The Rumor Mill

Ch. 6

Chapter 6

In school, it was was like we were strangers to each other. I felt like I didn't even know him. How could this guy I've been knowing for months be a completely different person then what he led me to believe?I don't understand...I don't know what to think? First period was the worst. Since we were partners, we had to communicate to work on the projects.

"Okay ladies and gentlemen!" Mr. Hart announced in his happy-go-lucky greeting. "I hope you all didn't waste your voices yesterday, because today's project is all about team work. So get with your partners, get your supplies, and I'll come around and give you your assignment," he continued.

It was like he knew James and I weren't talking, and he gave this assignement on purpose. I looked at James, but he didn't look back. He hesitated before finally scooted his desk towards me, like he always did when we had a project.

I saw Mr. Hart go to the group next to ours, and it seemed the closer he got to us, the closer it gets to James and I having a full length conversation. There was an ackward pause as we waited for the teacher to get to us.

When Mr. Hart finally came, James shifted his position while he exhaled. "Okay you two," Mr. Hart started, "I want you to work this problem out."

"What?" I asked curiously. How did he know about James and I? Were people talking about it? Mr. Hart just looked at me like I was crazy, after all, I was freaking out all of a sudden. James, for the first time all class period, gave me a confused look also.

I looked at Mr.Hart, then at James, then back at Mr. Hart. "Sorry," I began my apology, "my minds just somewhere else." I looked at James, but he had already turned his head opposite my direction. Mr. Hart laid a card down infront of us. I picked it up and scanned over it before laying it back down on the desk.

How does he expect us to work together? We haven't even talked to each other in days. While he walked away, I shouted for him to return. "Mr. Hart!" He turned around and started back in my direction. "Yes Miss Turner?" he asked. "This problem seems a little difficult. What if we can't solve it?"

James turned to face our teacher, he seemed curious and interested to know the answer as well. "Well," Mr. Hart began while thinking it through. "I'm highly confident that you two will nail this one very easily." He started walking off again, until he was stopped....again.

This time James did the stopping. "But what if she doesn't trust my opinion? What if she believe's someone elses answer over mine, her partner?" He studied the teacher's face with wondering eyes.

Mr. Hart looked at James with a question gaze before answering, "Well, if that was to happen, then--" I cut him off.

"But Mr. Hart, what if that other person's answer makes more sense then what my partner is--"

"That shouldn't matter," James cut me off. "Because we're the ones working together, not you and that other person." Then there was silence between the two of us. We stared at each other with disbelief in our eyes. This is the most we've spoken to each other since our agrument.

Mr. Hart was looking at the two of else, one part of him was excited about how into the "project" we were, while the other part was curious as to why we were so into the "project". "Listen up you guys," he began. "Don't let this one disagreement ruin the whole thing. You two just have to find a way to trust that each other is making the right decision on their part," he started walking away again. He stopped and turned to face us. "Plus, if you two don't work out this little debate, then, well, you're just going to fail the project." He finally walked back over to his desk.

James picked up the card, studied it for a minute, then handed it to me. "Let's just get this over with," he suggested while getting out some paper and a pencil. I agreed while I got up to get the supplies.