Temporarily Mine

1

JOSEPHINE

Chemistry, my least favorite subject, but the class I've looked forward to the most since school started last week, and even more so today.

Finally, we're being assigned our lab partners, and I know exactly who mine will be.

Not counting myself, there are only three others left standing, two being uninterested, academically opposed football players while the third is second in our class, also on the team, but possesses the brains and the brawn.

It's an obvious choice.

Mr. Brady looks to his paper, ready to announce another pairing, and I can hardly hold in my grin.

"Hero Fiennes Tiffin."

I step toward Andrew only to freeze, my frown cutting to Mr. Brady, who just read off the wrong name!

"Wait." I glance from Andrew's tense expression to Hero, already on his way to the lab table. I turn toward Mr. B, keeping my voice low. "Are you sure? Shouldn't I be with--"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Ms. Langford," he cuts me off. "While I asked each of you to list the person you'd prefer as a partner, I gave no guarantees. So, if you are about to make a judgment call on one of your peers, I suggest you don't finish your thought. I'm aware you're a bit of a teacher's pet, however, in my class, you won't make, nor influence my decisions," he states scornfully.

My ears heat in both anger and embarrassment, but my hair works as a shield to cover it, my expression giving no sign his words meant a damn thing.

Talk about a judgment call.

Asshole.

"Go, Ms. Langford. Mr. Fiennes Tiffin is seated and ready to go." He dismisses me, turning to the last two standing.

Defeated, I head for the back of the classroom where my 'partner' has chosen to sit - of course the last space up front wasn't the one he wanted.

And ready to go? Please! He hasn't even opened his backpack.

Hero is simply sitting there with his elbows on the tabletop, waiting.

As I approach, he pushes off the cement slab, now lazily leaning against his chair with those eyes, as dark and impassive as always, locked on me.

I stop in front of him. "Guess we're stuck with each other all year."

His gaze narrows. "Guess we are."

When I don't move, he drapes an arm over the back of my seat, tipping his chin.

"Sit down, J. I don't bite without permission."

A heavy sigh leaves me as I walk around, dropping beside him. "Sure you do. Third grade, Ms. Fisher's class, and I've got the scar to prove it." I flip him off with my ring finger, right where his bite mark was left.

"That's called leaving my mark. I was smart at eight."

"Too bad it didn't carry over to eighteen, huh?"

He only stares, not a word spoken, no sign of a functioning train of thought on his flawless face.

I shake my head, pull out my materials, and set them in front of me.

Mr. Brady makes his way to the front of the room to go over how the class will work now that we've been paired up, but I lose track of what he's saying when I notice Andrew's attention pointed in my direction.

He's focused on Hero, so I peek over to find Hero hasn't a clue. Or at least he pretends not to as his face is buried in his phone. When I look back, Andrew's stare slides to mine.