All seven of them take a seat in the back, away from me. Mr. Branwell walks up to me and whispers, "I see you've already tangoed with the Shadowhunters, you're my hero, Miss. Gray," and walks away quickly. I don't think any of the Shadowhunters even noticed that he said anything to me at all.
When everyone had walked into class, and the bell had rung, I still had no one sitting next to me. In fact, besides the Shadowhunters and I, there didn't seem to be more than five other kids in this class.
"So today class, we will be discussing the book A Tale of Two Cities, that you were in fact assigned to read, Miss Gray, are you familiar with this book?" he asks me.
"Familiar? Why, it just so happens to be my favorite book of all times!" I exclaim, happy with the turn of events. He eyes me curiously.
"In that case, Will and Tessa will be partners for the project instead of Will and Jessamine because Will had just so happened to say that he was familiar with the book as well. Jem and Jessamine shall be partners instead," Mr. Branwell announces and looks sympathetic in my direction, well he had better be sorry! Now I just happen to be stuck with the oh-so-familiar William Owen Herondale and I have to write a book report with him, or, probably with myself.
Groans erupt everywhere from everyone, even though it doesn't affect more than half of the class population, they probably were just mimicking their leaders, like any puppet would. Thoroughly disgusted is one way to put how I was feeling.
"That's not fair!" Jessamine protests, "he is my partner, mine, all mine."
Now I know the first word Jessamine ever said.
"Mr. Branwell, please reconsider your thoughts," Jem begs politely.
Will looks completely speechless.
"I have, indeed, reconsidered it, and yet, my answer has not changed, would you like to challenge this?" he asked seriously.
Everyone shook their head no instantly and the moans, groans and cries had been silenced at once. I don't even want to ask.
"Great, then, get with your partners immediately and start writing a full blown summary, leaving no parts of the story out. The minimum requirements for this assignment is there has to be at least two-thousand words and it is due in five days, I suggest you and your partner work on it together out of class. But I'm giving you class time to start. Go!" he instructs us.
I stand up and search the room for Will, who is still sitting in his seat, surrounded by the Shadowhunters. So, me being me, I stay there, glaring at them. And them being them, they glare right back.
"Mr. Herondale, do we have a problem? I said that your partner was Miss Gray, and I suggest that you get your butt over to work with her, or I might have you do the assignment alone," he says deathly serious.
Will starts to move from where he sat with the Shadowhunters. He began to move to where I stood, in the front of the classroom. Mr. Branwell watching him like a hawk the whole way.
"Why don't you two go into the hallway, there you'd find yourself much more comfortable, not so many eyes," Mr. Branwell suggests before opening the door to kick us out of the classroom.
I go willingly, but Will glares to make his point to Mr. Branwell before following me into the lonely corridor. Honestly, I'm scared of this Will, but me being me, I refuse to admit it to anyone but myself, Mr. Branwell will never know, Mr. Herondale will never know, Miss Jessamine, whatever her last name is, will never know.
"So are you going to help with this report, or am I going to have do it all by myself?" Will asks me. I almost burst out laughing.
I thought for sure I was to do this by myself.
"Are you kidding, I love this book, if anything, you are going to make me do it all by myself!" I exclaim back at him. He looks troubled for one second, those beautiful blue eyes twinkling…
No, Theresa Gray, no!
"You love A Tale of Two Cities?" he asks me.
"Yes, yes I do," I reply.
He smiles. Holy Crow!
He smiled.
He smiled!
At me.
I admit, he looks even better with a smile. Is that even possible?
Theresa Gray! Get your head on straight! Remember, you dumb head! He hates you! He's your roommate's brother! You just moved here! He has a girlfriend...well...sorta, but still!
"Me too, well, I'm not so sure about loving the book, but I definitely like it, what did you think of Romeo and Juliet, if you've read it?" he asks me.
"I thought Romeo and Juliet to be quite foolish. But I rather admired how much they loved each other. I mean, they didn't let anyone affect if they loved each other or not, they made the decision to love each other against their family, which is pretty powerful. A strong love, one might proclaim," I finished. He wasn't looking at me, but looking at the ground rather, he looked pained.
"Only suckers read those stories," he tells me, without actually looking at me, but the same expression still plastered on his face. I don't believe him, but I don't say so. The last thing I need is another reason for him to kill me, am I right, me?
Yep, I am.
"Fine, do you want to write about the first or second half of the book? I couldn't care less, I love each half equally so," I say, getting us both back onto the assignment.
He folded his arms, back to cold Will I see. Is this what I am going to have to live with, does he ever come over to our dorm? Oh, by the Angel, help me. Of course it is!
"I don't care," he says, with no emotion whatsoever in his voice.
"Fine! I'll do the second half!" I say frustrated. How are we going to work together if he can't even decide what half of the book he wants to write about?
"Remember, you are to write at least one thousand words, just as I am," I tell him, before grabbing my laptop and beginning writing. He does the same. His laptop is much more newer than mine, but I need not dwell on that fact.
We sit there in complete silence as I write and, well, it seems like he's writing, but honestly I have no idea whether he is or not.
I stop a few times to email my friends back home.
To Clary Fray, Jace Wayland, Isabelle Lightwood, Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane, Simon Lewis
Hey guys,
It's me, Tessa. I have no idea what time it is there, but here, well, I'm in the middle of my 1st hour class, and you know William Herondale? Well I am officially assigned to write a two-thousand word book report with him! Lucky for me it's only on A Tale of Two Cities. I miss you guys so much!
Love you lots,
Tessa
The bell rings, so I pack up everything, close my computer and rush the heck out of there. Before the rest of the Shadowhunters would get out of class. I am trying to avoid all of them, which with Will would be hard and everything. But especially Jessamine, she's probably super jealous that I get to be partners with Will.
Lady, you can have him.
I don't want him.
You do though, a voice tells me.
"No," I mutter under my breath, "no I don't."