Tidal Wave (Robby Keene/Book 1)

A Failed Halloween Dance

"So what are you guys dressing up as?" I asked Moon, Sam and Yasmin as we walked down the hall. Our main talk topic today was the Halloween dance. 

"Well the three of us were going as Laker girls, but its kind of late for you to get a matching costume." Yasmin said. "Besides, it would clash with your hair." She added on snarkishly. 

"But I'm sure I can help you find something." Sam said reassuringly.

"I think I have something from last year I can wear." I said,  stopping with the rest of the girls at Moon's locker. 

"Okay." Sam replied smiling at me. 

"Okay, I need one of you losers to pick me up for the dance." Yasmin said, scrolling through Insta on her phone.

"Your car's still not fixed?" Moon questioned. 

"No, I told you before, my dad's buying me a new one because he felt bad that the deer ran into my car." She said.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Moon responded giggling.

"I'll drive you." Sam said. I sighed,  standing there awkwardly and having no idea what they were talking about as we made our way to the cafeteria. 

We grabbed out trays, and walked to our normal tables, passing Miguel and his friends on the way. I smiled at him and he smiled back. When we got to out table we all went on our phones. When I finished up, I open my container and started eating my Caesar salad. "Cyber bullying is no laughing matter." A voice speaks from the middle of the cafeteria, there stood the principle. "Sending a cruel message to someone online can be just as hurtful as saying it two their face." I look around the cafeteria to see some kids on their phone while most of the kids are looking at her confused. "Now, I'm not gonna name names, but the other day, a mother called me up because her son was crying, because some kids made fun of his facial deformity." By now Almost everyone was staring at the kid sitting at Miguel's table, while he was looking around embarrassed. I mentally facepalmed at this teachers idiocy. He tried to cover his lip up with his hand, I sighed, feeling bad for this kid. "But today or goal here is to make this space, a safe space for all students." She said. 

I looked back at his table to see a pale boy with dark hair moving his hands in a chopping motion, smiling sarcastically. I looked away only for the principle to start talking again. "Oh and one last thing. While we're all looking forward to the high school dance, lets make sure our costumes are culturally sensitive, for example instead of sexy nurse maybe try gender natural hospital employee." At her statement, Yasmin, Moon and a bunch of other kids laughed. 

I blocked her out when the girl Yasmin was making fun of last week scooted her chair over to Sam , who was sitting beside me. "Hey, I got a great idea for our costumes this year." She stopped talking and Sam tried to say something only to be cut off by the girl. "I was thinking, I go as sodium and you go as chloride, and when people ask what we are, we do this." She sprinkled salt onto the table. Both Sam and I laughed. 

"That's funny." I said smiling at her. 

"What is that, some dumb inside joke you guys have?" Yasmin declared rudely from my other side.

"I mean its not really inside, sodium chloride is table salt." Aisha said from beside me. I remember her name from Sam and I's discussion on Saturday at her house.

"Yeah I was kidding." Yasmin backtracked, trying to seem as though she really was kidding.

"We actually decided to go as Laker girls." Same said pointing to Yasmin and Moon.

"Oh." Aisha nodded her head in disappointment.

"But maybe we could try to order another." Sam added, sympathy lacing her voice, knowing even if they did, it wouldn't get here on time.