The Last of Us

C H A P T E R F O U R

Adrian

"'Romeo and Juliet'." The teacher said.

The whole class begin to groan in which makes me chuckle softly.

"No!" A student calls out from the back; Nathanial.

The teacher is calling out different classic romantic poems, novels, and short stories so we know what to we all like as a group. But we've gotten half an hour in class and no one has chosen one of the romantics that the teacher was throwing at us. No one reached out and and agreed to take it. Not even Marinette or Rose who love romantics.

"A poem by Frank O'Hara? 'Having a coke with you'?" The teacher continues.

"Let's just do that. I love that poem!" Rose chirps from the back of the class.

"You chose Frank O'Hara and not 'Romeo and Juliet'?" The teacher shakes her head in disbelief at the class.

I hear Max clear his throat from the back of the class which makes me turn in my seat, waiting for him to more likely say a speech.

"Yes because we are disturbed by the death of Romeo when he kills himself and then Juliet does it, when she faked her suicide at first so she could r-"

"Okay, Max. That's enough." Kim calls from beside him. Max nods before he sits back down in his seat.

The teacher began handing us a copy of the poem by Frank O'Hara, 'Having a coke with you'. I turn around to Marinette and Alya who is sitting just behind me. They begin read the poem by themselves but the teacher calls out to us which makes me turn back to the front.

"So students, please listen up!" The teacher claps her hands together, "I want you guys to be in groups of two. I'll pick randomly who is going to be your partner."

The class, yet again, groans.

"Marinette and Adrian!" The teacher calls.

Marinette

Oh, my god, Adrian is going to be my partner.

I feel all giddy inside all of the sudden. I want to scream and rip the skin from my face. Sadly, I've never been Adrian's partner, but the time we got paired up to play the Mecha Strike Three tournament here in Paris to represent our school. But I've never been his partner in school, or during a class project, or anything! This is the first time I've been his partner.

I look at Adrian and he is actually looking at me. I smile at him. I stare into his beautiful green eyes that are like ember reflected from the sun. I pick up my bag from the floor before I stand up and walk up to the table in front of me where Adrian is sitting. I blush when his eyes never leave my body as he watches me go up in front before I sit down the seat beside him. We both turn to each other as we look down at our paper.

I look down at the poem, remembering that I read this poem before. My father read it to me when I was little. He held me close to him and he memorized the words when he read to mom a long time ago when they began seeing each other, before it became serious. And ever since I've read and heard the poem, I know it by heart. I can read it and say it in my sleep.

I look up at Adrian and he is still staring me as he watches me. He has a small smile creep up on his face. He turns his eyes on his paper before he begins first.

"Having a coke with you is even more fun than going to San Sebastián, Irün, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne
or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona
partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian."
Adrian stops suddenly. I tear my eyes from him when I realize that it's my turn to read. I clear my throat before I look at my paper and read.