-Eric-

Chapter 8

I didn't get it. How could she have known it was me? How could she have possibly known? I wasn't even the one who showed her the bathroom. This girl seriously had something against me. Whatever Jake said about Jaime wanting to be my friend was not true. I mean, a girl did not just blame you for something she had no proof of you doing and then claim she wanted to be your friend. Nope. No way.

I had to come up with a better plan. My pranks had to be more precise and sly. I just hoped Jaime didn't tell Jake out about all this. If Jake found out, things would not be good between the two of us.

The next day at EC Ms. Dowry told us that she grouped together the pairs. "Just remember," she said, "there will be no switching partners under any circumstances." After that she cleared her throat and began reading off the list of couples. "Mike Cruise will be with Amanda Smith, Adam Pecker will be with Kayla Stone…"

I heard Adam groan and saw Kayla slouch. I seriously felt bad for them, they just didn't get along. Actually, Kayla and her groupies didn't really get along with anybody in the school except for Jaime. They were kind of secluded from everybody else. But what can I say, they were freaks

"…Eric Lowry and," Please not Carle or Jaime, please not Carle or Jaime, Please not Carle or, "Jaime Johnson." Oh, no. Out of all the girls in this class Ms. Dowry had to pair me up with Jaime. I would have rather been paired up with Carle and that was saying something. I snuck a glance at Jaime and saw that she was not too thrilled either. Maybe Ms. Dowry would make an exception for her no switching partners rule because clearly Jaime and I could not work together.

After class I went to Ms. Dowry and began to state my case. "Ms. Dowry, Jaime and I cannot work together it isn't possible," I pleaded.

"For the last time Eric, the answer is no. You cannot and will not switch partners. You will work with Jaime and who knows; maybe you will even come to thank me."

By that time Jaime was already beside me at Ms. Dowry's desk. "Ms. Dowry," she said, "I don't think you understand. It's not that Eric and I don't want to work together it's that we can't. We just don't agree on anything."

"Yeah, exactly," I said desperately, "we don't agree on anything and we don't get along. That is why we can't work together."

"Well," Ms. Dowry said, "you two just agreed that you cannot agree on anything so I don't think that proposition is true. Now if you will excuse me I would like to eat my lunch in peace so this discussion is now closed."

"But Ms. Dowry," Jaime started.

"No buts, now hurry along and go to lunch."

"Yes Ms. Dowry," we both said in unison as we left the room.

"This is your entire fault," Jaime said angrily as we walked down the hall.

"My fault?" I asked startled. "How is this my freaking fault?"

"Well if it wasn't for you and your stupid prank I wouldn't have been mad at you and we could have made this work."

"I did-"

"But no, "she continued, "you had to be a jerk and now I cannot and will not forgive you so I don't know how we are going to make this work."

"First of all I didn't do any prank on you so I don-"

"Oh God, cut the crap will you? Just stop lying to my face," she said in a huff.

"How do you even know I did this so called prank on you? Do you have any proof?"

"Well no but-"

"So you have no proof but you just blame me? That is not cool."

"For this I don't need proof," she practically shouted, "I see the way you look at me and I sense your tone of voice when you speak to me. You don't like me and you never did. Therefore the only logical explanation is that you did it."

"Okay, you know what I had enough of your accusations," I said as I went to the table. "This is a little ridiculous."

"Whatever," Jaime mumbled. "I'm just going to go sit with Kayla."

"Yeah whatever just try not to miss me too much," I said with a smirk as she scoffed and stormed away.