Working With Pairs
Here is a story I created myself. It takes place during Fable before Mina knows about the quest.
"Today we will be working with partners," Mr. West said it like it was the best idea in the world. Jared groaned, he hated working with other people. "I will pick your partner and then you will combine different substances to see their chemical reactions." Jared smiled, usually people caused explosions when doing this and he loved to see their faces. The teacher started calling out names and partnering people. Jared wasn't listening until he heard "Jared, and Brody."
Why did it have to be Brody? The person he hated most in the entire school. Brody reluctantly stood up and sat in the empty seat next to Jared. "So what do we do first?" he asked. Jared knew that Brody hated him, he just didn't understand why. Jared only hated Brody because Mina was so obsessed with him.
"I think you should get the supplies first," he put as much sarcasm into his voice as he could. Brody glared at him and stood up. As he waited in line to get the tray, Mina slipped into his seat.
"Jared, please be nice."
He smirked. "Am I any other way?"
"Yes. I know you don't like Brody but try not to kill him with this stuff, please?"
"Fine, I promise I will not kill Brody with this experiment. Happy?"
She shook her head. "No there's too many loopholes in that and I know that the Fae are really only good at manipulating things," she gave him an accusing look.
"Hey we're good at other things, too!"
"Yeah I guess you're right. You're good at being selfish jerks who want to kill my family," she looked at him in mock thought.
"Mina... Not all of us want to kill you."
"You almost did last year in the woods..."
He sighed. "I thought we were past this? I was trying to protect you, I didn't know you would freak and fall into a river."
She saw Brody heading back and she started to leave. "Just please don't hurt him, okay?"
"Fine," he snapped.
Mina sat back in her own seat next to Nan and kept an eye on them. Brody sat down again. "What did Mina want?"
"Nothing. Let's just finish this," Jared pulled a plastic container towards him and started randomly mixing things.
"What are you doing?" Brody leaned away as if it would explode.
"I'm experimenting."
"Well we aren't supposed to randomly mix things, we have to follow the list so it doesn't explode." Brody pulled a piece of paper towards him.
"It won't explode." The truth was it would explode if it weren't for Fae magic holding it back.
Brody gave Jared a dirty look and started following the instructions on the list. He carefully measured out everything and threw the powders into another container.
"Are you sure you're doing that right?" Jared asked. He looked over his shoulder to see if Mina was watching.
"Of course I'm doing it right, you're the cocky one and randomly mixing everything. I actually want a good grade." Brody added another ingredient. Mina wasn't watching, so Jared focused on the container. It was filled with water that had turned white from the chemicals. With some magic, Jared turned it purple.
Brody stood up in surprise. "What the heck?" Mina looked up in alarm but Jared didn't notice.
Brody leaned over the cup to get a better look and Jared smiled. A jet of the deep purple liquid flew up and hit him in the face. Brody started to sputter and cough while Mr. West came over in a rush.
Jared was laughing now, but stopped abruptly when he saw Mina glaring at him. She put up one finger and moved it towards herself, telling him to come over to her desk. He shook his head.
She leaned forward. "Now." She mouthed.
He sighed, that was an order, even though she didn't know that. He couldn't manipulate this one so he stood up and walked over to her.
Nan looked up. "What are you doing over here?"
He pointed at Mina. "I'm in trouble." Nan gave him a puzzled look but went back to work. Mina stood up and pulled him by the arm over to the corner of the room.
"Jared! I told you to not do anything!" She hissed.
He shrugged innocently. "You said don't kill him, and don't hurt him. I didn't do either so really I'm innocent."
"Ugh you stupid Fae!" She pulled her hair out of her face.
"Do you mean Fae in general, or just me?" He couldn't help it, he loved when she was mad at him.
"What do you think?" Mina crossed her arms.
He pretended to think. "Hmmm I guess a little bit of both...?"
"I give up!" She stormed back to her seat. Jared chuckled and walked back to his seat where Brody sat, with purple stains all over his yellow polo shirt.
"Are you done flirting with her? Can we finish the experiment now?" He glared at Jared
He smirked, "Jealous?"
"Of what?" Brody tensed slightly
"Me talking to Mina Grimm- Grime," Jared accidentally let her real name slip, but Brody didn't notice.
"I can talk to her whenever I want up."
"But you don't," Jared started mixing more ingredients together, just to have something to do.
"It doesn't matter, just stay away from her." Brody looked uncomfortable and started mixing his own chemicals.
"Why? You're not in charge of her. You don't have any relationship with her."
Brody raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"
Jared looked smug. "Maybe." He made Brody's mixture turn orange and smoke. Then green and
bubble, and then red, where it finally turned to ice in the cup.
Brody backed up in alarm. Curious students circled around the table, except Mina. Jared stood up and sat in Nan's seat.
"Enjoying the show?" The red ice melted before turning into a turquoise color and spiraling out of the cup and into the air. It froze in a beautiful ice sculpture.
"You're going to expose Fae magic, you idiot!" Mina hissed.
"Relax, it will clean itself up." Students were already beginning to get a dreamy expression on their faces.
"Why do you hate Brody so much anyway?" Mina crossed her arms.
Jared looked at her with his smoldering grey eyes. "Because I do." Mina faintly heard the ice shatter while she looked at him. The bell rang to end the class and Jared walked away without another glance.