Chapter 27: CHAPTER 27

"Clara James," Ms Ken called.

For a moment, my eyes wavered to Cross. He remained stoic, body tense and eyes strictly ahead.

Whatever, we could talk later.

"I choose David."

David grinned and we high-fived. It was always easy when we worked together, he was easy going and I got the important things done. Suddenly, Cross's attention snapped to me, his eyes a fiery blaze reminiscent of a jilted lover. It was so piercing it cause the hairs of my neck to stand.

You were ignoring me, I mouthed.

He glared as if he didn't care for my excuses. David chuckled beside me and Cross flipped him off.

"Up your ass," David shot back, throwing an eraser at him.

I was mid-laugh when a distraught slump caught my eye. Kelly sat with her body turned inward, folding in on herself. The sight wiped the smile off my face.

Of course, she'd probably wanted to be partners with David. The entire stunt she endured today was punishment for daring to like him. Even though I hadn't been part of their cruel joke, choosing David must have made it seem like I was joining in, another blow to remind her she should stay away.

"What's wrong?" David asked, noticing my sudden quiet.

"I think Kelly wanted to be partners with you."

David paid a cursory glance at Kelly, eyes widening faintly. It appeared he hadn't noticed her disheveled appearance until now. "She looks tired..." he said. staring a moment longer before returning to the game he was playing beneath the desk.

"Do you want to be partners with her?" I asked softly.

He shrugged. "Doesn't make a difference to me. Too

late now."

Except it did make a difference. To Kelly at least. She looked like a kicked puppy.

Ms. Ken called out two more names before declaring the next. "Kelly Williams."

Kelly's eyes darted nervously, uncertain and spooked being the center of attention, which only grew the longer she remained awkwardly quiet. I held a pitying groan, she was the definition of a deer caught in red lights.

"Kelly?" Ms. Ken repeated, looking up from her clipboard.

"I’m her partner," Forrest said flatly.

His assertion drew quiet gasps. Unfazed, Ms. Ken scribbled his name and moved on. In front of me, Eliza bristled. She fixed Kelly with a most murderous glare it had the poor girl whimper before slumping on her desk.

Forrest spared her a pitying glance before popping his gum like it didn't concern him. His blue eyes raised to mine. She's your friend, he seemed to say. You gonna do something?

I groaned, this went from bad to worse. "I think we need to switch partners," I told David.

"Yes!" He whispered, pumping his fist. But it was not at my suggestion, but the 1,000 points he won in his game. He looked up. "What did you say?"

"I said I think we should switch. Kelly's going to be miserable with Cross."

David rolled his eyes. "You're such a bleeding heart. They'll be fine."

"You do realize the prank they pulled on her today, right?"

He blinked, waiting for me to continue.

"They made her look like a clown because she has a crush on you."

With a flick of his finger, David paused his game. "By that logic, shouldn't I stay away from her? The more I'm with her the worse it'll get."

"The girl who started it isn't here," I muttered, "But Eliza is, and she looks ready to bite her head off now that she's with Cross."

David sighed. "You girls have too much drama."

On cue, Eliza raised her hand. "Ms. Ken, are we allowed to switch partners?"

I bit back a groan, already I could see her plan. Kelly was such a pushover she probably planned to switch partners with her. There'd be no reason for Kelly to refuse, especially since she wouldn't risk angering yet another girl on the cheer squad.

"Sure, as long as both partners on either side agree."

Eliza eased into her seat with the quiet confidence of a pageant queen. The once fierce glare she'd aimed at Kelly switched to a saccharine smile and a friendly wave.

It was the most abysmal switch-up to witness, and Kelly was so taken aback by it all she did was meekly nod.

Well, that settled it.

No need for me to interfere.

Still, the thought of Eliza with Cross didn't sit right with me. I could already picture her hanging off him every chance she got, milking this project for all his attention.

Was I..jealous?

I fiddled with my pencil, scowling at the thought. Please. Now was not the time to encourage feelings for him. And yet, part of me couldn't help but think -–if he did end up switching his partner, shouldn't he be with me?

"You may now sit with your partners while I finish stapling packets," Ms. Ken announced. She sunk behind her desk, a stack of papers in front of her while the stapler clicked rhythmically. "Any last minute switches should happen now. After today, partners are final."

The room buzzed again. Chairs scraping, voices rising, and students shuffling around. Some speculated about the parent project while others bartered for new partners.

Eliza's heels clicked across the floor with practiced grace as she headed to Kelly. With a fresh layer of lip gloss, and her hair freshly fluffed, even a fool could see her anticipation. She had originally chosen Tyler as her partner, a quiet student who would likely pair well with Kelly. It was best that way. So why did it bother me to see her walk to them?

Eliza touched the corner of Kelly's desk. "Is it okay if we switch partners?" It would be generous to deem that a question. It was more like a cordial order layered in threat.

"O-of course," Kelly whispered.

She gathered her things from the desk, nearly leaving until Cross hit the cover of her textbook, knocking it back on the desk with a startling thud.

"You forgot one thing, Kelly" Cross said, eyes detached as he calmly supplied the answer to her squeamish glance. "My permission. We're partners. I'm not switching."

A stunned silence followed. Eliza's spine straightened, irritation bleeding from her posture, which unfortunately was not directed at the boy himself, but Kelly. Her polite smile fractured, and there was a venomous promise in it--if Kelly didn't fix this, she'd pay for it later.

"P-please Forrest, I-lets swi

tch I..." her eyes were teary. pleading with him to help.

Cross rested his chin rested on his wrist, the pity of earlier erased by numbed detachment. "I’m not convinced... " he began. His eyes flickered to me. He thrummed his fingers as he did earlier, unbothered and with endless patience as Kelly wilted in front of him.

I couldn't stand it anymore.

I stood before I could talk myself out of it. My decisive steps bringing a light into Cros's eyes that told me he'd been waiting. He leaned back, spreading his legs in anticipation, as though inviting me to sit on them.

"Let's switch Kelly" I said. "You can sit beside David."

Eliza balked, hands curling to a fist. "I asked first! You can't do that!"

Kelly nervously looked between us. The air in the room thickened, attention magnetized to our corner. To others it probably looked like Eliza and I were competing for Cross. Though caught in the tension, for Kelly the answer was simple. Why switch with Eliza when she could actually be with the boy she liked? Only if Cross accepted, of course. Too nervous to say a word, Kelly gathered her things again, she paused for a moment, perhaps waiting to see if Cross would stop her again, but when he didn't, she slipped away to my old seat beside David.

Eliza's jaw clenched. She licked her lips, ready to protest again-but Cross's hand caught my arm, pulling me toward him enough for our knees to bump.

"What took you so long?" he murmured.

Eliza spun on her heel and stormed off. I glance at her over my shoulder, but I was drawn back to the sulking boy in front of me. He tugged me again, and if I hadn't braced his desk I would've fallen right into his lap like before. But this wasn't technology class. The teacher would see and half the room was already whispering.

Seeing my resistance, he huffed and let go without a word he pulled out his phone, the screen reflecting his moody expression as he scrolled through videos.

"Cross…"

No response. Not even a glance.

I studied him quietly. Despite his sulking, the sharpnedge from earlier was gone. His rage had faded to something quieter, a hushed stillness that almost looked like...peace.

Maybe it was the same for me too. My stomach had twisted earlier when I saw Eliza heading this way, but now I felt settled. This was complicated, tangled in ways.

Still, for the sake of our friendship, I would be patient until he sorted his feelings out. And until I made sense of my own.