"For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo," Ms. Edwards reads in a solemn tone, her voice filling the relatively silent classroom. And with that final line, the story of Romeo and Juliet comes to an end. After all the time I've spent reading the play and wishing it was over, I'm surprised to find that I feel a little sad that it's completed. I guess I've never been too good with endings or goodbyes. Change just doesn't come naturally to me.

The sound of Ms. Edwards setting down her copy of Romeo and Juliet startles me back to reality, and I stare down at my own booklet before closing it slowly, resting it on the corner of my desk.

"The end," Ms. Edwards says after a moment. "You know what that means! Skit time!"

I'm shocked when my classmates don't release groans at this news. Instead of cries of disdain, the class begins to whisper excitedly amongst themselves, as if they're looking forward to this portion of the quarter.

I suppose I'm sort of excited, too. I mean, performing is going to be much more fun than taking tests. I glance over my shoulder at Emma, who shoots me a knowing smile.

"Now, we won't be performing until Friday. I'll be grading these performances as a test grade so, please, take this seriously. Since we don't have much time left in class today, I'm going to close things by assigning your partners. You can get in pairs and start preparing your skits tomorrow."

I cross my fingers as Ms. Edwards begins pairing students together, hoping I'll be lucky enough to end up with Emma. Ms. Edwards seems to already know who she wants to work with whom, pairing off the students quickly. Before I know it, there's only a handful of us left, including myself and Emma.

Just as I turn to Emma and offer her a hopeful smile that we'll somehow end up partners, Ms. Edwards says: "Emma and Ashton."

Just like that, my excitement dissipates. I watch as Emma's expression turns crestfallen, her smile wilting into a frown. I turn to look over at Ashton Holt, who is beaming at Emma as if things couldn't have turned out better for him. Don't get me wrong, Ashton isn't a bad guy or anything. The only problem I have with the boy is that he's not-so-subtly been flirting with Emma every single day of class for the past two months.

I shoot Emma an apologetic glance, noticing the way her fists are clenched atop her desk. She catches my gaze and forces a smile, seemingly trying her best not to lose it.

My gaze wanders around the classroom as I notice only four people are left to be partnered, including me. I must be an idiot, because once only Luke and I are left, I'm still unable to put two and two together.

"Lastly," Ms. Edwards says with a smirk, "since these two seemed to really love debating with each other in my class, Luke and Jade."

It takes a moment for the double meaning behind Ms. Edwards' words to hit me, and I blush profusely when I understand. She's referring to the time Luke and I argued over love at first sight, when Luke ended up revealing he was in "love" with me in front of the entire class.

Some of my classmates stifle laughter, while others don't bother trying to hide the fact that they're laughing at all. I turn to Emma with wide eyes. She shrugs in response, appearing as panicked as I feel.

Slowly, I turn around to face Luke, who is seated behind me. Our gazes meet, holding one another's stare for a brief moment.

Luke seems to be as calm as ever, his neutral expression slowly morphing into a smirk, gaze unwavering from mine. His eyes gleam brightly with satisfaction, and I'm surprised that I can read him. He seems almost happy; coy, even.

With that startling realization, Luke's smile widens as he murmurs, "Hello, partner."

»»----- -----««

"Come on, Jade!" Luke exclaims, following after me as I march up my driveway. Unfortunately for me, Mondays are one of the only days Luke doesn't have lacrosse practice, while his sister still has to go to volleyball practice. Due to this fact—and the fact that Luke's mother needed the car today—my parents offered to have Luke carpool with me and Kendall today. Which means I've been stuck with him since English class.

Needless to say, I've also been ignoring him since English class.

Kendall trudges up the driveway ahead of me, racing to drop her things off inside and change. She has to return to school for some UN meeting, which means I'll be alone in the house, if I can somehow mange to shut Luke out before he can barge in.

"Are you seriously mad at me?" Luke questions, keeping a steady pace at my side. "It's not like I can control what Ms. Edwards does. But, if you're really that upset about being my partner, I can talk to her if you want," Luke offers after a moment's hesitation. "Maybe she'll change her mind and switch us. I mean, I thought we were cool again, but if that's what you want—"

"That's not what I'm upset about!" I snap, whirling on my heel. Luke stumbles into me because of my abrupt movement, quickly regaining his composure.

Luke gazes down at me in confusion, and I still find it unsettling that I'm able to read his emotions. Wasn't that the reason I couldn't be with him in the first place, because he was just too good at keeping things from me? Because I didn't want to be with someone who would always hold me and an arms-length?

"Then what are you upset about?" Luke asks, eyebrows furrowed. Kendall rushes past us just then, shooting me a questioning glance before heading toward the limo. I don't allow myself to wonder what she must be thinking right now.

It isn't until Kendall and the limo have disappeared down the street that I snap, "What will Liam think? When he finds out we're working together?"

Luke peers at me with no emotion for a solid minute. He then bursts into laughter, which doesn't help improve my mood. I count to ten in my head, and when he's still merely laughing at me, I don't waste time walking away.

"Jade, wait!" Luke cries, running after me as I make my way to the front door. Luke grabs my wrist before I can turn the knob, spinning me around to face him. It doesn't seem to matter how chilly the air is around us, Luke's touch ignites flames on my skin.

"I didn't mean to laugh," Luke is quick to explain. "It's just . . . come on. I mean, if your boyfriend has a problem with us working together on a school assignment, then maybe you and Wellington need to have a talk."

I bite down on my bottom lip as I glare up at Luke. "We don't need to have a talk. Liam just doesn't trust you anymore, after what happened at the lacrosse game. I can't say I blame him."

Luke's expression hardens, and I can sense the hurt shining in his eyes more clearly than I'd like to. "What? So I'm just supposed to disappear from your life because Wellington doesn't trust me? I get you two are in a relationship, but aren't you allowed to have your own friends, Jade?"

I release a sigh, pulling my wrist out of Luke's grasp. "That's not what I meant. All I'm saying is I know Liam is going to be upset when he finds out about this, and I don't want to argue with him anymore. Things between us are still a little . . . rocky." This may be the understatement of the century. Liam and I haven't been getting along very well since the lacrosse game. Thinking about it now, I haven't seen or heard from him at all today, which hurts me more than I'd like to admit.

Luke seems apologetic. "Look," he says in a breath, "if you're so worried about Liam finding out, then maybe he doesn't have to. What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Right," I snort. "Because keeping secrets from him is so much better."

Luke shoots me smirk, one that undeniably makes my heart beat increase. "Well, you're keeping worse things from him, right?"

"Shut up, Luke!" I hiss, narrowing my eyes into a glare.

"Sorry," Luke murmurs, though he doesn't look very remorseful. "Not helping."

"Like you know how to help," I mumble under my breath, opening the front door before entering my house. I pause in the doorway, facing Luke. "Are you staying or going?" I deadpan, rolling my eyes as I ask the question.

"I guess I'll go," Luke mutters, slipping his book-bag off of his broad shoulders. "Just let me . . ." Luke trails off as he unzips a pocket on his bag, and I watch his features furrow in confusion. Hurriedly, Luke begins unzipping other pockets, pulling things out of his bag as he searches through it.

"Shit," Luke exhales, pursing his lips.

Trying not to seem too interested, I ask, "What is it?"

Luke glances up at me as if just remembering I'm here. "I forgot my house key," he admits sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. "I put it on my desk last night . . . I guess I forgot to grab it."

"So, you're locked out of your house, then?"

Luke nods slowly, lips pursed. It's almost funny, how embarrassed he appears.

"Tough luck!" I cry gleefully, grinning at Luke as I swing the front door closed. The last thing I see is his blue eyes widening in shock, his expression seeming to wonder if I'm serious. I soon open the door again, finding Luke right where I left him. "Just kidding," I murmur, unable to suppress a smile.

Luke's expression softens, the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. I take his hand and pull him inside, shutting the door behind him as he says, "You don't have to let me stay, Jade . . ."

"And what's the alternative?" I cross my arms over my chest, raising an eyebrow. "Let you freeze outside while you wait for your parents to come home? You might as well just wait here. At least it's warm."

"What if Liam finds out?" Luke counters.

I raise a finger to my lips in a shushing motion, lips curling into a smile. "What Liam doesn't know won't hurt him," I tease. "But if you'd rather wait outside, don't let me stop you."

"No!" Luke is quick to exclaim, and I raise my eyebrows at his enthusiasm. "I mean . . . Nah, I'm good," he mutters nonchalantly, trying to play off his former remark.

"Okay, then. I can make hot chocolate or something," I offer.

"That'd be great," Luke agrees, following after me as I enter the kitchen.

"And, in return, you can help me with my algebra homework."

Luke sighs, wetting his lips. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

I shake my head, smiling wryly. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, or whatever. I'm just going to go change real quick."

I don't wait for Luke to respond before I bounding up the stairs and entering my room. I strip out of my school uniform and pull on a pair of black leggings and a gray sweatshirt, leaving my hair down as I exit my room and make my way back downstairs.

"I'll go ahead and start the—" I stop short when I notice the way Luke studies me, his gaze trailing me, looking as if he had something to say but forgot the words.

"What?" I ask softly, tucking an unruly strand of hair behind my ear.

"Nothing," Luke murmurs. "It's just, I mean . . . wow, Jade. You're really beautiful."

His words have a strange effect on me. A warm glow spreads throughout my chest, making me feel light.

"I'm not even dressed up," I say, downplaying his compliment.

"You don't have to be." Luke's voice is soft, like his gaze. With his eyes on me, it suddenly feels hard to breathe. My heart pounds in my chest, as if begging to be set free. My skin burns, and my cheeks flush a bright red.

"Uh, thanks," I mutter finally. I find it hard to think straight with his gaze on mine, for whatever reason. I turn my back on Luke as I enter the kitchen, pushing the thoughts to the back of my mind.

I fill up a tea kettle with water before setting it on the stove, rummaging through the cupboards for hot chocolate packets. I come up with regular and marshmallow, looking up with the packets in hand as Luke strolls into the room. I offer him the packages, waiting for him to make a choice as to which kind he wants.

"Coach would want me to go with regular," Luke observes, "but is it even hot chocolate without the marshmallows?"

I laugh at that, setting Luke's choice onto the counter top and putting the regular hot chocolate packets back into the cupboard.

"That must suck," I say as I wait for the water to boil. "Having to watch what all you eat for lacrosse season."

"You get used to it after a while," Luke says with a shrug.

I find myself thinking of my own habits, understanding that I could probably do better about working out and eating healthier. But the body I'm in is mine, and that's all that really matters to me.

The tea kettle starts wailing then, stalling further conversation. I reach for the kettle and turn the stove off as I do so. I take two mugs out of another cupboard, setting them on the counter before pouring water into them, grabbing a packet of hot chocolate and tearing it open.

I must open the packet too fast or something, as a rush of light brown powder escapes into the air. I inhale a bit and begin to cough, causing Luke to laugh. The powder settles in the air, and I wave my hand in front of my face to breathe.

Once I'm done mixing the first cup of hot chocolate, waiting to add the marshmallows so that they won't melt, I reach for the second packet. Before I open it, Luke gently takes it from my grasp, wearing a knowing look as he says, "Allow me."

I roll my eyes, though don't argue. Luke carefully tears open the packet, pouring the contents into the other mug. Of course, he doesn't make a mess the way I did.

"Promise me you won't tell my coach about this," Luke teases as he pops a marshmallow into his mouth.

I smile to myself. "I promise."

Once the liquid has cooled down enough, I pour my pack of marshmallows into my mug and toss the empty wrappers in the trash. Turning back around, I find Luke casually leaning against the counter as he sips from his mug. He sets his cup down when I approach, startling me by cupping my face in his hands.

"You have powder on your nose," Luke tells me, as he must notice the way I stiffen at his touch. I wait patiently as he brushes his thumb over the tip of my nose and across my cheek before slowly pulling back, leaving my face in flames.

"Thanks," I mutter, hardly able to force out the words. Luke nods simply in response, refusing to meet my gaze. I take a sip from my mug, needing a moment to compose myself. It seems that whenever I'm around Luke, he always manages to catch me off guard.

After a few moments, we head to the table so I can get Luke's help on my algebra homework, as I've finally admitted that I could use it. My grade is now a 70, and I can't afford for it to drop any lower. Luke is practically a genius, which works perfectly in my favor.

Unfortunately, I seem to have overestimated my ability to focus in his presence. Every time Luke tries to explain how to solve a problem, I find myself watching his lips form the words without actually listening. When he leans forward to write something on my paper and our arms accidentally brush against one another, I can only focus on the sparks on my skin. When he looks into my eyes asking me if I'm even listening to a word he says, I can only—

"Huh?" I snap out of the trance I was in, shaking my head. Luke exhales a breath, looking up at the ceiling as if he's pleading with God to help him out.

"Jade," Luke says. "You're not even paying attention."

"Yes, I am," I counter, frowning.

"What was the last thing I said?"

I rack my brain before blurting, "The last thing you said was: What was the last thing I said?" I smirk, satisfied with my response. Luke merely rolls his eyes, as if I have said the dumbest thing he has ever heard.

"I'm sorry," I apologize, meaning it. "I'm just having trouble . . . concentrating, I guess."

Luke studies me for a brief moment, as if I am a math problem he's not quite sure how to solve. He then sighs, running a hand through his hair in a way that drives me wild.

"I don't think I can help you with that," Luke says after a moment, which is fair enough. After all, he's the reason I can't seem to focus, anyway.

"Don't worry about this," I tell him, closing my algebra notebook. "I'll just finish the rest later. You've already helped me enough."

"You sure?" Luke raises an eyebrow in question, though he's already done more than half of my homework without my help. I nod, knowing that finishing the math by myself might be a pain in the ass, but it will be much easier than trying to pretend like I'm capable of not staring at Luke when we're in such close proximity.

"Positive," I assure Luke. "If not, I can just get you to text me the answers, right?"

Luke rolls his eyes, biting back a smile. "Funny," he mumbles.

Resting my elbows on the table, I lean forward slightly. "I wasn't joking."

Maybe I'm a little too close to Luke in this moment, but all I know is that I don't want to pull away just yet. My eyes remain fixed on Luke's, unable to tear my gaze away. Luke holds my stare, wetting his lips as his glance drops down to my lips.

The gesture makes me remember Liam, and I quickly pull back. I turn my head, causing hair to fall into my face as I force my eyes to settle on the tabletop, not allowing myself to look up.

"I've, uh, got to go to the bathroom," Luke says after a moment, interrupting the awkward silence spreading between us.

"Okay," I murmur, still refusing to look at him. "I'm just gonna clean up."

Luke wanders off to the bathroom across the hall, and I gather my notebooks and pencils once I hear the sound of the door closing. Luke's book-bag is perched by the edge of his seat, so I set his notebooks gently into the bag, reaching for his pencil and unzipping the bottom pocket of the bag to put it back in its place.

Dropping the pencil into the pocket, something catches my eye. I know I shouldn't look through someone else's belongings, yet I can't suppress my naturally inquisitive personality. Pursing my lips, I lean over and grab the silver object that had captured my gaze. Pulling the item out slowly, my jaw goes slack once I realize what I'm looking at.

It's Luke's house key.

I drop the key back into the bag as if its shocked me, frowning down at the small object before glancing over at the hallway, lost in thought.

Luke lied about being locked out of his house. He pretended to have forgotten his key so that I would let him in. Why would he do something like that? What was the point in lying to me?

Glancing down at the key once more, a single thought lingers in my mind.

Why am I not surprised?

»»----- -----««

a/n: i am irritated.