Wintercrest Academy

Horrible Pairings

“How was the test?” Mr Ariel asks, beaming at Kaia and Bren.

           “Good.” “Fine.” They mumble and exchange a brief glance. It’s starting to feel a little awkward for Kaia. Meeting up with her teacher like this outside of school. At first it was thoughtful, when he gave her his perfume and towel to clean up on the first day of school and then showed up at Big K’s when she gave him a coupon card. It was thoughtful, yet weird when he took her to a crazy expensive dinner. It was cringy when he ate out of her hands and bit her fingers, but now, showing up after her exams to take her to lunch? Okay, it still is thoughtful. But too much. Maybe he’s doing a little too much. Right?

           “I wasn’t expecting Bren to be here,” he says smiling, but his voice is rigid.

           “Why? You wanted to take her out to lunch alone?” Bren asks and the table falls silent. What?! Bren chuckles awkwardly and then starts laughing. “I’m kidding. Aren’t you?” he asks Mr Ariel who has now joined in on the awkward laughter thing.

           Kaia takes a long sip of her smoothie. She’s supposed to be at Cliché’s right now. It’s been awfully long since they last met up. Adan’s text pops up on her screen and Kaia smiles. Hey genius, celebratory ice-cream tomorrow? Astrid’s picking a venue.

           “What are you smiling at?” Mr Ariel’s question makes her attention return to them.

           “Uhh, nothing really.” She locks her phone. “Just, a text from a friend. Thank you so much for lunch, Mr Ariel.”

           “Oh, it’s no problem.”

           “You’d be a very thoughtful boyfriend. Or husband. Or dad,” Bren says and Kaia gives him a strange look. How can he suddenly just say that? Although, she’s now curious as to his relationship status.

           Mr Ariel seems thrown by the statement. He chuckles. “My mum says the same thing.”

           “You’re my favourite teacher, so I think I’m comfortable enough to ask if you’re single or taken. C’mon, I wanna know. I might have the perfect blind date for you.” Bren nudges and Kaia can see what he’s doing. Why he’s doing it though, she doesn’t know.

           “I’m . . .uhm. It’s complicated.”

           Bren gasps. “Are you divorced, Mr Ariel?”

           Mr Ariel shakes his head, chuckling again. “I’m too young to be divorced. My relationship status is complicated. And personal. Let’s keep it at that.” He taps the back of Bren’s hands.

           “I’ve got to go,” Kaia chirps. “Thank you for lunch, sir.” She gets up and Mr Ariel frowns.

           “Already?”

           Bren suddenly gets up too. “We have a thing. At church.” Church? Since when is Bren Christian?

           Mr Ariel nods, even though he looks unhappy. “I see. Didn’t know you two went to the same church. Enjoy, then. Let’s do this again when you’re free,” he says to Kaia.

           “Yes sir! We’d definitely do this again.” Bren answers instead, smiling so big Kaia has to stop herself from appreciating how defined the angles of his face are. He has a pretty dazzling smile. “Let’s go,” he says to her and after they wave at Mr Ariel one last time, they leave.

           “What’s going on?” Kaia finally asks when they’ve walked a distance from the restaurant.

           “With what?”

           She folds her lips, figuring out exactly how to ask the question. “Mr Ariel. You’re acting . . .suspicious.”

           “How so?”

           “You know what I mean. It feels like you’re trying to uncover something about him. From spying on him at school, to asking him personal questions today. Do you—do you perhaps know something about him? His relationship specifically?” Bren stops walking and so she does too. “I mean . . .is he like, cheating on his partner? Because it seemed like the person he was meeting at school was a secret, and then he said his relationship status is complicated. I’m just trying to put two and two together.”

           Bren snorts and angles his body to face hers. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

           “Then what is it?” Kaia jogs to catch up with him. “Tell me. I know you know something. Not to be nosy but, you’ve made me curious.”

           “If you’re curious then find out. I’d like to know what you come up with.”

           Kaia rolls her eyes. Why is he being so difficult? “Then why were you spying on him?”

           “Do I owe you an answer?”

           “After ambushing and kissing me without my consent, I’m pretty sure an answer is the least you can give me,” Kaia says and bites her lips. Bren didn’t kiss her, technically. He kissed her neck, which is also a part of her body and whatever! It counts for something.

           Bren rakes a hand through his hair. “We’re at your bus stop, right? Don’t bug me or I won’t wait till your bus comes.”

           Kaia huffs. “I didn’t ask you to wait.” She plops onto the bust station bench and Bren settles beside her. She’s suddenly overwhelmed with the woodsy scent of him. She’s suddenly . . .conscious around him. What is happening to me? Bren seems to be feeling the same thing, cause he shifts a couple of times in his seat before relaxing.

           “You haven’t run away again?”

           Kaia cranes her neck towards him. Huh, he remembers. “I probably won’t.”

           Bren nods. “Good. If I tell you why I’m ‘spying’ on Mr Ariel, would you tell me why you ran away?”

           Kaia rolls her tongue in her cheek, considering it. That’d mean her opening up to Bren. Getting personal with him when they’re not even friends.  Yes, she knows a bit about his personal life; the pre-med thing. But should she share hers? Nah, it’s not worth it.

           “I’d take that as a, no?”

           Kaia relaxes her back on the bench, assuming the same reclined posture Bren has. “Go home. You shouldn’t be waiting here with me. Wintercrest’s little prince shouldn’t be caught with a pauper.”

           Bren clenches and rotates his jaw. “Don’t do that.”

           Kaia instinctively pokes at his tight jaw. “Doesn’t that hurt? I mean, you’re always doing that. Isn’t that bruxism?”

           Bren snorts, but he smiles a bit. “It is.”

           “You should stop. It could result to—”

           Bren presses a forefinger to her lips and the feeling is . . .wow. What the heck is wrong with me, Kaia scolds herself as her eyes and Bren’s hold contact for way too long. She gently lifts his finger off her mouth and drops it onto his lap.

           “I don’t want to hear any geek thing you have to say.” Bren clears his throat. He fishes into his backpack and emerges with his AirPod. He holds one out to Kaia. “Let’s listen to music.”

           Kaia narrows her eyes at him. “I’m pretty sure we have different tastes in music.”

           He agrees. “We definitely do. But mine is superior. Take it.”

           She does. “We should listen to Gospel. We have a ‘church thing’ to do anyway.”

           Bren chokes out a laugh and Kaia joins in. The first song Bren plays is Owl City’s ‘Good time,’ and it surprises Kaia how she’s truly having a good time right now. Sitting at the bus station, sharing an AirPod with Bren. Brennon Kang. The boy who’s supposed to be a ‘rival.’ The one who kissed her on the neck.

                                                           ****

           Shira and Bren made up. He waited in front of her house that morning and they drove to school together. Though he denied her claims of him having feelings for Kaia, his heart still raced with eagerness at the thought of seeing Kaia at school.

           “She’s bad for you. Period,” Shira had said while they drove. “She’s not helpful in anyway. She doesn’t have any connections you need now or in the future, she’s not a socialite, she’s just the lucky smart b***h that goes to a school way above her standards.”

           Bren had been angered at the statement, but they were just making up and he didn’t want to start a fight. “You should take the SATs soon. It’s really not that big of a deal. You don’t have to stall because you’re afraid.”

           “I’d think about it. There’s no rush. I have time.”

           When they got to school, Bren found himself stealing glances at Kaia during homeroom the whole time. She had suddenly turned once and caught him. In an attempt to be cool, he didn’t look away and immediately regretted it because he felt his face heating up. When Kaia gave him a small smile that showed her dimples anyway, he shattered. They had the regular ‘genius banter’ at Chemistry class. Each of them immediately spitting out answers to questions asked.

           It’s a strange feeling. The image of him sinking his lips on her neck are still fresh in his memory and he sometimes wonders what they’d have been if he just kissed her properly instead. But he didn’t want to jinx what they had—do they even have anything? — before it started so he avoided her beautiful, full, small lips.

           Now, in Social Studies class, he’s in total awe of her as she discusses with Mr Derby about cultural anthropology. How does she know so much about everything?

           “That’s very correct, miss Mahoe. Well done.” Mr Derby smiles, obviously awestruck by the little brainbox in front of him. Kaia smiles back and shyly scribbles something in her notes. Bren snorts. Pretty, cute brat.

           “Okay. We’d be having a group presentation in our next class.” Mr Derby announces and the class murmur, some in excitement, others in displeasure. “I’ve already paired you up, so I’d be calling out your topics and the names of the students in each group.”

           In the farthest, deepest part of his heart, Bren hopes that he’s paired with Kaia. He may be under a spell for thinking about it, but he holds on to the hope anyway. Until Mr Derby’s voice and the silence of the room shatters the hope.

           “Kaia Mahoe and Shira Johns. Your topic is Culture in the 21st century youth. Prepare accordingly and make sure to curate a proper slideshow.”

           s**t. s**t, s**t, s**t! Bren cranes his neck slowly towards his best friend. A deep, sinister smirk is engraved on her face. He turns to look at Kaia, her head tilted downwards focusing on her notes. This is bad. Very, very bad!

           “Kaia,” Shira calls, sly and evil. Kaia doesn’t turn to look at her. “I look forward to working with you.” Crap!