[BRENT]

"MA'AM, are you sure that that's your final decision with regards to the pairings you made for our practicum? Can't you change it and just pick our own partner?" I asked to our dance club instructor Ms. Terre. Well, she actually announced the pairings for our dance practicum.

You might asked why I was a part of the dance club? It has something to do with Neilson's idea that we just implemented this year. Our club instructor would always create certain practicum once a month in order to train us of some sort. Not that I hated the idea. But the dance practicum for this month was seriously something that made me want to hate joining the club. Initially, Margaret wasn't a part of the club. But because of Mayu's convincing and probably a lack of other things to do, she managed to make Margaret become a part of the club.

I didn't know if our club adviser had some sort of grudge on me or she just want to have some fun when she decided to have Margaret as my dance partner. I couldn't tell if luck just wasn't on my side or was it fate that was doing all this to make Margaret and I closer.

'I don't believe you. Are you sure that Margaret was unlucky to you? Or you're just afraid to get closer to her?'

You've got to be kidding me! If I could just kick and punch those thoughts suddenly resonating in my mind, I've already done that. That part of my mind's been doing that for many times now. But my mind's teasing, whether I admitted it or not, had traces of truth in them that I just couldn't simply acknowledge that easily.

It had been a month since I learned that Margaret became a part of the dance club. And for some unknown reasons, I had a feeling that I would always want to go to that particular club whenever there would be club activities even though Margaret would just glare at me whenever our paths crossed.

Talk about having weird feelings in my chest every time that amazon girl was involved...

"Brent Allen Villaruz, what is your problem with Margaret for you to strongly disagree with my decision that she would be your partner?" Ms. Terre asked that with confusion.

Seriously, Ma'am, you were asking me that question when the answer was already obvious?

"I just don't want an amazon girl as my partner," I immediately answered even though to tell the truth, I felt some sort of excitement--despite my protest--when I found out that Margaret would be my dance partner.

Seriously... My mind would always be this messy.

"And I especially don't want to be paired with a pervert like him!" Margaret retorted who was now glaring at me. If that glare of hers could really kill, I would've been dead for so many times now if I would base it on the number of times she looked at me that way.

"Hey, I'm not a pervert!" I said defensively. You could say I have lots of appeal, I could accept that. But I was never a pervert.

She raised an eyebrow. "Really now? So you weren't being a pervert when you suddenly decided to kiss me?"

"It's your fault. Should you really blame me about that? You were just acting cute that day so I would notice you. Come on, just admit it," I teased with a smirk.

I really couldn't understand but it seemed that it had been a part of my day to tease and irritate this girl ever since she arrived in my life. I could also feel that my day would never be complete if I didn't do those things to Margaret.

"As if! Hey, Mr. Annoying Jerk! Just stop frustrating me with your jokes and nonsense teasing if you don't want me to end up beating you to pieces. And FYI, I don't need to admit anything and I'm not acting cute, okay? If I would act cute around you, I think I'd rather stay and rot in a monastery."

"Really? You're going to become a nun?" I replies amusingly. "It's such a shame if you're just going to let your beauty rot like that inside a monastery. For sure, a lot of guys would be committing a sin because they fell in love with you if ever you really became a nun."

"That's none of your business!" she snarled at me.

Honestly, Margaret, just relax, okay? You'd end up having a hypertension because of that.

I couldn't help but just grinned. I was really amused whenever I would see her really annoyed at me. It was a good thing that Ms. Terre was already used to that kind of scenery between me and Margaret.

In fact, she just watched us actually argue during the first day that Margaret finally met Ms. Terre. Ms. Terre even teased me that my charms doesn't work to Margaret at all, and so I was just annoying her in order to hide that fact. According to Ma'am, she was really amused just by watching us bicker. But when Ms. Terre was already serious, both me and Margaret were also serious in our activities for that club.

But then, I didn't want to admit that there were times I've been distracted whenever I would cautiously glance towards that girl I constantly annoy. It was seriously weird! I wasn't sure why I would only spout out words that would just irritate her or annoy her whenever she was in front of me. I could admit that she had a different effect on me since the start. That was one of the reasons why I didn't move that day I lost my balance and unintentionally ended up on top of her body.

I indulged myself in staring at her pretty face up close, most especially her eyes. They were expressive in a way and at the same time, mysterious. Her eyes were like the most beautiful pair of coffee brown eyes I had ever seen. Ironic as it seemed but that was how I wanted to describe her eyes.

They were like... puzzling in so many ways.

"Margaret, Brent, I'll only ask this once. Are you two already a couple?" Ms. Terre asked straightforwardly.

Margaret and I were shocked to hear that, basing it from our eyes that opened wide because of that.

"What?" Margaret and I blurted out almost at the same time before glancing at each other. "No way!" We said again in chorus.

"I think the world would come to an end first before the two of us became a couple, especially if I end up with a jerk like this one. Or better yet, I'd rather remain single all my life if he would be my only choice to become my boyfriend," Margaret stated straightforwardly and glared at me.

"If I would end up with you, I think it would be a waste of my genes. Besides, I don't like amazons," I retorted.

But then, the thought of me and Margaret being a couple... Not bad, I guess. In fact, it would be one beautiful picture.

What was this? Something was wrong with my mind today. Weird, but I was actually wishing that the thought won't remain just as a picture in my mind.

Whatever!

But I guessed that even though we'd keep on saying that to the world, it seemed that my clubmates weren't convinced at all. As for Neilson and Mayu, they were just laughing. And here goes my clubmates, teasing both Margaret and me again. Even Ms. Terre joined in to the teasing.

"You know what? If you two keep it up like that, no one would really believe that you two aren't a couple at all."

"You two just appeared to have a lovers' quarrel. Just fix it already and make up, okay?"

"Your love team would be the best if you two were finally okay."

"We agree to that. Come on!"

I saw Margaret just shaking her head and covering her ears with her hands. She let out a frustrated groan. "I can't believe what I'm hearing from you people."

To tell the truth, after I saw her by the balcony that morning, I noticed that there was something wrong with Margaret. I don't know but somehow... I could tell that she wasn't in her normal self.

But wait... What should I consider as normal self when it comes to this girl? Feisty? Quiet? The one that smiles? I couldn't tell. One thing I knew, there was something wrong with her. I just couldn't tell what was wrong.

I saw Margaret had taken a deep breath before facing Ms. Terre. "Ma'am, please. Can't you change the pairings?" she asked. It seemed that she was really desperate not to be paired up with me.

Ms. Terre shook her head and sighed. "It's already final, Margaret. You know me when I make a decision, especially since this is dance practicum will be your project for this month in this club."

"But Ma'am--"

"It's up to you and Brent on how you'll be able to perform without arguing. Your grades in some of your subjects will be affected by this performance," Ms. Terre said with a finality in her tone.

Margaret groaned in frustration. Soon after, she glared at me. "This is all your fault," she said to me.

I just shrugged. But to be honest, I won't admit for now that I was still celebrating inwardly because of Ms. Terre's decision. Even though Margaret and I were always clashing, I would make sure that I'd help her maintain her high grade. I knew that it was important to her. I would do my best as her dance partner. For a while, I'd be willing to set aside our petty fights.

But would I really just do my best to be her dance partner? How was it that I could feel that there was another reason why I felt that way at the moment?