22What You Mean to Me
By Froggylover4281
Summary: Mia Jade Soffer, a 16-year-old girl forced to go to a snotty boarding school by her parents, is soon dismayed by a class project: to get to know a partner better. And it just so happens that her partner is the guy she's hated for ten years. And when forced friendship mixes with old rivalries, things get a tad bit complicated...
Disclaimer: If you recognize any of the people in this story, or whatever they say in books, this thing is 100% fiction and blah blah and anything that relates to you or others you may know is entirely coincidental.
Okay, so I was working yesterday on this first chapter of this story, and I worked really hard on it. I'm sorry if there are any errors, as I do not proofread my chapters before I post them (even though I totally should). Please review this if you like it! Constructive criticism is welcome, flames, not so much.
"You have got to be kidding me," I muttered as my frenemy, mostly enemy, Cole Gartrase, joined me at my table.
"I cannot believe we got paired together," he muttered under his breath. I looked up at him and we glared at each other for a moment.
We had been partnered up for a school project, since it was the beginning of a new year at my stupid, snotty high school. We were assigned partners to get to know. Because our teachers want us to think that our petty little feelings matter to them behaving us "make friends" with the people that we loathe with every fiber of our being. Well, there was no way they could make me befriend someone like Cole. He was mean on the outside, and on the inside, too. He was as rotten as an apple that had been left in the sun for over a month.
By September 13, one week away, we were supposed to know "everything" about our partners. To be honest, I couldn't care less about mine.
Cole was the most popular guy in our school, so, of course, I couldn't stand him. He made every girl fall in love with him with his brown-blonde hair, those "mesmerizing" blue eyes, and his "sparkling" smile. Every girl but me, that is. And besides, he had a girlfriend, and I was one of the most unpopular girls in the school thanks to my snide remarks about the Queen Bees, so it's not like I had a chance anyways.
Wait, he cheats on her all the time, and she knows and doesn't care. So I guess I do have a tiny chance, but who cares, you know?
"So, what's the first thing on this list?" Cole asked, beckoning to me. "Hand it over, Soffer."
I turned away from him and quickly skimmed the list of things we had to do with or find out about our partner.
"Number one, what is your partner's full name?" I read aloud.
"Like anybody cares," he scoffed.
"I totally agree," I replied. "You're a total idiot."
"Hey!" he shouted indignantly. "Hand over the list, Soffer."
"Like I have to listen to you. Shut up, Gartrase."
"You did not just tell me to shut up," he growled.
"Actually, I did."
Cole grabbed the list from me,
"Well, I don't know your full name anyways, and you don't know mine, so, what's yours?"
"Mia Jade Soffer, but you're too much of an airhead to remember my first name anyways. See, that's why we call each other by our surnames."
"Shut it."
"Yeah, whatever."
"I told you to shut it! Are you programmed to ignore everything I say?"
"I don't care what you say to me, never have, never will. You think you're so amazing 'cause you're popular, well guess what? You suck. You suck more than.. than.. my ability to think of a word at the moment."
"Well, you think you're so great-"
"I never said that. I'm not a great person. I'm the opposite of great. I'm awful. I was just insulting you."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Number two, go bowling together."
"Oh, you're going down," Cole challenged, glaring at me.
"In your dreams," I scoff.
"What's number three?"
"Uh, eat dinner together. What the heck? How is this supposed to help us get to know each other better?"
Cole shrugged. "So, I'll pick you up at six? We can do two things in one night."
"Sure. See you later."
"Yeah, later."
At six o'clock, Cole knocked on the Girl's dormitory door.
"Hey, Soffer?" I could hear Cole saying. "Open up!"
I opened the door to see Cole smirking at me. He was wearing a black leather jacket over a faded gray top and ripped jeans. He took one quick look at me and said, "C'mon, then. No time to waste."
"Dinner or bowling first?" I asked.
"Dinner," Cole replied.
I nodded. "So, where are we going?"
"You'll see."
We stayed quiet for the whole car ride. Eventually Cole pulled up to the Salad Garden, one of e most fancy restaurants in town.
"The Salad Garden?" I ask, my eyes widening. "Don't you think that's a bit expensive? I mean, we are enemies, after all."
"Hello? This is Cole Gartrase right here, of course it's not expensive!"
I rolled my eyes. In addition to making fun of the unpopular kids in school, Cole also enjoyed boasting about how rich he was.
"Whatever, Gartrase," I replied, getting out of the car.
We walked into the restaurant and were immediately escorted to a table.
"Hello, my name's Dylan, and I'll be your server for tonight," a black-haired boy said as we sat down. He seemed to be in his late teens or very early twenties. "I will be back to take your orders in a few minutes."
I stared at the menu. After debating back and forth in my head over whether I should have ordered the Caesar salad or the vinaigrette, I decided I would have a Caesar salad and a chicken bowl.
After a while, we finished eating. Cole looked down at me.
"Ready for bowling?" he asked.
"Ready," I replied, getting up from my chair.
The Salad Garden was right next to Bowling Central, so we just walked over. Cole got out some of his money but I slapped his hand.
"I'll pay," I said firmly.
"No, no, I'll do it."
"No, me."
"Ah," the ticket man sighed. "Young love."
"Ew!" I screeched. "I hate him!"
"Yeah, whatever," the guy replied.
I rolled my eyes. Cole gave the guy the money.
"How much was my ticket?" I asked. "I'll pay you back."
"No, my treat."
"Treat? We have to do throw, it's an assignment! You're such a dork."
I rolled my eyes again. It had become a habit after I met Cole ten years ago.
Yep, that's right; we've loathed each other for ten years, ever since kindergarten. It all started when we were playing Capture the Flag.
And to think I still hate him for picking me up and dropping me in the trash can after Jimmy Edvenson puked in there. I still shudder at the memory.
We walked into the bowling alley and picked up a bowling ball. Cole picked up a neon green one and I picked up a light pink. Cole automatically got a strike.
"Beat that!" he said, smirking at me.
"Fine! I will."
I had never played bowling in my life, so I didn't do that great. I aimed for tue middle pin and somehow got the ball in the gutter. I tried again and got the same outcome.
"Here, I'll show you," Cole told me. He grabbed my arm and he threw the ball. He knocked all of the pins down and smiled, still holding onto my hand.
I pulled my arm away from his grip and took another bowling ball.
"You can do it," he encouraged.
"You hate me, remember?" I asked in a flat voice. "Why are you cheering me on?"
"Sorry," he said quickly. "Boo! You loser!"
I rolled my eyes and threw the ball, having it roll into the gutter again.
We kept bowling until we got tired, sweaty, and limp. Well, me, anyways.
"Can we go back now?" I whined.
"Fine," he replied. "Loser."
Suddenly I found myself grabbing a bowling ball and hitting him in the shin with it.
"Ow!" he yelled. "What was that?"
I smirked at him.
"Do you want me to drop you in another trash can with puke in it?" he roared.
"I don't think I'd mind," I said, running back to his car.
We drove back to the boarding school in silence. I checked my watch and saw that it was 8:58 The school was a few miles away and curfew was 10 o'clock.
"Gartrase," I said, "you don't mind speeding a little, do you? We have to get there in under two minutes."
"What?" he yelled. "Seriously?"
He slammed his foot down on the gas pedal and I soon began to feel nauseous.
"No! Not in the car!" Cole yelled at me.
"Okay," I said and puked on his pants.
"You're gross, you know that, right?" he asked.
"Yeah. How much are you gonna charge me?"
Somehow we managed to get back to school on time and Cole let me out of the car.
"Gimme thirty bucks," he told me.
"No way," I told him. "I'll give you twenty."
I slapped a bill into his hand and stomped up to the girls' dorm room.
"See you tomorrow, Soffer!" Cole shouted behind me.