The Baby Project

Prologue

 ______

Prologue

"Sometimes you are paired with the one person you don't want, so one day they become the one person you desire."

______

Aurora

"Mr. Heft, are you out of your mind?!"

My principal narrows his eyes at my shrill response. "Watch your tone, Miss West. Need I remind you that I've given you more than five chances to show some maturity, yet you are unable to control your anger issues when it comes to Mr. Mathews."

My eye twitches. "I don't have anger issues!" 

I just have issues with a certain devil's spawn who makes my life a constant, unbearable struggle.

A scoff sounds from behind me."I think the correct term is constant rage syndrome."

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you, Kale Mathews. 

I spin around and harshly poke his chest. "This is all your fault!"

Mr. Heft opens his mouth to chastise me, but Kale cuts him off, "Are you serious? None of this would have happened if you hadn't assaulted a poor boy trying to do his homework!"

"You are so full of it, Kale Mathews! You were there doing hoe-work, not homework. Besides, I wouldn't have attacked you if you hadn't hung my bra on the flagpole.

"Are you talking about the red lacy one? Oh, sorry. I didn't know you wanted to keep it just for me," He drawls out, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

I groan. "You're such a pig!"

"A se-"

"Enough!" Our principal yells.

"I will not, absolutely not, allow such barbaric behavior in my school! You two will be partnered together and that is final!"

Kale lets out an exasperated sigh. "You've already said that. Mind telling us what we're partnered for?"

Mr. Heft looks at both of us before speaking, "The Baby Project."

The Baby Project? Out of all the punishments in the world, he's making us do The Baby Project?! Was this God's way of telling me he hated me?

Kale and I simultaneously start to protest, "W-"

Our principal wags a finger. "Complaining won't change my mind."

"That's not fair! I have a life full of parties a-and girls!" Kale exclaims.

 I snort in disbelief, causing his dark blue eyes to narrow. "What?"

"Nothing!" I say, crossing my arms across my chest. "I'm just surprised that girls actually like a lowlife like you."

Kale smiles humorlessly. "That's sweet; especially, coming from a seventeen year old virgin."

I gasp. "Take that back!"

"I can't take back what hasn't been taken yet," He says cheekily.

I'm going to kill him. 

I'm going to slit his throat and chop off his limbs one by one and throw them in the ocean.

"ENOUGH!" Mr. Heft roars, banging his fist on the table.

 We look at him in bewilderment. 

"As I was saying..." He clears his throat. "As principal of this school it is my duty to make sure my students are under control. You two, for a fact, are not! From what I think this project is the best way for you both to get used to each other.  More 'bonding time' in essence."

Bonding time? We needed to be put on opposite sides of the earth, not through marriage counseling.

I groan, "Mr. Heft, do you hear yourself? We," I motion to Kale and myself, "will never be civil with each other! The only thing we have in common is our hate for one another! This is impossible."

"Nothing is impossible, Miss. West. Besides, I have an inkling that you and Kale will end up as friends. Maybe even more." He smirks.

What does he mean even— oh ew!

I jump out of my chair, "MR. HEFT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? KALE SAY SOMETHING!"

Kale stares at me blankly. "Something."

I send him a death glare. Out of all the times he can choose to be 'smart', he chooses now?

"This isn't going to work." 

Mr. Heft chuckles lightly. "Mr. Mathews' silence is something you should take into account, Aurora. If he is fine with it then there is no reason for you not to be."

I say nothing. 

My principal beams. "Good. Now, if we're done here, I suggest you both get back to class." 

"Great," I mutter under my breath as I walk out the door. Kale follows behind wordlessly.

"You could have at least said something."

He looks at me emotionlessly before scowling and stalking away.

I groan. How am I supposed to work with that?

The rest of the day goes by painfully slow after hearing the news about Kale and I. On the way home from school, I contemplate ways of ditching the project. I could pretend to be sick for the rest of the year with some life-threatening disease. Or maybe I could switch schools. Or maybe I could pretend I'm switching schools but actually come back in disguise as a foreign-exchange student! 

I sigh. Thinking all the options over, I know it's useless to waste any brain power on this. There was no way I could fake an illness for that long and there was definitely no way I'd switch schools. The last option seemed like the best, but too bad I couldn't act to save my life. I'm apparently the only person to fail drama class in the history of my entire high school's existence. Even the bonehead jocks and airhead barbies passed. What an honor, I know.

"I'm home!" I yell, making my way to the kitchen. In response, a pair of feet shuffle down the hallway and I'm tackled into a big hug by a small person. 

My five-year old sister, Scarlet, gives me a toothless grin, "Rory, guess what?!" Before I can even guess, she's already answering her own question. "I had cake today because it was Noah's birthday and then Noah's mom took us to the dinosaur movie. We saw a big, scary T-Rex but he wasn't that scary because he had hands like a baby." She giggles, pretending to walk like a T-Rex. 

"I'm guessing it was a fun day then?" I ask in amusement.

"The bestest! Noah's awesome!"

I ruffle her soft hair and sigh. If only boys were like that in high school.

___

Social Media Links:

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Baby-Project/832129946813226

Instagram: manaal_ali

Twitter: its_manaal_yo

Tumblr: droppedjem

Ask FM: droppedjem

Email: officialdroppedjem@gmail.com

✔