Stringed

Chapter 14: Partners!

"Pleeeeaaase?!" Eric's been bugging me and pleading me over and over again even if I kept on ignoring him or just saying no.

"For the nth time Eric, NO!" I snared at him.

"But why don't you want to be my partner for the junior's night?" he pouted then his eye twitched, "Is it because you already have a partner?!"

His voice was too loud that it even echoed throughout the hallways.

"Shut the hell up! And I don't have a partner!" I said angrily.

"Oh really? Cause I saw that Luke kid all over you again!" he pushed on.

I rolled my eyes and walked away from him, the next class was about to start, "Suit yourself. Like I said I don't have partner."

And why is he calling Luke a kid? He's just the same age as us.

I sighed.

Eric never fails to take a portion of my life everyday. I'm gonna die soon enough for god's sake!

I wish he'd just be off so he won't disturb me at all.

"Katie! Waaah! Don't get mad!" he chased after me. "If you're not going, then I won't too~" he said proudly.

"You could ask other girls there. They're all dying to at least touch your hand!" I exclaimed. Last week a big box of confession letters were given to me to be sent to Eric.

Unbelievable! I've become this man's mailman!

"I know~ But I want you! You're the one I like," he said and hugged me.

"Oof!" he winced in pain as I've punched him right on the guts.

"Don't get your filthy hands over me!"

He giggled, "But, it was a promise," he whispered.

He's being sentimental again.

"Hey Eric, did you ever have a girlfriend?" I randomly asked. I must know everything I could.

He took a moment, "Um, yeah..." he sounded a bit down.

"What happened?"

"She hates me now cause she thought I cheated on her," he looked down on the floor, "But it was a misunderstanding."

"Ah, the usual story," I commented as we took our seats in our room.

He smiled, "Sorta. But hey! Past is past right?" he was smiling bit there was a hint of sadness in his tone.

I stared at him then back at the front, "You could at least be honest with me," I said in a monotone.

Eric giggled, "I guess you're right at that."

I shot a glance at his unreadable face and looked away.

Our old and single (NBSB status at that) homeroom teacher went in.

As soon as she went in, she looked like the usual. Bitter because she STILL doesn't have a boyfriend.

That's because she's so grumpy. LOL.

"Okay, so," she fixed her greying hair, "This year the administration would like to make sure that EVERYONE attends the Junior's night."

I saw Eric grinned at me and I rolled my eyes.

"So that's why we're picking your partners," our teacher finished.

Oh? Well that's unexpected.

The class uproared.

"What?! But I already have mine!" one shouted.

"I don't want to be partnered with a loser!" one exclaimed.

Everyone started complaining then I noticed that our teacher started to lose her patience as she began to form a fist with her both hands.

"Well why don't you go ahead and replace the admin?!" she blasted and everyone fell silent.

She composed herself and cleared her throat, "Lets get this finished shall we?" she fixed her glasses.

"Okay, so here will be the partnering," she started saying everybody's name.

It seems that most of us ended up pairing with the other classes.

When it was Eric who was called...

"Please let it be Kate. Please let it be Kate. Please let it be Kate," Eric kept on saying like a mantra. He was even in Buddha position for crying out loud!

"Sanders, your pair is, Scarlet from section two," when Eric heard that he acted like a culture shocked person.

"And Sherlin," oh me, great, "Your partner would be Anderson."

Anderson?

Everyone gasped in horror. Though I wasn't sure if it was because of me.

"I pity Anderson, he got the scariest one!" one whispered. Though, clearly it wasn't since I'v heard it.

"IKR? He's even quite the loser scared-ish type!" one added.

Okay. So they are gasping and fretting because of me.

I couldn't expect less.

"Huhu~ Katie~ the world is so cruel!" Eric sobbed as he grabbed me by the hem of my blouse.

I glared at him and he took his hand right away, "I actually prefer my partner," I said coldly.

He gaped at me in horror and pretended to cry as he covered his face with his hands.

I ignored him.

Anderson? Hmm. Ah, now I remember.

He's actually that guy after me in the academic ranks in our level. But he also has a clean record.

Making him similar to our homeroom teacher without the grumpy part.

I can imagine him passing out. I would certainly be the last person he wanted to be paired up with.

I let out a deep sigh. This is gonna be a long hard work.

Damn those administrators!

"We're giving this time to meet up with your pairs!" our teacher said and vanished out of the room.

Everyone dashed out.

"Katie lets go out toge---THER?!" before he knew it, Eric got swooped up by the crowd and he vanished within it.

Poor kid.

I also left as soon as the area was clear.

* * * AFTER 30 MINUTES * * *

Is this what that call awkward silence?

But basing on the situation its not just the silence that's awkward. Its the whole setting!

I'm sitting on a bench in the field and so is Nathan Anderson.

But he's about three meters away from me.

And neither of us had spoken a word to each other.

What a waste of time.

"Anderson, so got anything to say?" I snapped.

He abruptly got shocked and fidgeted, "Uh, I, umm.. H-Hi," he said in fear.

I raised an eyebrow, "You do know me don't you?"

Nathan shivered, "Ye-Yes ma'am!"

Gods, he's more difficult to handle than I thought

"Don't call me ma'am," I grimaced.

"Uh, okay," he said softly.

I stood up, "I'll see you tomorrow here, dismissal time," I turned to him.

Nathan nodded knowingly and I went off.

I better go because I still need to make a research about this Nathan.

I have to know who would my partner really is right?