Well, it was the beginning of another school year, and as the new students seated themselves in their classroom, either with friends, relatives or with friendly-looking faces, there was always the odd number who didn't know where or with whom to sit. 

2 students looking awkwardly at the rest of the group, were left standing up and looked expectantly at the English teacher who smiled in a very mysterious way.

"Well?" she said, "what are you waiting for?".

The first student spoke up. "I don't know where to sit!"

"Oh, is that all?", she replied, "there are a lot of vacant seats and students to sit next to!"

"Well I don't know about the others, but I don't know anybody in this class so it's difficult to choose who to sit next to."

"Do you want me to tell you where to sit?" said the teacher.

"Yes, I think it's a good idea!"

The teacher looked around at the second one, waiting for confirmation. He nodded his consent, so she decided to voice her decision. As she gave directions, she spoke their names confidently and without any sign of hesitation, leaving them surprised and stunned by this turn of events. However, they complied with her decision.

"Maria, you sit next to the student who is at the second desk in the first row on the left!" "Michele, you sit next to the student at the back desk in the middle row!"  

As they sat down, neither had courage enough to ask the teacher how she knew their names, and why she had chosen that particular combination of students to sit next to each other.

Gradually, there were disputes among the students but the teacher smiled mysteriously when they reported their clashes to her and advised each of them that time would solve their problems.

Once, Maria decided to speak up. “Miss, why do you smile when you make a decision regarding students?”

“You’ll see!” she answered.

“Do you know I can’t stand my classmate? She’s always boasting about how fast her reflexes are and that nobody can beat her!”, she said with frustration.

“Sometimes, what seems superficial now, might come in handy later!” she answered.

One day Maria came into class all flustered and red-faced but holding onto her classmate’s arm firmly and smiling happily into her face. She went straight to her teacher and commented,

“You were right, not only about our names, but also about things being useful later!”. She continued, “This morning I was getting off the bus which was crowded as usual and I was on my smartphone. So while I was stepping down, I lost my footing and was about to fall down and get run down by another bus passing right at that moment, when suddenly an arm shoots out and grabs mine and pulls me up again! I turn around, and who’s there? MY CLASSMATE!” “Miss, it’s as though you could predict the future!”

The teacher smiled and thought to herself “You guessed!”