Vanilla

Chapter 41

It's been one full week, I kept up with the bet, so did Lauren - neither of us cracked yet.

We were given group projects in our first block class. I had to complete two group projects in total, minus the second project which will most likely be pushed onto me by my group.

Lazy asses.

When my third block rolled around, I jogged there ahead of Lauren, since her friend wanted to talk to her. I didn't want to eavesdrop on their conversation, so I went ahead to get myself started on my project.

I entered Study Hall, sat at a table, took out my first project essentials, and began my assignment in silence.

Shawn and Anna were at their usual table together, and the rest of the students were sitting at the back of Study Hall.

"The Colonial Age..." I titled my project before moving down the page. "Explain this lesson as if you are teaching a class of your own." I looked up at my school tablet and sighed. "So much work..."

I pulled my school tablet closer to me and dragged my index finger along the screen to find the PowerPoint app. I pressed on it to open it, picked a random theme that'll go along with my project, and waited for it to load by grabbing my textbook out of my bag.

I opened it to the pages and was about to read the selection when I heard;

"No one will know! Come on!" It was Lexie's voice.

"Mr. Miller will give me a packet if he finds out." Melanin responded in a whiny tone.

I peeked behind me to see them both heading towards the back of the Study Hall. "They're together?" I shrug my shoulders. "That's none of my business, but they better not spot me over here."

"Are you okay, Anna?" I hear Shawn say, he was leaning toward Anna.

Anna's head twitched to the side, her eyes were closed. "It hurts to mask it right now, can you cover me?"

"Got it," Shawn said, throwing his jacket over Anna's head and rubbing her back.

I averted my eyes away and sighed. "I forgot she has Tourettes, I guess that's what I get for not paying attention to other people. I hope she's okay though."

A few minutes later, Lauren walked in and sat down next to me, "Sorry it took so long, she wanted to show me her new art project, and asked me to help her fix mistakes and stuff."

"It's fine, I'm not rushing you to come here. Study Hall is just like free period, except they need you to show your face here before the bell rings."

Lauren looks at Shawn, who was giving Anna some water. "They really look like a couple."

"Good for them, at least he'll be out of our hair this year."

"Oh yeah," Lauren turns to look at me. "I saw Melanin and Lexie, did they come in here?"

"They are at the back of Study Hall, I don't know what they're doing. It's quiet."

Lauren pulls out her own school tablet. "Probably making out."

"I won't be surprised, they graduated from a toxic friendship to a very close one in a few months. If they like each other, I won't stop them, I just don't want to witness them kissing and fucking."

"As if they haven't witnessed you kissing me."

"They literally waited for me to date someone and now that I am dating someone. They don't want to miss out on anything dealing with it."

"Cute. Hope they'll know about our soon-to-be long-distance relationship in a couple of months."

"I'm working on it," I said, taking out the tablet pen to draw an idea web on the slide. "Switching to another topic, where do you want to go during our early dismissal?"

"The mall. I need to get more art supplies, and I broke my new phone case so now I need another one."

"This is why you stick to cheap flexible cases meant to stay in one piece when you drop your phone."

"I'm just clumsy sometimes." Lauren drags around her typed sentences to fit the slide. "But yeah, let's go there."

"Okay, we're inviting Melanin and Lexie too, I heard they have A-day and B-day type schedules, and they get to leave early like us."

"I'm glad I don't have a two-day schedule, my regular one is already hard to manage."

"I think it's because they both signed up for clubs or extracurricular activities, so they have to fit their classes in one school year schedule along with their after-school things."

"What did Melanin sign up for?"

"Probably track. She said she wanted to get fit."

"I bet Lexie signed up for music, she sings well."

"She's too insecure about her voice to do that, she probably signed up for track too."

"Aw, they want to spend more time together."

"I'm just imagining Melanin's tits bouncing while she runs, I know her chest hurts afterward."

Lauren rolls her eyes. "There are bras meant for holding up tits, so she'll be okay running a few kilometers."

"I thought of something," I said, putting away my pen to type into my browser to search up images. "Her and Melanin's stamina will be better, so that means their-"

Lauren kicked my ankle with her foot underneath the table. "Shut up before the staff hears you."

"The staff can mind their business."

"The staff can write us up for inappropriate speaking."

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

"Uh-huh anyways," Lauren points her pen at me. "Are we going to my house after the mall?"

"Sure, I'll go, but I want to let Nyree know first."

"She laid off the heads-up calls, right?"

"I still want her to know just in case I fall asleep. She might think I'm kidnapped or something."

"She has my mom and dad's number, she'll call like last time, but I won't judge you for wanting to let your sister figure know."

"Mhm," I ignored her comment. "What is your mom cooking this time?"

"Soul food. She found a recipe online."

"I guess I am spending the night, I'll be knocked out after eating that."

"You love my mom's cooking, huh?"

"Yeah, she cooks well."

"Okay, who cooks better-My mom or Nyree?"

"They both cook well, I can't pick."

"I think Nyree cooks better." Lauren taps the pen against her naked bottom lip. "I loved her casserole and spaghetti."

"I bet you did." My eyes couldn't help but trail down to her lips. I looked away before I ended up staring. "But, um, let's finish this project before the bell rings."

"M'kay."