"Hey, Jeikeh." Mexico murmured into the phone with the sexiest tone she could muster (not a huge turn-on, admittedly). "You wanna come around to get started on our project?"

"Sure." He replied with his usual, still-not-completely-broken voice. "Like, when?"

"Maybe this afternoon? And bring all your notes with you, too." Mexico said in a hushed urgent tone.

"Sure."

Mexico marvelled at his intelligence and assured tone. Every word he said was like poetry to her.

"Thanks, Jeikeh, see you later. Come around four."

"Sure, see ya." He replied before hanging up. Mexico sighed to herself in pleasure - conversations with Jeikeh were always so intellectually stimulating.

She sat back down at her desk, and decided to read up ahead a little on their project. However, after attempting to unsuccessfully understand genetic mutations, she remembered that Jeikeh was 78th in their class (out of 120) and therefore practically the school genius, and he would be able to help her with whatever.

Mexico spent the rest of her time until Jeikeh was due to arrive doodling (really, really, really badly) and daydreaming about him. She had had a terrible crush on Jeikeh for the past three years and being friends with him hadn't exactly helped her cause... it had just made him view her like a sort of sister, someone he would never get with.

That's what it was like with everyone, though. They all liked Mexico, but just as a friend, which was part of the reason she'd never had a boyfriend before.

She sighed as she recalled being friendzoned again and again, something that had not helped her self-confidence in any way. But maybe, this time would be different. Just maybe, Jeikeh would finally like her back.

Maybe she could even have sex with Jeikeh today? He might not be interested, but if he was, her parents were out and no one would ever know. Her stomach turned at the anticipation and she ran over to her desk, getting the condom she had bought three years ago "Just in case" out of her pencil case. She studied the shiny wrapping for a while, thinking about all the things that were possible with it.

Jeikeh arrived at 4.12 on the dot, his mouth smeared with chocolate from his unsuccessful attempt at eating a piece of toast with Nutella like a 7 year old. Mexico wanted to lick it all off.

"Hey." He said and Mexico almost melted.

"Hiya, come in." Mexico replied, inviting him into her house. "We can work up in my bedroom if you want." She led the way excitedly upstairs where she'd laid out all her notes on the bed. The condom was in her back pocket.

"Cool." He replied, sitting down on the armchair with wheels, immediately lifting his legs and spinning him around. Mexico watched him with adoration - he looked just like a scruffy hyperactive five year old. "I brought my notes." He told her once he'd stopped, taking a torn, ragged notebook out of his bag.

"Wow, awesome." Mexico grinned back. "Where do you wanna get started?" She stood up suddenly, remembering her basic manners. "Sorry, Jeikeh, would you like something to drink?"

"Uh, do you guys have Coke?"

"Yeah, of course. I'll be right back." She shot him a smile as gooey and disgusting as a melted bar of Hershey's chocolate. "Lay out your stuff if you want."

Jeikeh sat still in the chair for a few moments, then slowly and solemnly spun around twice more. Then he opened his notebook and lay it on Mexico's bed. He was particularly careful not to touch the purple bed sheets - being in contact with such a girly colour surely had the potential to make him gay.

Mexico returned with a glass of Coke. She'd even added a lemon and ice cubes, even though it was February. In her other hand she held a bowl with some snacks.

"Woah, dope." Jeikeh flashed her a grin as he took his drink out of her hand and grabbed a fistful of chips.

"No problem." said Mexico in a voice much higher than normal. She flicked her hair back and looked at him, trying to "make love to him with her eyes" like she'd seen in the movies., Unfortunately, she only managed to look perpetually angry.

Jeikeh didn't seem to notice or care, he was too busy stuffing chips into his mouth at the speed  of one of Donald Trump's golf balls whizzing across his green lawns.

"These are good." he mumbled with his mouth full, spraying chip crumbs all over Mexico's bed.

Mexico nodded agreeably. "Yeah." she said, grinning like a high Cheshire Cat, not really even registering what he was saying.

"Shall we get started on the project?"

"Yeah, sure, Jeikeh." She said, her voice dropping a few octaves as apparently that had a sexy effect. She really just sounded like a dark Mickey Mouse.

She ran a hand over the bedsheets suggestively, but Jeikeh didn't even see it as he was still eating chips.

This was sure going to be an interesting scene between thea two of them. Maybe... Mexico felt the little wrapper in her pocket (blissfully oblivious to the fact that it was out of date and using it would probably give Jake a rash on his ding-dong). She smiled to herself with satisfaction, then leant forward to work on the project with her beloved.

⁂

"Hey, Vlad." Barbara-Ann said hesitantly as she took a step into his house. His interior decoration seemed incredibly out of place when considered against his character - this must be the working of his parents.

"Hello." He replied, and they both stood in silence for almost an entire minute until he nodded behind him. "We can work in the main room. I will go get my papers."

Barbara-Ann nervously walked into the living room, which, again, was tastefully and colourfully decorated. She had dreaded this meeting - no one particularly liked Vlad and she was pretty sure she was the first person from school ever to enter his house.

She sat down on a plush brilliant green seat to wait for Vlad to come back down, and took out her own notes and book. He came back in wearing a hoodie and carrying three books and a heavy textbook, laying them on the table before disappearing into another adjacent room. Vlad never left a room - he disappeared. It was weird as fuck.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Barbara-Ann screamed as Vlad laid a tray with a bloody package on it on the table. "What is that?" She asked viciously as he unwrapped it, revealing a mass of pink raw meat and blood.

"It's a pig heart." Vlad replied calmly. "My dad is a butcher and he brought it back for me yesterday. So we could dissect it today."

"Oh shit, you gave me a real fright, boy." She sighed in relief, nonetheless taking a couple of steps back. "That's, uh, cool, I guess. Um, thanks to your dad."

"It's okay." He sits down across her, tossing her a pair of hypodermic thin gloves and she pulled them on quickly and gratefully. "I grabbed this from the lab the other day." He smiles indulgently before sliding over a scalpel and pincers. "I only got one of each but we can take it in turns."

"You are so prepared!" Barbara-Ann exclaimed, looking down at the stolen laboratory equipment. "Maybe too prepared." She murmured under her breath, and his eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. "So should we take some pictures?"

"Probably." He replies. "If you want I can start the dissection and you take some pictures and jot a diagram down." Barbara-Ann snapped a quick picture of the mangled mess and then watched Vlad create a two perfect incisions, looking perfectly like he knew what he was doing.

Although this had escaped Barbara-Ann, Vlad was almost constantly 5th or 6th in their year, just behind Barbara who usually held 3rd, last semester 2nd. Beyond being easily the school's best drama student, he achieved success in almost all his other subjects and took a keen interest in biology in particular.

Vlad suddenly thrust the scalpel and tweezers down and rushed into the kitchen, looking pale.

"You okay?" Barbara-Ann got up nervously, diverting her gaze to the hastily closed kitchen door. There was the sound of a tap running a moment later.

"Yeah, sorry, just washing my hands." Vlad called back. "Blood can be a bit weird sometimes, I just got a bit nervous." He chuckled lightly as he paced back through. Barbara-Ann couldn't hear his footsteps, and there was something awfully unnerving about that.

"Now then, shall we proceed?" said Vlad, returning, hands still a little damp. Barbara-Ann noticed how pale he was. Theatre kids never go outside, she reasoned.

"Yeah." Barbara-Ann pushed her confusing thoughts away. "Let's keep going."

Vlad continued to dissect the heart, then asked her if she wanted a turn, offering her the scalpel with a sharp-toothed-grin.

"No thanks." Barbara-Ann threw him a queasy smile, glancing down at the butchered mess on the table in front of them. "You-you keep going."

Once they'd finished, they drew a picture of their finished product, then Barbara-Ann asked where she could wash her hands (Vlad had convinced her to do some dissecting after all, but she'd handed the scalpel back after a single cut).

"This way." He stood up and beckoned.

She followed Vlad into his kitchen, turning on the modern tap and admiring the marble table tops as she washed her hands with soap three or four times.

Barbara-Ann was convinced  she saw Vlad licking his fingers once or twice as he waited for his chance to wash his hands, but he could have just been scratching his chin.

"Thank your dad for me- honestly. We took such good notes."

"I will, it was very useful." He smiles. "So we're done, right?"

"Yeah, I'll type it all up and print out two copies, and give it to you before class on Tuesday."

"Thanks."

"No problem." Barbara-Ann smiled. Apart from Vlad being a little weird from time to time, they had had quite a lot of fun and produced excellent notes. Vlad knew everything - why wasn't he the best in the class?

Probably because he always seemed to be reading his fucking scripts.

⁂

"Yo, this is Mexico Johnson. Leave a message, or don't, I don't really give a shit!"

Mexico's phone went straight to her bored voicemail. Ann gave a sigh of irritation. She and Vlad had been working on their project for HOURS, there was no way Mexico and Jeikeh could still be busy, mostly because Jeikeh's brain rivalled the Tin Man's.

Just as Barbara-Ann was about to leave an irritated voice mail, there was the sound of the phone being picked up. "Barbie!" Mexico sounded breathless.

"Don't call me that" replied Barbara-Ann with annoyance.

"Fine, Ann, I've had the most wonderful time with Jeikeh. I have to tell you everything."

Barbara-Ann was startled at her excited tone. "What happened?!"

No one ever liked Mexico back, it was a fact of life. What had changed?

"We ate chips together  and talked  when we'd finished the project." Mexico's voice was dripping with adoration. "He only just left. Ann, you should really get to know him. He's the smartest, funniest guy in the world."

"Uh huh." said Barbara-Ann. Her tone of voice seemed to bring Mexico back to reality.

"So how was it with Vlad?"

"Don't get me started. That kid is just so weird." she trailed off.

"Uh-greeed" said Mexico. "Oh god, sorry, I have to go, my mom's calling me for dinner."

"No problem." said Barbara-Ann. In the distance you could hear Kellyanne screeching. "Get off the damn phone, Meg, especially if it's that girl Barbara  you're talking to!"

"I'll see you tomorrow." Mexico hastily hung up.

Barbara-Ann looked at the phone. "See you tomorrow." She whispered.

A/N Hope all yall are enjoying this book so far!

 What do you think of the budding romance? Do you ship it or not?