Bianca's POV

For the rest of the week, I did everything I could to avoid prolonged contact with Marcus, which was difficult since he was in every single one of my classes.  He never tried to talk to me again, thank god, but sometimes I would catch him staring at me like some sort of creep. 

Needless to say, I was glad for the weekend, if only to get away from his staring eyes and his disgusting deformation.  Sadly, the weekend doesn't last forever, and soon enough it was Monday again.

I walked into my science class, only to find that idiot girl Ana in my seat yet again!  Does she never learn?  I walked over to the table and plopped my stuff on her desk with a bang.  Ana jumped and shrank back in her chair.  Ha!  What a coward!

"Excuse me," I said, "but I do believe that is my seat you are in, so if you would be so kind as to move it, that would be greatly apprecia-"

"Hang on," a voice said from behind me.  I whirled around only to see Marcus.  "I believe that she was there first."

I couldn't believe my ears.  He must be even stupider than I'd thought.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said, I believe that she was there first," he replied.

"Oh no, I don't think you understand, you see, it doesn't matter that she was here first, that is my chair," I said.

"Do we have assigned seats?" he asked.

"Well, no, but-"

"Does the chair have your name engraved on it?"

I growled.  He was really getting on my nerves.

"No, but that's not-"

"Then I don't see how this chair can be specifically yours."  I don't believe it.  I growled again, a long, low growl.

"Um," Ana said from the chair, "It's not that big of a deal, really.  I can just move."

"No," Marcus said.  "You shouldn't let her push you around."  Now I was seriously angry, but I didn't have time to argue because Mr. Hart entered the classroom.  I glared at Marcus and found a different seat.

"Alright class, today we'll be doing something a little bit different."  I perked up.  Anything besides reading that stupid textbook all class had to be better, right?  Wrong.

"I'm going to be telling you about the grade field trip we'll all be taking.  We're going to be heading to Cherokee Forest in Tennessee, where we'll be having a week long camp out.  You will be split into groups of seven, which," he added quickly, "have already been decided for you."

Everyone groaned at his words.

"Yes, yes, I know, but the point of this trip is to get to know some of the people you don't know as well, and to learn what it's like to live like people in poorer parts of the world, which brings me to my next point.  Each group will be given some food and some fake money, but not much of either.  You will have to cook the food yourselves, as well as use the money carefully to buy more food.  There will be job opportunities for you to do work in order to earn more money to spend on food.  Any questions?"

The rest of class was spent answering questions and such, but I wasn't really paying attention.  At lunch, Lyssa and Emily kept talking about the field trip.

"I hope we're in the same group, it won't be the same without you," Emily said.

"Yeah, and I also hope I'm not stuck with someone lame like that new kid Marcus," Lyssa agreed.

"Hear, hear," I commented, earning snorts from both of my friends.
-------------------------------------------------------
The rest of the week was spent packing and stuff like that.  Then, the day of the trip arrived.

"Bye mommy, bye daddy," I hugged my parents goodbye before getting on the bus that would be my prison for the next seven hours on the long drive to Tennessee.

I sat next to Lyssa and Emily in the back of the bus, and prepared for seven long hours of boredom.   The three of us mostly talked the whole way down, although there were a few times where we ran out of things to say and instead were all on our phones, which thankfully we were allowed to bring.

Finally we arrived at the first campsite.  We all got out of the bus, and the park ranger spoke to us.

"Hi!  Welcome to Cherokee Forest!  We're so glad to have you here with us!"  She went on to explain what the teachers already told us, the only difference being, she told us that every group's cabin would have a device telling them how to get to their cabin if they ever got lost, and how to get to the store which is where we could turn in our "money" for food.  Yippie.

Then, Mr. Hart stepped forward.

"I have your group assignments here.  I'll tell you your group and then the bus will take us to each of the cabins so the group that will be staying there can get off.  Group One which will be staying here is: David, Callie, Ana, Luke, Max, Lyssa, and Emily."  Lyssa and Emily were together and I wasn't with them.  So unfair!  I tuned out the rest of the groups until I heard my name.

"Group Seven will be Bianca, Lauren, Kevin, Mike, Lucy, Peter, and Marcus."  Marcus?  They put me with Marcus?  I don't believe it.  No way my luck is that bad, to not only be stuck for a week without Emily or Lyssa, but to also be stuck with Marcus.  Ugly, deformed, Marcus.

Emily and Lyssa looked at me sympathetically, but I had no time to talk to them because I had to get back on the bus.

Marcus's POV

Bianca is in my group.  Beautiful, perfect, Bianca.  And if we're in the same group, she'll have to work with me, which means she'll have to talk to me, which means I'll get to hear her silky voice, and maybe, she just might decide that she likes me t-

No.  Bad Marcus.  Bad, bad Marcus.  Never get your hopes up because they'll always get crushed in the end.  Stop thinking about Bianca.  Stop thinking about those beautiful deep blue eyes, and those perfect lips, and-

Argh! The more I try to keep her out of my head the more she comes back!  When will I get it into my thick skull that Bianca hates me?  That everyone hates me because of my stupid arm? That no one loves me and no one ever will?