Julias and Adriel stop on either side of their table, glaring at each other.

"I just finished lunch, I don't need this," Julias announces, dropping his bag on the floor and sitting down. Adriel nods in agreement and takes a seat, hanging his bag on his chair. They both pull out their phones and proceed to pretend the other doesn't exist.

As the rest of the students stream into the classroom they glance over at Adriel and Julias, whispering among themselves at the lack of a fight.

"Stop gawking," Adriel calls, looking up from his phone. "We've had to sit next to each other all day and we just got back from lunch. I don't particularly feel like fighting with him right now."

Julias nods in agreement, not bothering to look up.

"Glad to see you two got the memo." Ms. Hart strides into the room, sparing the duo a single glance. "Three more class periods until you can go home and pretend this was just a bad dream."

"So we'll get new deskmates tomorrow?"

"Oh, no," Ms. Hart laughs. "You're going to sit next to each other for the rest of the year."

Adriel and Julias exchange a look of disgust.

"Don't look at me like that, you're screwing up your 'beautiful' face." Julias reaches out and pokes Adriel's cheek. Adriel smacks his hand away.

"I was hearing all about how you two had calmed down, but I guess that was a lie."

"Not a lie," Keegan pipes up. "They did behave during math and choir."

"Wow, two whole class periods!" Mrs. Hart exclaims. "Give them a medal."

"I sense sarcasm," Julias remarks. Mrs. Hart looks at him with a deadpan expression and rolls her eyes.

"Stop antagonizing the teacher." Adriel smacks the back of Julias's head, laughing at the curse word that drops from his mouth.

"Hit me again and I'll stab your hand with a pencil." Julias picks up a pencil and pokes Adriel's shoulder.

"That was my shoulder, not my hand. Are you sure you know anatomy?"

"You little-"

"Don't play this game," Adriel warns, his voice dropping to a deathly quiet level as he grabs Julias's hand. "You'll lose more than you bet."

"You'll lose more than you bet," Julias mocks. Adriel takes Julias's chin in his hands, looking into his eyes.

"I suggest you shut up," he hisses. Julias rolls his eyes and shoves both of Adriel's hands away.

"What're you gonna do? Get me a detention? Oh wait!"

"Julias-"

"Adriel. I can say your name too."

"Julias Marol Aithen, if you don't shut your mouth right this instant you're gonna start tasting blood."

Julias nearly jumps out of his chair.

"Adriel Kor Ruin, if you ever say my full name again I will end you."

"Julias and Adriel, would you like to serve a detention with me as well as Mrs. Trest?"

"No ma'am," they answer in unison, looking towards their teacher. She nods and looks at the rest of the class, beginning to talk about their next project.

"For this assignment you'll be working in pairs," she explains. The classroom starts buzzing with excitement until she talks again. "Your partner will be the person sitting next-"

"You've gotta be kidding!" Adriel and Julias exclaim, turning their heads to glare into each other's eyes. Ms. Hart sighs and pushes the textbook on her desk off to the floor, drawing the duo's attention with the loud thud.

"You two will turn this in on time and with good work or you'll be in detention every day until you finish redoing it."

"That's not fair!" Adriel calls, looking towards Ms. Hart. "I can't work with this moron!"

"Usually I hate when you talk about yourself but now I enjoy it." Julias smirks as Adriel turns his head and growls at him.

"Either ignore each other's existence and focus on me for the rest of the class, or try to bite each other's throats during detention tomorrow." Ms. Hart picks up a marker and turns around to write on the board. "Your choice."

Julias and Adriel frown at each other, coming to the same conclusion.

"I have no clue who this guy is." Adriel points a thumb at Julias and looks at Ms. Hart. Julias nods in agreement.

"Never met this dude before in my life," he says. Ms. Hart mutters something before returning to teaching.

To the surprise of the other teachers and most of the student body, Adriel and Julias manage to behave for the rest of the school day.

"I cannot believe I have to go through all of that again for the rest of the school year," Adriel groans, tilting his head and cracking his neck. Zayn rolls his eyes and smacks the top of his friend's head.

"I'm surprised you haven't killed each other yet."

"You have so much faith in me, thanks."

"You're welcome!"

Adriel rolls his eyes and stands, sliding his arms through his backpack straps. "You got time to stop by for a while before going to work?"

"I don't." Zayn runs a hand through his hair. "Sorry."

"Hey, it's fine. At least walk me home?"

"So when you inevitably run into Julias I can have a front row seat to your murder? Hell yeah!"

"Please." Adriel snorts and walks out of the library. "I could kick his ass any day."

"Have you ever actually seen that kid fight?" Zayn quickly catches up with Adriel, pulling out his phone. "It's ridiculous."

"So?" Adriel asks, pushing open the door of the school and getting hit with a nice breeze. "I'm stronger."

"Doesn't matter. He's quick and he's observant. He did some type of martial art for years."

"Okay."

"The point is, Julias would absolutely demolish you in a fight."

Adriel sighs and rolls his eyes as he spots the boy in question.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Adriel says dryly, stopping next to Julias and watching the cars drive by. "Why is it that you and I are neighbors and now we sit next to each other in every class?"

"Couldn't tell ya." Julias slides his hands into his pockets and shrugs.

"Hey, Aithen." Zayn reaches out and taps Julias's shoulder. "What martial art did you do?"

"Taekwondo."

"Sick. What belt did you get to?"

"Brown," Julias answers. The trio walks across the street in silence.

"How close to a white belt is a brown belt?" Adriel laughs. Julias rolls his eyes and stops, whirling around to face Adriel.

"For your information, a brown belt is two belts away from a black." Julias starts walking forward slowly. "So if you ever tried to fight me I'd kick your ass."

"That's what I told him!" Zayn exclaims. Julias smiles innocently at Zayn before turning around and walking away.

"I hate him," Adriel mutters. Zayn glances at his watch and grimaces.

"I gotta go, man, I'm sorry." Zayn pats Adriel's shoulder twice. "Good luck with Julias."

"I don't need luck, I have intelligence on my side."

"Are you calling me stupid?"

Adriel mumbles something before turning around and fixing a glare on Julias's face.

"I'm not calling you smart," he shouts, walking towards him. Julias rolls his eyes but doesn't move until Adriel reaches him.

"Listen." Julias grabs Adriel's hand as he goes to step around him. "I don't really care what you call me, but if I hear the words Julias and stupid in the same sentence at any point they won't be able to find your body. Understand?"

"Your weak ass wouldn't be able to do anything to me anyways," Adriel shoots back, shrugging Julias's hand off. "What's with you laying some type of ground rules all of the sudden?"

"We're going to be sitting next to each other for ninety days and working on projects most likely outside of school," Julias answers. "And as fun as it is sniping at you, I'd prefer my grades to stay where they are."

"And what exactly are your current grades?" Adriel taps his lips with one finger, pretending to think. "Cs and Ds, right?"

Adriel hits the ground and a foot grinds into his chest.

"I guess we need to change the one rule I set," Julias hisses. "No calling me stupid and no insinuating I'm stupid either."

Adriel grabs Julias's foot and shoves it away, rolling his eyes when Julias doesn't stumble back.

"Throw me to the ground again and I will-"

"End me." Julias shakes his head. "Whatever."

He turns around, flaps a hand, and walks away. Adriel stands and dusts himself off, waiting for Julias to vanish from view before starting home.