Tom
Oh my gosh! Marco believed I'm a human! Ha! He's gonna flip when he finds out. If he finds out. My brain reminds me. I side glanced at Marco who walked alongside me. His face held a look of disappointment. What's wrong with him? I ask myself still staring at him. Does he always wear that outfit? I ask myself, trying to figure him out till he looked right at me. I blush and turn my face in embarrassment. I hear him quietly chuckle and blush harder. Screw him. I say in my brain as I shove my hands into my pockets.

"Here we are." Marco says as he turns towards me with a smile.

I stand their for a second shocked at how good he looks as he smiles. I then realize I've been staring at him so then I mutter, "Oh thanks."

"No problem." He shrugs as he walks into the classroom.

I follow in after him and look around. It just seems to be a regular classroom. I look around to find a seat when I see Star Butterfly. I back tenses up awkwardly. It's been a long time since I last saw her so it was kind of strange. But she still looked like the same old Star.

"Oh, you must be our new student!" Chimes the teacher.

The whole class turns to look at me, including Star. She gives me a strange face because I was staring at her. Marco, who is sitting right by her taps her arm and whispers something to her. Star then looks back at me and gives a slight wave. I turn away angrily. She doesn't deserve your attention, she chose who she wanted. I tell myself.

"Class, this is our new classmate, uh, what is your name, dear?"

"Oh, I'm Tom." I say looking at the floor.

"And your last name is what?" The teacher presses.

Shit, I can't tell them what my real last name is or else Star and Marco will know who I am.

The whole class stares eagerly as I sit and think.

"Uh, it's Baron?" I know, Baron, that's the literal dumbest last name ever thought of but whatever.

"Okay, well let's welcome Tom Baron to our school." The teacher says in a sort of scary stern way.

"Please take a seat." The teacher says as she points to a seat in the second to first row. I walk over and slouched down into my chair.

Why does she have to be so perfect? With her long, silky, blond hair and cute little heart cheeks and...

I punch myself as I realize I'm thinking about her. I try to shake out the thought of her when the teacher starts talking about some kind of project thing. I decide it's better to listen to that then think of Star. I lean forward listening to the teacher ramble on.

Marco

I glance down at the strange new student who seems to be hanging on to every word the teacher breaths.

I guess he just isn't used to all of this since he was homeschooled. I conclude as Star pokes me.

"Do we know him?" She whispers with a concerned look on her face.

"No, Star, he's a new student, meaning he hasn't been to this school yet." I explain to Star

She shakes her head. "That's not what I'm saying. When I waved at him he glared at me and turned away from me after he stared at me like he was scared of me." She explains.

"Oh," I say as I look at his pinkish head again. "I don't recognize him." I say trying to reassure her.

" He also seems strangely familiar to me, doesn't he?" Star says as she looks at him again.

I look him as well. Now that she says it, he is kind of familiar...

"Okay students," The teacher says interrupting my thought process. " I will now partner you each up to a partner."

The whole room erupts into conversation about who they want to be paired with. The teacher tells everyone to quiet down.

"Okay, everyone the partners are..."

I look at Star who is looking at me and crossing her fingers. I cross mine too.

"- Star and Alfonso and finally Marco and Tom."

Me and Star both turn in disbelief towards the teacher who is happily walking back over to her desk.

"Also this is your partner for the rest of the year, and also your seating arrangement. So go find your partner and sit by them." She says as if she relishes our uncontent.

Star looks at me sadly but puts on a slight smile and waves as she walks over to sit with Alfonso.

I walk down the aisle and sit next to Tom who looks like he's going to burst from laughter.

" Uh, are you okay?" I say uncertainly.

He lets out a quiet chuckle which tickles my backbone making me shiver.

" I'm sorry it's just ironic that we were paired up." He says trying to control his smile.

"How?" I ask him which makes him stop and look guilty.

"Uh, because, oh, you were the first person I met here." He explains.

"Oh," I say as I reach down into my backpack and pull out a pencil. "So, what's our project?" I ask as I turn back to Tom.

He thinks for a moment and then raises his hand. "What is our project?"

The teacher sighs and says, " You and your partner are coming up with a presentation on lab safety." She explains quickly and then returns to her work.

Tom turns to me and says, "What she said is our project."

"Okay." I say kind of shocked at how he got the teacher to acknowledge him.

"So, who's house are we going to?" I ask Tom.

Tom immediately says, " Yours. My," He pauses as if his next words are alien. "-Parents, don't really like people at our house a lot."

I must have looked at him strangely because when he looked at me, he quickly stuttered out, " Only if it works for you, Marco."

I kind of laugh inside because of how he acts. It seems like he thinks everything he says could be wrong. His self doubt is almost, cute.

" No, that works. My parents don't really care, so it's fine." I say, which seemed to reassure him because he let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, uh, see you there then?" He says as the bell rings and he walks out of the classroom. I chuckle as I imagine how he might stagger down the halls nervously, trying to not hit anyone. I continue thinking about him when Star taps my shoulder and let's out a loud groan.

"Marco! Ugh, my partner is Alfonso! All he talks about is the smiley faces on a belly that Ferguson can do." She says as she flops onto my shoulder making me stagger.

" I'm sorry, Star. But don't worry it's only for the rest of the year." I tease which only makes her groan louder and become heavier on my shoulder.

I laugh at her and say, " Come on, let's go to our next class, Star." We walk out together as she tells me how terrible Alfonso is but I'm not listening. I'm thinking of my strange new partner.