The week passed on fairly well for Cindy after her last encounter with her revived rival. She aced her Physics exam and was able to get most of her homework out of the way for the upcoming weekend. Now she was lying on her stomach in her bed on a Thursday night with wet hair finishing up a lab write up for her Organic Chemistry class. Her Bluetooth speaker was on top of her dresser playing out some soft music as she concentrated on her school work. After triple checking her work, she sighed in relief and closed her book firmly. Rolling onto her back and putting her hands behind her head in satisfaction, she looked up at the ceiling to clear her head. Even though the week has been pretty busy for the blonde, her thoughts could not help but return to Jimmy. She thought that the name calling and the acidic sarcasm was only a memory from their younger days. It seems like natural habits are sometimes hard to break.

Sighing, Cindy pushed herself off her bed and into the living room where the Zoe was cuddled on the couch wearing an old black Slipknot shirt on and some red flannel pants with her hair up in a messy bun. The fireplace was burning and Zoe was lying down while reading a book of a hundred poems with her black reading glasses on. Cindy always found it funny when she saw her friend in glasses because although Zoe despised them with her life, she could not read for her life without them. Cindy always joked with her that she looked like an old man with them on, only with Zoe usually throwing a pillow in her face as a response.

Seeing her roommate approaching her, Zoe put down her book and placed her glasses on the top of her head. "Wow, a rare Vortex spotting. I swear you have been cooped in your room for hours. Did you finish all your homework?"

Cindy rolled her eyes and smiled as she moved Zoe's legs from the couch and took her seat next to her. "Yep all done! The weekend is now mine to do what I please."

Zoe smirked, "You mean take up more shifts at Dee's?"

Cindy shoved a pillow at her face, "Shut up." Noticing the book on her roommate's lap, she picked it up and asked, "What is with the sudden interest in short-Oh no!" Cindy frantically got up from the couch and smacked her forehead in frustration.

Zoe, amused, asked, "Ah? Did someone forget about the homework that your boyfriend assigned last week?"

"Ugh. All this thinking about Neutron and I could not even remember the homework that was assigned in his stupid class!"

Chuckling, Zoe replied, "Here," and tossed the book in her direction, "I already picked my poem out ages ago, the book was just a fun read."

"Oh has the class been a positive influence on the wild Zoella? Who knew there was a dying poetry-lover screaming to get out?"

"Just shut up and take the book, Vortex."

Smiling gratefully, Cindy rushed back into her room to pick out a book for the class tomorrow. She flopped back onto her bed and started to flip through pages. Her speaker continued to flow out music and her alarm clock was slowly approaching midnight. After what seemed like countless hours, Cindy finally found a decent poem to bring to class tomorrow.

Closing the book with happiness, she rose from her bed and got ready to sleep. After brushing her teeth and putting on her retainer, Cindy walked back into the living room where Zoe was now on her phone and watching television. She snuggled against her once again and buried her head on her shoulder blade.

"Finally finished," Cindy sighed into her shirt and hugged into a couch pillow.

Putting her phone down, Zoe turned to her and smiled softly, "Now was doing your boyfriend's work so hard?"

Letting out a yawn as response, Cindy gave her friend one squeeze and then headed back to her room for the final time that night. "Don't stay up too late, yes?"

Zoe rolled her eyes and replied, "Man sometimes parents just don't understand."

"Chill, Fresh Prince. Goodnight."

"Nighty night, Cin."

Cindy crashed into her pillows with exhaustion and threw the blanket over her with laziness. She noticed that her speaker was still turned on, but she was way too tired to make any motives to shut it off.

That was okay, though, she did not mind falling asleep to music.

It was when she was half awake did she recognize the song that was spilling out of the speaker: "Hiding Tonight" by Alex Turner. (A/N: lol go listen to the song then come back, I am not going anywhere XD)

The lyrics came to her in a low and soothing tone and Cindy could not help but snuggle into the pillows even more.

Tomorrow I'll be quicker. I'll stare into the strobe light flicker and afloat I'll stay. But I'm quite alright hiding today.

Cindy had no idea what tomorrow would bring her when she enters the classroom of the devil himself. Tomorrow was definitely going to be a hell hole.

But right now, everything was bliss.

So we can sail our laughing piano along beam of light. But I'm quite alright hiding tonight.

"Hold on lemme change my clothes really fast!"

"Ugh! We are cutting it close as it is Vortex!" Zoe cried out it annoyance.

"Look I'm already done, now let's book it."

The friends practically ran out of the café into the subway entrance to make their poetry class on time. Can they just be on time once this semester?

"Look, it was not my fault entirely; Dee had a bunch of people from the Chanel photo shoot and he practically would not let me leave their sight!"

"Fine, whatever, but let's just try to make sure that we do not cause any more un-needed attention to you, yeah? You already did a pretty fine job last time having everyone confused about you and the professor's relationship."

Getting angry, Cindy retorted back, "Yeah well sorry if hanging out with me causes you to get so embarrassed."

"Excuse me? You think that this was something that affects me? I am the one who is trying to look out for you so that you would not become the laughing stock of the class."

"Yeah, well maybe I do not need your help, Zoella."

The pair made it on the subway without a word as they took their seats. The morning had been pretty shaky for Cindy woke up late (well later than usual) and had to take on a double shift as well as cater to some models. Zoe had to wait an hour for her just to finish clearing tables and was equally not in the best of moods. Cindy knew that it was stress that was driving the argument, but at the same time it made her more pissed off.

Zoe narrowed her eyes at her roommate and raised an eyebrow as if she was offered a challenge. "Fine you don't want my help? Then you do not get it. Have fun, Vortex."

Before Cindy could say something back, the train stopped and Zoe rushed ahead to class by herself.

Muttering curse words to herself, Cindy quickly ran up the subway steps to her school campus with little to no time at all. Finally getting through the classroom door, she saw that Zoe was already seated with no available chairs next to her for Cindy to sit.

Ugh why is she doing this.

Cindy did not have time for this right now. She found a seat by herself near the middle of the class and tried to avoid eye contact with Zoe for the time that remained. Was it a petty fight? Maybe. But there was no way that she would apologize first!

It was only ten seconds later did Neutron also come running through the door with papers in one hand and a briefcase in the other. He was dressed in a dark grey shirt and black tie combo with black pants to match. Settling down on his desk, he cleared his throat and begun to take roll. When that was accomplished, he said out loud, "Alright, guys, I understand that I had assigned a little homework for you guys last week about finding a short poem. Hopefully you have accomplished this so that we can now go into the next phase: collaboration."

The class slightly perked up with the thought of being allowed to talk in class as people already started looking at their potential partners.

Neutron continued on, "The point of doing this will not only allow to describe your poem to others, but it will also give you a different perspective to what others might see the poem to be for them. Not everything should come from a single point, but through the help of others."

As the professor spoke, Cindy could not help but to notice that he avoided even sharing the smallest bit of eye contact with her.

He probably is still mad at me from the last time we met. Plus, he probably does not want to draw any more suspicion between us among the class. Dammit I hate when Zoe is right.

"So everyone look around and choose a partner to discuss your poem with."

Cindy's thoughts were interrupted when she heard these words. Partner? With Zoe still mad at her, there was no way that she would pair up with her now. Turning over to the back of the class, she saw her beloved friend already talking to three people around her that were clearing laughing at something she had said. It was like she did not even have to try to make friends.

Sighing, Cindy turned back to the front of the class and looked around for another lost soul who she could try to pair up with. After a few minutes passed, Cindy began to feel sort of left out and humiliated that no one wanted to be her partner. Just when she was about to call it quits, someone took a seat next to her.

She turned to see a young man who looked to be about the same age as her. He had raven-black hair that rested just above his eyes and neck. He was wearing a weird tie-dye shirt that had a variety of psychedelic colors on it as well as the saying "Givin' Good Vibes" in bold, curvy letters. The shirt hung tight around his body as well did the pair of blue skinny jeans that he wore. To finish off the interesting outfit was a simple pair of black converse and a shy, yet bold smile on the boy's face. "Do you happen to have a partner, yet?"

She was taken aback by the heavy, British accent that come eloquently out of his mouth. Though she was startled, she was still grateful and welcoming.

Cindy smiled back in relief and said back, "Nope, welcome aboard."

The guy, also sharing a look of relief, held out his hand and happily replied, "Adam Jones at your service!"

Laughing, Cindy took his hand and said, "Cindy Vortex."

"Where you from, Cindy?"

"Oh I am from a town called Retroville in Texas. And you?"

Smiling, Adam replied, "Well obviously not from the US as you could probably tell. Naw, I am from a place called Birkenhead in the UK. It is kind of around Liverpool, yeah?"

"How did a person from the UK end up in the States? Was there not enough sun," Cindy joked to her new found friend.

"Just wanted to go somewhere other than home, I suppose. Me mum and dad were a bit shocked to see I was accepted but were surprisingly supportive. I reckon its because they would rather let me go where I want than make me stay and be bored out of me mind. Not to say I don't love home though; I am just way too used to it."

Cindy perked up when she heard this. "Hahaha no worries! I feel the same way back in my home town. I felt like everyone already knew about me and I had no room to grow."

The two looked at each other fondly.

Adam leaned back in his chair with his arms above his head and said, "So let me guess, this is a GE for you as well?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"When telling by the way you keep shooting them dagger eyes at the teacher, it's not really hard to tell."

Cindy found herself slightly blushing at the comment but just looked down at her desk and said, "So um..what short poem did you pick for the assignment?"

Adam grinned like a school kid and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his back pocket. The paper held scrawny writing that was done in gel black ink that looked completely illegible to Cindy; but she kept her mouth shut.

"Why don't you just read it to me?" she asked.

"Well," Adam replied with a smooth and joking tone, "if I must." He suddenly stood up straight and held the paper between both of his hands in confidence as he took the "stage".

"My poem is called Belly Button Magic by Richard Leavesley. Please hold your applause until the very end.

Oh my beloved belly button.

The squidgy ring in my midriff mutton.

Your mystery is such a tricky stuff:

Why are you so full of fluff?

Cue the applause"

Cindy giggled at his choice and gave him a few claps to which her new friend gave a tiny bow with a goofy grin on his face.

She asked, "Nice poem, but why the interest in belly buttons?"

Adam shrugged and said back, "I dunno. I guess I have always fancied them ever since I read the book about some kid who grew that watermelon in his belly button when I was in primary school."

Cindy's face lit up in excitement, "You mean Belly Button Boy?! That was my favorite book growing up as a kid!"

"You're kidding! That was all I ever read as a kid; I even tried to put different seeds in mine to see if it would grow."

The two kept giggling and discussing their past childhood actions for a few more minutes. It was not until they heard a cough behind them.

Cindy rolled her eyes.