CHAPTER 20
Kim arched her eyebrow at me when she and Oh-je entered ELA
"Are you confused?" she asked me when she walked down to me
"About what?" I asked back
"This is our seat" She pointed to the set of three tables in front of me
"I know"
"Then why are you sitting here?"
I shrugged
"You may not look like it, but you sure hold grudges, Miss Salvatore" Oh-je said as he slipped to the middle seat in front
"Glad you know" I told him
Shaking her head, Kim sat beside him which was also in front of me. Few minutes later, the teacher walked in
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"Before class ends, I have something to announce" the ELA teacher, Miss. Lisa, started
"You guys are doing wonderful in your average marks, but there's a great difference in teamwork, that's why I'm going to give you a team project. You're going to team up with the person you're sitting beside and this what you'll be doing. For two days each, you're going to live with your partners"
Mummers started developing, but she brought them back down
"You're going to get to know more about your partner and when you come back, I'm going to grade you by the questions I'll ask you about your partner"
Someone raised their hand
"Yes, Paul"
"What if we don't want to do this?" he asked
"No problem, you'll just have to lose 25 percent of your total marks"
"How can students live together?" a girl asked
"That's why you have parents or guidance"
"What if a partner doesn't have?" another student asked
"Then the two of you can stay in the house of the person that has"
"What if both of you don't have?" a boy this time
"Then, I'll have to confirmed and give you another way. Any more questions?" she asked
When she got none, she continued
"After the four days of staying with each other, you'll gather with two other groups and hang out. You don't need to do this second part, if you don't want to, your marks won't be reduced, but you will have marks added if you do. I'll send the complete project into your mails, so make sure to check them. Aiden, Noah and Justin will be joining us, so Aiden is going to pair with...." she looked around the classroom
"Shannon" she decided
I looked at my hand, I'm sure it wasn't part of the variety of raised hands
"Me? Why?" I asked
"You don't have a partner" she said
I looked in front of me, and singed putting my face down
Why in the world did I have to sit here, today of all days? I asked myself as Kim patted my back
"You're going to start from tomorrow, so those who want to hang out with two other teams can do it on Saturday" she said and the bell rang
"Why did you have to be petty?" Kim said as we went to our locker
Oh-je asked the secretary if he could have a locker around where ours where, and fortunately, there was a free one on the other side of mine
"Shut up" I groaned
"Don't worry, you got this" she cheered
"Don't make me stuff you in your locker" I said and she shrugged
"Who's Aiden and what's going on between them?" Oh-je whispered to Kim, but I couldn't see the point of that since I was in the middle
"Aiden is the leader of the boys you saw in the cafeteria, and as for their relationship, it's complicated" Kim said
"Love hate?" he asked referring to what she said in the cafeteria
"Bingo" she responded
I stopped walking and turned to face them
"We don't have a love to hate relationship" I said
"Then is it just love relationship?" Kim asked
"I give up" I said and continued walking
I can't say that we don't have a relationship because it would just be me lying to myself, and that's one thing that isn't possible. We do have a relationship, but it doesn't have a name. After all, we aren't strangers to each other
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I slouched on the couch the moment I entered my house and gave out a long sign
"Why is signing the first thing you do after coming from school?" my brother asked
I turned and looked at my brother who was on the counter. He wore only a pair of shorts and had his leg on the counter table. I shook my head mentally. He was on his food while both him and his body were eating chips, as the chips were also on his body
Doesn't he feel that something is on his body?
"You're my sister, Shannon" he said
I looked up to see him looking at me
"And?"
"No dirty thought" he said with a smile
I took the cushion and threw it at him, but he caught it. I rolled my eyes. He threw it back at me, but I also dodged it. I stuck out my tongue at him
"One day, I'm going to cut that tongue out. I wonder then, what you're going to stick out at me"
"Try it" I dared him
He went back to his phone
"You didn't answer my question" he said after a while
I looked back at him
"Why were you signing?" he asked
"We have a project in ELA"
"So?"
"We have to stay in each other's house for two days each to get to know each other. Apparently, we have to develop our team work"
"I get it, but I don't think it's the cause of your sign"
"It's not, it's my partner"
"Isn't it Kim?"
"No, out of all days, I had to sit somewhere else"
"So, who's your partner? The mayor's son?" he asked jokingly
Not getting the reply he was expecting from me, he dropped his legs
"It's him"
I nodded my head
"Wow, are you sure you guys aren't writing a movie?" he asked
"I don't even know anymore" I said signing, as I laid on the couch
"So, what are you going to do?" Edward asked coming over
"I don't know"
I changed my position, hanging my legs over the couch. He sat beside me
"What do you think I should do?" I asked him
"Well, I don't think there's much you can do" he said
"Can you refuse to do it?" he asked
"It's 25 percent of our overall mark"
"I'll say ignore him, but you will say no"
"Definitely" I agreed
"Then just do it"
I looked at him
"It's Aiden"
"So? He's just your partner for an English project. You're just turning this into a big deal"
"Or, do you like him?"
"No" I answered
"Well, that was plain" he said mostly to himself
"That's because I don't like him" I sat up and placed the cushion on my lap
"What is it?" Edward asked
"I'm scared" I admitted
"You're scared?" he asked then burst out laughing
"Stop it, I'm serious here " I told him hitting him with the cushion
"Okay, fine" he said stifling his laugh
"Okay, What are you afraid of?" he asked, now normal
I signed
"A lot of incidents that were not supposed to happen have happened with him" I said
He wasn't and isn't my dad
"That man" I said and he understood who I meant
"What is going on, Shannon?" he asked now completely serious
"The lights went out when I was with him" I summarized
"Details" he said
"The day you and mom weren't around, I went to school, I had to get a textbook. Aiden was also in school. All of a sudden the light went out and during my panic, I attacked him, but luckily, it was nothing"
I left the spent the night in his place, it wasn't necessary
He leaned forward with his arms resting on his laps. He brushed his hand over his face
"Why did you tell me? I understand if you couldn't tell mom, but why didn't you tell me?" he asked
"I didn't see the reason why I should" I said
"You didn't... you didn't... you didn't see the need?" he asked
He stood up
"Do you really need to have a need to tell me something like this? For goodness sake, Shannon, I'm your brother!"
"Why are you yelling at me?! Of course, I know you're my brother Who else would you be then?"
"This won't do" he said as he picked up his phone
"What are you doing?" I asked him
"I'm calling mom. We are either going to move, or you're changing school" he said
"What?!"
I jumped up and grabbed the phone away from him. Thankfully, it was still calling, so I cut it
"Are you nuts? Why would we have to move?"
"Then you're changing school" he said
"Edward!"
He passed his hand through his hair
"Have you forgotten what happened what happened when you were small? Kids were just asking you where your father went to, but you went into traumatic shock. You couldn't handled it"
"I was a child, I'm eighteen now"
"What does it matter? Were you told that a trauma has age, and that its age goes down as your age goes up?"
I knew we were in a serious conversation, but I couldn't help myself from laughing
"Are you laughing?" he asked dumbfounded
I made a straight face
"No" I said, but burst out laughing
"Shannon"
"I'm sorry, but what you said was so funny" I said amidst my laughter
"Seriously..."
"Huh, you laughed just now, right?"
"I.. I laughed? Do you need glasses?" he asked, but a smile was on his face
"You are smiling again" I said tilting my head to look at his face that he was hiding
After a moment of staring at each other, we burst into laughter. When we calmed down, he looked at me and I could see the worry in his eyes
I hugged him
"I'm going to be fine, really. I was probably over reacting" I said
He wrapped his arms around me
"Don't make me worry, Shannon. Don't let what happened then happen again, please" he pleaded
"I won't"
We drew apart
"You better go and pack your things. If he troubles you, make sure to call me"
"Yes, sir" I saluted and went to pack for my two days outing
Thank goodness it's only two days