Chapter Text
Andy frowned as his English teacher announced their latest assignment. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the idea of the project; it actually sounded awesome. But this was an AP class and Andy had a GPA to maintain if he was going to get into the college he wanted...and it was a group project. Just partners, but still. Andy didn’t like the idea of relying on someone else for a huge chunk of his grade. And Andy didn’t really know many of the kids in this class, so it wasn’t even like he would get to work with a friend.
Though Andy was a baseball player, and quite smart, and very attractive in a wholesome, all-American sort of way, he wasn’t overly popular. It wasn’t that the sixteen year old didn’t have friends, because he certainly did. He was just too quiet - and, really, too nice - to be truly popular. Which was completely okay with him. As was the fact that he didn’t have a girlfriend. Though Andy hadn’t really told anyone, he found most girls to be annoying and clingy and just a little bit frightening. He was in no hurry to date. But that didn’t exactly make him any more popular.
While the teacher went on about the finer aspects of the project – all of which were listed in the packet she’d passed out – Andy was mentally preparing his argument for working on this alone rather than having to pick a partner, hoping his teacher would listen to reason. That went out the window when she announced sternly. “I am assigning your partners for this project. There will be no switching, of any kind, because this is not about spending time with one of your friends. It is about literature. I expect you to work together on this. A failure to do so will affect your grade.”
Andy lowered his head to the desk with a dull thunk as she began calling out names in pairs. He was half-listening for his own name, wondering who he would be paired with. He really hoped that whoever it was actually cared about their grade. Considering it was an AP class, Andy had been a bit surprised by how often his classmates failed to turn in their work. If they were going to slack off, one would think they would do it in a regular class. He sometimes wondered how some of them had gotten into an AP class to begin with.
So when the teacher called out ‘Andy and Hannah’ he lifted his head and began looking around, trying to place a face with the name. The girl in question was quite helpful; she gave a little wave when Andy’s eyes moved over her. She was pretty, in a girl-next-door sort of way, Andy supposed. Her dark brown hair was ruler-straight and framed her face in a sleek little bob with just the faintest hint of layers. Her eyes were a very pretty green and she had a cute little button nose. She was slender, with just the faintest hint of curves under her cotton-candy-pink shirt and light-blue jeans. And she was one of the only students in his class that Andy knew always handed in her work.
Which was something, at least.
When the teacher announced that they could move around to begin discussing the assignment with their partners, Andy wondered if the polite thing to do was go over to Hannah, since she was the girl. Before he could decide, she’d gathered up her things and practically bounced over to him. She plopped herself down in the seat next to him - which his neighbor had conveniently vacated - and smiled. Her pink lips were slicked with some sort of glitter-gloss that made them look sticky and wet; Andy had never understood why girls thought lip gloss made their lips look better. Andy also noticed that her hair was pinned back on one side with a silver-and-pink butterfly hair clip.
“Hi! Andy Davis, right?” She asked in a sweet, cheerful voice, holding out one hand. “I’m...”
“Hannah.” Andy cut her off, trying to make it seem like he’d remembered that on his own. “Yeah, I know. I guess we’re partners, huh?” He have her hand a little shake, his eyes lingering for a moment on the glittery pink polish on her nails. Girls were so weird.
“I guess so.” Hannah lowered her eyes, dark lashes curling against rosy cheeks and Andy wondered if she was blushing for some reason, or if it was makeup. “So, any ideas for the project?”
Andy shrugged, dragging the list of books they’d been given closer. “Well, we’ve got to pick one of these sets of stories to compare, right? Have you read any of them already?”
“Mmmm...maybe?” Hannah scooted her chair closer, leaning in towards Andy. The smell of her perfume - something sweet and cloying - made his nose wrinkle in distaste. “Oh, well, I’ve read Dorian Grey...”
“Yeah, but since Jekyll and Hyde is so popular, odds are everyone is going to pick that set.” Andy pointed out, frowning again. He didn’t want to do the same thing as everyone else. “What about Nineteen Eighty Four and Brave New World? I’ve read them both.”
“And I haven’t read either of them.” Hannah said with a little laugh and a slight shake of her head. “I suppose I could, but it would be easier to work with something I’ve at least read one of...”
Andy nodded, waiting silently while Hannah perused the list a little more thoroughly. He did his best not to shrink away from her as she leaned even closer. “Oh, well, what about Gone with the Wind and Wuthering Heights? Surely you’ve read at least one of those. I’ve read both, myself.”
Andy cringed; he couldn’t help it. Why were girls so predictable? “Um, well, I had to read Wuthering Heights for an assignment last year, but I really sort of...hated it. So...”
Hannah blinked those wide green eyes of hers, then sighed. “Boys are just so unromantic. Why is that, Andy, do you think? Is it genetic?”
Sensing this was a dangerous topic, Andy desperately tapped another set on this list. “Have you read The Secret Garden? I know my sister Molly loves it; it’s practically her favorite book. And she’s only nine.”
Hannah smiled slightly, allowing the change of subject, much to Andy’s relief. “Well, yeah. Of course I’ve read The Secret Garden. Have you?” When Andy nodded, she looked back at the paper. “What’s this it’s paired with, though? The Door in the Wall...I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s actually a short story.” Andy explained. “H. G. Wells wrote it. It’s really interesting. I can lend you my copy, if you like.”
“Oh, sure.” Hannah was smiling widely again. “So, are those the two we’re using then? We should pick a day to get together. Did you want to bring me that book on Monday?”
Andy thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “No, I’d rather you read it over the weekend. I don’t like putting off assignments. I can bring it by your house, I guess, or you can come by my house after school to get it...”
“Yes!” Hannah said it so forcefully and enthusiastically that Andy actually jerked sideways in surprise, nearly falling off his chair. “Would you mind if I rode with you? I’m not sure where you live...and then I can just call for a ride home from your house. We can even discuss some basics for the project and set up a schedule for when we’ll get together.”
Andy wasn’t sure what to make of Hannah, but he did like that she seemed organized and eager to work. If she was even half as enthusiastic during the rest of the project, Andy figured she might not totally screw up his grade. “Sure.” He agreed, since there was no reason not to. “My car isn’t much, though.”
“At least you’ve got one.” Hannah pointed out, which made Andy chuckle; she sounded a bit bitter. “My brother’s got one, so my parents don’t think I need one. They say just borrow his. Like he’d let me.”
Andy smiled sweetly at her as the bell rang. “Well, just meet me in the parking lot after school then, I guess, and we’ll get started at my house.”
Hannah nodded as she stood and shrugged her backpack over one shoulder. “Okay.” She touched his arm as he stood as well, leaning in again and saying softly. “I can’t wait to work with you. I feel like we’re going to be so close after this. You know what I mean?”
Andy stepped back hastily, laughing a little nervously. “Ah, right. Sure. I’m sure we’ll be great friends by the time this is done. Gotta go; see you later. Bye!”
He practically ran out of the classroom, wondering what he was going to do if Hannah kept trying to get closer to him. She was nice enough, but Andy just wasn’t comfortable around girls. He really hoped they could make it through this project without her trying to kiss him. The last time a girl had tried that, Andy had gagged from the too-sticky texture of her lip gloss and then tried to nicely shove her off of him. It was practically impossible to nicely shove someone off of you, as he’d learned. And the girl hadn’t spoken to him since. Which wouldn’t be too great, considering he had to work with Hannah.
As he walked into his math class, he crossed his fingers and hoped she would just keep her gloss-sticky-lips to herself for the duration of their assignment. That was all he asked.