Nicole
It all started with a chemistry project. Sydney Matrix and I had never interacted before then. She was the cheerleader and I was the “nerd”. In any typical cliche high school movie, those two characters would not be getting along. This, however, is not a cliche high school movie, because movies about highschool do not actually depict what an actual highschool looks like.
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High school was a whole new level of life for a teenager. When you’re a freshman, you’re the youngest of the school and you are often scared and awkward. When you’re a sophomore, you’re a little older, but you’re still young and awkward, less scared. When you’re a junior, you are preparing for college applications and trying to enjoy life before senior year starts. And by senior year, you’re preparing for graduation, trying to squeeze in those last minute senior parties and trying to make sure you do not fail highschool. Movies about high school are unrealistic.
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Nobody breaks down into song or dance numbers during the weirdest times, nobody actually does that, and if I were to be honest with you, high school movies are boring, old and cliche.
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Now, this story isn’t to lecture you about how cliche, unrealistic and boring movies about high school are. This is the story of how two very different people can actually be the perfect match. Sydney and I were a shock to myself. In fact, before Sydney and I were paired up as chemistry partners, I didn’t know I had a side to myself that would ever fall in love with someone. Growing up, my whole life's focus was to get into Harvard and graduate at the age of 19. Unrealistically, that could not happen, not even to the smartest of us.
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When Sydney and I were paired up for chemistry, it went really well. Sydney was smart. She wasn’t just some dumb cheerleader who depended on her boyfriend to do all the heavy lifting. Sydney Matrix was entirely her own person and that was what made us click so well. She wasn’t some dumb cheerleader, no, she was much more than that. There was so much to who Sydney Matrix was that one could not tell anything about her alone with the human eye.
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I was always someone who focused on school. I never focused on how cute or hot the guys and girls at my school were. And I’ll admit, a lot of them were quite attractive, but my top priority was school. Passing classes, keeping a high GPA, acing tests, making sure everything I did was perfect. It had gotten to a point where I didn’t sleep on school nights because I was so focused on making sure everything I was doing was perfect in school, and it was at that point that my parents went “Nicole, it’s time you have an actual teenage life. Go out and hang out with friends.”
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It was at that point that I realized I had shut everyone out. I was lucky and thankful I still had a few friends. Shaun,Dakota, Daniel and Presley. And every once in a while, I’d hang out with them and we’d do normal things teenagers do. Such as going to the mall or watching a movie. Something that wasn’t school related.
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I had always noticed Sydney. She was the quarterback’s girlfriend and the cheerleading captain. She was also the hottest girl in the school and Colton Brown, her boyfriend, was the hottest guy in the whole school. The two of them were basically supposed to be the next “big thing” according to Daniel, but I always found Colton to be stuck up and a bit of a snob. Something about him just kind of rubbed me the wrong way and it wasn’t just because I had grown a tiny crush on Sydney.
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The way he treated Sydney specifically is what bothered me the most. Now, I hadn’t interacted with Sydney prior to us being partners in chemistry class, but during lunches and football games, I’d notice the way Colton treated Sydney. He acted as if she were his side piece, not his girlfriend. And the way a relationship was supposed to work is that someone is supposed to put in an effort of 50/50. But the way I noticed Colton and Sydney’s relationship, it was more like 10/90. 10 being Colton, Sydney being 90.
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Sydney treated Colton like he was her king. She was in love with him and spoiled him to no end, it was kind of ridiculous. But it wasn’t my relationship, so it wasn’t my business. At all.
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“Nicole.” Said my chemistry teacher, Mr. Tepper, “You and Sydney will be chemistry partners.”
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I nodded and looked over to where Sydney was sitting. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail, her beautiful luscious locks of brown hair that were usually not tied up and would touch her shoulders. Sydney looked over at me, smiling her classic Sydney Matrix smile and waved. She was cute, but I was not someone who would ever want to date. I had a date with Harvard. That was my goal since I was six years old.
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“Yes, sir.” I replied. I grabbed my books and walked over to Sydney’s table, sitting down next to her.
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“Hi.” Sydney said with a smile.
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I looked over at her and noticed her eyes. They were a shade of blue but almost looked green. She had freckles and when she smiled, she’d have two dimples at the corner of her lips.
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“Hey.” I said with a smile back. I noticed she was reading an Emily Dickinson poetry book. “Dickinson.” I said. “Hm.”
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“Yeah.” Sydney said with a laugh. The laugh was warm and it made me feel things in the pit of my stomach. “I love her work.”
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I grabbed my pen and began to twirl it with my fingers. “Hm.” I said again, “I didn’t know you liked Emily Dickinson.”
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Sydney laughed again, “Yeah, I do.” She replied, “Colton thinks it’s stupid. Poetry.” She told me, and then she tossed her head back and leaned closer towards me, still wearing an angelic smile, “But I think poetry is pretty amazing.” She whispered
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“Do you have a favorite poem of Emily’s?” I asked her.
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Sydney shook her head, “No.” She replied, “Honestly, I love all of Emily Dickinson’s work. She was such a talented and creative woman in her time period. It’s such a shame that women weren’t supposed to do any kind of writing back in those days.”
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I looked over at her, partially shocked with my brows raised. She caught me off guard with how intelligent she sounded.
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Sydney laughed. “What?” She asked, “Do I have something on my face?”
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I shook my head, “No.” I said with a laugh, “No, sorry.” I told her, “It’s just…” I paused.
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“It’s just what?” Sydney asked with a brow raised.
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I smiled, “You know what?” I said, “It’s nothing.”
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Sydney laughed, “Nuh uh!” She said, “It’s clearly something! Come on, just tell me” she said, as she leaned in closer, her head almost resting on my shoulder “Please?”
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I laughed, “Okay. Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m kind of shocked at how smart you are.”
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I had half expected Sydney to get mad at me and demand a new lab partner. But instead, she laughed.
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“I’m sorry?” She asked, not sounding mad or offended at all, “What is that supposed to mean?”
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“Nothing!” I laughed, “It’s just…. Look, you’re Sydney Matrix. Cheerleading captain and girlfriend to the quarterback.” I said. “I just kind of thought you wouldn’t be as smart as you really are.”
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Sydney giggled, “Ah.” She said, “I get it. You think I’m one of those cliche cheerleaders from those movies, don’t you?”
I blushed a little and looked down at the desk.
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Sydney laughed again, “It’s okay, Nicole.” She said, “A lot of people assume that about me. But I’m actually a lot smarter than people give me credit for. And I’m also not a bitch.”
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I chuckled as I tapped my pen on the desk, “So.” I said, “Are you free after school?” I asked her.
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“I think so.” Sydney replied, “Why do you ask?”
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“I find you really interesting.” I said, “I was wondering if you’d like to grab a cup of coffee with me and we can just hang out and chat. Nothing too difficult. Just coffee.”
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Sydney pursed her lips and hummed, “Yeah.” She said, “I think I can do that. Though, I’m not sure how Colton will feel about me missing his football practice.”
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I nodded, “Oh, I see.” I said, I paused, thinking about what to say next. “Sydney. Do you always do what Colton tells you to do?”
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Sydney nodded, “I mean, yeah. We’re dating. I’m his girlfriend.”
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“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you always have to be around him, right?” I said, “You’re allowed to make time for yourself too.”
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Sydney hummed, “You’re right.” She said, “Okay, I’ll grab coffee with you. I’m sure Colton won’t mind.” She told me.
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We were both wrong there. Colton did care. In fact, he cared a lot.
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