CHAPTER ONE

Dani always ended up staring at the clock by the end of biology, her last class of the day. The problem was, that the last part of class was always when Mrs. Cintron lectured. So five minutes before the bell was supposed to ring, Dani was staring at the clock on the wall, as usual. However, that day Mrs. Cintron stopped her lecture early.

“All right. I am assigning everyone a new project. It’s a partner project. I am assigning the partners, and the topic. It’s a research project. You’ll present a PowerPoint to the class in one week. Understood? I am passing out the rubric now, if you have any questions please come and speak to me outside of class. Now, I will tell you your partners.”

Dani waited for her name to be called.

“Maria Fernandez and Bryan Shay. You’ll do salamanders.”

Dani looked over at Bryan. Of all the people in class, he wouldn’t have been her top choice to work with on the project, but he wasn’t her last either. Biology was the only class she shared with him. She had never talked to him before, even though they had been in school together since kindergarten.

Bryan never spoke up in class. He never raised his hand, or worked very hard. Dani knew he wasn’t doing well. He never did his homework. He spent most of the class in the back of the room, talking to his friends.

The bell rang and Mrs. Cintron dismissed the class. Dani decided to go to Bryan to talk about the project.

“Hey. I’m Maria Fernandez.”

“I know,” Bryan replied. “So, we’re partners.”

Dani nodded. “I was thinking we should get started right away. We could both do research tonight, and maybe meet up somewhere tomorrow to start the power point presentation?”

Bryan nodded. “Sure. Whatever.”

“Okay then. I think we need some encyclopedia sources for the bibliography. Do you want to meet at the library after school tomorrow? Say around, four thirty?”

“Fine.”

“Okay, see you then.” Dani left, feeling a little nervous about working with someone who obviously didn’t care too much about the project. Or maybe he was just very laid back. Either way, Dani figured she needed to take charge.

Dani was a little late arriving at the library the next day. Her mom had told her to make sure her little brother got to soccer practice safely. She apologized to Bryan as soon as he was close enough to hear her.

“Hey, I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said, taking a seat next to him and setting down her bag.

“Don’t sweat it,” said Bryan. “Its only five minutes.”

“Well, let’s go find an empty computer, start a search.”

All of their searches led them to different encyclopedias. So they went to the reference section and began making copies of the information they needed. Bryan turned out to be an efficient worker, and Dani regretted ever doubting him.

“What exactly is the point of this project?” Bryan asked as he fed the copier more dimes.

“I dunno,” Dani said. “Maybe it’s an introduction to a new unit or something. Or maybe it pointless, a project just to waste extra class time.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time its happened.”

“That’s true. Hey, were you listening today in class when Mrs. Cintron was talking about extra credit?”

“No,” Bryan replied, with a look that implied that was an obvious answer.

“Well, would you be at all interested in getting extra credit?”

“Hell yeah. I’m almost failing that class.”

“If you go on the field trip on Friday to the science museum, you get ten points extra credit. It could raise your grade some.”

“Are you going?” Bryan asked.

“Yeah. Can’t afford to miss an extra credit opportunity. I need a high grade in this class.”

“But isn’t Friday a pep rally?”

“Yeah, so?” Dani gathered up all of the papers they had copied, and they took them to the table to begin highlighting important information.

“So, you’re a cheerleader. Don’t you need to be there?”

“No. School comes first. I mean, my parents almost didn’t let me join cheerleading. I had to convince them that a sport looked really good on a college application.”

“Is that the only reason you’re a cheerleader?” Bryan asked.

“Why?” Dani said. “Would you think less of me or more of me if I said no?”

Bryan seemed taken aback by this. “No, I was just wondering.”

“Cause I know a lot of people think cheerleading is stupid and ditzy. I mean, a lot of your friends think so.” Dani knew the group Bryan hung out with. They were the punk rockers and they were all filled with angst. Cheeriness was not something they agreed with.

“To be honest, I don’t really like the sport. It’s too perky for me. But if you honestly like it, I won’t think less of you.”

“Well, to be honest also, I don’t like it too much,” Dani admitted. “The clapping and cheers suck. But the stunts are cool, and I have a lot of respect for the sport. Its hard work. But I’m really just in it for the dancing. There’s no dance squad at this school, so I went for the next best thing.”

Bryan nodded understandingly. Dani realized that he was a lot different than she had expected. She had thought he would be reserved, like he was in class, and a little rude or mean. He had been so snappy with her before. Plus, Dani had never gotten along well with the group Bryan was in.

They spent the rest of their time in the library going over what they had copied, as well as the research they had gotten the night before. It didn’t take them long to get the important facts down, and a plan for their PowerPoint.

“We need to meet somewhere to do the PowerPoint,” Dani said to Bryan as they began packing up their things. “I have a lot of little brothers and sisters. It can get hectic, so I wouldn’t recommend doing it at my house.”

“We can go to my house,” said Bryan. “I’ll give you directions tomorrow after class.” He swung his backpack over his shoulder and together, Bryan and Dani left the library. Bryan went to his car, a brand new Nissan 350Z, and Dani waited for the bus.