"What do you want you stalker?" Alanna asked walking into the class knowing there was no way to escape him. He would always find her anyway.

"Ouch. You wound me princess." Ryan pouted holding his hand over his heart.

"Good maybe if I do it hard enough you'll die and finally stop nagging me." Alanna snapped and she saw his face fall just a little bit. She felt a little bad for getting snappy with him but it was gone before she could scold herself for feeling sorry for another person.

His sad face didn't last though because he masked it quickly and wore an even bigger smile. How did his smiles just keep getting bigger?

"It's not that easy to get rid of me cupcake." He replied with a smirk.

"First of all stop with the nicknames and second get off my desk. I'm hungry and you're sitting between me and my food." She said glaring at him.

For once he didn't fight her because he got up and sat on her desk mates chair. She sat down before taking her keys out of her pocket, unlocking the desk and taking out her food flask. She had prepared meat pies for her lunch today and thankfully they were still warm. Thank the Lord for the creation of food flasks.

"Can I please have one?" Ryan requested.

"No"

"Please"

"No"

"But I didn't have lunch yet waiting for you." He whined.

"Still no Ryan." She replied picking one up and biting into it.

"Please please."

"No"

"I could go on till you either share it or eat all of them." He reasoned and she felt her resolve melt.

He was right. He was nagging enough to do it till she shared or just ate them all.

"Fine but don't get used to eating my food." She warned pushing the flask closer to him.

"Deal. " He grinned and grabbed a meat pie before biting into it quickly. He moaned in appreciation and Alanna smiled. She liked it when people enjoyed her food.

"I'm sorry." He apologized after practically inhaling down that first one and grabbing another one.

Luckily she had made enough for two. Or just one and was just being nice and hospitable. Definitely not her style but Ryan brought out the worst in her.

"Why?" She asked finishing hers off too and grabbing another.

"I'm going to break my word. I could definitely get used to eating like this." He replied taking a bite and moaning again.

He really had to stop doing that. If anyone heard him from the outside they'd definitely get the wrong idea.

"I'll just ignore that because it won't happen. Now tell me why you were waiting for me." She asked and he didn't reply immediately as he was busy eating all her food.

Three of these and Alanna was set. She was usually full after eating two but she had a feeling today would be more exhausting so she needed the energy.

"Mrs Watiri called you outside so I assumed she was talking about me tutoring you and I decided to wait so we can discuss it." He informed her while still wanting he food.

"You're not tutoring me Ryan." She replied with a tone of finality.

"What why?" He asked swallowing the last bit of meat pie.

She closed the now empty container and put it back in her desk. She turned to face Ryan with her bitch face on ready to turn him down once and for all. She didn't want to keep repeating herself about these issue.

"Uh-oh I know that look." Ryan said looking a little panicked.

"What look?" Alanna asked wondering what this weird boy was getting at now.

"It's the "I'm about to be a bitch and tear him a new one" face. " He replied.

Alanna was shocked that he could read her so well. She knew Ryan liked to mess with her but she didn't know that he paid attention. That was kinda spooky.

Masking her surprise she replied "Well if you already know what I'm going to say then let's cut to the chase shall we and skip to the part where you leave me alone."

Ryan seemed taken back by the snark in her tone but he recovered quickly. "This time it's going to be a no Ann."

Alanna gasped slightly at that because it was the first time Ryan was actually calling her by her name. Well not exactly her full name but something along those lines. He was always creative when it came to her name but hearing him call her by something so close to her actually name, which is what most people called her, showed that he meant business.

"What do you mean no? I wasn't asking dude. I was actually telling, better yet commanding."She demanded.

"No Ann and you know why? It's because I need you as much as you need me." He replied shocking Alanna again.

There's got to be a record he was trying to break for shocking her so much.

"I don't need you and what do you mean you need me? " She scoffed wondering out loud.

Ryan pulled the chair closer and leaned in as if he was telling her a secret causing her to lean back.

"Personal space dude." She warned.

"Oh yeah sorry." He apologized leaning back looking a little embarrassed.

Serves him right. Alanna thought to herself as she raised an eyebrow in question.

"What I meant is that, I know you need to pass your exams to get into culinary school and I can help with that. I also need to pass the only subject I fail at which is home science, the practical stuff that is and you're so good at that. If you look at it, it's sort of like a trade. Don't say no. Please just consider this." He pleaded looking like a lost puppy with those huge brown eyes of his.

Alanna leaned back into her seat and thought about it. He was right about a few things, she did need to pass her exams to get into culinary school and her working alone wasn't working so she did need the help. She was also good at Home Science because it was mostly cooking and sowing and she could do that with her eyes closed. Maybe there was a way for them to find middle ground here. But could she really do this? Work with another person or at least get along long enough with him for them to gain something from each other.

"I'm not sure Ryan." She replied feeling skeptical about the whole idea.

"Please. It's a win win for the both of us." He bargained.

"Why choose me to help you out with home science when they are lots of people who will be willing to help you. People who actually like you." She asked and he winced at that last statement.

It was true though as much as he may not want to hear it. A lot of people would be willing to help him out. People who didn't see him as an annoyance.

"Because I know you need my help." He replied

"That doesn't answer my question." She counteracted.

"It's all I got." He said avoiding her gaze and she knew he wasn't telling her everything but she decided not to push it.

He was the only one who offered to help her and if she tried hard enough she could get along with him. For school though. This was for her dream.

"Okay fine we'll do it....." Ryan cut her short by shooting out of his seat beaming and shouting in joy. He even started doing a happy dance. Alanna really tried but she found herself smiling just a little bit at how goofy he was. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all. Ryan was nice and decent and for some reason he always found an excuse to be around her so this could actually work.

"Okay enough sit down we need to set some ground rules." Alanna demanded after he had calmed down a little bit.

Ryan grinned at her before sitting back down and looking at her expectantly "Lay it on me."

"Well rule one, no more silly nicknames." She demanded.

"I can try but I'll be lying if I say I can stop sweetcheeks. It's a no from me."

"Did you just quote Simon from America's Got Talent?"

"Yeah I did. Next rule."

Alanna bit her cheek to hold in her smile. This was the longest she had spent talking to him without chasing him away with a rude comment and she had to admit it wasn't so bad. Maybe if she kept that thought in her head she wouldn't want to chop him up in pieces and feed him to the dogs.

"We'll circle back to that one, next rule. All we're going to be doing is studying together so don't expect us to hang out and become best buds or something." Alanna insisted feeling like she really needed to put that across.

Ryan's face turned sour for a moment before it was replaced with a big grin. Those grins were really starting to get to Alanna. He needed to quit it before she stapled his lips shut.

"Nope. Next." He replied.

"Is no going to be the answer to all the rules? " Alanna asked the irritation she was feeling earlier coming back.

"Yes if all your rules are going to be that insensible. We are already friends so the previous rule doesn't apply." Ryan defended.

"We are not friends." Alanna denied quickly.

"Yes we are."

"No we're not."

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"No and that's final. I'm starting to think this was a big mistake." Alanna huffed.

"Don't say that. It's already a sealed deal. No backsies." Ryan said with a determined face.

"No backsies. What are we? Seven?"

"Hey I'm still a child at heart." He defended.

Alanna scoffed"That's not really something to say if you want to argue your point."

"It's just already said and done. You and I are study buddies from now onwards. We will study at all available free hours unless one of us is busy with something else or has a prior engagement elsewhere." Ryan explained.

"Besides the fact that those last two statements mean basically the same thing, that's the most sensible thing you've said to me." Alanna concurred with him and he beamed.

"Thanks sweetheart. I spare those statements for when they are really needed." Ryan replied.

Alanna shook her head chuckling at his immaturity. Ryan was really something.

The bell rang interrupting whatever they were going to talk about next indicating the end of lunch and the beginning of the afternoon classes.

"Well I guess that's it for now. You can go back to your seat and we can talk about this later." Alanna said as she took out the books she would need for the next class.

She waited to hear movement but when none was heard she turned to face Ryan and he was still seated there with a stupid grin on his face staring at her like a creep. She raised her open palms in question as to what he was still waiting for and he shrugged in response.

"Ryan we have class and you need to move, my desk mate will be here any moment now." Alanna informed him and just then all the other students started trickling into the class one after the other.

"I'm your new desk mate." He announced shocking Alanna just like he had been doing the whole lunch period.

Someone must be having some fun with all the shockers she was receiving.

"What do you mean you're my new desk mate?" Alanna asked her head still trying to wrap itself around that new piece of information.

She could never be desk mates with this annoying oaf. She'd kill him, literally or he'd kill her figuratively. It was all just a matter of time.

Before Ryan could reply her desk mate Sherlyn came in and stood in front of them. She looked impatient that someone was sitting on her chair before she actually realized who it was and her posture relaxed before she looked at him all dreamy.

Sherlyn wasn't all that bad. Alanna didn't need to get along with her or anything. They just ignored each others presence most of the time and it worked perfectly for both.

"Hey Sherlyn." Ryan greeted the dazed girl.

"Heeeey." She sang.

Alanna rolled her eyes as she resisted the urge to slap her forehead. That was so cliche. Fawning over the hottest boy in class. Oh please. She was literally gagging inside her head.

"So I was wondering if we can please switch seats. I want to be this pretty lady's new desk mate." Ryan asked with a smile and Sherlyn nodded.

Alanna was sure she wasn't even really aware of what she was agreeing to.

"The teacher's won't like it." Alanna declared not really sure if her statement was true.

"They already agreed sweetheart." Ryan declared shooting her a sweet smile which she scowled at.

"What!? When?" She asked realizing what he had just said.

"Earlier today." Ryan replied with a grin as if he just hadn't ruined her life with that statement.

If the teachers had already agreed then it was already done. She was going to be desk mates with this goofball and she wasn't really looking forward to it.

"Okay class settle down time for Biology." The teacher announced slamming his books on the teachers table.

Alanna hadn't noticed him come in. She hated biology. She hated all sciences. She didn't get why they had to learn how to classify plants and animals. How would knowing the Latin name of a spider help her? She wasn't cooking them. She just smacked them with her slippers and cleaned out their webs.

She saw Sherlyn grab her books quickly before leaving to sit all the way on the other side of class where Ryan used to sit. Used to? Does this mean she was already agreeing to them being desk mates. Seems so.

People were staring at them weird wondering why they were seating together. Most girls were glaring at her and she just glared back at them. What's the big deal? It's just sitting together. The sooner she accepted it the sooner she could learn to live with it and focus on other more important things. Like that recipe she was going to try out today after school.

"We're meeting today after school ." Ryan whispered in her ear busting her bubble.

Class had already started so they had to be quiet.

"No I'm busy." She replied not willing to allow this dufface to change everything in her life in one day.

"With what?" He whispered back.

"Stuff." Alanna snapped curtly wanting this conversation to be over.

"Okay fine we can start meeting up from tomorrow after we sync our schedules." Ryan replied and Alanna nodded in agreement.

She needed some alone time to come to terms with the fact that she would need to spend her free time with another human being who wasn't her family. She really needed prayers to get through the rest of the year.

"Alanna guess what?" Ryan whispered after ten minutes of silence.

"What?" She whispered back staring at the board.

She could barely pay attention but at least she did try but now this nincompoop wouldn't leave her be.

"We're deskies now." He whisper yelled excitedly and Alanna knew he was grinning wildly at her.

"Yay am so excited." She replied sarcastically.

"I don't care how rude you are right now. Nothing you say can hush my buzz." Ryan replied smugly leaning back on his seat looking very happy.

Alanna watched him from the corner of her eye and hid her tiny smile with the palm of her hand. This boy was something and he was going to be a challenge. She hated challenges but for her dream of being a top notch chef she would have to bare with him till the end. She would really really, really try.

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Hello my lovelies. So another chapter is done. It took a while to complete this one because I kept getting interrupted like my sister leaving for my grandmas place 😭😭😭😭. Now I'm all alone with my thoughts. Anyway I'll be okay. I hope you're staying safe and are all healthy.

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As always. I love you 3000.