Part 2: Jasmine

I walked into the science classroom and without thinking walked to my seat.

“Jasmine, tell Bridget that sticking her head in a microwave is a horrible idea.” said Sara, a rather short girl with tanned skin and blonde hair, wearing her signature burgundy lipstick and black leather jacket. I looked at Bridget with mild disgust and pulled my book out of my backpack. Bridget was curling her frizzy ginger hair around her finger, trying to get her way by widening her emerald-green eyes. I exhaled.

“Bridget,” I said, as gently as I could, “It’s a horrible idea.”

She lowered her hopeful gaze as Cooper ran into the classroom.

“Cooper, you’re late.” Ms Roseman sighed as I entered. “Again.”

He shrugged it off and sat with his cronies, Justin and Nick. Bridget was talking to Sara about not caring about something irrelevant, when Ms Roseman asked me to hand out some worksheets.

“Of course Miss.” I replied as I stood up with cheerful bounce, the diffusion sheets in hand. I made my way round the room, a trail of mumbles thank yous in my wake. I reached the table with Cooper and his friends.

“Thanks Jasmine,” he spat at me.

I hid my excitement. Cooper and I haven’t spoken since the beginning of term.

“Awww, thanking me are you Cooper? Nick, you must’ve talked some sense into him.” I replied.

“Go away.” he mumbled.

I flicked my hair in his direction as I walked back to my table, where Sara and Bridget were staring at me with surprise.

“Thanking me? You must be friends after all.” commented Sara, skim-reading the worksheet in front of her.

“And that hair flick.” finished Bridget, “Just… Why?”

I shrugged them off and continued with my work.

The class continued. I scanned the room and noticed Cooper staring blankly out the window. Was he daydreaming? Wow, how typical.

“Cooper, what is the link between diffusion and gas exchange?” Ms Roseman asked. “Cooper? Are you listening?”

He snapped out of his trance and exchanged it for a worried stare.

“Ummm… oxygen?” he replied.

Ms Roseman shook her head. “Cooper, see me after class.”

Cooper sighed. He looked worried and annoyed, as if he’d made another huge mistake.

The lesson ended. As we all filed out, Cooper was summoned by Ms Roseman. I stuck my tongue out at him from the window. He sneered back at me. I ran to catch up with Sara and Bridget and we walked off to get lunch in the dining hall.