"because you're my friend, Hermosa"

It's funny how things— more like people—change so drastically.

With my idiotic cousin, Cooper, I felt confident and had fun. My heart wasn't always lodged up in my oesophagus and my hands didn't flood like a river. Now back at school, it was like walking through a war field. You didn't know who was going to shoot you or when bombs were going to be dropped. I understood that had two sides of me and they kept switching. I couldn't help being shy. It was just me.

"Iris?"

"Here," I said as Mr Harrison called out the names from the class list.

"Iris. Speak louder."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling it drop heavily into my stomach and cleared my throat. "Here," I spoke, slightly louder than before.

Thankfully, Mr Harrison still had ears was able to hear my soft voice and continued on calling out names.

What I didn't understand was why the teachers had to call out names. He or she could just do a head count and if there's someone missing, they can ask the students. Save me the trouble of saying 'here'.

We only just got home yesterday at around 11 am and it was too late for me to go to school no matter how much work I knew I missed. It would be too embarrassing for me to walk into class with a note because millions of eyes would be watching my every move and I hate that.

Only a day after the 'Texting Carson' situation, I couldn't keep the guilt from overflowing so I had to apologise and tell Carson the truth— the partial truth. It wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be but it still didn't stop my sweat glands from working their butts off. My phone looked like it was dropped in a bucket of water when I apologised.

Me: Hey Carson, sorry about the texts earlier. They were my cousin's, he stole my phone.

I tried to be as brief as possible. It didn't completely cleanse myself from the bloody guilt but it washed half of it away.

He replied very curtly.

Carson: all g

"Iris? Can you please come up here? I have to discuss the assessment with you, since you were absent the other day. "The teacher's voice somehow managed to overpower the student's.

My cheeks were painted a light shade of pale pink as all eyes and heads turned towards the back row and landed on me. If Mr Harrison hadn't actually looked up at me, no one would've turned because I doubt they knew who I was. I was simply another invisible card in the deck, perhaps a number three or four since it's never noticed and Carson would definitely be the king of hearts.

I bit my lip, pushing back on the chair, wincing at the loud sound it made and pushed it back in, then zigzagging past all the students at their desks. I lowered my head down, attempting to use the very few baby hair I have to cover my face. It didn't work very well.

"Yes, sir?" I asked once I reached the teacher's desk at the front. I knew all eyes were on me but I knew they would later forget. Out of uneasiness, I put all my weight on my left foot and leaned against the wooden desk.

"All right, gathering that you were away the past week, people have already chosen partners and have begun working on the assessment," he explained, shuffling with a couple papers and fixing his rectangular spectacles which were lazily perched on the tip of his crooked nose.

Mr Harrison was an old man, middle-aged perhaps but he seemed very much older. He head was as hairless as an egg and his beady eyes would squint at you when you interrupted the class.

"I-I understand. I can work by myself," I said and nodded, intertwining my fingers together anxiously.

"No, you'll do no such thing. The new boy was nice enough to choose you as his partner."

"P-Partner?" I stuttered and waves of emotions hit me. Maybe he didn't want to do the work and if he was with a partner, the partner would do it for him. That was still okay with me. So long as I didn't have to work to him or even talk.

He nodded, taking out a sheet of paper from the large pile and moving his pen down what I assumed was the class list, he squinted his eyes before stopping and flipping the page around to show me. "Carson López."

"C-Carson? But he's not in this class," I testified while stumbling over the words. It can't be Carson. It's halfway through the semester, he can't just randomly join and expect to be accepted. Why is he appearing everywhere?

"He is," Mr Harrison claimed confidently, pointing at the list. "His name was just added and he only joined a week ago."

"But I can work by myself," I argued uselessly, rubbing my hands together and pinching myself. This can't be happening. I don't want to work with someone else, let alone Carson.

"No, it's a partner assessment."

"But—"

"No buts." Mr Harrison held up his hand and I closed my mouth immediately.

There was a knock on the door and I heard loud whispers from behind me. Did I do something wrong? Why is everyone whispering? What's happening? I consciously glanced at myself to see if anything had happened or if any prank had been pulled on me but there was nothing.

"Carson." Mr Harrison glared at the boy standing in the doorway. As soon as my eyes touched his black vans, with undone laces, loose-fitting jeans that somehow gave the illusion that he was much taller and the plain grey t-shirt, that sculpted his arms, they left as quickly as they came. "Why are you late?"

It's Carson.

No.

No.

No.

I don't want him as my partner. I don't want a partner. I don't want to do this assessment. I don't want to be in this class. Thoughts sped through my mind like a bullet train and they kept taking U-turns and coming back.

"I was called to the office," Carson claimed cockily, sauntering over to place a small squared post-it note on the teacher's desk. Then he stood back, completely chilled with his arms across his chest.

I shuffled over slightly because he was too close to me.

"Okay," Mr Harrison grumbled, glancing at the note and shot Carson a partially sceptical and irritated because he had a legitimate excuse and then marked him off the list too. "This is Iris, your partner. Go take a seat and explain the assessment to her."

My dried lips were already bitten and my hands were moist. There were fingernail marks all over my hands from me trying to convince myself that it's not a dream— or mostly nightmare.

Carson nodded and waved his hand, signalling that I should follow him.

I bit my tongue this time, trying to stop myself from the protesting and making a scene in front of the whole class and followed him to the back.

There had always been an empty seat next to me and it wouldn't be a surprise if that was Carson's new seat since it was the only one left in the class.

Soon we were both seated next to each other and talking erupted from all over the classroom as the other students were also working on the assessment.

"So, as sir said, I have to explain the assessment to you—" My partner began as he scanned the assessment notification on the sheet of paper.

"Carson?" I whispered softly, keeping my eyes down and away from his face.

"— but it's really simple. All we have to do—"

"Carson?" I whispered a little louder but he still continued.

"— is pretty much pretend to be co-CEOs of a business of our choice and—"

"Carson?"

"—then create a speech or presentation advertising a product of our company," He paused, " I feel like this is such a middle school project—"

"Carson," I voiced sternly and sounding very cold. My own frozen voice surprised myself causing my eyes to widen a fraction and I covered my mouth with my hand.

Carson's head shot up faster than a cork popping from a beer bottle and his grey eyes switched from the paper and directly to me, "I-I'm so sorry, that was so rude of me. Y-You were explaining and I-I interrupted. I didn't mean to sound rude. I'm sorry."

I expected a glare or something less...not intimidating but Carson simply chuckled and commented. "You're cute when you're flustered."

"Please keep explaining," I urged him onwards, my voice not hiding my embarrassment and I averted my eyes to the paper he was holding, trying to hide my red face and neck. I twiddled with my fingers and tapped my feet on top of each other out of nervous habits.

He shook his head. "No, it's okay. What were you going to ask before?"

I thought really hard about my answer. I could either stay safe and shake my head or I could risk it all and ask all the questions that have been left unanswered.

I sucked in a small breath before opening my mouth to speak, only for it to come out as an extremely soft whisper. "Why are you here?"

I didn't look up at him as he replied, "Because my parents accused the school, asking why I wasn't in the highest business class. It wasn't completely easy, in the other class, I mean, but they believed I should've been in extension so the school moved me."

I nodded slightly then spoke again. "No, why are you here? With me?"

"Because you're my friend," he answered as if it was the most obvious thing.

I shook my head. "Why?"

"Are you saying that I can't choose who my friends should be?" Carson questioned and I could sense a light teasing tone in his voice.

I shook my head again. "Why me? Why did you choose me for a partner. There are so many smarter people. And I-I'm horrible at speeches. I can't even talk to people."

"Because you're my friend, Hermosa."

There was a glint in his eyes that told me he was telling the truth but everything else, his personality, looks and his popularity told me otherwise.

a/n: vote and comment x