Virgin Playbook: Phoebe's First: College Football Sports Romance by Crystal Chance Page B

five.
    Madden Hall was one of the most modern buildings on campus. It was like walking onto a spaceship. Maybe missing my favorite sci-fi program was paying off. Why watch it when I could be in it?
    I walked down the bright white hallways, books clutched tightly to my chest, when I noticed someone walking into a classroom. My heart stopped as I saw the man’s face.
    Adam.
    As I neared the lab he had walked into, I crossed my fingers and hoped that it wasn’t the same lab I was in. My eyes closed in defeat when I looked up at the number plastered on the door and realized that there was no escaping Mr. Football Star.
    With a heavy breath, I walked in and looked for a seat as far away from Adam as possible. I wanted to avoid him at all costs.
    Dr. Strickland was full of knowledge. I couldn’t tear my eyes off of her as she glided across the lab, animatedly talking about alleles and all the work we were going to be doing with them. I found her fascinating and wanted to give her my undivided attention, but a sound in the back was distracting me.
    When I turned around, I realized it was Adam. He and his fraternity goons were high-fiving and laughing about something that surely wasn’t related to the course. It was going to be difficult to learn with five morons snickering at the back of the class every day.
    “I know this isn’t conventional, but I will be picking your lab partners,” Dr. Strickland announced.
    I looked forward again as everyone groaned.
    “I know, I know,” she said, holding up her hands defensively. “You all hate me. But I think it’s a good way for the class to get to know each other. This is the latest night lab there is, so I believe we should have some fun with it. Pizza might be involved if you all can work well together.”
    That got the room buzzing. College students will do anything for free pizza.
    A girl at the back raised her hand.
    “Yes? Uh . . . Tina is it?” Dr. Strickland asked.
    “Nia,” the girl corrected. “I was just wondering how you’re going to pick our partners. Is it alphabetical or—”
    “Popsicle sticks!” Dr. Strickland interrupted.
    “Oh,” Nia groaned. Apparently, she’d had someone in mind when she asked.
    Dr. Strickland jangled the cup of popsicle sticks on her desk and smiled. She looked around the room as she pulled out two sticks.
    “Taylor Lawrence and Marcia Fox?”
    A chubby blond boy and a slim, curly-haired girl raised their hands. Dr. Strickland motioned for them to pair together.
    “Ralph Ritz and Manuela Lopez?”
    The two paired up. Manuela did not look pleased.
    “Adam McMasters and . . .” All the girls in the class perked up. Everyone wanted to be paired with Adam—everyone but me. “. . . Phoebe Warren.”
    My face paled. Adam’s, however, beamed as he smiled and waggled his fingers. I looked away from him as he made his way over. I could not believe we were going to be stuck together. I raised my hand in protest.
    Dr. Strickland furrowed her brow and called on me. “Yes? Phoebe?”
    I cleared my throat.
    “Dr. Strickland, I don’t think Adam and I are a good pair,” I explained. “I’m a physics major and—”
    “And you’ll be working with Adam,” she reasserted. “If you have a personal reason for not wanting to work with Mr. McMasters, you can come explain to me after class. Now, moving on . . . Makayla Schlitz and Sally Black.”
    Adam plopped on the chair next to me and smiled.
    “Don’t wanna work with me, eh?” he murmured.
    I shook my head. “I don’t—I don’t think we’d make a good pair. This class means a lot to me. I’m a science major, and if I can’t even make it through Bio 211—”
    “You worry too much,” Adam cut me off. “We’ll do fine. I do fine in all my classes.”
    Dr. Strickland gave Adam a disapproving glare. He had been talking most of the class period.
    “Mr. McMasters, can you tell me what an allele is?” she asked.
    Several students were still waiting to be partnered up.