Love, Winter (an AJR Fanfiction story)

26. Winter

   It's Monday.

   Another week of school. Decent teachers (Besides Ms. Jones. She understands everyone), and odd people I hang out with, (I don't know why).

   I don't know how, but I wake up to Ava storms inside my room, slamming pots and pans.

"Oh wInTeR!!!" She screams. "gEt rEaDy fOr sChOoL!!"

   Uncle Jack rushes in the room "Ava! What the?- leave Winter alone!" He pulls the pots and pans from her hands then looks at me, "Sorry, buddy. You heard her. Get ready."

   ~•School (12:37)•~

   I'm kinda glad Ms. Jones is my homeroom teacher. Not just some old crabby english teacher like Mr. Garcia, but she's actually nice.

"Hello class!" She beams, "Today we'll be doing an assignment that requires a partner. So-"

   Most of the students get out of their desks and walk to their friends.

"Hey now! I did not say you could pick!"

   Andy groans, "But-"

"You are seventh graders. Behave yourselves. Don't make me do it for you."

   She looks around the room, then looks at me. "Winter, dear, would you like to work with..." she looks around the room again, "...Alex?"

   I turn around, and so does the entire class. I see a girl with dark brown hair, and her eyes not off of the pages of her book that she's reading. When she finally notices that the room got quiet and that everyone's eyes were on her, she quickly put the book down, almost slamming it on her desk.

"Was I not paying attention? I'm sorry if I wasn't..." Her voice is very soft. Delicate. She looks away from everyone, in embarrassment, and buries her face in her sweater.

"It's okay." Ms. Jones walks over to her and puts her hand on Alex's shoulder. "I was asking if you wanted to work with Winter."

   She lifts her head up and looks at me. Then shrugs, "Sure."

"Very well." Ms. Jones smiles. "Before I   pair up anymore people, let's talk about the assingnment. I want you to talk with your partner. Get to know them well. And to prove you did the assignment, you are going to write two paragraphs about them."

"Two?!" Andy whines, "But-"

"I've heard enough from you, Davis," Ms. Jones never calls Andy by his first name. She continues, "Two paragraphs. That's all."

"Will it be graded?" a girl named Mindy asks.

"Yes."

   I turn around. I notice Alex glancing at me. Has she been doing that this whole time?

   Ms. Jones continues assigning partners.

~•After Ms. Jones assigns partners•~

"Hi..." I'm sitting by Alex's desk after grabbing a random chair to do so.

"Hi." She replies. "I'm Alexis."

"Winter."

"That kind of sounds like a girl's name."

   I blush. "Well..."

"Sorry. That was rude of me. What are some things you like?"

"I don't really know." I look around the room. Everyone else is chatting and laughing, and I've barely said anything to this girl. Plus, I have to write two paragraphs about her, so if this conversation doesn't get anywhere, I'm totally screwed.

"Family?" I reply.

"I... like family too." She giggles. "Who do you live with?"

"My dad, my uncle Jack, aunt Emma, uncle Adam, aunt Mackenzie, my two cousins Ava and Sammy..."

"What about your mom?"

   I should've known that she'd ask that, but I didn't. I now my head down.

"Umm..."

"You... don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Dead."

"What?"

"I found out this weekend that she died. That she's been dead. For a while."

"I'm sorry to hear that." she Pat's my back.

"It's... it's okay. Everything at home is good. It's getting... better."

"That's good."

"Can I hear about your family?"

"Sure."