MASKED

Chapter Ten

"Hellooooooo, Room 6!!!!!", Mr.Feguerson boomed as he entered the class. "I have amazingg news!!!" He was met with groans and moans from the students.

"And by amazing he means utterly boring.", Kattie whispered to Lexy who gave her a grin.

"Very funny Miss Katie. Care to share? I hope not.", Mr.Feguerson continued as Katie batted her eye lashes and gave him an innocent smile.

"Okay class, as I was saying, the amazing news. This week ushers us into a new topic."

The class didn't match his enthusiasm.

"As I said, boring."

"How is that amazing news?"

"Just a chance for him to load us with more homework"

"It's his inability to find another synonym for amazing that gets to me.", remarked Britney, sending ripples of laughter across the class.

"Britney, I hope what you are saying back there can match my amazing news."

Britney gave the class a cognized grin.

"Alright class, as I was saying earlier again, we are going to treat a new topic from this week onwards. As I like to do to make my classes more interesting, we are going to practicalize this particular lesson a abit more than usual."

"Alright then!", he continued. "We're going to be treating, for the next few weeks or more, General Societal Skills and Management. Here we'll be treating life as one complete unit."

"What does that mean, Mr. Feguerson?", a chubby girl with red braids asked.

"Yes, Melissa. Life.", he replied. "We are going to learn about the different choices we make in our everyday lives, the triggering factors behind those decisions and how they affect not only us individually but others as well, including the community and even the nation at large."

He looked around the expectant class and continued.

"When I say 'we' what I actually mean is 'we' but more specifically, 'you'. You guys. And so to do that, we'll be pairing up."

Lexy and Theo looked at each other with knowing grins. Mr.Feguerson noticed, smiling himself and said:

"And let me add that you would not be pairing up with your sitting patner this time however." Penelope's face fell instantly.

The class immediately turned into a loud house.

"Mr.Feguerson! Can't we just choose our own partners then?"

"That would be biased, Roza", he shook his head.

"Mr.Feguerson!!!!!!!!!!!", Katie lamented.

"Not today, Katie.", he gave her a benign smile.

"This time around, pure luck will determine your project patner, class. Because in life, you don't always get what you want the way you want it. Also, I want some gender balance here."

He winked affably.

"Now the ladies, I'll be handing over some slips of paper. If you'd kindly write your names boldly on the papers and place them in this box right here.", he tapped on the large box sitiing on his desk lightly.

As Lexy enede her 'y' in an artistic flourish she wondered who her patner would be. Beside her she could hear Cassie whisper to Britney; "I hope I get Theo." She turned to her and stifled a giggle. All around students remained expectant and others nonchalant.

"Lexy", Mr.Feguerson nodded as she placed her slip gingerly in the box.

"Now will our gentlemen kindly step forward and each pick a slip of paper from the box? That''s how you'd be getting your patners guys. Good luck."

One by one the boys got up to pick from the box. As Theo's hand disappeard briefly into the box, she heard Cassie mumbling incessantly.

"Now, all of you get to know your partners better for the rest of the period and on Thursday, I'll be allocating the topics for your report. 'Adios', Room 6 and have an amazing day!"

Lexy held her breath and looked around frantically but no one looked her way in acknowlegement. In the corner of her eye she saw Britney whisper something to Brian who in turn switched papers with Theo and grinned to herself.

Cassie squealed as Theo announced that they were patners, catching him by surprise. Lexy turned to Brian who only shrugged and said with a grin;

"Hey, Cassie and I are first cousins. I can't stand her, not to talk about even working with her on some project. I guess Katie is my new patner now."

"Is that even allowed?", Katie laughed.

"At least you guys picked people you're familiar with.", Harmony grumbled. "I got that wierd dude Dylan."

"Hey, I would pair up with Dylan any day than to be caught up in someone's love triangle.", Britney remarked as Natalie shot her ugly looks as Jack shook her hands and said: "Britney, we're patners."

"Who knows Ryan? Is she in this class?", Mike looked at his slip and around the class.

"How abou you, Lexy. Found your patner yet?", Trick inquired.

"Not really", she answered.

They all turned to her.

"That's wierd. How come?", said Steph. "Everyone seems to have a patner now."

Lexy shrugged. The bell rang for the next lesson.

"Maybe, I'll find out by the end of the day."

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On Thursday morning came and Lexy still hadn't found her project patner.

"Well that's odd. You should tell Mr. Feguerson.", Malory adviced.

"Maybe you didn't get a patner", Mike remarked.

"You think Mr. Feguerson wouldn't consider that before pairing us up?" Steve said. "There are 26 of us, making it even. Everyone would get a patner."

"Maybe he is too shy to approach Lexy", said Harmony with a smile.

"Oh, please," Katie remarked with a roll of her eyes. "It's just a stupid project that's all. Three days should be enough to overcome whatever shyness he might have."

"Yeah, you're right. I wonder who it is though.", said Theo.

"I haven't noticed anyone who doesn't have a patner yet.", Cassie said.

"Well, if the person doesn't show up now, he would definitely have to during the next class."

"I hope so.", Lexy said finally.

Halfway into recess, the unholy quiescent encompassed the cafeteria. Yours truely had made his entrance again. Every soul was staring at him; Penelope trailing behind him faithfully as always.

The sight of him chocked Lexy as her mind went to the conversation they had had about him during the sleep over.

Then, to her utter shock and confusion, he stormed straight to their table.

Before anyone could react, fist met green and soda spilled everywhere.

In his fist, Lexy could see the embellish of the 'y' she had painstakingly designed with her favourite purple glitter pen. Looking dark and murderous he growled:

"You, Lexy or whatever your name happens to be. You, are my patner."

Both of them were not pleased. At all.