Five minutes. Three hundred seconds left of class and I'd be freed to the crowded halls. Ever since being partnered with the again-absent Eli earlier in the week, I'd become the class pariah. As if the antsy glances cast my way weren't enough, the class had seemingly deemed me deaf, and had no qualms about discussing-loudly- how this pairing would end up.

"Next time it won't be a wall, it'll be her!"

"Didn't he kill a girlfriend already?"

"Wonder how the step-ex feels about them getting back together."

"Bet he wouldn't be so lucky the second time around."

Each comment darker and sharper than the last. I didn't turn around, I didn't argue any of the gossip. It wasn't worth it to get worked up over, they were doing a fine enough job of that without my offering.

Just as the minutes passed and the bell shouted my release, I bolted out of my seat, anxious to be out the door, when I was interrupted by a soft, yet demanding voice at the head of the room.

"Miss Edwards, can I see you for a moment at my desk please?"

The class let out a wave of disparaging, accusatory "ooh's" as they exited the room, grinning at me as I reluctantly approached the "bench." I considered correcting her improper verb usage, but thought better of it. Apparently, I was already in a hole.

"Yes?" I tried to keep my tiny voice steady as my fingers fiddled themselves together in anticipation.

Mrs. Shaw leaned back into the spine of her chair, calmly mirroring my gesture, sans the nerves, atop her neatly organized desk. "Mr. Goldsworthy." She drawled. I checked over my shoulder out of instinct.

"I'd like to talk to you about Mr. Goldsworthy." She specified, the bridge of her thin rimmed glasses slipping down her narrow nose. I gulped audibly.

"What… about El- uh, Mr. Goldsworthy?" The breath caught in my throat. Of course she wanted to talk about Mr. Goldsworthy with me. Who didn't these days? It was as if we were a twisted entity now; like no part of my life could be discussed without his name being tacked on somewhere. It wasn't this bad when we really were together.

"The prompts were due yesterday. I see Eli couldn't be bothered to join us." I debated telling her that he had, in fact attended class, even coming in early, but somehow I don't think that following that defense with the fact that he'd skipped before the bell was even done ringing would help his case much, so I stayed silent and waiting for her point.

"When I assigned you two as partners, it was strictly an academic move on my part. I knew you wrote well together, but so far I've seen nothing." She took a pause, dejectedly exhaling down at her desktop. Would she reassign the project? Would I be safe from the frantic eyes and the chatty Kathy's now? The giddy relief bubbled in my stomach at the thought alone.

"It wasn't an excuse for you two to shirk your school work to spend time together. I was your age once, I know what studying entails to you kids."

My jaw dropped at her accusation. If it were anyone else, anyone, it would be embarrassing, perhaps, but never would it hold such a sting as this did. I felt as if I'd been slapped; as if the class were full again, oohing and ahhing and pointing fingers. She spoke with such certainty, but her claim was so off the map I could barely comprehend the words hitting my ears. I barely heard her suggest that Eli and I "buckle down", and nodded wearily in response, my jaw and eyes still wide. She released me from the room and I didn't hesitate to oblige her, walking like a zombie across the campus to my next class. In my stupor, one of which I was paying little to no attention to my surroundings in, I rounded a corner straight into an unsuspecting student, sending us both crashing to the hard ground.

"Oh, wow, I am so sor-" And once again my features were wide. And once again, I was faced with Eli. I quickly shuffled to untangle myself from him, collecting his scattered books and pushing them towards him before retrieving my own. He looked less frantic this time around, a bit too calm for comfort after seeing him this morning, but the serenity was welcomed over the tension.

"It's okay." He answered me in a low voice. Hesitantly I met his eyes. Not frantic, not blank. Eli eyes. The ones I knew long ago. A shiver crept down my spine, and I couldn't look away, afraid that if I did, I'd never see these eyes again.

He smiled at me then, a small gesture, but such a genuine one, and handed me a small notepad that I had overlooked. "Um, so, sorry for bailing on the project today. And yesterday. At all, really. Just been… distracted I guess." He said with a casual shrug.

"It's okay." I mirrored his words drearily.

"Right, um, I'm gonna try to get some of it done today if you want to tag along. I know I have a lot to make up for."

My brow instinctively crinkled at his words and I cocked my head as Mrs. Shaw's words returned to the back of my mind. "What?! No, no, I mean I guess I'm flattered, but this is just a school project, once it's over we-"

"At the library." He interjected, shooting me a confused look.

"I- right. You have… the project to make up. Right." I laughed uncomfortably, feeling my face flush.

"Right." He repeated, nodding slowly. "So… after school, just meet me in the parking lot. It's not a date." He teased, turning and breezing away.

I should have stayed on the floor.