Don't Kiss Your Lab Partner

by Lucy McConnell

  John sat slumped over his desk, his hands in his hair. I almost felt bad for him. He looked miserable. Not just tired because his mom made him stay up late filming, but to-the-bones misery. The question was, why? Why was he so sad? He had everything he wanted—the app, the beautiful girl, the glamorous life, and a perfect grade as soon as we nailed this presentation. He should be singing. Instead, he looked like someone had wiped his hard drive.

  My heart groaned.

  We avoided looking at one another while the other teams presented. When it was our turn, we stood side by side with a good six inches between us.

  “One of the hardest things about being a teenager is navigating the social aspects of high school …” I worked to swallow—my mouth was so dry. “Dating can be especially difficult, as people continually put themselves out there only to be rejected.”

  John picked up. “While many students may want to go to homecoming, they might be tired of getting shot down or feeling foolish for asking someone who has already been asked.”

  “On top of that, we’re all busy with school and extracurricular activities.”

  My classmates started bobbing their heads.

  I took courage and pressed on. “Our social groups can be a limiting factor. Take Terrance and Jennica, for example.” Their smiling pic came up on screen. “Their social circles rarely, if ever, cross. Yet they were matched by DanceDate and have been going out for over a week.”

  “Who knew they both had an interest in origami?” John tossed out—getting us a laugh. “They wouldn’t have found each other or the things they had in common if they hadn’t filled out the survey.”

  I put the app info on the screen. “Now, it’s your turn. You’re all welcome to pull out your phones and download the app. Each school will have a special code so you are only matched with your classmates. We don’t want someone from Lincoln High to get mixed up in our homecoming.”

  The class twittered at the thought. Lincoln High was our rival, and the rivalry ran deep. They didn’t have the funds we did, so they resorted to brute force during sporting events and often played downright dirty. No one in their right mind would date someone from Lincoln.

  John walked them through the sign-up sheet and questions, explaining the purpose behind each one and our parameters for matchmaking.

  I glanced down at my numbers to see if anyone had actually signed up, and I about choked on my breath. All of them had. And more. It looked like we’d gotten back everyone who had dumped us before and then some. Wow. That was … unexpected.

  Then we opened it up for questions.

  “What if I don’t want to go with this guy? Is he going to know I shot him down?” asked Alicia.

  “No, it’s all confidential. Like our parents denying a friend request on Facebook, the person rejected won’t know.” I watched the time. We had two minutes left.

  “What about you two? Have you done it?” asked Mr. Hubert.

  I shook my head, but John nodded. “I did. It matched me up with Nicole. We’re going to homecoming together.”

  A few girls ahhed.

  I stared at him. He had not signed up. At least, I didn’t think so. Was he lying to get the grade? Mr. Hubert could be able to check.

  Wait, why would he say that about Nicole? I felt like there was a hidden meaning in there and I missed it.

  The timer went off, and Mr. Hubert clapped his hands, starting a round of applause. It was decent. We had their attention. They were looking at their matches and talking to their friends. A few of them glanced across the room and then ducked behind their phones. My guess was that they were matched with someone in class. That was kind of fun to see.

  The bell rang. Mr. Hubert held me and John back after class. “This is impressive.”

  “Thanks.” John smiled for real for the first time in days.

  “But it’s not good enough to enter the TACS award, and I’d barely give it a B+.”

  “What?!” I shouted. Since going off on my parents, I was a live wire. Catching myself, I cleaned my throat and mumbled an apology.

  “I think you need to tighten the age groups. A senior can go out with a junior or a sophomore with a freshman, but I don’t recommend matching seniors with freshmen.”

  “Oh.” I glanced at John and looked away again. I still couldn’t believe he’d lied in the middle of our presentation. The algorithm I’d written would never match him with Nicole. He had to know that.

  Mr. Hubert talked over a few other improvements. “It’s by far the most ambitious project of the semester; I’ll give you that. If you can get it to work at the level I’m asking for, you’ll get an A.”

  “Sounds good to me.” John glanced up at the digital clock on the wall. “Are we good? I have to hurry.”

  “Yeah—get going. And great work, both of you.”

  John dashed out. I watched him go, still trying to turn over his statement. He’d said the program had matched him. I pulled up the results and looked them over, not caring if I was late for my next class. This was important.

  Getting behind the scenes and into the code, I found a marker that I hadn’t written. One that automatically matched him with Nicole no matter what their answers were. He’d been smart about it, so it didn’t affect the other results.

  Oh my gosh! The program hadn’t put them together—he had. But why?

  I checked the time stamp on the change, and my heart soared. He’d done it Friday after he’d kissed me in my room. The kiss that felt like a goodbye.

  He’d asked her to homecoming to save the project. I pressed my hand to my heart and leaned over our blob. Why didn’t I see it before?

  I checked Nicole’s activity. Sure enough, she’d accepted him right off the bat, and his acceptance of her was simultaneous with his upload. He’d known what he was doing.

  Why? I texted him quickly. He had to know I’d figure it out. Maybe he thought I’d see it before now and figure out that he was being a hero—not the bad guy.

  He sent back an award emoji.

  Tears pricked my eyes. He’d done it for me, so I could have the stats to back up the work and enter the TACS competition. I buried my face in my hands. He’d given up homecoming for me. And now he had to spend the whole night with a witch.

  I was flattered and aghast at the same time.

  Mr. Hubert tapped a stack of papers on his desk. “Adelle, are you okay?”

  “Yes.” I stared at nothing, my eyes unfocused as I went through the motions of putting my things away.

  “Are you sure?”

  No. “Mr. Hubert, what do you do if someone does something amazing, but you don’t have any way to repay them?”

  He tucked his chin and thought for a moment. “You graciously accept the kind act and look to pay it forward.”

  I nodded. “Thanks.” Pay it forward. I just had to figure out a way to help someone else when all I wanted to do was cuddle up with a bag of gummy fruit.

  I walked into the hallway without watching where I was going and bumped right into Kevin. “Shoot! Sorry!” I grabbed for his books, but they scattered. I knelt to pick them up, feeling worse than the stinky piles outside the barns behind the school.

  “It’s no big deal. Just seems to be my life lately.”

  A girl laughed, and Kevin froze like a turtle sculpture. I leaned to see around him and found Jennica shoving Terrance’s arm.

  I’d forgotten that Jennica and Kevin had been going out when our app hit. I placed a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. About all that.”

  He lifted a shoulder and went back to picking up his papers and books.

  “Kevin?” I watched him push his glasses up his nose. “Will you go to homecoming with me?”

  He blinked twice.

  “As friends. I could really use a night out, and you probably don’t want to sit home either.” I bit my lip, afraid I’d said too much by mentioning his heartbreak—which was pretty much my fault too.

  He nodded slowly and then faster. “Yeah. Me t
oo. No pressure.”

  “No pressure. Just a fun time.” I cringed inside. No more fun times. I’d had enough fun for a lifetime.

  He smiled.

  A part of me expanded. I’d pay it forward. Maybe one day, when I looked back on this moment, it wouldn’t feel so yin-yang. Part of me was all dark with sadness that my first dance wouldn’t be with John, but the other part of me was happy that I’d made someone else smile—someone who was also having a rough sophomore year.

  As much as I wanted to go with John, I felt good about being with Kevin. We exchanged numbers and headed off to class.

  I had no idea what was going to happen at the dance. Nicole had worked hard to get John as a date—he might be flattered by her persistence. Besides, I’d seen the picture of them together. He looked happy, and I couldn’t tell the difference between his happiness on camera and his happiness in real life.

  So I had to move on. Even if it was like pulling Velcro off my heart.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I stared at the screen, wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on me or if the lines really rolled like ocean waves. I rubbed my temples. There was no way I was going to get the changes done before we had to turn it in to Mr. Hubert.

  There was a light knock on my door. Grateful for the interruption, I hurried over and swung it open. “I hope you brought sug—”

  The words died on my lips. It wasn’t my best friend standing there with a bag of gummy worms. It was John, and he looked over his shoulder while forcing his way inside. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it.

  “What are you doing here? It’s after curfew.” I whisper-yelled.

  One of the reasons my parents let me live in the dorms was that there was a strict 9 p.m. curfew. All boys had to be upstairs or sent home on school nights. Weekends were a little more lax, but this was a major violation of the rules.

  “Shh.” He put his finger over his mouth before turning to press his ear to the door.

  I was so happy to see him, I didn’t care that my hair was a mess or that I was in sweats. Okay, maybe I cared a little. I pulled my hair out of the ponytail and worked to make it a less messy, messy bun. After figuring out his scheme to save our project, I’d forgiven him for everything.

  “I barely made it past the Grinch,” he whispered back.

  I giggled at his description of our chaperone. She did have an uncanny resemblance to a Who and her perpetual scowl was a ringer for a grumpy Gus covered in green hair.

  He dropped his backpack to the floor, his laptop clunking. I cringed—every time.

  “I came to get this project done. There’s no way you can make all of Hubert’s changes on your own.”

  “I was doing just fine,” I lied through my teeth.

  “Yeah—but you’re going to sugar crash in about …” He scanned the wrappers around the room. “Thirty minutes. That’s what I’m here for. I’ll keep you awake.”

  “And what if I get spot-checked?” That was what we called it when the Grinch poked her head in unannounced.

  “We won’t. She was raiding the ice cream in the bistro when I snuck through.”

  “So that’s what happens to it.” I’d heard the cooks complaining about the disappearing ice cream. “She lets them think students are breaking in.” I shook my head in disgust.

  John took my hand and pulled me over to my desk, where he pushed me into the chair. “Work.” He took up a spot on my bed, sitting across it with his back against the wall, his feet dangling off.

  I poised my hands over the keyboard and then dropped them to my lap. “John. I saw the code you wrote—matching you with Nicole.”

  He ducked his head. “I had to. You deserve to win, and if you didn’t because of me, I’d feel awful.”

  I went and sat next to him on the bed and laid my head on his shoulder.

  “It happened so fast. Nicole’s mom called my mom within seconds of me asking, and the whole thing blew up in my face. They scheduled us out the whole weekend, and she took my phone so she could post on my accounts. By the time I got it back, I figured you were pretty upset at me.”

  “I was.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “I wish there was another way.” I sighed.

  “Me too.” He kissed my hair.

  I felt like crying.

  “It’s only for a week. Once the dance is over …” He left all my hopes hanging out there on that unfinished sentence. But I knew he’d catch them. I knew it because he’d already given up what he wanted to make my dreams come true and get me the A in the class. “Until then, I think it’s best if we’re just friends.”

  I nodded. Friends was more than we’d started out as and less than I wanted. But I understood what he was doing. He was being respectful to Nicole because they had a date planned. It would have been rude to run around kissing me when he had asked her out. I both loved and hated him for being so chivalrous.

  “Let’s get going. I have a feeling we have a long night ahead of us.”

  I agreed. Although, as I brought my laptop over to the bed and sat shoulder to shoulder with him, I wasn’t dreading it anymore.

  At the beginning of the semester, I’d told myself I could do anything for a month. Well, if I had to, I could live without John at homecoming. But I couldn’t say that I liked it.

  The more I understood about dating, the harder it got.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I woke up with my face on the keyboard, the outline of keys imprinted into my cheek. Well, Mom said it would happen one day: I’d meld with my computer and we’d become one. I guessed this was the day. I moaned and rolled over, my arm falling off the side of the bed, as even in my half-conscious state, I knew better than to roll onto my laptop.

  My hand hit something soft.

  There was a groan.

  My eyes flew wide open, and I did the world’s fastest push-up to stare over the side of the bed.

  John lay on the floor on his back, one arm flung over his face.

  Shoot! I glanced at the clock. It was 6 a.m. Jenny Meek from gym class had the room next to mine. If she saw John, she’d tell. She’d been looking for an opportunity to get back at me after tripping over her. And her alarm went off at six-oh-three every morning.

  “John,” I whispered loudly. I was suddenly super conscious of my breath. I grabbed for a breath mint tin and called his name again.

  He stirred, turning onto his side and sighing happily. How could guys sleep so well on the floor? My hips always fell asleep.

  I rolled off the bed and onto my knees next to him, every tick of the clock bringing my fear to a new level. If we were caught, we’d get detention. No one was allowed to turn in homework from detention.

  All the work we’d done last night would be for nothing.

  I shook his shoulder, not bothering to be gentle. Time was of the essence.

  He reached one arm up and then brought it down behind me. “Hello, beautiful.”

  It was stupid how those practically cliché words made my heart melt. “Morning to you too. Get up, or the Grinch will put you in an oven and eat you for breakfast.”

  He was on his feet in a blink and offered me his hand, which I took to leverage myself to standing.

  “Thanks.” I brushed off my backside. “For everything.” I met his gaze and hoped he understood that I meant everything. “Especially sneaking in last night to help get this done.” I pushed him to the door. “Here.” I wrapped a purple blanket around him. “Duck down a little, and maybe people will think you’re me on the security cameras.”

  He traced a finger over my cheek and then leaned down and kissed me quickly.

  My brain scattered like a flock of butterflies. “I thought …” He’d just made it clear he wanted to remain friends until after the dance.

  “It’s for luck.” He smiled.

  I smiled, and I found that I wasn’t tired anymore. “I’ll see you in class.”

  “It can’t come fast enough.” He pulled
the door open a crack, peeked out, and then made a dash for it.

  I grabbed the door so it wouldn’t click shut.

  The second after he disappeared into the common area, Jenny came out her door. She looked me over, her lip raised in a sneer. “Rough night?”

  “Actually, it was the best one I’ve ever had.” I flounced into my room and shut the door in her confused and overly curious face.

  The hallways had new energy. John and I had gone through the list of matches, noting several in our class, including Emery. I was so happy for her. She’d come out of her shell ever since Jovi had moved in. Their friendship was an odd one, what with Jovi’s rock-and-roll looks and Emery’s Midwestern charm, but it seemed to work for them.

  I was shocked at what an impact the app had on people’s lives. I mean, I’d known that dating was important to teenagers—thanks for that, Dad—but I didn’t understand just how important until I watched their faces. There was this general happiness and an overall confidence beaming back at me as I walked down the hallway.

  Just as I started to feel good about myself for helping so many people, Nicole fell into step beside me. I tightened my grip on my backpack.

  “So, your little app thing matched me and John. That had to be disappointing for you.” She flipped her blond hair over her shoulder.

  It was, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.

  “I mean, if you were such a good programmer, you’d have been able to write an app that got you the guy.”

  I ground my teeth to keep my retort back. She had no idea what she was talking about, and her smugness made me want to throw her words right back in her face. But I couldn’t say a word, because John had rigged the results. If students thought we played with their answers or matches, they wouldn’t trust us. “That’s not what the assignment was about. I’m in it for the grade, not the guy.”

  “Then I guess we both got what we wanted. I have the most beautiful dress. John won’t be able to take his eyes off of me all night—so I hope you understand that we won’t have time to socialize … with you.” She smiled wickedly and turned off, ducking into the bathroom.