Opposites Attract (On-Hold) by Chloe Knox (reading books for 5 year olds .txt) đ
- Author: Chloe Knox
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Ideas were ricocheting back and forth in my mind, the moment Mrs. Bowman explained the new drawing assignment to the class.
We had to make an abstract portraitâwhich was pretty much a drawing of a person that lacked in logic or just didnât make sense at allâand my model was no doubt going to be my best friend, Lucy. We always work together when given the chance, ALWAYS!
Lucyâs a beautiful Hispanic with gorgeous curly black hair, and an extremely curvy body. Sheâs beautiful, smart, and extremely talented when it comes to painting. So I could draw a portrait and make it so that half her face is its normal, beautiful, flawless, angelicnessâis that even a word? No, I donât think so! Oh well, Iâve just created a new wordâand then the other half Iâll paint instead of draw. And despite how beautiful her curly and wild hair is, sheâs always complaining about how frizzy and messy it is. Every morning, except for the rare days were sheâs either too lazy or wakes up late, she straightens her hair, so the painted half of her face with have elegant yet crazy curls, while the other half will have stick straight hair. Itâll look so cool, and Iâm sure Lucy will love it! I need one more piece to enter in my art show, so this will be perfect! It might even be good enough to be my star piece! Then Iâll be accepted to an art college and I wonât have to go to school and become a doctor or a lawyer like my parents want me to beâŠGosh! Why canât they just accept my dreams! Theyâll have to when they come to my art show and see all the passion and dedication Iâve put into thisââAshley, youâll be partnered with Zane Kochel,â Mrs. Bowman said as she flipped her long locks of hair over her shoulder and the teacher that I, for four years of being in the high school, considered my favorite teacher suddenly became a piñata; a beautiful piñata full of candy that me, the eight year old with the plastic bat, wanted to break open.
I was-am a good kid. Lucy even calls me âThe Parentâs Wet-Dreamâ because I get straight Aâs, am the star forward on my soccer team, am in multiple academic clubs including the Latin Club, and the name is from one of my favorite movies âThe Breakfast Clubâ.
But now? All I wanted to do was crawl on all fours across the wooden drawing tables to Mrs. Bowman and pull as hard as I could on her weave.
I mean, seriously! What was she thinking? Is she crazy? Mentally unstable? I always work with Lucy. My peers know that, and so do my teachers. Mrs. Bowman has never partnered me with anyone else but Lucy! So what the heck!
And Zane?
Out of all people?
My future as an artist depends on my work! I have to put one hundred ten percent of my effort into every piece I do! The slightest little thing thatâs wrong, could turn off one and/or all recruiters! I want this-no! I need this!
I love my parents, but drawing is my passion! Iâm going to do my best to pursue my talent, despite how unprofessional and unrealistic of a job my parents think artistry isâŠwe even made a deal! If Iâm not offered a job or given the chance to go to school for art by the end of senior year, Iâm done! Iâll have to do what my parents want and become a brain surgeon or something!
Zane? Heâs the biggest slacker in this school! If heâs my partner, I stand no chance! Lucy had to work with him and a couple other people once for a project in Algebra II last year, and he made them do everything. And by everything, I mean everything! He didnât lift up a finger! He just slept the whole dayâŠ
âYou okay! You look pissed!â Zane said as he took the now occupied seat across from me, where only minutes ago Lucy had been sitting.
Not wanting to talk or even look at Zane, I flipped him the birdie without lifting my infuriating face away from my agenda to his.
I heard Zane chuckle, âGood girl gone bad, huh? Sorry you got stuck with me princess, but you canât get everything you want no matter how much money your daddyâs got.â
I went agape as I snapped my eyes to his, making sure that my most intimidating glare was on my face. Had he just insulted me? Yes! He did! Iâm not a princess and Iâm not spoiled, like everyone thinks! Everyone assumes things just because my parents are rich that Iâm self-centered! Iâm not! I just want to make a good future for myself, and Zane will never be a part of that.
I glared into his pleased brown eyes and frowned when his smirk only grew bigger. Apparently my intimidating glare isnât that intimidating at allâŠ
Zane winked at me and I rolled my eyes and groaned in anger as I wrote down in huge letter on the bottom of my agenda:
Get New Drawing Partner!!!!!!
"Ashley, I understand that this means a lot to you, I really do, but I highly doubt that one boy will completely jeopardize your future.â
I scoffed sarcastically, so shocked that she was defending him! I mean, all the teachers hate Zane! Donât theyâŠ?
He never does his school work! Heâs always disrespectful and obnoxious during class! And around girls he turns into either a complete douche, or an immature pervert!
âMrs. Bowman, please! Just let me work with Lucy! Or-actually! No! I donât even have to work with Lucy! Pick anyone! Anyone else in class, just not Zane! I need someone who takes art seriously!â
Mrs. Bowman stood up as she sighed to lean on her desk and look me straight in the eyes, âAshleyâŠtake a deep breath and calm down,â
I listened to her soft voice and took in a deep breath, my rasping breaths and my heart slowing back to its normal pace, âNow that youâve calmed downâŠIâm not going to change your partnerââ
ââButââ I began but Mrs. Bowman flicked her pointer finger at me, immediately silencing my plea.
ââlike I was saying, Iâm not going to change your partner. Yes, Zane doesnât take school as seriously as he should, but heâs got a lot going on in his life, and school, to him, isnât a priority right now.â
âAnd so you partnered me with him, why? School is a priority for me! Itâs my top priority, actually!â
Mrs. Bowman sighed again, âThatâs exactly why Iâve partnered you with him. He might slack off in school, but he really is a good kid. Heâs smart, too. Just give him a chance, Ashley. Be his beacon of light, for lack of a better phrase.â
âWhat?â I asked so befuddled by her reply.
âGive him some hope for a better future.â She said with a soft and small smile, one of sympathy and sadness...it was a smile that made me wonderâŠ
Why did Mrs. Bowman have empathy for Zane?
Why would ANYONE have sympathy for such an irresponsible, reckless, ill-manneredâŠ.jerk, like Zane?
âHey, partner! I wasnât expecting you! You just canât live without me, can you?â Zane said as he ran a hand through his spiky and short black hair, that same annoying smirk that made me want to slap him on his face.
I dropped my lunch tray, letting it slam into the lunch table which was only occupying himâŠthe poor guy, sits alone at lunch. He doesnât have ANY friends, literally.
âYeah! I just canât live without your good-looks and charm.â
Zaneâs smile grew, âOh really?â
I rolled my eyes, âHavenât you ever heard of sarcasm?â I asked feeling so abruptly angry that it made my breaths catch in my throat. Iâve never felt so frustrated and annoyed in my life.
âSo what you want partner?â Zane asked, never faltering or losing the smirk.
âWhat do I want? Not you! If weâre going to be partners youâre going to change! No more slacking! No more partying or drinking or getting high or whatever it is you do to waist your weekendsââ
Zaneâs eyes went wide as he laughed, ââAnd what do you do on the weekends? Study? Community service?â
I rolled my eyes, ignoring his comment and continuing on with my little speech, âAnd no more disrespect! You donât know me, so stop acting like you do! You have no right to say the things you do!â
Zaneâs smirk disappeared and instead he squinted at me as if he couldnât believe what I was saying, âYouâre right! I donât know you, but who the hell do you think you are to tell me how to act?â Zane said softly, yet there was an edge, a bit of anger, behind his words that made me shiver and second guess myself. I was waveringâŠI never waver!
I stood motionless and silent for a moment, eyes big and fluttering, âUmâŠexcuse me?â
Zane rolled his eyes in anger and stood up slamming his palms onto the lunch table. He leaned forward, across the lunch table to glare down at me, making a shiver go up my spine. For the first time I didnât feel superior to ZaneâŠI felt scared!
âYou have no right to talk to me like Iâm some peasant, some poor bad-mannered kid that youâre higher then, cause youâre not! Youâre no better than me!â
My heart leapt into my throat and I stuttered, âWell-IâŠI n-never said that.â
âYou didnât have to. Itâs quite clear that you think youâre better than me, just by the way you think you can order me around! You think I donât see the stares I get from the football team, your boyfriend more specifically?â
âWell-IâŠâ
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