"The wounded recognize the wounded."
Mr. Harris had to make her life a personal hell. She thought it was the highlight of his day or even his sole purpose in life. And that is why today was single-handedly the worst of her life. Not only was she already failing (something she knew only too well how to do) but Mr. Harris liked to switch up lab partners when the class was just barely getting used to the ones he had already assigned. She always knew when it was coming too. She would walk into class and he would seem to be more pissed off than usual as if to hide the pleased glint in his eye. He was a really bad actor and only Ari seemed to notice which was quite ironic. She was the last person you would think of to notice small details though being alone, without distractions had helped her senses slightly evolve.
She wasn't sure why he had always chosen her as his personal doormat to ridicule and degrade during class, and even on the occasional off-chance that they crossed paths outside of class. It seemed that she was always on his radar and he could find her in even the most crowded of places. She thought that he honestly just needed a stiff drink and cheap hooker with low standards. There are a few times in everyone's life when all they need is some decent sex, and when the circumstances are that of Mr. Harris', sex would definitely be able to cure it.
She knew there was another crude remark coming from the disgustingly chapped lips of Mr. Harris, and since Ari wasn't as incompetent as Mr. Harris seemed to think, she had prepared herself for the blow since the moment she walked into class.
Without even looking away from his papers or missing a beat, and making sure he was being loud enough to reach everybody's ears and make them listen he began, and of course he seemed to be directing his words directly at her.
"Before we start class today I think we should all take a minute to congratulate Ari, who has inevitably climbed to earning the lowest grade that any of my students have reached throughout all my years of teaching." He looked up from his papers, and set them down on his desk before rising out of his chair, while the rest of the class snickered quietly all around her.
Before she could even begin to retaliate he started again, "So come on class, let's all give her a big, warm, round of applause. After all she did earn it." He said whilst bringing his hands together for slow forceful claps.
Ari could tell just by the crooked smirk playing in his lips that he was really starting to enjoy this and he wouldn't stop until he was fully satisfied, though she wondered if he ever would be satisfied with anything. Suddenly around her she could hear everyone slowly and quietly clapping and playing along. She could feel her stomach begin to turn and looked down to her lab to mask the embarrassment she was feeling.
"And since Ari and her lab partner are completely inadequate and too dull to figure out simple science, you can all thank her for the new lab partners I have assigned for you."
He proceeded to pick up the clipboard that contained the attendance list for the class whilst the rest of the class groaned and complained like the childish and immature pieces of shit they were. She thought she could even hear a few people say fuck you Ari and Ari you fucking bitch from the back of the room. A few rolled up papers even hit her in the back of the head, only to bounce off and land on the floor behind her.
She rolled her eyes and decided to pretend as though it never happened, that is until Mr. Harris decided to open his gaping hole of a mouth and talk again.
"Isaac Lahey since you seem to be the only one in this entire class who actually has a clue and remotely understands the work I assign, maybe you can help Ari actually manage to do something productive besides twiddle her thumbs. Hopefully you can make up for her obvious lack of a brain."
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Isaac Lahey, all brown hair and leather, who had suddenly got out of his seat and began walking to the front of the class to stand before Mr. Harris.
"Mr. Harris," He spoke lowly trying halfheartedly to make it as discreet as possible, though he was failing and Ari as well as the rest of the class could still hear every word, "You cannot pair me with the class dumbass. There has to be someone else more capable of dealing with her. I have SAT's to study for and I don't need the extra baggage."
His face screwed up while he ran a hand through his hair roughly, sending the already wild curls into an even bigger mess on top of his head.
Mr. Harris laughed and rested his hand on Isaac's shoulder before saying, "Isaac, last time I checked, I was the teacher of this class therefore I can do whatever I want. Ari is your new lab partner and from now on is yours to deal with."
And she thought this day couldn't get any worse but now she was classified as the "class dumbass" by none other than Isaac Lahey, the cocky, judgmental, smartass with a snide remark always on the tip of his tongue.
"B-but, but UGHHHH! This isn't fair." Isaac's voice had risen up in tone and now the rest of the class was watching with amusement.
And probably relief, since Isaac had been the unlucky person paired with Ari and that meant the none of the rest of them would have to work with her.
Mr. Harris didn't acknowledge Isaac again and instead shrugged before walking away from him only to return back to his own desk and the front of the room.
Isaac sighed loudly and grimaced before turning and slowly walking back to his seat looking more than displeased. He threw himself back into his seat before crossing his arms; much like a child does after being denied candy at the grocery market.
After Mr. Harris settles back into his seat at his desk he looks up at the class once again. "The rest of you can choose your own lab partners."
Everyone cheers, except for Isaac who lets out another audible groan, and scatters quickly around the room to find their friends to pair up and work with. Even Ari's previous partner looks as though they can't get away from her fast enough and almost trips over their stool in the rush to find someone else. Isaac got up from his seat again, this time with a pained look on his face, and walked over to his new seat by Ari.
"Class dumbass," She said before turning to him, "that's a new label." Her voice is quiet but she knows that Isaac can hear every one of her words.
"Not as new as you probably think." Is the only thing he says in return, without even showing an ounce of emotion. She knows that he doesn't feel anything towards what he said, and honestly she couldn't careless, and decided not to give any more thought to it. All she can think about is how her grades will never rise with this asshole as her lab partner. Even if he is the smartest person in the entire class.
Sitting before them on their lab table was a worksheet about chemical reactions, which they were supposed to complete together as a team, though all Ari could think about doing, was catching up on some much needed sleep. She weighed her options, and decided that the few minutes of sleep she would get were definitely worth another incomplete assignment.
She stretched her arms out in front of her and laid her head down gingerly, so that the fluorescent lighting was masked almost entirely by her hair.
Next to her she heard Isaac scoff "I'm not going to put your name on it if all you're going to do is sleep while I do all the work."
"Dude, like I give a fuck. Do whatever you want." She said without even raising her head.
She could practically feel him roll his eyes, and thought about all of the ways that Isaac was a raging cunt, before sleep finally won over her body. She didn't dream at all, in fact her sleep was more comatose than anything.
When she awoke up to the second bell, none of the other students were in the classroom. 'That asshole couldn't even wake me up.' She thought bitterly to herself. Mr. Harris was sitting in his desk grading papers when he noticed she was still there.
"No wonder you're failing Ari, sleep is obviously more important to you than my class. If you don't manage to get your grade up by the end of the semester, you will have the great splendor of repeating this class with me next year. This brings me to tell you that because of your grade you can take part in the pleasure of after school tutoring with Mr. Lahey. Make sure to let him know."
All of the information had unloaded onto her in just under two seconds and suddenly Mr. Harris was looking at her like she was some sort of mental patient for the way her mouth dropped open in disbelief.
"Now get out of my sight." He said while still grading papers. "You're making me sick."
Ari resisted the urge to take his and slam it against his blackboard until he fell unconscious and instead took a deep breath before snatching her bag off of the back of her chair. She slung it on her shoulder lazily before walking around her lab station towards the front of the room. While she made her way to the door she noticed the stack of worksheets from earlier today sitting in an orderly pile at the edge of Mr. Harris' desk. She rolled her eyes before looking at the one that rested on top of all the others. Scribbled at the very top of the paper she noticed Isaac's name written in messy scrawl, and next to it resting hers in the very same handwriting.
Woo, that's the end of the prologue! I'm not sure whether to keep it or kill it so I'd love it if you took the time to tell me what you think about it :) Thanks for reading!