If I Never Knew You ~Mileven~ |Stranger Things

Chapter 2: Group Projects

"Who were those boys?" I asked Dustin, hesitantly.

"Oh, them. They always like to bother people at this school. Troy and James were the ones highfiving. I saw Troy shut your locker in your face. Those two do those kinds of stupid things," he replied.

"Who are the other two? I know one of them is called Lucas."

"Yeah, Lucas is a little worse than Troy and James. He can be a real snitch, and he likes to blackmail students for some extra cash," Dustin sighed.

"And the last one?" I asked, prompting Dustin to continued.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. The last one is Michael Wheeler. He is the worst of them all. He thinks he's so bad, and he know exactly how to rub someone the wrong way. He is constantly pushing buttons, and annoying the heck out of people at this school," Dustin told me.

The names of the boys seemed vaguely familiar, along with the name Dustin.  It was probably nothing. I shrugged it off.

"Do you have any friends?" I asked Dustin.

"Yeah, I have my buddy Will, but other than that, that's it," he said.

"Well, you have two friends now!" I said smiling.

"Thanks! I never did get your name. What was it again?" Dustin asked me.

I blanked out for a second again. Before I could think of something to say, the bell rang.

"Meet me in the school library after class!" Dustin called to me.

"Ok, I will!" I called back.

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The first class I had was science with a teacher named Mr. Clarke. From what I'd heard, he was one of the strictest teachers in the school.

I walked into the classroom. Class would be starting soon. Mr. Clarke didn't even acknowledge my presence. Honestly, I preferred that he didn't. I wouldn't want teachers make a big deal over how I'm new.

I sat down in one of the desks. Slowly all of the seats start to fill up, and the bell rings.

"Ok class, settle down. Today, we will be talking about Newton's second law," Mr. Clarke announces.

All of a sudden, the door opens. In walks one of the boys who was bothering me earlier.

"Mr. Wheeler, you are late to class!"

"Yeah, I know. I'll be on time tomorrow."

"One more time this week, and you'll be in detention!" Mr. Clarke scolded.

Mike made his way down the walkway. The only seat open was the one next to me. As he sits down, I try to play it cool.

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Everything was going well until about halfway through class, when Mr. Clarke was going to assign a group project.

"Ok, I will let you choose your partners, but if there is any complaining, there will be punishment!" 

Everyone rushed around the room trying to get to the person they wanted to be partners with. I just stayed in my chair, my eyes fixed on my notebook. I didn't want to do a group project. I preferred to work alone.

"Does anyone not have a partner?" Mr. Clarke asked. I raised my hand.

"Then you can be partners with Mr. Wheeler," he said. I looked up and saw Mike coming my way.  He pulled his chair up to my desk, and slouched back.

"So, here's how things are going to happen. You do the work, and I get to put my name on it for credit," he said, nonchalantly, but with demand.

"But, isn't this a group project?" I asked.

Mike sat up in his chair.

"Yes. There is no me in group. But there is a u," he said.

This was just great. I was stuck doing a project with Michael Wheeler, of all people.