“No go,” Avi said curtly. “Rebbi wouldn’t hear of any switching. We’ll have to deal with it, I guess”

"I’m sorry, Avi, but it isn’t an option,” Rabbi Glazer said.

Avi’s chest tightened. “But…” He swallowed and glanced quickly to the left, where Elchanan Stark leaned casually against a wall, exchanging one-liners with some of the guys. “We can’t be partners. We just can’t.” Ugh, he sounded so desperate. How to explain that he and Elchanan, alone together for hours, trying to hike a forest trail together, was simply… impossible?

Rebbi looked sympathetic, but firm. No switching partners, absolutely none, no matter that Yitz Elberg and Shua Muller would gladly have made the switch, so that he and Yitz could pair up and leave Elchanan with Shua, who loved baseball and hiking and would climb the tree at the edge of the yard just for the fun of it.

Mr. Kreiser bustled in, and Rabbi Glazer gave Avi one last encouraging nod. “I’m sure you and Elchanan will manage the hike together. You might even have a good time!”

A good time, with Elchanan Mr.-Sporty, let’s-go-hiking Stark. Sure.

“Yeah, right,” Avi muttered to Rebbi’s retreating back.

“What did he say? Can we switch?” Yitz came over, looking hopeful. Avi nearly rolled his eyes at the overt eagerness, but then he thought better of it. After all, partnering with Yitz would’ve been worlds better than his current situation.

“No go,” Avi said curtly. “Rebbi wouldn’t hear of any switching. We’ll have to deal with it, I guess.”

“Hey, it’s not like we’re overjoyed about this, either,” Elchanan interrupted, motioning at himself and Shua.

“I’m okay, it’s fine,” Shua said hurriedly, looking at Yitz and quickly looking away again. “I guess… maybe we should go get our maps? Mr. Kreiser has a different set for each pair….”

Most of the class seemed to have had the same idea.