Quarterback, the unwritten rules of high school said that Alice Barrington and Tristan Cox should be "The It Couple". The couple everyone talked about. The couple everyone wanted to be. The couple everybody knew was going to happen sooner or later.
"Hey, Alice." Tristan mumbled. The truth was Tristan was really annoyed with Alice. She was always hinting that they should be going out and, more importantly, going to prom together. But Tristan didn't want her to be his girlfriend. Alice was too clinging, too needy. She was just that typical, hackneyed cheerleader who was most likely going to be prom queen and knew it.
"So, what are you doing this weekend?" she asked, casually leaning against his car, effectively blocking his way in and his escape from her.
"Uh...I...um...I'm..." Tristan's attention was caught by a slim, redhead, and an idea clicked, "I am working on that lab project this weekend with Scarlett."
"Scarlett White? That loser?" Alice pointed her French manicured finger toward Scarlett, who was hustling to her little, lime green punch-buggy.
"Uh...yeah, I wanna get a head start on that project, so I won't have to worry about it."
"You. Want. To. What?"
"I want to get a head start on that project." Tristan repeated slowly, hoping that Alice would be able to comprehend it this time, "Look, I really need to go make plans with Scarlett. See you later." Not. The last person Tristan wanted to see later was Alice; Alice was even after Scarlett in his line of who he wanted to see later. And Tristan and Scarlett had absolutely nothing in common.
Scarlett pulled out her rusty car keys to unlock her hand-me-down buggy. She opened the back door and threw her backpack in the backseat. When she turned around to go to the front seat and take off, she almost ran right into...she looked up and saw Tristan smiling down at her.
Scarlett's cheeks burned with embarrassment from almost falling in front of him. Not because she liked him—which she absolutely did not —but from tripping in front of the one person she believed was the most egotistical person alive.
"Scarlett, right?" Tristan asked with a small smile on his lips.
"Since the day I was born." Scarlett replied, looking up at Tristan in confusion. "What do you want?"
"Right, well, we are partners for that lab project, and I just wanted to go ahead and get started on it. So, when are you free?"
Scarlett's mind went blank. She thought she was going to have to practically drag Tristan and sit him down in front of a desk to get that project done. Now he was all enthusiastic to finish it. This wasn't at all what she had been expecting from him. Why was he so wholehearted and excited to jump on the project even though they had a whole month to finish it? And then it struck her. I bet he wants to get it done with because I am his partner, and he doesn't want to be seen hanging around me, a small voice whispered in her mind.
Scarlett's eyes narrowed. That was it. Tristan didn't want to be humiliated about being her partner, so he wanted to finish the project as fast as he could and pretend he never had to be paired with her.
"So, are you able to work this weekend or not?" Scarlett was able to hear the impatience in his tone now.
"No, sorry, I have to go...somewhere this weekend."
"Where?" The impatience was gone from his voice now, and curiosity had taken its place.
Crap , she hadn't meant to make that hesitation, she hadn't even meant to bring that up.
"Somewhere. Now, I have to go. Maybe sometime next week, we can finish that project."
Scarlett went to open her car door, but a strong arm was leaning against it. She glared up at Tristan now, "Move out of my way." she hissed through her clenched teeth.
"Where do you have to be?" Tristan seemed at ease.
"That's none of your damned business. Now, get the hell off my car." Scarlett said as her eyes narrowed up at
"Hey, Alice." Tristan mumbled. The truth was Tristan was really annoyed with Alice. She was always hinting that they should be going out and, more importantly, going to prom together. But Tristan didn't want her to be his girlfriend. Alice was too clinging, too needy. She was just that typical, hackneyed cheerleader who was most likely going to be prom queen and knew it.
"So, what are you doing this weekend?" she asked, casually leaning against his car, effectively blocking his way in and his escape from her.
"Uh...I...um...I'm..." Tristan's attention was caught by a slim, redhead, and an idea clicked, "I am working on that lab project this weekend with Scarlett."
"Scarlett White? That loser?" Alice pointed her French manicured finger toward Scarlett, who was hustling to her little, lime green punch-buggy.
"Uh...yeah, I wanna get a head start on that project, so I won't have to worry about it."
"You. Want. To. What?"
"I want to get a head start on that project." Tristan repeated slowly, hoping that Alice would be able to comprehend it this time, "Look, I really need to go make plans with Scarlett. See you later." Not. The last person Tristan wanted to see later was Alice; Alice was even after Scarlett in his line of who he wanted to see later. And Tristan and Scarlett had absolutely nothing in common.
Scarlett pulled out her rusty car keys to unlock her hand-me-down buggy. She opened the back door and threw her backpack in the backseat. When she turned around to go to the front seat and take off, she almost ran right into...she looked up and saw Tristan smiling down at her.
Scarlett's cheeks burned with embarrassment from almost falling in front of him. Not because she liked him—which she absolutely did not —but from tripping in front of the one person she believed was the most egotistical person alive.
"Scarlett, right?" Tristan asked with a small smile on his lips.
"Since the day I was born." Scarlett replied, looking up at Tristan in confusion. "What do you want?"
"Right, well, we are partners for that lab project, and I just wanted to go ahead and get started on it. So, when are you free?"
Scarlett's mind went blank. She thought she was going to have to practically drag Tristan and sit him down in front of a desk to get that project done. Now he was all enthusiastic to finish it. This wasn't at all what she had been expecting from him. Why was he so wholehearted and excited to jump on the project even though they had a whole month to finish it? And then it struck her. I bet he wants to get it done with because I am his partner, and he doesn't want to be seen hanging around me, a small voice whispered in her mind.
Scarlett's eyes narrowed. That was it. Tristan didn't want to be humiliated about being her partner, so he wanted to finish the project as fast as he could and pretend he never had to be paired with her.
"So, are you able to work this weekend or not?" Scarlett was able to hear the impatience in his tone now.
"No, sorry, I have to go...somewhere this weekend."
"Where?" The impatience was gone from his voice now, and curiosity had taken its place.
Crap , she hadn't meant to make that hesitation, she hadn't even meant to bring that up.
"Somewhere. Now, I have to go. Maybe sometime next week, we can finish that project."
Scarlett went to open her car door, but a strong arm was leaning against it. She glared up at Tristan now, "Move out of my way." she hissed through her clenched teeth.
"Where do you have to be?" Tristan seemed at ease.
"That's none of your damned business. Now, get the hell off my car." Scarlett said as her eyes narrowed up at
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