[Coldwater,Maine]

I walked into biology class and my jaw fell open. There was barbie doll with ken by her side. They'd been forced to link arms and were naked except for leaves placed in a few choice locations, Scribbled on the board above their heads was the invitations: WELCOME TO HUMAN REPRODUCTION[SEX]

At my side Kendall Knight said, "This is exactly why the school outlaws camera phones. Pictures of this in the eZine would be all the evidence I'd need to get the board of education to ax biology. And we'd have this hour to do something productive-like receive one on one tutoring from cute upper class dudes."

"Why Kendall,"I said,"I could've sworn you've been looking forward to this unit all semester."

Kendall smiled wickedly."This class isn't gonna teach me something I don't already know."

"Kendall? As in the virgin?'

"Not so loud." He winked just as the bell rang,sending us both to our shared seats.

Coach ,McConaughy grabbed the whistle swinging from his chain and blew on it."Seats,team!"Coach considered teaching 10th grade biology as a side assignment to his job as varsity basketball coach, and we all knew it.

"It may not have occurred to you kids that sex is more that a 5 minute trip the backseat of a car. It's science. And what is science?"

"Boring,"some kid in the back of the room called out

"The only class I'm failing,"said another

Coach's eyes tracked down in the front row, stopping at me "Logan?"

"The study of something,"I said

He waked over to me and tapped his index finger on the table."What else?"

"Knowledge gained through experimentation and observation." Lovely. I sounded like i was auditioning for the audiobook of our text.

"In your own words"

I touched the tip of my tongue to my upper lip and tried for a synonym."Science is an investigation." It sounded like a question

"Science is a investigation,"Coach said, sanding his hands together."Science requires us to transform into spies."

"Good sleuthing takes practice,"he continued

"So does sex,"came a comment from the back of the room. We all bit back laughter while coach pointed a warning finger at the offender.

"That won't be part of tonight's homework."Coach turned his attention back to me. "Logan, you've been sitting next to Kendall since the beginning of the year."I nodded but i had a feeling to where this was going,"Both of you are on the eZine together."Again i nodded."I bet you know quite a bit about each other."

Kendall punched my leg under the table. I knew what he was thinking. That he had no ides how much we knew about each other. And I don't mean the secrets we entomb in our diaries. Kendall is my un-twin. He's a green eyed, dirty short blonde hair, and has some muscle. I'm a brown eyed, brunette with hair like fawn that hold it's very best. And I'm all muscle in legs. But there is an invisible thread that ties us together;both of us swear that tie began long before of us swear it will continue to hold for the rest of our lives.

Coach looked out at the class."In fact i bet each of you know the person sitting next to you well enough. You picked the seats you did for a reason, right? Familiarity. Too bad the best sleuths avoid familiarity. It dulls the investigative instinct. Which is why today, we're creating a new seating chart."

I opened my mouth to protest but Kendall beat me to it,"What the crap? It's April. As in, it's almost the end of the school year. You can't pull this kind of stuff now."

Coach hinted a smile."I can pull this kind of stuff clear up to the end of the semester. And if you fail my class, you'll be right back here next year, where I'll be pulling this kind of stuff all over again."

Kendall scowled at him. He is famous for that scowl. It's a look that does everything but audibly hiss. Apparently immune to it, Coach brought his whistle to his lips and we got the idea.

"Every partner sitting on the left-hand side of the table-that's your left-move up one seat. Those in the front row-yes,including you,Kendall-move to the back of the room."

Kendall shoved his notebook inside his book bag and ripped the zipper shut. I bit my lip and waved a little farewell. Then I turned slightly, checking the room behind me. I knew the names of all my classmates...except one. The transfer. Coach never called on him, and he seemed to prefer it that way. He sat slouched one table back, cool black eyes holding a steady gaze forward. Just like always. I didn't for one moment believe he just sat there, day after day,staring into space. He was thinking something, but instinct told me I probably didn't want to know what.

He set his bio text down on the table and slid int o Kendall's old chair.

I smiled. "Hi. I'm Logan."

His black eyes sliced into me, and the corners of his mouth tilted up. My heart fumbled a beat and in that pause, a feeling of gloomy darkness seemed to slide like a shadow over me. It vanished in a instant, but i was still staring at him. His smile wasn't friendly. It was a smile that spelled trouble. With a promise.

I focused on the chalkboard as Coach told us our assignment.

"Human Reproduction can be a sticky subject-"

"Ewww!"groaned a chorus of students.

"It requires mature handling. And like all science, the best approach is to learn by sleuthing. For the rest of the class, practice this technique by finding out as much as you can about your new partner. Tomorrow, bring a write-up of your discoveries, and believe me, I'm going to check for authenticity. This biology not English not even think about fictionalizing your answers. I want to see real interaction and teamwork." There was a implied or else.

I sat perfectly still. I wrinkled my nose. trying to figure out what he smelled like. Not cigarettes. Something richer, fouler.

Cigars.

I found the clock and tapped my pencil and blew out a sigh. Great, at this rate i will fail. i took a look sideways and saw that his paper had several lines growing into writing.

"What are you writing,"I asked

"And he speaks english," he said writing it down in a lazy way.

I leaned close to him trying see what he was writing.

"What did you write"I demanded.

He reached for my unused paper and crumpled it into a ball. Before i could say anything it shot in the trash can.
I took a clean paper paper out my notebook. "What is your name?"I asked

I glanced up in time to his dark grin. This one seems to dare to pry anything out of him.

"Your name?"I repeated

"Call me Carlos,I mean it. Call me"

He winked and I'm pretty sure he was making fun of me.

"What do you do in your leisure time?"I asked

"I don't have free time."

"I'm assuming this assignment is being graded,so do me a favor?"

He leaned back in his chair,folding his arms behind his head."What kind of favor?"

I was pretty sure it was an innuendo, and i grappled a way to changed the subject.

"Free time," he repeated thoughtfully."I take pictures."

I printed photography on my paper.

"I wasn't finished,"he said."I've got quite a collection going of an eZine columnist who believes there's truth in eating organic, who writes poetry in secret, and who shudders at the thought of having to choose between Stanford, Yale, and... what's that big one with the big H?"

I stared at him for a moment.

"But you won't end up going to any of them."

"I won't?"I asked without thinking.

He hooked his fingers under my chair,dragging me closer. Not sure if i should scoot away and show fear, or do nothing and feign boredom, i chose the latter.

He said,"Even though you'd thrive at all 3 schools, you scorn them for being a cliche of achievement. Passing judgements is your third biggest weakest."

"And my second?"I said without rage. Who was this guy?

"You don't know how to trust. I take that back. You trust just all the wrong people."

"And my first!"I demanded

"You keep life on a short leash."

:What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're scared of what you can't control."

Ordinarily I would march straight to Coach's desk and requested a new seating chart but i didn't want to let Carlos think I'm scared of him.

"Do you sleep naked?"He asked

My mouth threatened to drop but I defended it."You're hardly the person I'll tell."

"Ever been to a shrink?"

"No,"I lied. The truth was I was in counseling with school psychologist, . It wasn't my choice and it wasn't something I liked to talk about.

"Done anything illegal?"

"No,why don't you ask me something normal? Like...my favorite kind of music?"

"I'm not gonna ask what i can guess."

"You do not know what kind of music I listen to."

" you,it's all about order and control. I bet you play...the guitar?"

"Wrong."Another lie, but this one set a chill on my was he really?If he knew i played the guitar what else did he know?

"What that?" Carlos tapped his pen against the inside of my wrist. I pulled it away.

"A birthmark."

"Looks like scar. Are you suicidal,Logan?"His eyes connected with mine, and i could feel him laughing."Parents married of divorced?"

"I live with my mom."

"Where's dad?"

"My dad passed away last year."

"How did he die?"

I flinched."He was...murdered. This stuff is kinda of personal territory if you don't mind."

There was a touch of silence and the edge of Carlos eyes seemed to to soften a touch."That must be hard."He sounded like he meant it. The bell rang and Carlos feet, making his way toward the door.

"Wait." I called out. He didn't turn. "Excuse me!" He through the door."Carlos! I didn't get anything on you."

He turned back and walked toward me. Taking my hand, he scribbled something on it before i thought to pull away. I looked down at the 7 numbers in red ink on my palm and a fist around them. I wanted to tell him no way was his phone ringing tonight. I wanted to to tell him it was his fault for taking all the time to questioning me. In wanted to say a lot of things , but i just stood there looking like I didn't know hoe to open my mouth.

At last I said,"I'm bust tonight."

"So am I." He smiled and was gone.

"I won't call!" I called after him. "Not-Ever!"

"Have you finished your column for tomorrow's deadline?"

It was Kendall."I'm thinking of writing mine on the injustice of seating charts. I got paired with z girl who said she just finished lice treatment this morning."

"My new partner,"I said, pointing int the hallway at the back of Carlos. He had an annoyingly confident walk. Carlos wore dark jeans,a dark tight shirt,and black boots.

"The senior transfer? Guess he didn't study hard enough the first time around. Or the second." He gave me a knowing look."Third time's a charm."

"He gives me the creeps. He knew my music,without any hints whatsoever, he said,Rock," I did a poor job of mimicking his low voice.

"Lucky guess?"

"He knew...other things."

"Like what?"

I let go of a knew more than I wanted comfortably contemplate."Like how to get under my skin,"I said at last," I'm going to tell coach he has to switch us back."

"Go for it. I could use a hook for my next eZine article.'Tenth grader Fights back.' Better yet,'Seating chart takes Slap in the Face.' Mmmm. I like it."

At the end of the day, I was the one who took a slap in the face. Coach shot down my plea to rethink the seating chart. It appeared i was stuck with Carlos.

For Now.