Chapter 36: Assigned Partners
Aveline’s pov
Philosophy was officially my least favourite class at Crestwood.
Not because the subject itself was terrible. Honestly, it was one of the only classes in this school where people occasionally used their brains instead of hockey statistics and protein powder conversations.
The real problem was the hockey team.
More specifically, the fact that nearly half the hockey team was currently failing philosophy so badly that Mr Harrison looked one missing assignment away from cardiac arrest.
“You people are exhausting,” Mr Harrison muttered as he paced slowly in front of the classroom, reading through test results with visible disappointment. “I am genuinely starting to question why some of you even chose this elective.”
Nobody answered.
Mostly because everybody already knew where this lecture was heading.
Mr Harrison sighed dramatically, rubbing his forehead before dropping the stack of papers onto his desk.
“I am so disappointed in you guys. Why choose this class if you aren’t interested in philosophy?”
Milo looked personally offended.
“Existential suffering builds character,” he whispered loudly to Landon.
“It’s building my GPA into a grave,” Landon muttered back.
Several students laughed quietly.
Mr Harrison ignored them completely. “The only person who has impressed me this semester,” he continued, adjusting his glasses, “is Asher Carter.”
My stomach tightened instantly. Oh no.
“He currently has the highest grade in this class with a straight A plus.”
Every head in the room immediately turned toward me.
Milo looked horrified. “You’re secretly smart?”
I stared at him blankly. “You say that like it’s a disease.”
Theo snorted somewhere behind us.
Mr Harrison clapped his hands once sharply. “Which brings me to the point of today’s class. Since some of you clearly need academic intervention before midterms destroy your futures, I’ll be assigning project partners.”
Groans immediately echoed around the room.
“You’ll survive,” Mr Harrison replied dryly. “Each student currently failing will be paired with one of the top-performing students for the semester project.”
Several people immediately started negotiating like prisoners trying to reduce their sentence.
“Sir, respectfully"
“No.”
“What if.."
“Still no.”
Milo leaned back dramatically in his chair. “This feels targeted.”
“It is targeted,” Mr Harrison answered without hesitation.
The class burst into laughter.
Then came the worst moment of my life.
Mr Harrison looked down at his list again. “Hampton ”
The room instantly quieted slightly.
“You aren’t just failing,” Mr Harrison continued tiredly. “You are actively fighting this course like it personally insulted your bloodline.”
Even Theo laughed at that.
Kieran sat near the windows looking completely unbothered. One arm rested lazily over the back of his chair
“I’m pairing you with Asher.”
My soul physically left my body.
Mr Harrison pointed his marker toward Kieran. “Maybe if you actually make use of this project, you’ll manage a possible B.”
Several people immediately started reacting.
“Oh this is gonna end badly,” Milo whispered dramatically.
“Very badly,” Landon agreed.
I barely heard them.
Because directly ahead of me, Mr Harrison walked toward the whiteboard and uncapped a marker.
“Also,” he added, “new seating chart.”
The marker squeaked loudly across the board.
My stomach dropped instantly into a hollow freezing pit.
Mr Harrison stepped aside afterwards, revealing the seating chart as if it were some kind of public execution list.
“Move it, people. Too much talking on the left side of the room. Find your new names.”
The classroom immediately exploded into movement.
Chairs scraped loudly, Bags zipped.
People complained dramatically.
“Asher,” Daphne whispered beside me, glancing toward the board. “I’m in the front.”
“I see it,” I replied quietly.
But my voice sounded tighter than I wanted it to.
My eyes scanned downward slowly across the rows until they landed near the back.
ASHER CARTER And right beside it KIERAN HAMPTON.
Daphne gave my hand a quick sympathetic squeeze before standing up and moving toward her new desk near the teacher’s podium.
Lucky her.
Meanwhile, I stayed frozen in place for one extra second while the classroom noise around me slowly faded into meaningless static.
Then finally I forced myself to move.
The walk toward the back row somehow felt miles long. Kieran was already there, He sat slouched low in his chair with his long legs stretched carelessly into the aisle, completely blocking my path. He hadn’t bothered pulling out a notebook, a pen, or literally anything useful.
“Excuse me,” I muttered flatly.
Kieran didn’t move.
He just looked up at me slowly, dark eyes unreadable and completely focused on my face.
The silence stretched.
“You’re in my way, Hampton,” I said, lowering my voice this time.
A slow humorless smirk touched the corner of his mouth. Then finally he dragged his legs back Barely enough space for me to squeeze through.
I slid into the seat beside him quickly while the scent of cold winter air and leather immediately hit me.
Why did he always smell like winter and bad decisions?
I pulled out my textbook instantly, flipping it open to a random page while pretending the words weren’t completely blurring together in front of my eyes.
Just focus.
Ignore him.
Look at Daphne.
I stared hard at the back of her head several rows ahead, as it could save me.
Beside me, a sharp rhythmic tapping sound suddenly started against the desk.
I refused to look.
“Open your books to page 142,” Mr Harrison droned from the front.
Beside me, Kieran finally spoke. “Now even the teacher thinks I need you to save my grades.”
His voice was quiet. Low enough that nobody else could hear it.
I kept staring at my book “How tragic.”
Kieran ignored the sarcasm completely.
“How about you teach me this damn course,” he murmured lazily, “and I’ll make sure your girlfriend doesn’t keep thinking you’re a nerd?”
My jaw clenched instantly.
I still didn’t look at him. “Shut up, Kieran.”
The silence afterwards somehow felt heavier Then slowly Kieran leaned sideways slightly. His shoulder nearly brushed mine as he invaded the tiny amount of personal space I still had left.
“I asked you a question,” he murmured.
His breath brushed the side of my neck.
Every muscle inside me immediately tensed.
Then his voice dropped even lower.
“Why were you hiding that you actually saw me kiss Percy?”
My pulse stopped.
For one horrifying second, I forgot how breathing worked entirely. I forced myself to stay still.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Liar.”
The word came softly.
Certain.
I finally turned toward him sharply. “You’re such a sucker if you think everything is about you ”
Kieran studied my face carefully for a long moment Then his eyes dropped briefly toward my mouth before lifting again.
“You ran out of that club as somebody punched you.”
Heat rushed violently into my face. "Right."
His tone clearly said he didn’t believe me.
I gripped my pen harder. “Why do you even care?”
The question slipped out before I could stop it.
Kieran went strangely quiet afterwards. Like he genuinely didn’t know how to answer.
Which somehow felt even worse.
Around us Mr. Harrison continued teaching while students copied notes across the room completely unaware that my entire nervous system was currently collapsing.
Then finally Kieran leaned back slowly in his chair again But his eyes never left mine.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out too.”