"Yeah, and now I'm partnered with John Mellark. Thanks a lot, I hope the guy works out for you." I walked briskly down the hall, Lily following closely behind.

"I think he will, we like all the same things and we both hate history class!" She grinned at me, ignoring my annoyance.

"Well see you later. If you decide to walk home with me and not what's his face. Seriously, you haven't even told me his name."

"It's James..." She looked wistful. "Doesn't that suit him so well?"

"Mellark has big hands and he's clumsy. This will be awful, how will I get the project done?"

"Relax, it's gonna be fine. If you need help... Actually no, please don't interrupt my study date."

"I seriously dislike you right now, Lily, don't try to be funny." I frowned at her and she pouted.

"Fine, okay. I'm sorry, this was my opportunity to get to know him. Sue me for taking it."

"Alright. But you'd better come through next time, I don't want to be stuck with Mellark again."

"Sage, he's not that bad. He's just clumsy."

"That's a bit of a problem when working with tiny electronic things, he'll probably break stuff."

"Well, have fun with that, later!" She hurried into the science lab, taking a seat next to the cute guy that she likes. I huffed and followed her, sitting next to where John Mellark sat. The teacher came in a minute later, his hair in its usual state of disarray. He surveyed the room, partnering up the stragglers.

"Alright, class, let me remind you that you'll be keeping this lab partner for the rest of the semester."

I bit back a groan. I forgot about that. Well great, now I'm stuck with big hands for three months, I scowl at Lily from across the room.

"Hey, Sage." I hear John's voice behind me, and turn to face him, planting a smile on my face.

"Hi John. Guess you're stuck with me for the sem."

He shrugged, smiling.

"I could do worse. Are you into the robotics and stuff we're working with?"

"Not really. But I don't dislike them."

"Great, last year, my partner hated everything and he made me do it all. That was fun..."

"Yeah no, I'll do my fair share of the work, no worries there." The teacher started then so we stopped our conversation. It was awkward anyway.

I hope this goes by quickly.

During the lecture, John would occasionally lean over and whisper a sarcastic comment to me about the subject. I had to restrain my giggles. He's pretty funny. His timing was impeccable, so he never was caught. I ended up sitting with my elbows on the table, with my hand clamped casually over my mouth. By the end of class, I figured maybe this semester wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Sage, wait up!" John jogged after me, headed towards my house.

"When do you want to start on the project?" I considered this.

"Oh, so you're one of those people that do their homework right after they get it." I joked. John nodded hesitantly. "Good, so am I, lets go nerd it out and get it done!" He laughed, looking relieved. We discussed the various ideas we'd had floating around our heads as we walked, and I have to admit, John is a lot smarter than I am.

"I'm just a little... Comcerned about the fabrication. I'm not the smoothest." He bit his lip. I nod, smiling.

"I know, don't worry, you plan, I'll assemble."

"Perfect, thanks."

Throughout the week, John would come over and we would work on our robot, him telling me exactly where to put things. We laughed our butts off almost every day, and somehow we ended up sitting together at lunch, trying to be discreet as we sarcastically analyzed everyone that passed us.

"Oooh, Leevy got dumped last night... her mascara didn't come off all the way..." I giggled, even though we both knew she and Thom were still together.

"Maybe he cheated on her with Coin." John looked over at Alma Coin, the senior that pretty much everyone obeyed because she just looked in charge. The idea of her and Thom, who was a junior like us, doing anything made us both snort.

"Coin keeps looking at William Hawthorne. Not that I really blame her." I laughed. John smirked.

"Oh come on, like she or anyone else has a chance, everyone knows William Hawthorne belongs to Hazelle Everdeen. If she got wind of this..." He whistled and we looked down as people began to raise their eyebrows in our direction, wondering why we were laughing so much.

"Scrutiny! Look away, look away!" I hissed. We both started laughing again.
~~~~~~~

John and I got to be great friends, and as finals week approached, we made plans to be lab partners again in January. I never thought I would end up liking John so much, but I do. I hardly ever hang out with anyone else, Lily being the one exception. She and James started going out, and one day I had to make a detour around the hallway where her brothers had cornered him and warned him about the consequences of hurting her.

It was the Friday before finals week, and I was reasonably confident about my preparedness for everything except history. I sat in the library at 3am, trying to shove just a few more dates into my unconscious brain. The words blurred on the page, and I blinked hard to try to see clearly.

"9532, when King George sailed around the world in a canoe. 4217, when Alfred the Great sent an armada to Russia." I snorted at myself. "No, that's ridiculous. He sent a fleet. 5732, when Julius Caesar went to the moon." I heard a noise then, and glanced up just in time to see a gauzy white figure float behind some books and I screamed. I ran after it, tripping twice, and bumping my head on an encyclopedia. I sat on the floor, rubbing where the bruise would show tomorrow. I closed my eyes for a second, and I thought I blinked, but when I opened them again and checked my phone, it was 3:45. It took me several tries to unlock it and pull up my support group's number.

"John?"

"Sage? Where are you? It's almost 4 o'clock." He sounded sleepy and I cursed myself for waking him up.

"I'm at the libbary, I just saw a ghost and I almost died trying to see it."

"Wha-Sage why are you out this late? You sound like your drunk, you need sleep."

"John a ghost! A ghost here, please rescue me, I got a concussion and my brain hurts!" I spluttered. I hear him chuckle a little, and the sound of sheets, he must be getting up.

"'S not funny, John," I told him sternly. "I'm gonna die and you're laughing? What kind of best friend are you?" I slurred before the phone slipped from my fingers and I passed out.