Free A Four Letter Word by Michelle Lee Page A

down the line of students waiting for their seating assignments, and I can't help but gaze at Evan. Erica said she heard he was a jerk, but that can't be true, can it? I mean, rumors run rampant in high school. Sure, some are true, but for the most part they aren't. Maybe when it comes to Evan Harris they aren't. I watch him intently interacting with the guys and a few girls he's standing with. He definitely exudes confidence with the way he's standing; his body language screams it. Or could it be arrogance? Maybe that's why he's considered a jerk? I mean, look at him—he doesn't look like the typical high school guy. He looks like he should be conceited. And from my experience, most conceited people are jerks.
    The blonde girl standing next to him stifles a giggle when he leans in and whispers in her ear.
    Oh my God. He's flirting with her right in the middle of class. What a jerk! Erica's right.
    I turn my attention away from The Jerk.
    "Evan Harris," Mr. Williams calls out, and Evan saunters to his new seat like he's too good for it and Mr. Williams is wasting his time.
    Yep, jerk, definitely a jerk.
    I turn to Erica and whisper in her ear, "I hope he's not my lab partner."
    "That makes two of us."
    Mr. Williams continues to call out names. I feel my pulse quicken as he makes his way around the room, clipboard in hand.
    "Erica Bennett."
    Erica gives me an apologetic smile and makes her way to her new seat. She is sitting with some guy, leaving me to stand alone and without any chance of her being my lab partner. My shoulders slump in defeat, and I begin to worry my lip between my teeth. I thought having Erica and I in the same class would be comforting. Mr. Williams is definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone.
    Stupid seating assignments.
    Mr. Williams gets to the back of the room and makes his way back up front, calling out more names.
    Please, don't let Evan "The Jerk" Harris be my lab partner, please?
    "Zoey Richards." Mr. Williams's voice pulls me out of my reverie. I see his pencil tapping the empty seat. I move towards my new seat, to my new lab partner, and that's when I see him—Evan Harris.
    Shit, my lab partner is Evan "The Jerk" Harris.
    The chair scrapes against the floor as I pull it out. I feel my cheeks heat up as put my stuff down and sit. "Sorry,” I mumble.  Evan just shrugs his shoulders. I fumble with my notebook, and of course, it drops to the floor between our seats. I bend down to pick it up, and as I reach for it, Evan does too. Our hands touch, and I feel a shock when they do. Surprised, my head jerks up, and I am staring into a sea of greenish brown. His eyes are the most amazing hazel color I've ever seen. I can't help but stare. It feels as though time stops, the other students dissolve, and it's just me and him.
    "Here ya go." His velvet voice flows through to me.
    I swallow. "Thanks."
    I place my notebook on my side of our lab table and just stare at it as my heart beats erratically in my chest. My palms feel sweaty, and the room seems smaller than before. My eyes want to so desperately peer at him, but I won’t let them as difficult as it is.
    "Okay, now that everyone has their new seats, I am going to pass out the syllabus for the first half of the course. Oh, and don't come to me about your seating assignment—there's no changing. Who you sit with right now will be your lab partner for the entire year so get used to it." Mr. Williams grabs the class's attention.
    Great, I'm stuck.
    I can't help but peer at him through the curtain of hair I've created between us. Between the parted strands of hair, I take in his profile. He really is beautiful—a beautiful jerk. But, so far, he seems nice. I mean, he did, after all, bend down and pick up my notebook for me. If he was a jerk, he wouldn't do that, right? Maybe they are just rumors after all. Maybe Evan Harris is just a nice guy—a beautifully-looking, nice guy.
    I let out a sigh.
    "You okay?"
    I turn my attention to him, and his