet are twins; their last name starts with "A". Rob and Chris' last names begin with "B." Mrs. Stuart is going alphabetically down the list. Great ... Just great.

I get comfortable and lean against the wall. I watch who gets paired with whom. Unsurprisingly, Rachel gets paired with a "hottie" as she would say. I mentally sigh.

It is terrible having a last name beginning with "Z" that no one can pronounce on the first try. That's only one of the cons of it. Throughout my life, I've been last all the time. Whenever we'd line up in class to go somewhere, I was always the "caboose." Whenever we do roll call, I know I'm the last one. How many people does anyone know with the first two letters of their last name being "Z" and "Y"?

I close my eyes and wait for Mrs. Stuart to call my name.

"Elizabeth and ..." I hear her say and open my eyes. I wonder who my partner will be today that will get an "F" on this project with me. I realize the only other person standing is the new kid. I look over at our teacher to see a confused look on her face. She flips through the roll as if to double-check herself on something. She nods as if thinking Yep, that's what it says.

"Elizabeth and Ryan," she finishes. The new kid and I head towards the back table and place our stuff on it. "Are you two related?"

"What?" I ask. I almost laugh at the idea; it is so absurd. "No."