You Are the Shell to My Tortoise | ✓

13

"Congratulations, Chels," Melissa said when she got to my desk.

"You landed your first detention of the year!" Ashley's disbelieving voice reached my ears as she bounded up to me.

I did not want to listen to this right now.

"Stop talking, please," I moaned, my face still in my hands since English class ended.

"No, I'm congratulating you on managing to hold off on getting a detention up until today," Melissa insisted, resting a hand on my desk and leaning against it. "You did well."

Ashley snorted. "That's not an achievement—she's not you."

"Stop," I said, letting out another groan. "You make it sound like I've fallen in battle or something. Can't you see I'm trying not to cry?"

"I thought Mr. Jameson was going to have a heart attack when he saw them both sleeping," Ashley said.

When I woke up, Mr. Jameson was towering over us. While his expression was thunderous, it looked like he didn't know who he wanted to reprimand more—Nolan or me. How could I have slept in my beloved teacher's class? All this after I had nagged Nolan to stay awake in class, too. He had to think I was a complete hypocrite.

"Seriously, you never sleep in his class," Melissa said to me. "Did you not sleep well last night or something?"

"I slept late last night; I was so tired when I got up this morning! Did you see the disappointment in Mr. Jameson's eyes?! He's never looked at me like that before!" I wailed, burying my face into my arms.

"He was just upset his favorite problem student has rubbed off on you," Melissa said, patting me on the shoulder. "He'll get over it."

"Cheer up, you'll live." Derek's hand on my other shoulder had zero comforting effect. "This is nothing compared to the time he probably heard you call him hot."

"Derek," both Melissa and I snapped.

Using up all the strength I had left—since most of it deserted me when Mr. Jameson stared at me like I had let him down—I forced myself to stand up.

Dessert was the only thing that could bring me comfort now. "Let's just go to lunch."

"Good idea," Melissa said. "You'll need the energy when you go to detention later. You got detention with Nolan."

I glared at her. "Are you never going to stop reminding me of that?"

"Hey, I was just trying to be encouraging," she said, snickering.

"I don't need it!"

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Group projects were the worst when the teachers assigned your team members to you. Why couldn't they just let us choose who we wanted to partner with?

Miss Wheeler continued reading off the list she had prepared, acting as if she hadn't just shattered everyone's hopes and dreams when she told us that the grouping would be arranged by her. "... Sheila, Jordan and Claire—you're all in group three. Group four will consist of Nolan, Chelsea and Cheryl."

Although she was still announcing the other groups, I stopped paying attention to glance at the boy sitting next to me. Weeks ago, if she had placed us both in the same group, I would have been complaining about it nonstop to Ashley. Now, after learning that he could be nice if he tried, all I felt was resignation that I would have to wake him up today after all—after I had promised myself last night that I wouldn't do it anymore.