[ Alex's POV - At the start of winter ]

Recently, I've noticed that it has become harder to concentrate during class. The main reason for this is Jessy's habit of talking like nobody's around. It's really annoying.

Jessy usually talks to Otto, but Otto can't be blamed, because you never actually hear her.

Take today for example. We are all present in mrs. Marvel's math class. We are sitting in pairs and two; Jessy and Otto on the first row, Jasper and I on the second row and behind me is Lindsey. We are all supposed to be solving math problems, but I'm hardly done with mine when Jessy fires up a story about how she managed to find a "new looking, branded sweater" in a thrift store for nearly nothing.

Not to brag, but I know that if I just barely finished my problems, that she isn't even halfway finished.

It's fine as long as I can focus on the mandatory exercises, but since Jasper doesn't want me to complete the extra exercises (something about making him look bad), it becomes ridiculously difficult to not listen in on their conversation.

I've been doing a damned good job of acting as if I'm not paying attention, when Otto suddenly says: "That reminds me. Would you mind going shopping with me too, Jessy? I need a new sweater."

If I hadn't been paying attention yet, Jessy's reluctance to answer with a simple yes or no, would have definitely pricked my ears. Instead Jessy says: "Oh no, Otto. Not again? What happened to the last one we bought?"

Rude?! And here I thought besties always went shopping together? I guess that was a stereotype painted by the media.

"Nothing! It's being washed. I simply don't have enough of them," Otto says in a desperate attempt to defend herself, but didn't seem very convinced herself. "Please, Jessy. You know I won't be able to find anything on my own!"

I snort.

Unintentionally.

Crap!

I hadn't meant to laugh, but Otto honestly seems to believe that she wouldn't be able to find any decent clothes by herself.

Which seems plain ridiculous to me.

I can feel the corners of my mouth twitching upwards as I replay her words in my mind. Which in turn makes it exceedingly difficult to act as if nothing happened.

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I can feel four pairs of eyed on me, so I glance up. Yep. Looks like I'm busted. Otto, Jessy, Jasper and Lindsey are all looking at me with big, disbelieving eyes. However, all for different reasons. Otto thinks that I'm mocking her, Jessy looks like she is brooding on a plan, Jasper looks at me like I signed my death sentence and Lindsey seems to suppress some giggles.

"What's so funny," Jessy snarls.

"Nothing, really," I wave off her hostility and turn my attention towards Otto. "Sweetheart, if you can't find any clothes to buy, you're not looking hard enough."

Jasper and Jessy both gasp dramatically at my words. Lindsey only seems to have more trouble suppressing her laughter.

"Don't you know eavesdropping is impolite?!" Otto asks, putting up a brave front that she clearly isn't feeling.

"Eavesdropping, yes. But I can't help it if the two of you talk so loudly the whole class is able to follow your conversation."

Otto lets her gaze glide over the classroom to check my statement, turns bright red, whips her attention back to her books and starts staring at them as if she wants to burn a hole in the pages.

"Suspicion confirmed," I think to myself.

"What do you know about clothes?" Jessy asks unfazed. "I bet your mom still prepares your clothes for you every morning."

I give her a flat look. That one was a blow below the belt. However, she couldn't know that.

"I pick and buy my own clothes, thank you very much," I says, my voice dripping with annoyance. But again, Jessy isn't fazed in the slightest. I think I saw a glint light up her eyes for a second, but it is gone again as soon as it appeared.

"Well, then. Why don't you go shopping with Otto?" Jessy says, a victorious smirk playing around her lips. I glare at her. She tricked me. No, worse than that: She trapped me.

Under normal circumstances I would have declined her challenge, because in the past three months since school started, it has become very clear that Otto does not like me. So I'd decided to adhere to the very minimum of polite interactions. It wasn't as bad as ignoring each-other, but going shopping together definitely was a bridge too far.

Yet, I can't decline Jessy's offer, because of two reasons. One, I don't feel like loosing the posed challenge. And two, if Otto really does have trouble finding clothes, I don't mind helping her.

So of course, I say: "Fine."