kisses

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SHEHNAAZ

THE REST of my day goes by normally. I worried about spending lunch with Maggie at our Honours Society meeting, but she ended up spending it with Franklin, so I didn't have to deal with her asking me about my conversation with Fig.

A conversation that's left me unsettled. It's like he was trying to communicate with me with unspoken words. Implying one thing while saying something else. I didn't like his tone. His familiarity. He knows what I'm about.

He knows I'm not interested in boys or drinking or sex. That's not my scene. It never has been. I'm a good girl.

Those kinds of things...scare me.

When I walk into my seventh period class, the last one of the day, I'm excited. Psychology is my favourite class. I love learning how people act and think, and the motives behind our actions. It's so interesting. Today is when Ms. Skov announces our last project for the semester, and she usually has us work in groups. There are a couple of girls in this class that I've worked on group projects with before, and I know it'll be easy to work with them again. They'll at least carry the work. load equally with me.

Sidharth is already there, the only other class I have with him, as well as Ezra and Malcolm. They're all three sitting together in the back of the classroom, surrounded by girls. Girls who roll their skirts up so high they practically flash their underwear, and they have so much makeup on their faces I'm surprised they can open their eyes all the way. There's too much mascara on their lashes weighing them down.

I really shouldn't be so mean in my thoughts. It's not kind. I blame it on it being a Monday. The tension between Maggie and me-and Maggie and Mr. Figueroa. The conversation with Fig.

It's all so unsettling.

"Okay, everyone, listen up!" Skov slams the door behind her once she's entered the room, striding toward her desk. She's fluid move sent and rhythmic noise, the bangles on her wrists clanging as she moves her hands. And she likes to move her hands a lot..

We all settle down, sitting face forward and paying attention. Everyone respects Skov. She's fun and interesting and makes us excited to learn, which can be a rarity, even at a private school that pays a generous salary to have the best educators on staff.

"As you're all well aware of, it's time to begin our final project for the semester. I took the time over Thanksgiving break to really think it over and I came to the conclusion that after doing pretty much the same damn thing for the last eleven years.. I'm bored." Ms. Skov glares when Sidharth and his clan hoot and holler from the back. "Settle down, boys."

They go quiet and I can't help but glance at them over my shoulder, smirk already on my face. It disappears when I catch Sidharth glaring at me, those blue eyes freezing me in place.

I hurriedly turn back around, clutching my hands together on top of my desk. "I decided to change it up. You're going to work on your project on a one-on-one basis. As in, you'll be paired up with someone." She pauses. "And I'm the one who assigns you your project partner." A collective groan rings through the room, though I still remain quiet. And I'm a little nervous. Hopefully Skov won't pair me with someone too horrible.

Nerves eat at me when she starts rattling off names. I realize quickly she's pairing us up with someone who is our polar opposite. There are more groans. A couple of curse words dropped.

My heart is in my throat when she finally says my name.

"Shehnaaz Gill, you're going to work with..."