Chapter 12

(Bakersville Elementary 2001)

***

“You will be doing your elementary school Science Fair Project in pairs,” Mrs. Berry said. There were mixed reactions in the class. Some people were excited. Others, not so much.

Emily was excited. It didn’t matter who she got as a partner, she was excited about doing the science fair project. She already had an idea in mind.

“Do we get to choose our partners?” a student asked, and everyone quieted down. This was the most important part. A ‘yes’ from Mrs. Berry meant the world to the elementary school class. it would mean they could choose their crushes. It meant their dreams could come true. Mrs. Berry had the rare and unique chance of being Cupid. Would she take it?

The air was thick with anticipation. Everyone was holding their breath. Well, almost everyone. Emily didn’t care much for crushes. She didn’t have one, and she was sure no one had a crush on her as well.

“No,” Mrs. Berry said and the class deflated with disappointment.

Mrs. Berry smiled meanly as she picked up a paper from her books. She pinned it onto the notice board with a thumb tack. She then turned around.

“You can only leave your seats to check the list after I have left the room,” she said as she walked toward her desk. She picked up her books and walked out.

She had barely made it to the door when the kids swarmed around the noticeboard.

Emily wondered what all the excitement was for. Did it really matter? She would wait for the kids to leave before she went to check who she had been paired with. But she didn’t have to wait. She could hear it from where she was seated.

“Gabriel got paired with Emily,” a girl said, and Emily could tell from her voice that she was not happy.

Emily was not happy either. It turns out that who they were paired with mattered, after all. And she had been paired with the worst person on Earth. The girl turned to look at her with pure venom in her eyes as if she was the one who had made the pairs. Emily didn’t bother giving her the time of day. She gathered her books and picked up her backpack and walked out of the class.

She would have to find Gabriel and tell him the bad news. It was bad for both of them because Gabriel had tried to apologize for what he’d done two years back but Emily had refused to forgive him. The frustration had gotten to Gabriel so now he was also mad at her. They had been enemies ever since. Their moms had tried to get them to talk to each other but their efforts had been in vain.

She suddenly wondered why Gabriel had not been in class. Was he too popular to attend Science class now? He had only gotten even more popular after the retainer incident, and he was now the most popular boy in Bakersville Elementary. Emily hated him all the more for it because it felt like he was rubbing it in her face, that he’d gained from what had been traumatic for Emily.

She didn’t know where to look for him, and she decided not to. She would go to his house later and tell Louise to tell him. She tried to go through the rest of the day as usual but she couldn’t. the news had spread. She was getting ugly stares from girls in the hallway. She was sure she would find a ‘gift’ in her locker by the end of the day.

She wished this day would end quickly. It was hard, but Julie made it bearable. Julie was her best friend, her new best friend who had been there for her when she was getting bullied in the cafeteria because of her retainer. She had come to get Emily at the teacher’s lounge after one week of watching her eat there alone.

They didn’t know each other, but she grabbed her by the hand, led her to the cafeteria, stood on top of a table, and proceeded to out everyone’s sleeping habits: Timmy still slept with a binky, Ashley couldn’t sleep without a night-light and Jeremy wore batman pajamas. The whole cafeteria went up in chaos. Julie jumped off the table and led Emily to the lunch line.

“How did you know all those things?” Emily asked.

“I don’t. I lied. But who’s gonna believe them when they try to say it’s not true?” Julie said.

Emily couldn’t help but smile. She knew then that she had found a new best friend. They had been close ever since. Julie had spent the day walking with Emily in the hallways ever since she heard the news herself. They were in different classes, but she took time to walk Emily to all of hers. She stared down anyone who tried to give Emily a nasty look.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Emily said.

“I do. these people just don’t know when to stop,” Julie said, “I’m worried, though.”

“Why?” Emily asked.

“Will you be able to do the Science project with Gabriel? You two hate each other’s guts.”

“Hate is a strong word. Besides, I won’t let anything come in the way of my good grade. I’ll do it myself. I’ll just let him know he’s my partner. We won’t have to meet or work together or anything.”

“Good luck with that,” Julie said as we got to the door of my class.

“Thanks, I need it,” Emily said.

She went through the rest of her day and when the last bell rang she practically flew out the door. She walked home as quickly as she could. She needed to get there and think of how she would go to Gabriel’s house.

What would she say? Would he find it weird that she was at his door? Would he slam the door in her face? She got home and ran up to her room. she took a few deep breaths, then she decided she was just going to tell him about the Science project. She wouldn’t say hi or anything. She was about to leave when she heard the doorbell.

“I’ll get it!” she said as she ran downstairs.

She opened the door and she was shocked to find Gabriel. And he was crying.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, but even before he could answer, she walked towards him and hugged him