Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

MARGO

I have a notebook I take everywhere with me. I love journaling and creating spreadsheets each month full of lists I can check off. It's exhilarating to mark off each task until everything has been accomplished. Journaling makes me feel like I'm in control of my life. It gives me a sense of order. Unfortunately, my current notebook is almost full. I need a new one, but I haven't had the time to buy one.

I want to write down my list of things to do before I die. I know what to write next to my parents' names. Mama quit her job a while ago. She's spent the last few years doting over me to the point she doesn't know who she was before I got sick. And Papa started working himself to the bone when Mama quit her job. He's a good person, but by the time he comes home every day, he's exhausted. I'm going to help Mama go back to work, something she can focus on other than me. She loved being a labor and delivery nurse. She just needs someone to give her the push to go back. With Papa, I'm going to do the opposite. I want to help him relax. He needs to work less .

Annie is harder. I didn't know what to do for her at first, but after last night I had an epiphany. I need to help Annie fall in love. Right now she likes Daniel, and I won't rest until she's moved on with someone else.

I pause as soon as I walk into my physics class, then groan. On the whiteboard are our new assigned seats. I wish Mrs. Wilkson would let us pick our partners, but she insists on choosing them herself. If I had it my way, I'd partner with Cameryn, but it seems like she's already paired up with Tyler. To be fair, we'd probably talk too much.

"I've paired you up with Daniel," Mrs. Wilkson says.

I grimace. Of course she did. For some reason I can't get away from him. "Isn't there someone else I could partner with?"

"We'll rotate partners again next semester," Mrs. Wilkson says. "Please sit down so I can begin class."

My feet drag as I near Daniel, who's sitting at the table in the far corner of the room. His head is tucked into his arms, sleeping. He isn't even trying to pay attention. This is going to be an awful month. I'm going to get stuck doing all the work myself.

He is the last person in this room I want to be paired up with.

I set down my books and listen as Mrs. Wilkson explains the assignment we're supposed to work on for today. After about ten minutes she tells us to begin.

I turn, taking in Daniel and his dark blond hair and long lashes. His eyebrows are furrowed as beads of sweat build up on his forehead. He doesn't look scary at this moment. If anything, he looks like he needs someone to pull him out of whatever he's dreaming about.

Maybe he's sick ?

Without thinking, I reach out to check the temperature of his forehead. He's warm, but I don't think he has a fever.

He flinches, jerking away from my touch. His head whips up, eyes wide. "Who touched me?" It takes him a half second to find me, and when he does, his eyes darken.

A shiver runs down my back, but I won't let him intimidate me. Instead, I hold out my hand. With complete confidence I say, "Hi, I'm Margo."

He wipes his face where I touched him as if he's trying to rub any trace of me away. "So?"

My smile is so forced at this point. I can't believe I have to work with him. It's not fair. I can already tell he isn't going to help at all. He's going to make me do everything and expect to steal my grade. " So I'm your new lab partner."

He sets his head back down. "Go find someone else."

I wish . "It's not like I chose you."

"That sounds like a ‘you' problem."

Aw. Charming.

I can't believe Annie actually thinks this guy is her prince charming. He's awful. Rude. Disrespectful.

I set down my binder and open it up. "No."

"No?" There's a hint of shock in his voice like he's surprised someone challenged him.

"I have straight A's, and you're not going to ruin that for me." I don't make eye contact as I speak because part of me wants to hide under a rock, far away from the dark cloud brewing next to me, but I refuse to show him that.

His glare intensifies. "Shut up and leave me alone."

My heart speeds up, but I don't flinch. I stare right back. He thinks he's a tough guy who can get away with pushing people around, but I will show him he's wrong. I also don't react well to people telling me I can't do something. So I lean in closer to try and intimidate him back. "You don't scare me."

His jaw clenches, but he doesn't reply. His gaze breaks, and he shakes his head before putting it right back down.

My chest starts to burn. I won't let him ignore me.

I push his arm. "Hey, we have to talk about the assignment."

"Prepare yourself for your first F."

My jaw locks. "Fine, I'll decide who does what." I take out a fresh piece of paper and draw a line down the center with my pen. On one-half I write my name, and on the other side I write Daniel . Then I start writing down the different questions we're supposed to research. Knowing he isn't going to try very hard, I give him the easier ones. I tear the paper in half and set it next to him. "This is your homework. Don't lose it."

He doesn't move.

I clear my throat as heat begins to rise to my cheeks. There's nothing on his desk, so it's not like I can stuff the paper into a binder. I'm also not about to put it into his pocket because that feels too personal.

Next to his chair is his bag. He has to be the only boy in this school with a messenger bag. I reach for it.

The second my fingers touch it, he jumps up, stealing it away from me. "Don't touch that."

I cross my arms. "If you listened to me, I wouldn't have to."

He stares at me like I'm the most annoying person he's ever been forced to talk to. "I'm warning you."

I lean in. "What'cha going to do? Feed me to sharks? Burn down my house?" I set down my paper in front of him. "All I need you to do is put this into your bag so you don't lose it. Then, I'll leave you alone."

He picks up the paper and tears it into pieces. "I can't lose something that doesn't exist." He stands, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder.

My mouth hangs open. "What are you doing?"

"Leaving."

How am I supposed to get anything done with this feral boy? "But class isn't over."

"I noticed," he says, walking away as if he isn't about to get another round of detention.

Cameryn runs up to me as soon as class is over. She links arms with me as I walk out. "What was that about?"

I sigh. "I don't know. But he's giving me a headache."

"Maybe you should try letting some of your personality rub off on him."

Forcing someone like him to act like a human being isn't something I have time for. "I doubt he'd cooperate."

She slows down. "You seem kind of down. Is something wrong?"

I dodge her question. "Hypothetically, if you were going to set my sister up with someone, who would it be?"

Cameryn laughs. "Where's this coming from?"

"Just answer the question."

She taps her chin. "What about Micah?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Micah? The same Micah who ran through the hallway in his boxers in eighth grade?"

She giggles. "I forgot about that, but come on, that was forever ago. I have a couple classes with him, and he's matured a lot."

Is he the best option? Probably not, but he's better than Daniel. "Do you think you could get him to sit with us at lunch today?"

She tilts her head and twists her mouth. "I could try."

"Thank you," I say.

"Why do you want to set your sister up so bad?"

I hold my finger in the air. "Hypothetically."

"Sure," Cameryn says, nudging me in the side.

I set down my tray next to Annie at lunch. "I've come to a decision."

She peeks up at me from her book. "What?"

"You can't like him."

She sets the book down and laughs lightly. "Oh, you've decided that, have you?"

I nod, perching my head on my hand. "He's not even in here because he has lunch detention. You can't be with a guy like that."

"I already told you, it's an act. He isn't really like that."

How is she so oblivious? I need a way to rip off her rose-colored glasses, and fast. "He even left class a half-hour early. He's rude and irresponsible, and I'm stuck with him as my lab partner."

Her eyes land on me. I have her full attention now. "He's your lab partner?"

I nod. "Unfortunately."

"I would trade you in a heartbeat. "

"Look around," I say, gesturing to the rest of the cafeteria. "Anyone else here would be a better option than Daniel. If you want to fall in love so badly, I'll introduce you to anybody else you want."

She squints, trying to read me. "That's oddly suspicious."

"No, it isn't."

"You always look for the best in people. I'm the cynical one, not you." She leans in and whispers. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say maybe you like him too."

My jaw falls to the floor. "Absolutely not. I can guarantee that thought has never crossed my mind."

She sits back. "Good."

"Good?"

"If you liked him, I wouldn't have a chance."

I hate that she thinks so low of herself. "That's not true. You're smart and beautiful. Anyone could see that, if you gave them a chance and opened up."

She raises an eyebrow. "Anyone?"

I cross my arms. "Anyone but Daniel."

"Good thing I'm older than you, so I don't have to listen to you."

I roll my eyes. "A whole two minutes."

She shrugs. "I don't make the rules."

"Fine. Go find your prince charming and see for yourself what kind of person he is. I'm telling you, you'll be disappointed."

She picks up her book. "I'm going to wait and let things happen naturally."

This is why she never makes friends. Even when she likes a person, she never makes the first move to engage with them. She's not the type of person to go up to someone and talk by choice .

"What if you waste all your time waiting for Daniel, and it isn't worth it? Let me introduce you to someone else." I'm practically begging at this point.

She continues reading with a laugh. "I'm only seventeen. It's not like this is time sensitive. I have my whole life ahead of me, and I'll fall in love when the time is right. Maybe it'll be Daniel. Maybe it won't."

I'm itching to tell her the truth. Yes, this is time sensitive. I can't die peacefully knowing that she has bad taste in men. If not Daniel, who next?

Daniel is bad news. If she won't take my word for it, I'll make sure he shows her himself.

And the sooner I do that, the better.

Cameryn slides into the seat next to me. "Hey, guys," she says. Next to her is Micah. He gingerly sits down next to Annie with his tray of food, like he isn't sure if he should sit or not.

Cameryn smiles at me. "Mission accomplished," she whispers.

"Cameryn said you had some questions on your English homework," he says, looking directly at me.

I glance at Cameryn, and she shrugs.

"Right," I say. "Are you good at English?"

"I'm not half bad," he says.

Maybe he isn't a bad choice for Annie. They can bond over this.

Forget English homework, I'm going to ask him the important questions. "Do you like to read?"

"What?" He raises an eyebrow.

I take a bite. "Do you?"

"I guess so."

"Did you hear that, Annie? He likes to read," I say .

Annie glares at me from behind her book. "You better get started on that homework." She stands up. "I need to go to the library. I'll see you later."

Once she leaves, Cameryn leans in. "Hypothetically, that didn't go well."

Tell me about it.

I spent all night long trying to figure out what to do. I want Daniel to somehow show Annie his true colors, but to do that, I need him to spend time with her. But talking to her once might not be enough. I need him to take her on the worst date of her life. If that happens, she won't be able to deny how awful he is. I know getting Daniel to do anything is going to be hard. If I ask him to go talk to Annie, he'll say no. He has no reason to help me.

I have to do something for him. Something big enough it'll give me leverage when I ask him to take Annie out. My time is precious, and I'm not about to waste any of it. I can't help Annie until she sees Daniel for all that he is—an overgrown man-child with anger issues.

My feet hit the floor, patting around until they come across my slippers. I slip into my fluffy pink bunny slippers, which immediately make me feel five percent better.

Then, I walk across the floor to the curtains and pull them open. "Rise and shine."

Annie groans from the other side of the room. "I don't need to get up."

"Yes, you do. You have to get ready for school. I need to get there early. "

"I'm already ready," she says.

I pull back her sheets, revealing she went to bed in her outfit for the day.

"Pajamas are way more comfortable," I say. "You should try them sometime."

She grabs the sheets and covers herself back up. "Sleeping is better."

"No, no, no," I say, trying to stop her. "You should at least do your hair."

"I'll throw it in a braid."

"You want to fall in love, but you won't even try to dress up and put yourself out there?"

"I didn't say I wanted to fall in love today. The universe is telling me I need more beauty sleep."

"Fine." I walk over to her backpack and take out her favorite book. "This spine is so nice and unbroken. I wonder what would happen if I cracked it—"

"Don't you dare!" she says, jumping out of bed.

I laugh, running away from her.

She chases me and grabs it out of my hand. She clutches it to her chest. "You're safe now."

"I don't want to alarm you, but it can't hear you."

She takes it and pretends to swat me with it. "You're the worst."

"But you love me," I say, framing my face with my hands.

"That doesn't mean I have to like you," she says, pouting as she looks longingly at her bed.

I take her hand, lead her to her vanity, and sit her down in front of the mirror. "What do you want me to do to your hair today?"

"Whatever you think looks best. "

As I run the brush through it, my heart aches a little. I miss my long hair. Mine is short and choppy, just below my chin. It also grew back wiry. Annie's, on the other hand, is silky smooth and jaw-droppingly gorgeous—probably because she never uses heat on it. That's why it physically pains me to see her just throw it up in a messy bun every morning. I want her to show it off. I love trying all sorts of styles on it, and I know she secretly likes it too. Otherwise, she'd argue more.

"I'm thinking two Dutch braids."

She shrugs. "You're the boss."

I get to work, parting her hair down the middle. Then, I twist her hair and weave it into the thickest Dutch braids ever.

Annie smiles at her reflection. "It's cute."

That's Annie's version of saying she loves it. She doesn't show much emotion, but having her acknowledge it alone is a win.

I hug her around the shoulders. "Don't you dare take it out after first period."

She laughs and rolls her eyes. "I won't."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Good. Because if you leave it in, you'll have pretty curls tomorrow if you sleep in them."

She smirks. "So what you're saying is, I won't have to get up early tomorrow if I leave it in?"

I nod.

"Done," she says.

I grab two pairs of earrings and hold one of each pair up to my face. One is a giant red cherry that hangs low and the other is a clay orange with white flowers and green leaves. "Which one do you like better? "

She raises her eyebrows. "I'm not wearing either."

"For me. Not you."

"Oh good. I was going to say, fruit earrings are kind of your thing. I respect it, but I wouldn't be caught dead wearing them."

How could anyone not like these earrings? They're so cute. "Excuse you. That would be an honor."

She laughs, shaking her head.

"So imagine you're me—someone who likes fruit earrings. Which ones would you choose?"

She squints, turning her head to study them. "If I absolutely had to and there were no other options, I'd choose the cherries."

"Thank you. Was that so hard?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Liar," I say, looping my cherry earrings into place. I bob my head, letting them sway back and forth. "I love them."

"Well, you are one of the only people who can pull them off and look good."

"We literally have the same face."

She waves her finger. "Nuh-uh. Don't even start. I already said no."

I sigh. "Okay, your loss."

She grabs her backpack. "So why do we have to go in so early today?"

Because I'm going to find Daniel the second he steps in the building and confront him. "I have to talk to my physics teacher about the assignment I'm working on."

I do have to talk to my physics teacher at some point today because I couldn't figure out one of the answers to our homework, so it's not too suspicious. Lies are always more believable when you base them on a true statement .

"I'm glad I opted out of physics. Just the thought of it makes my brain hurt."

I take her arm and pull her along. "How is botany?"

"I've never paid attention to flowers this much in my life."

I laugh as we head out of the room and down the hallway for breakfast.