Chapter 2: The Assignment
"The assignment is to be handed in at the beginning of tomorrow's class and I expect stellar results seeing as this will count for 5% of your overall grade. Now hop to it." Said .
"Question 4. What force controls the movement of the planets?" Zoe read.
"I'm not going to answer every question for you." Replied Grace whilst rolling her eyes.
"I know that." Zoe said sheepishly.
"So answer one, any question!" Grace said clearly beginning to get aggravated with her so called science partner, which wasn't being much of a partner at the moment. As silence fell over them it became clear to Grace that Zoe had no intention of actually answering any of the questions found on the assignment. "As I suspected. Cool!" Grace sighed and began to collect her things intending on leaving Zoe to complete her own assignment. There was no reason why she ought to be forced to practically do the work for her, she does have a brain of her own. Zoe had clearly been lying to her when she had told her that she was going to pull her own weight Grace thought to herself.
"Wait! Well what am I supposed to do?" Zoe inquired with a rather frightened look upon her face.
"Learn science." Grace replied.
"When it comes to these big concepts, I'm just lost." Said Zoe.
"Lost in what? You don't even try!" Grace shot back with clear annoyance in her tone.
"I already failed this class once. I know I don't get it." Replied Zoe
"Or you know that if you never really try, you'll never truly have to find out if you're an idiot." Replied Grace snarkily.
"I just want to pass." Zoe said now with big puppy dog eyes.
How could anyone not fall for those big beautiful brown orbs looking directly at you as though they thought you were the most interesting person in the world? Grace thought to herself as a smile somewhat began to form at the corners of her mouth.
"Fine I'll help you, but on one condition, you need to actually try." Grace proposed.
"I promise I will do better, please just help me pass. Pretty please with a cherry on top." Replied Zoe.
Not long after having agreed to actually try, Zoe was startled by the sound of the school bell ringing yet again, announcing the end of the period which, seeing as they were in summer school signified the end of the school day.
Hearing that beautiful, yet oddly startling chime of the school bell was all Zoe had wanted. With that glorious ringing, she would get to leave the confines of the school and get to retreat to her favorite spot. Ahh the Coffee Shop…..could there ever be something as sacred, magnificent and of so delicious as coffee? Zoe thought to herself before being snapped out of her coffee ridden day dream.
"So we should work on this now before going home. I think if we are lucky we could be done within the next hour or two seeing as we have already answered three out of the seven questions and now we would be lacking the distractions." Said Grace.
"Great idea but first coffee." Replied Zoe still looking awfully in a daze.
"Okay deal but, we should bring our work with us and do it at the Dot as to get it over with as fast as possible." Suggested Grace.
"Okay, fine miss slave driver…..well I guess if I have coffee it's not entirely slavery" replied Zoe as she got up, collected her things and bopped Grace on the nose as she began walking out of the classroom.
Uhm what was that? Why did she touch my nose? Her hands did smell really nice though, like cherries almost Grace thought as a small smile began to force its way onto her lips. Looking up again Grace noticed that the feisty brunette had all but disappeared which prompted her to quickly collect her things and rush out of the door after her.
After a very short car ride, for which Zoe had insisted on driving them to their destination, they had arrived at the Dot. It was a quaint little shop, which didn't offer too much as far as food was concerned but they did serve a mean cup a coffee which Grace didn't mind indulging in every now and then.
"Would you like anything?" Zoe asked as she looked up at the coffee menu.
"I think so, I'm leaning towards either a caramel latte or a regular cup of coffee with two creams and two sugars" replied Grace.
"Two large caramel lattes please with soy milk for mine and extra whipped topping on each. Oh and two double chocolate brownies please." Ordered Zoe
"I uhhm ordered for you, I hope that's okay… I know you hadn't yet decided exactly what you wanted but I've tried both from here and their caramel lattes are to die for, so I just thought that you should definitely get one and their brownies are very delicious as well and I was kind of hoping that this could be my very own way of thanking you for having answered the first three questions of our assignment and for not having entirely given up on me yet even though you found out the awful truth that I am dumb …" Zoe said looking down at her feet.
Zoe Rivas looking down at her own feet as if she was actually a little nervous or embarrassed…now I have seen it all. Zoe was never one to ever look embarrassed about anything….like ever, I supposed that that's what came with being head cheerleader and essentially being idolized by the majority of the girls in the school and wanted by the majority of the guys as well. Yet, here she was, looking kind of nervous….king of shy….kind of cute….. Grace thought to herself or so she thought as she ogled the nervous little brunette standing in front of her.
"Uhm did you just call me cute?" Zoe asked looking slightly aback.
"Oh God was that out loud? I meant to say that your mannerisms were cute….as in the fact that you look nervous about buying me a coffee. You're never nervous….."Replied Grace, desperately trying to recover what little dignity and pride she felt she had left after having let the fact that she thought that Zoe was cute. "Thanks for the coffee by the way and the brownie. I hope for your sake that both are as delicious as you have promised because I am quite the brownie connoisseur" Said Grace as she grabbed her coffee and brownie from Zoe's hands and walked over to one of the booths situated near the window sill.
A brownie connoisseur? Who says that? God why are you so nervous all of the sudden….? I wonder if she can tell? Grace wondered.
Unbeknownst to her, during her inner debate Zoe had been looking at her, noticing the slight rosy colour which had begun to paint her cheeks.
