Counting the Stars

Did She Just Say Animal?

The next few days were pretty much the same as the first day of school: boring teachers explaining boring rules and regulations, and luckily no partner work in the most hated class of the day. I spent every science period staring at the front, trying to ignore the fact that Christopher Weiller was practically shooting imaginary daggers at my back. We had exchanged a few nasty looks but besides that I never had to talk to him. Until Tuesday.

On Tuesday The Witch decided we were ready to start actual school stuff, given it was our fifth day of school.

"Class, I would like you to find your partners and pick any work station you would both like to work in. Make sure you feel comfortable in the space because that will be you station for the rest of the semester. You may start now."

I looked around at the new science room we had shifted to. Up front was a small platform where Mrs. Fritzs' desk was, and a giant white board against the wall. The whole room was outlined with about 13 stations, each fitting a sink, 3 large cabinets and a marble countertop the size of a poster. The upper half of the wall was magnetic and 2 chairs were stacked against it. It was a pretty cozy space. In the middle of the classroom were a few desks, but enough space for a whole show to happen. It was the biggest classroom in the whole school, about 4 times the size of a normal one.

I scanned the room for my partner, until I spotted him already at a station right beside the door. I stomped over to him.

"Why'd you pick a station without me?" I demanded. He leaned against the wall, in the little space between the sink and the cabinets where the chairs were folded.

"Because you seemed too busy daydreaming." Christopher replied in a curt tone, rolling up the sleeves of his grey, long sleeved T-shirt.

"We're supposed to pick it together. We're supposed to both agree on it." I said, crossing my arms and emphasizing on the word 'both.'

"So let me get this straight," I raised an eyebrow, waiting for the next smart ass retort he'd throw at me. "You want me to wait until you finish daydreaming, when all the good workstations are chosen, so I get stuck with a crappy one? Heh, not happening," he said.

"First of all, I wasn't daydreaming. Second of all, this is the crappiest station ever! It's the farthest out." I said.

"Is the space between your ears filled with fluff? This is the best workstation!" He exclaimed, looking down at me with a foul expression like I was insane.

"How?" I asked. I was seriously starting to doubt the fact that he knew what he had just done.

"It's closest to the door."

"I'm aware."

"It makes it easier to slip out the door during class. The old hag wouldn't even know." He said. I stared at him for a good sixty seconds before I was able to get words out of my mouth.

"You're gonna skip this class?"

"No, I'm gonna get out of the room and dance in the hallways then come back inside and continue learning about what photosynthesis is." He replied sarcastically. I stuck my tongue out at him, to which he rolled his eyes, and turned to our teacher how was at the front of the room.

"This year I have decided to do something a little different than the previous years. In science you learn the same things over and over again, except in a more complex away. So instead of learning about photosynthesis, Christopher, we are doing a project." I let out a laugh, surprised that Mrs. Fritz had heard Christopher and my conversation, and looked back at him. Idiot I mouthed. He rolled his eyes.

"For the next 6 weeks you and your partners will be working together to take care of an animal." My eyes widened. Did she just say animal?

"Yes. God, your so deaf." Christopher said to me.  I stared at him confused. Oh no, did I just say that out loud? Oops. I ignored him and continued to squeal with the rest of the class.

Mrs. Fritz continued, "Each pair will get a different animal and you will have to take care of it and observe it. At the end of each week it will be taken to the vet." I remembered how much Austin had loved animals. Just the thought of him instantly made me sad again, something I had been going through recently.

And unfortunately my partner noticed.

"You're so weird. One minute you're screaming like a girl and the next you have a frown etched on your face. What's wrong with you?" Christopher asked me sharply.

"I don't see why it's your problem." I took a deep breath to even out my trembling voice. "And why are you staring at me to begin with?"

"As if!" He whispered when The Witch started talking again. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for me to respond but I'm glad he didn't say anything else. My own eyes were starting to get heavy and I was sure one look at anyone and a dam would burst from behind my lashes.

By the time the dismissal bell rung I was sure I would fail this assignment. Mrs. Fritz would assign us our animals tomorrow, giving us enough time to research about them and be prepared to start taking care of them on Monday. I was beyond ecstatic. But Christopher was a whole other story. At the end of class he made it very clear that he would in no way shape or form do this assignment with me, which of course The Witch heard and threatened to give both of us a failing grade.

"What the hell is your problem? I am not about to fail this class because of you." I said to him as we headed out the door. I shifted my binder from one hand to the other, tugging down the hem of my Vans T-shirt.

"And I'm not about to taking care of an animal. Being partners with one is enough." He said, not looking at me once. I gasped. Did he just call me an animal? I didn't know how to reply to that, as no had ever called me something like that, so I shot him a death glare and walked away as fast as I could.

I found Sydney beside the water fountain up ahead and stopped.

"My science partner is a class A bit*h! He's a jerk!" I shrieked at her. She looked up at me, water dripping down her chin.

"And so I heard." She said in a steady voice compared to my low, but shrill one. She was the more calm one of the 3 of us. Evie was neat, I was shy and she was calm.

"He's won't take care of our animal with me." I whined. "I'm gonna fail!"

"Animal?" She asked puzzled. I explained our semester project to her. This time she was the one to get excited.

"You're so lucky! But what are you going to do about your partner?" She asked me.

"At this point, I'm counting my lucky stars."