8:30 AM
I walked into English class feeling okay, but then my teacher, Ms. Gable, said the two words every quiet person hates: "Group Project." My heart literally dropped into my stomach. I looked over at Maya, hoping we could work together, but Ms. Gable said she already picked the partners for us to "help us meet new people."
Then she said it. "Elara, you'll be working with Chloe."
I felt like the air left the room. Chloe turned around in her seat and gave me a look that said, "Are you kidding me?" She didn't even say hello. She just rolled her eyes and started typing on her phone. This is going to be a very, very long two weeks.
12:45 PM
I spent lunch hiding in the library because I didn't want to talk to anyone. I found a spot between two big bookshelves where it's dark and smells like old paper. I was just starting to relax when I heard someone sit down at the table next to me.
It was Julian. He had a big stack of books and a drawing pad. He didn't say anything at first, which I liked. He just started sketching something. After a few minutes, he looked up and saw me staring.
"Tough luck with the partners," he said softly. I guess news travels fast in this school. I just sighed and nodded.
"She's going to make me do all the work," I whispered.
Julian shrugged and gave me that small smile again. "Probably. But your half will be way better than hers." He went back to his drawing, and for some reason, that little comment made me feel like I could actually handle Chloe.
9:00 PM
I'm at home trying to start the project, but Chloe hasn't answered any of my texts about what topic we should pick. I can see she's "active" on social media because she's posting videos of herself at the mall. It makes me so frustrated. Why do some people get to just coast through life while others have to carry all the weight?
I opened my notebook to vent, but instead of a mean poem about Chloe, I found myself drawing a little sketch of the library. I drew the tall shelves and the way the light hit the table where Julian was sitting.
Maybe this project will be a mess, but at least I have my own world to go back to when things get stressful. I'm going to go to bed and try not to dream about school projects