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Chapter Two

The teacher, Mr Hill was rather disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm for his latest project. Having all moved to sit next to their new partners, nobody was looking impressed. He handed round permission slips for parents to sign to make sure that it was okay for each student to spend four nights at another student's house before they then swapped.

"This should be interesting," Charlie said a little nervously.

Beside her, Joey nodded but remained quiet. This project was among the very last things she wanted to do with her time.

"Would you like to stay at mine first or for me to stay with you?" Charlie asked.

Nerves were evident in her voice. She didn't like to admit it but she felt safe with her group of friends and now she was battling with her fear of the unknown. Joey's lack of response was not helping.

"Joey?" she said.

The other student looked up sharply, as if she hadn't previously been party to the conversation.

"Sorry?" she said.

Charlie repeated her question.

"Can you stay with me first?" Joey asked.

At least when she was ashamed of sharing her home with Charlie, she wouldn't have anything to compare it to by figuring out how the most popular girl in the school lived.

"Sure," Charlie said.

She declined to ask why and just hoped that they could get through the week without too many problems. She doubted that they were ever going to become best friends. For starters, Joey was the most monosyllabic person she had ever met.

"Great," Joey nodded, studying her permission slip as if was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"It was just… weird," Charlie stated.

At the end of the school day, she, her boyfriend and her friends grabbed their bags from their lockers and headed out of the school.

"Because she's a freak," Brax stated, slinging his arm around Charlie's shoulders.

"I'm not saying she's a freak," Charlie insisted, feeling a little guilty about the conversation. "She's just quiet."

"I've never heard her speak willingly," Bianca agreed, catching hold of Liam's hand.

"Maybe she's just shy," Leah suggested.

"Nah, she's a freak," Heath declared. "And you have one hell of a week ahead of you, Charlie."

Undetected, Joey sighed and leant against the wall between two rows of lockers. She now wanted to participate in Mr Hill's idea less than ever. She had no inclination to spend time with Charlie or any of her friends. She never had. There was a reason she had never tried to interact with the 'cool' group, or anyone else for that matter. She had no desire to share any time with snobby, bitchy people who thought they were the best thing on the planet.

"You look about as happy as I feel," Miles remarked, appearing beside her.

"Yep," Joey sighed. "We're both in for a real treat."

"We get to spend several intensive says with two of the most arrogant airheads in the world," Miles agreed grimly. "Lucky us."

"Lucky us," Joey sighed.

She just hoped she could find some way out of it.

Arriving at school the following morning, Joey's bad mood had not been lifted. Against all the odds, her mother had signed the permission slip, albeit reluctantly. She sank into her usual chair at the back of Mr Hill's class.

"Sit with your partners, please!" the teacher called out cheerfully.

Joey studied Charlie as she hesitated for a moment before coming to sit with her. The popular girl plastered a smile on her face and said hello.

"Hi," Joey said quietly.

"Did your parents give you permission to do the project?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," Joey replied. "Did yours?"

"Yep," Charlie said. "So, I guess I have to spend next week with you…"

"Sorry it's such a chore," Joey shot back.

Charlie coloured.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she said earnestly. "I didn't mean it like that."

Joey just shrugged. Charlie sighed heavily, wondering how either of them were going to survive the duration of the project. Clearly they were on the opposite sides of life.

Next time… Charlie and Joey spend their first day together…