There was no word in the English language which could describe the feeling of holding a pretty girl's phone number in his hand.  So, instead, when Sasha left, Adam turned to Peter and flashed him the biggest shit-eating grin he could muster.  Peter's only response was an unintelligible mumble about asking for Jenny.<br/><br/>Of course, it had him humming the devilspawned Tommy Tutone earworm all the way home.<br/><br/>The next morning, he was determined to arrive to school on time for once in his life.  Maybe it was because he knew he would see Sasha in Chemistry, or simply because he found himself unable to sleep over his mother's obnoxious moaning in the room over.  Whatever the reason, he made quick work of his shower- which was cold, because he couldn't have nice things- and threw on the first set of clothes he found.  Adam joined his sister, Danielle, in the kitchen (if one could call it that) and searched the cupboards for something that wasn't booze.  Dani managed to find some Cheerios, but it must have been from the bottom of the bag since it was 90% sawdust mixed in with her milk.<br/><br/>He could probably hear Paul's snoring from Bangladesh.  It was evident he would be late.  Again.<br/><br/>“Come on Dani.  I'll walk you to school,” he told her with a disappointed sigh.  Usually, their mother would drive Dani to school in the morning, because her school was on the farther end of town, and there were no bus routes which would pass through their area for whatever reason.  If she didn't, Adam didn't trust Paul with his sister, and had no choice but to take her himself.  He tucked his board under his arm and took Dani's hand in the other.<br/><br/>When he did finally arrive, it was already twenty minutes past the first bell.<br/><br/>“Detention, Mr. Key,” announced his entrance like a bell over a door.  He walked right past Sasha to his usual spot near the back.<br/><br/>“Now that we're all here,” the old woman declared, a few muffled laughs scattered across the room, “Everyone pair up.  Be fast about it, we have a lot to do.”<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Crap,</span>he thought.  He'd forgotten entirely about the whole lab partner business.  His eyes peered around warily, and caught the scrawny ginger kid looking his way and gathering his books in preparation to move.<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">CRAP.</span></span>