[Y/N]

Science was one of those classes where even though you don't get along or dislike someone, you are forced to converse with one another and get along. For science, we had labs which forced us to communicate and just throw our dislikance of one another out the window. For half of the class we were taking notes, but then the teacher brought on a surpise "lab" assignment.

You know how I know this? Well, everyone groaned and one person yelled, "I didn't study!" I have no idea where that came. We were supposed to do a board game with the other person which forced us to talk. I don't know about you, but I seriously didn't like the guy I was paired up with. I got the board set up at our table while he did nothing. Five minutes passed, and we were getting nowhere.

"What is your problem?" I spat out.

"What do you mean?" Cole moved his pawn one space.

(The "board" game was chess just Sciencefied). I sighed. Apparently, I would be going nowhere with this guy.

"You said I would be like everyone else. Then, we're doing this lab assignment, and we're not even talking. Plus, you keep on glaring at me." I told him.

"Well, you will. What is another name for Evolution?" He asked me a question.

"Natural Selection." I moved the pawn two spaces. "What do you mean by that?"

He didn't answer me at all. He just huffed and looked away from me facing the window.

"If it's about the other students, I've been told I'm not as sour as a not quite ripe lemon, but sweet like milk chocolate. Which space are you going for?"

He turned back towards me and faintly mumbled, "Genetics. One."

I picked up the card. "In the human genome, which is dominant in hair color: brown, blonde, or red?"

"Brown." Cole turned to me. "You don't seem as nice as you think. I've never met someone who wasn't mean to me or my friends."

"Bullying is for losers. Mom always says that 'when you're bullied, then that means they want to be just like you, but are too messed up to be.'" I recited what my mom said to me back in middle school.

"Why would she tell you that?" Cole asked me.

"Well, at my other school (we just moved here), I was kind of a loner, but I seemed to know everyone. Well, I wasn't a loner until I got to the sixth grade when my so-called friends stabbed me in the back. Then, well some things happened and I was almost arrested for murder. Total Hansel move if you ask me. I've been tormented for it ever since." I explained.

He stared at me like he understood not pity which is what I was waiting for. It was almost like he understood the hardships of torment. Was that what he meant by I'll just be like everyone else?

"Me and my friends are tormented daily." Cole admitted.

I was right?

I smiled at him. "It doesn't get better. All I can say is to not let it get under your skin, Cole."

For the rest of the block, Cole and I finished our assignment and we chatted a lot. When the block ended, we walked out of the classroom and parted ways.

**

"[Y/N], when are you going to do your homework?" Joanna asked.

I was cleaning the four tables we have in the bakery. "When the bakery closes for the night."

"But that's nine o'clock! You only have time for making the batter. You're going to fail if you don't do your homework." Joanna tried to reason with me.

I rolled my eyes at her. "I make it work, Jo."

"Listen to your aunt, Candyland. Maggie will flip when she hears you're not doing your homework." Nathan said.

I saw Joanna glare at my uncle when he said my mother's nickname. I had no idea why they were at each other's throats. All I know was it originated a long time ago. I don't know how long long time ago it was, but there was a big time ago between the beginning of their "feud" and now.

"Don't say my sister's name." Joanna hissed at him.

I rolled my eyes and walked behind the counter to put the cleaning supplies away. Nathan went to retort when the doorbell signalled someone was here. I turned towards the person to see the ravenette boy from Science.

"Cole?" I asked.

"Oh, hi, [Y/N]. You work here?" Cole asked.

"I own the place. What brings you here?" I asked him.

"Hi, Cole. Are you here for the your Chocolate Cake Pie?" Joanna asked.

Cole nodded. "Yes, I am, Joe."

Joanna dragged Nathan to get the desert leaving me with Cole Brookstone. Truth be told, I didn't know how to act when I was alone with a boy. Sure I was calm and normal in class and I'm not awkward or unsure when I hang out with Tristan.

"You own this place?" Cole asked.

"Grandma left it for me in her will." I explained. "I'm the only one who memorized her recipes over the years, and I'm the only one who she knew would take extremely good care of her business. Why are you here?"

"This is my favorite bakery. I go here everyday sometimes in the morning, and sometimes at night." Cole replied as his eye met with the Lemon Custard Tart. "How much for the Tart?"

I raised my eyebrow at him. "You want this?"

"Yeah. Well, it's my turn to cook dinner and I've been told I can't cook to save my life, so can I get this for desert." He can't cook?

I smiked at him. "Do you want individual packs or a full one?"

"Which do you think will be better to feed nine people?" Cole kept eyeing all the different treats.

"That's a lot of people. Are you cooking for a non-existent fan club or something?" I couldn't pull off a joke to save my life.

"No, I live with one of my friend's family and our friends. We're like a big, happy family." Cole said.

I looked at the ground when he said happy and family. My mother divorced my father when I was nine years old, because he cheated. I had never seen or heard happy and family placed together in one thought. Even now, my aunt and mother are trying to kill the other. My cousin seems oddly distant from everyone, and my uncle, well, he's a whole other story.

"That must be nice." I put on a smile for him.

"It is. It's nice to know that your favorite people in the world are there to help one another." I didn't know how that felt like.

"So, do you want a treat for lunch or do you want me to give it to on the bus tomorrow? It'll be nice and fresh." I got out a box and placed the Lemon Custard Tart in th box.

"No, that's fine." Cole said as Joanna came with his order.

I handed him the tart as she gave him the Chocolate Cake Pie. He nodded his head in a goodbye as he left the bakery. I turned towards Joanna after she did an "ahem!" sound in her throat.

"What were you two talking about?" She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

I tried to hold back the blush that I knew was going to appear. "We were talking about school. I'm his lab partner in Science."

"Right." She didn't seem to buy it.

"Well, I'm off to go make dinner." She waved to us and headed towards the kitchen in our living quarters.