Potential Downfall [Zo]

[Kate Warren]

The only thing that Kate hated more than a project that required a partner was a project that required a partner and was worth half of her final grade. On top of that, her partner was Zo Heroux. She had never personally met Zo, other than the obligatory smile as she passed her in the hallways, as Kate did for all familiar faces - but Zo had the reputation of a rebel, and someone like that was certainly not Kate's idea of an ideal partner. She had already gone to their English teacher and tried to charm her way into being assigned a new partner, but her scheme had not worked.

Kate had not spoken to Zo in the four days that had passed since they'd been assigned their project, which was due in two weeks. The project was to study an author who has impacted American literature and to write a complete and detailed biography, an essay about their work and how it affected past and modern literature, and imitate one of their works by creating an original piece of literature that is similar to their style. The project had to be perfect, which was why she had already gone to the library and picked up several books on their assigned author: Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Biographies, works, and books analyzing his work were stacked high in her arms, along with a bag that held her laptop as she walked to Zo's dorm, which wasn't too far from her own. She wore dark blue jeans and light brown boots, paired with a white top and a dark green jacket. Her hair hung to the middle of her back in loose waves and she still had on faint lip gloss that she'd forgotten to reapply. When she arrived at the door that read 213, she realized her dilemma. She did not have a free hand for knocking. The books were balanced so carefully across her arms that one movement could cause them to fall, and potentially causing that kind of embarrassment was not a risk she was willing to take.

Kate stood there awkwardly, biting her unglossed lip and staring at the door with expectant blue eyes before pulling back her heel and swinging it forward, violently kicking the wood. It was louder than she intended.

"Um, Zo?" She called desperately, trying not to think about how crazy this must make her look. She kicked the door twice more with less violent blows. "Are you there? It's Kate. We have that English project due in a couple weeks and I thought we should begin working on it."

Kate was not one to procrastinate.

[Zoelle Heroux]

Zo may be smart, but she wasn't a nerd. She never had been really. School just wasn't worth the effort.

As such, it was little surprise that the most work Zo had put into the project for English class was calculating what the lowest grade she could afford to get on it and still pass. Since that, she hadn't even thought about it. Besides, her partner was some overachiever goody goody who would surely do all the work anyway. She was the type who couldn't stand to get a B let alone fail and Zo was the type of person everyone assumed would fail.

So she hadn't given the project any thought for the last four days. Instead she had focused on more important things. Which meant everything that wasn't school. Sadly she had also discovered that her life was getting way too predictable. She needed to find a way to spice things up before she went stir-crazy.

It was then that she heard a sharp bang on the dorm door. What the hell? Which of her roommates had annoying friends again?

Then the banging noise resumed, a little softer this time and with a grumble and a sigh, Zo got up and headed to the door. "I'm coming!" she snapped, not wanting a repeat. It was already wearing at her nerves as it was. She opened the door, glaring at whoever was on the other side of it.

That who turned out to be her project partner. Kate something or another. She made no move to let her in though.

"What are you doing here?"

Judging from the mountain of books she was holding, Zo wasn't going to like the answer.

[Kate Warren]

There was no denying it, Kate's tendency to overachieve at everything did not always sit well with her peers. She was considered a nerdy perfectionist, but she didn't mind. The reason for her being at Hammel was not to make friends or have a good time. She was here to learn, to better her powers, and take the first step toward a stable future as her mother would say. However, it was lonely at times, spending hours alone doing homework or rehearsing.

Sometimes when her stress levels topped out and she felt that she couldn't handle it all anymore, she felt like giving up. Letting it all go would be something completely foreign and terrifying for her. Her parents would have a heart attack. Kate would have a heart attack. If she wasn't perfect...what did that make her? Average? No, average simply didn't cut it.

Kate's arms were beginning to weaken, and if she didn't set these books down soon gravity would end up doing it for her. When the door opened, she grinned at the site of Zo standing before her and tilted her head apologetically.

"Zo! I can call you that, right? I'm glad you're here. I don't have your number so I thought I'd just pop in and see if you weren't busy. We really need to get started on this project if it's going to be good." Kate said excitedly, never losing her smile. She, unlike so many other students, actually enjoyed learning. Doing this project would give her knowledge that ultimately would make her a well rounded person. To her it was an accomplishment to know things.

"Not to be rude, but can I come in?" She said, peering around Zo and into the dorm. "These books are really heavy and I don't want to waste any time getting started. Emerson is very fascinating and I think you'll enjoy this. I figured we'd split up the work equally, but if there's anything you specifically think you'd excel at just let me know. Have you looked over the rubric?"

Kate often rambled, but with the best intentions possible.

[Zoelle Heroux]

Zo's expression went from glaring to downright confused as her classmate began to babble. All she could think was to wonder what on earth she had done to deserve such a fate. Well, if she thought too hard about it, there were probably a lot of reasons. She wasn't exactly the most upstanding citizen after all. Still, here she was thinking that little miss perfect would just do the whole project on her own for fear of failing, yet here she was intent on trying to make Zo do half the work no less. Ridiculous.

She didn't pay attention again until she asked about coming in. Though Zo really wanted nothing to do with this, she did move aside, rolling her eyes as she did. It seemed she was going to have to make it clear to this one that her 4.0 GPA was in perilous danger if left in Zo's hand. Give her a good scare and then she would either do everything herself or she'd settle for the less than average grade.

"No, I haven't looked at the rubic - some of us have actual lives beyond schoolwork," she said snidely. She loathed schoolwork, and the endless rambling that seemed to come with this particular partner.

"Look, if you want to get started, that's fine. But I have no intention of doing anything, because I really don't care about Waldo. So good luck." Zo didn't close the door, though she did turn to her own room rather than the common area of the dorm. She assumed the brainiac would see herself out.

[Kate Warren]

It was clear that Kate was not going to get this girl to do anything. She bit her lip as nerves began to creep into her mind. If she had to do the entire project herself, she would be taking on a workload that was meant for two. Kate tried to remain calm as she stepped inside the room and set the books down on the table. She wouldn't have time to hit the gym today, but carrying those books was enough of a workout. She ignored the rude comment from the girl, feeling officially uncomfortable being in the presence of someone who clearly didn't like her.

"You should care about Emerson. He is now responsible for your grade, arguably your future." Kate said in an even tone, trying not to sound too much like her mother. As her partner began to retreat toward her bedroom, she began to panic. If Zo refused to to the work, Kate had no plans or leverage the girl's mind. She sat down on the edge of the couch and pulled out her English binder, taking out the sheet of paper that described the assignment.

"Three tasks: a biography, an imitation of his work, and an essay of how he impacted American literature in past and modern times." Kate said loudly, so Zo would hear from the other room. She wasn't going anywhere. She grabbed three books from the stack, Self Reliance, Nature, and The Concord Hymn. All praised works from the author. She also took two biographies from the stack and followed Zo into her room.

"The biography and the creative writing part is one half and the essay is the other. If you don't want to do half, at least do one of the two easiest things, and I will handle the rest." Kate was to the point of begging her partner to do something that would ease her workload. With her schedule being booked in the next few weeks, Kate was stressed already.

"If you agree do one and do a good job, I would really appreciate it." She stared at Zo with her light blue puppy dog eyes, because she was desperate. "If you follow through, I could even pay you. I don't have time to do all of this and do it well."

[Zoelle Heroux]

Zo actually paused in her exit to laugh as the other tried to tell her that she needed to care - that her future depended on this. She whirled around to face her classmate, her hair whipping around dramatically as she did. "Really? That's the argument you go with? You really think someone like me is going to end up going to college? Trust me, the world of higher education has nothing I need or want." Here this prissy teacher's pet was going to try and lecture her on why she needed to work hard? Bullshit. With that she turned away and continued back to her room, assuming the girl would show herself out.

But then she heard her again - that annoying voice. She was still talking. What the actual hell? Couldn't she take a hint? Zo rolled her eyes as she shut her bedroom door behind her. Didn't she care enough about her own grade to just do the damn work? Zo didn't care what the assignment was because she wasn't doing it. Her partner would either need to learn to be okay not getting an A for once or just suck it up. Either way, she needed to just accept it already.

Next thing she knew, her door was opening and she just came in, books in hand. "Didn't your mother ever teach you manners? You don't just walk into someone else's room!" she said, her voice harsh and her eyes glaring. She was very territorial when it came to her personal space and she didn't appreciate it being invaded by some girl who seemed intent on pissing her off.

The girl's begging was almost comical. She was all ready to refuse again, when suddenly Kate said something very interesting. "You're going to pay me?" she said, disbelief thick in her voice. Still, it was an interesting idea. After all, it wasn't that Zo wasn't capable of doing the work - though everyone thought that was the case - she simply wasn't motivated enough to do so. But money... money was quite the motivation. Besides, those big blue eyes staring at her like that was unsettling. If it would get her to shut up and get her some money to spend... it might be worth a little effort.

"You really are desperate to be little miss perfect, aren't you?" she asked, one eyebrow - the pierced one - raised. "Whatever. Fine. I might consider doing the biography... for the right price. So what's your offer?" The biography was by far the easiest part of the assignment. It required no original thought after all. Just the basic ability to string together a sentence and regurgitate facts. But it was obvious that Kate was desperate, and she was fully willing to take advantage of that fact.

[Kate Warren]

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Kate was not someone who was usually willing to cheat in order to get what she wanted, but technically this was not cheating, right? She had something that Zo potentially wanted or needed, and she would give it to her in turn for what she wanted: a wonderfully written biography. Who knows, Zo might even learn something from being bribed to do this assignment. So, really, Kate was helping her become a more well rounded person, and receive a perfect English grade. Convincing herself that Kate was doing this as a favor for her partner rather than herself made her feel better.

"Well, it never hurts to keep your options open. You don't know what you'll want five years from now." Oh, god. Kate really did sound like her mother. She bit her lip and scolded herself for becoming the exact person she never wanted to be. When she opened the door to Zo's room, she knew by the look on the girl's face that a line had been crossed. Kate grew pale and began to uncharacteristically stutter.

"I'm s-sorry." She said pathetically, standing just outside of the room as if afraid to enter. After her proposition of money, something in Zo seemed to change and Kate breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, some common ground that they could come to an agreement on. Kate visibly relaxed and nodded to her partner.

"I have a reputation to uphold and I will do whatever it takes to maintain it." She said in a small act of confidence against her intimidating acquaintance. A small smile touched her lips as the weight of having to do the biography was lifted off of her shoulders. It wasn't much, but at least it was something. She was grateful for that.

"No, you name your price. Whatever it takes for you do to a good job and have it done on time." Kate said conclusively, handing Zo the few books that would help her out on the project. Money was easy to come by for her, and the biography was foolproof. All she had to do was transfer information in her own words from the sources. Even though she was paying her, Kate was still being forced to trust Zo to hold up her end of the deal, which was difficult for her to do.

[Zoelle Heroux]

In truth, Zo found her words infuriating. She talked like she knew everything - like she knew anything about Zo. She knew better though. There was no hope for her. She'd been hearing that truth thrown back at her for almost her entire life. She was nothing and everyone knew it. So why play into their hand? She did things on her own terms and that was that. Of course, she wasn't about to tell Kate any of that. That was far more personal than she'd ever be okay with.

"Who are you, my mother?" she snorted sarcastically. She shook her head and turned her back, adding, her voice softer in volume yet harsher in ton, "Please. You're so naive."

She left then, heading for the solace of her room. She hadn't expected her partner to be so damn persistent though. Still, seeing the obvious fear as Kate paled and began to stutter oddly comforted her. It was strange to most, but knowing she had that sort of intimidation power made her feel strong enough and brought a surge of confidence.

Once she made her offer of payment though, her glare shifted to a more thoughtful gaze. She had to give her partner a little credit for that. She may hate overachievers on principle, but someone who was willing to do whatever it took - no matter how shady - to get what they wanted? That was something that Zo could respect. Not that she'd tell Kate that.

Still, her eyebrow raised in surprise as Kate left the offer open ended. Was money really that easy for her to come by that she wasn't even concerned how much Zo might ask for? Or were grades just important enough for her to take that risk? She could really take advantage of her. But in that moment, she came to a conclusion. She was going to be nice. Well. Nicer.

"Alright. 100 to do it, twice that to do it truly well," she proposed. "But I have a condition. You're going to let everyone believe you did the full project. I don't need anyone mistaking me for a wannabe brainiac. I have my own reputation to uphold after all." She knew that Kate was probably skeptical of just what she could pull off, and probably thought she was exaggerating. Few people knew how smart Zo really was. She preferred to keep it that way.

"We got a deal?"

[Kate Warren]

Kate hated sounding like her mother, but in all honesty she believed what she was saying. She had always been taught that the best thing to do for her future was to keep her options open, and so far it had worked in her benefit. It was only natural that she spewed out the same advice to someone who clearly needed it.

"No, I'm apparently my mother." She muttered, not intending for that comment to be out loud. Kate ignored the insult, giving up on expecting any decency from Zo. Kate knew she wasn't naive for having independent opinions, she didn't need an ego boost. Still, being disliked did not sit well with her. She shifted her weight uncomfortably and idly ran a hand through her hair to get it out of her face as she considered her payment options.

"I'll give you 250, for extra motivation." She said, hoping that raising the price would assure that she would have a well written biography that was turned in on time. If not, she could always refuse to pay, but that would still mean that they fail the project. She hated having to trust someone she just met like this, but at this point she had no choice. The money was nothing to her, it was her morals that were in jeopardy.

"That condition is fine by me, as long as you don't tell anyone that I resorted to bribing you for the work. That wouldn't sit well with teachers." Kate said, wondering if she should feel worse about this arrangement. She smiled when Zo finally accepted the deal, a face splitting smile that was fueled by relief.

"You have a deal!" She declared, and before her partner could stop her she had pulled Zo into a quick hug that was retracted as quick as it had been forced. Before she could respond in outrage, Kate retreated out of the personal space that Zo's room was meant for and gathered her things from the living room.

"I suppose there's no need for me to stay, then, unless you want to work on any of it together?" Kate asked, all too willing to collaborate if it would mean taking even more of the work off of her shoulders. She would suggest going to grab a bite to eat, but Zo was hardly her friend, let alone a potential lunch date. She would probably hit her if she asked.

[Zoelle Heroux]

Zo smirked slightly as she heard her say she was her mother apparently. She didn't respond though. That seemed too personal to comment on given the tone in the other's voice. She understood all too well about not wanting to be like your mother. She hated her own - that's why she didn't bother getting close to anyone. It was easier that way.

She was surprised when Kate raised the price, but she sure as hell wasn't about to argue. "Fine by me." Damn, she was actually going to have to work on this. She hadn't put effort into school in, well, practically forever. She had been a brain as a kid though. It wasn't until after her mom left when she gave up that she started redirecting her smarts to more devious purposes.

"Yup, that's easy enough." After all, admitting to the bribe meant admitting to doing the work. So it really worked out for the best. Talk about mutual benefits. That was the sort of 'relationship' that Zo liked best.

The hug that her partner offered - more like assaulted her with - caught Zo off-guard in every way. Not a minute ago, Kate had been so afraid of her that she had been stuttering and now suddenly she somehow felt comfortable enough touching her. She tensed but she didn't lash out surprisingly, shocked more than anything. She stayed frozen a moment longer as Kate quickly dashed off into the common room.

Kate's question hung in the air for a long moment. Normally Zo would have been eager to kick her out. Hell, 5 minutes ago she wanted just that. Now... Now she just felt weirdly confused. She wandered out into the common area, leaning against the wall. "Well... Since I'm going to actually do some work now... You might as well stay. Otherwise I'll end up doing something that's actually enjoyable," she grumbled. "With you around, I know there's no chance of fun," she added for good measure, rolling her eyes. She wasn't supposed to like someone like Kate after all. She had worked hard to get the reputation she had. If this girl was going to get under her skin and make her work against that, then it would at least be under protest.

"But I mean, do whatever you want."