Page 7 of Wicked Nasty

I slump back in my seat, arms crossed, as the teacher hands out papers. This project was more than just a grade for our class - it had to be something that could benefit the entire community even after we graduated. The teacher reminds us that she would be available for guidance, but ultimately it was up to us and our partner to make it happen.

Danny lets out an annoyed huff across from me. "This is bullshit."

"At least we can agree on one thing," I mutter under my breath.

The teacher's glare silences us both. "I expect you to work on this every time you step foot into my classroom. And that means putting in 100% effort, even outside of class. If you have questions, I will be at my desk."

I turn to Danny with a pointed look. "You can leave now."

"What the fuck is your problem?"

"My problem is that I want to pass this class, and I can't do that with you as my partner, Danny."

He shakes his head defiantly. "I'm not a slacker."

I shrug as I pull out my notebooks and pens. "We'll see about that."

As I carefully arrange my notebooks and pens in a straight line, color-coded for organization, I can feel Danny's eyes on me. When I look up, he is smirking at my precise arrangement.

"OCD much?" he snickers.

"Mental health isn't a joke," I snap back.

He laughs and reaches over to poke one of my pens with his pencil. I glare at him as I push it back into place.

"If you're done with your middle school antics, we can get to work," I say pointedly.

Picking up the red pen, I open a fresh notebook and write ‘Community Project’ at the top. "We should do something truly unique - something that goes beyond our small community and makes a real difference."

"Or we can take the easy route and just do enough to get an A," Danny suggests lazily.

I roll my eyes and grab the paper the teacher had given us. "It clearly says the project needs to be approved. She'll know if we don't put any effort into it. So how about actually using our brains for once?"

I slide another new notebook towards Danny. "Write down some ideas you have. Anything that comes to mind."

Picking up the black pen, I write "Ideas" in bold letters at the top of my notebook and draw a small dot underneath to start brainstorming. As we jot down potential project ideas, my frustration with Danny starts to fade as we both become more invested in creating something meaningful for our community.

My eyes meet Danny's intense gaze and I can feel my cheeks flush. "Do you have an idea?"

His grin is both charming and mischievous, and for a moment, I can't help but be drawn to him. I mean, let's be real here. Danny is one of the hottest guys in our school. He's part of the elite group known as the "Elite Five" - rich, good looking, talented, and smart. But they're also notorious for being bullies and assholes. Definitely not the kind of crowd I want to associate myself with.

"Earth to Becca." Danny's voice brings me back to reality.

I shake my head, pushing away any thoughts of attraction towards him. "Sorry. What's your idea?"

He leans forward eagerly. "What if we did something with the local farms? Teach kids how to garden and become self-sustainable. And on top of that, we could help provide organic, local food for families in need in our community. We could even bring in experts to teach healthy eating habits in a fun and easy way. And we could get local restaurants involved too - they can do farm-to-table dinners."

I'm speechless for a moment before finally finding my voice. "Danny... that's... holy shit, that's an amazing idea!"

He beams proudly and taps his pencil against the table. "See? Not a bad partner after all, Becs."

I can't help but blush at the nickname as I quickly jot down everything he said in my notebook. "I'll type this up tonight. These notes are too messy. Then we can present it to the teacher tomorrow. I'm sure she'll love it. This is exactly what she wants - sustainable projects that we can continue after graduation."

The bell rings and Danny slides his phone over to me. "Give me your number so we can chat about it outside of class."

I quickly type in my number and hand the phone back to him. "Sounds good. Text me if you have any other ideas."

Danny winks at me as he stands up from his chair. "Will do. See you around, Becs."

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