The course of true love, never did run smooth.

A N N A B E T H

"Annie?"

I turn around at the sound of that voice to see a somewhat familiar pretty blonde girl standing in front of me.

It takes me a second to recognize her, but when I do, I smile real big.

"Lou?"

Louisa Davies- the girl who was supposed to be my exchange program partner- smiles even bigger. "Yes!"

"Oh my goodness, hi!" I nearly squeal.

"Hi!" she squeals back, giving me a once-over, "Girl, you're even prettier in person."

"Oh, stop," I wave her off, as she pulls me into a tight hug, "Is everything okay with you? I heard you had something come up -an emergency?"

"Yeah," her face falls a little bit as she pulls away, "A family thing. Sorry for ditching you, by the way. You seemed super cool over the phone and now, I know you're even cooler in person. I was looking forward to it."

I smile at her. She had seemed like the loveliest person over the phone too.

As a part of the exchange program, we were required to contact our partners as soon as they informed us of the pairing, and Louisa had reached out before I could.

The moment she introduced herself, I instantly knew I'd like her. She had introduced me to her girlfriend Imani over facetime too, and they had decided that the three of us were self-declared best friends.

"Don't worry about it," I reassure her, "I'm working with someone else, so I'm not alone either."

Her face softens with something akin to pity.

"Yeah, I heard," she gives me a sympathetic smile, "James Jackson, huh? How's it going so far?"

"It's going well!" I tell her brightly, with a smile, "Why'd you ask like that, though?"

"Annie," her face softens even more, and she pats the side of my arm, "Everyone knows that Jackson's an asshole. You can be honest."

"What?" my smile falls slightly, "No, no- I'm serious, he isn't that bad. He's a little grumpy, sure, but he looks out for me. He really does."

"Mr-I-make-people-cry-because-I-feel-like-it looks out for you?" she asks me, an eyebrow raised and her expression disbelieving, "And Mr-I-get-into-fights-for-fun? I heard about the fight yesterday too. Jenson doesn't want to press charges, but his parents are pi-issed."

"Jenson said something to provoke James when he was already mad," I defend, "I'm not saying it's not wrong and I absolutely despise violence, but I just see where that came from?"

Louisa's eyebrows go up. "You're defending him? I mean, I hate Jenson too- and considering I know what he said, I'd definitely take Jackson's side, but really?"

For a moment, I really don't know how to respond to that.

In all honesty, it was a tiny bit terrifying to see him fight like that and I did have to step away for a moment- more for my sake than anyone else's.

I would've been scared if I hadn't taken a moment to calmly think about whether one fight I witnessed reflected his entire character.

I knew plenty of harmfully violent people. Unfortunately, I also had first-hand experience with some of them.

There was a pattern that you would start to observe after interactions with them. A distinct streak in their personalities that made appearances, subtle at first, but increasing slowly.

The funny thing was that he didn't strike me as the type of person who fits into that group.

As soon as that thought occurred to me, I was no longer scared.

He seemed like the 'I-don't-want-to-be-bothered-by-anything' or 'I-want-to-be-left-alone' type of person, so it seemed unlikely that he would purposely put himself in a situation where he would have to bother about something.

In other words, he truly didn't seem like the type who'd pick fights with others of his own volition, or just for fun. Neither did he seem like the type to brawl over tiny problems.

Maybe a part of it was just me hoping and telling myself that because I didn't want him to be a violent person, despite the hothead personality.

And maybe it was a part of me that was horrified that for a single moment, I had almost found the whole spectacle attractive. But we're not going to talk about that.

"He hasn't done anything to hurt me so far," I say finally, to a skeptical Louisa, "He's a little mean and grouchy, sure, but I meant it when I said he looked out for me. Innocent until proven guilty, I guess."

"Whatever you say," she says, clearly not taking my word, "But hey, he wants to work with you- so I guess you're in his good books, huh?"

"What?" I blink at her, wondering where she could have possibly gotten that idea.

"Yeah," she shrugs, "He told Ms. Langford that he wasn't giving the partner position back to me. If it wasn't for that, we would have started working together this week."

Huh?

If there's any surprise in my expression, Louisa doesn't notice it at all-just continuing to speak. "Besides, if you didn't already know- he and Brittany Vandervaal are supposed to be a thing. She's a tiny bit possessive and controlling, so I'd watch out if I were you."

"Oh," I ignore a tiny pinch in my chest, "The uh, the cheerleading captain? Tall, dark hair?"

"That's the one," Louisa nods.

"He um.." I hesitate, but then I figure oh heck, she's practically giving me the tea- I might as well ask, "He said they weren't ever together though?"

"Exactly why I said 'supposed' to," she mutters, leaning against the locker, "It's mostly one-sided. She likes him, and he doesn't like her or anyone else for that matter- but Brittany still doesn't take too well to other girls talking to him."

"Really?" I lean against my own temporary locker, looking at her curiously, "Other than the first day, she hasn't spoken to me. Probably because James is always around."

Louisa looks a tiny bit surprised. "I don't know which part of that sentence is more surprising."

I give her a questioning smile. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know if it's more surprising," she says, leaning closer, "that Brittany hasn't caused a scene- because the girl thrives on drama, or that James has always been around. Considering how he is, I assumed he'd have left you to fend for yourself."

"Is that why you don't believe me when I say he looks out for me?" I ask, with an amused smile- even though my mind was reeling with all the information.

She shrugs, rummaging her little purse and pulling out her lip gloss and a compact mirror. "Guilty."

I laugh, and since I'm nosy and want to know more- I continue to fish for information as discreetly as I can. It's Detective Annabeth time.

"About Brittany- has she ever directly said something about the both of them?"

"Kind of?" Louisa says distractedly, applying her cherry red lip gloss, "She flirts with him in front of all her cheerleading friends- or tries to at least, so I think they know he's out of bounds. It just goes unsaid for everyone else too- and no one would try stepping out of line."

"Why?" I ask curiously while making a mental note to ask her where she got her lip gloss because it was sparkly and bright, and I absolutely had to have one like that, "Is she that scary?"

"This one time," Louisa tells me conspiratorially as she tucks her lip gloss back in, "A junior was flirting with her best friend's boyfriend- and she tore into her. The girl was sobbing at the end of it. If she did that much for her best friend's boyfriend, imagine what she'd do for the guy she likes."

So everyone just assumed? I want to say, but I don't want to risk sounding like I'm very interested in who James might be in a relationship with.

"Yikes," I say instead.

"She's hot," Louisa nods, somewhat wistfully, "but an absolutely terrifying bitch. The type that would get mad if you sat in her seat or even looked at her the wrong way. Believe me, I've seen both happen."

Well, well, well. If it wasn't for Detective Annabeth who discovered some piping hot tea all in a span of three minutes and seventeen seconds.

I don't actually know if it was that much time, but Detective Annabeth's time estimations were accurate. It came with the Detective part, oh yes.

"Anyway," her eyes flicker to someone over my shoulder, "I've got to run- so I'll see you around. You and your friends should sit with Imani and I some time- it'll be nice to catch up."

She looks behind me again, and her lips lift into a polite smile.

"James," she acknowledges.

The guy in question who had snuck up behind me without me noticing doesn't even look at her.

"You're late today," he says to me, with a tiny frown.

"Yeah, I couldn't find my earrings," I shrug apologetically, before gesturing to Louisa so it wasn't rude, "I'm sure you know Louisa- the one who was originally supposed to be working with me."

He stiffens.

"Oh," his eyes narrow, and then he straightens- crossing his arms across his chest, "You."

There's so much disdain in his voice, that I can feel my eyebrows go up.

"Chilly here, isn't it?" Louisa comments, but her polite smile wavers and she gives me a look that says- 'See? This is what I was talking about.'

"What do you want from her?" James asks, his voice cold, "She isn't your partner anymore."

"Worried I'll steal her away?" Louisa asks, but it's a little shaky under the weight of his glare- which hardens at her question, "I was just leaving, though- so, I'll see you around, Annie!"

"See you!" I call after her, as she backs away- throwing James a wary glance.

I turn to him to see him narrowing his eyes after her.

I try not to think about everything that I had just heard from Louisa as I stare at him because otherwise, I would inadvertently end up blurting out a question about it.

I couldn't have him knowing that I knew the tea, y'know? Kinda like they don't know that we know. It was principle.

"The hell you staring at me for?" he grumbles.

"Oh, nothing," I blink innocently, "It was nice to see Louisa. Until you came here and scared her off."

He narrows his eyes more. "I don't like her."

"You don't like anybody," I point out, "What did she do wrong now?"

His jaw tightens, and then- he takes a step closer to me, leaning down to look at me intently, completely catching me off guard.

"You're my partner now," he says slowly, "so, she has no business trying to convince you of anything otherwise."

I just look at him, wide-eyed and very stunned by the way he said that.

"You know that, don't you?" he murmurs, his voice lower and deeper than usual as he braces a hand on one side of me, against the locker- his arm brushing against my side.

Okay.

This is cool. I'm cool. Friendly chat right here, my friends.

I can only manage a nod that's a lot more flustered than I'm trying to let on. My stomach felt a tad bit fluttery under his gaze, and I could feel heat rising up my neck.

"Good," he leans back, and I can breathe properly again.

Wow. Okay. That didn't happen.

I wasn't flustered in the slightest bit. Nope, nope, nope.

"We were just talking," I tell him after a breath when he continues to stare after her, "Don't worry, I'm stuck with you for a while." He gives me a look that tells me he was about to argue about whether or not he was worried, but I continue. "You were rude to her, though."

"I asked her what she wanted with you," he says with a scowl.

"Yeah, rudely," I say, in the duh tone.

He just gives me a blank look as if to say, 'Okay, and?'

"Right, I almost forgot that rude is your other middle name," I tell him, shaking my head. "My bad, J-dude."

He narrows his eyes at the nickname.

"We have an assignment due," he says instead of commenting on it, "The diner we went to last time is closed."

"Oh," my eyebrows furrow, "What about The Coffee Shop?"

"Closed too," he mutters gruffly.

"Darn, how come?" I tilt my head at him.

"Someone died."

He says it so seriously, with a completely blank face- and I'm not even sure if he's joking about it or not.

"They've all left for a different city for the man's funeral."

Not joking, it is.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

It's silent for a few seconds.

Then I perk up. "What about the one near the town square?"

"The Town square?" he raises an eyebrow, "That's nearly a half an hour walk from your dorm rooms."

"I can handle it," I puff my chest out, "I'm like, super athletic."

"Sure, you are," he says dryly, before rolling his eyes, "But whatever. It's settled then."

"It is," I tell him brightly, nudging his arm with my elbow, "I'm looking forward to it, Jameson."

"That is not my name."

"Oh, I know."

thanks for reading ! don't forget to vote and comment :)

filler chapter !! got some stuff going on in the next chap tho :P 

Cassie's bucket list #12: Dress up as a chicken, go to KFC and yell, "YOU'RE EATING ALL MY BABIES"