the price of being ace

Chapter 31

I get to school just a few minutes after the bell and make it to my first period about the same time the last of my classmates are filing in
"Hey babe" I say sitting in the desk beside Jackson's
"Ace is out now are you wanting to make your move soon?" He asks quietly so nobody hears him
"Are you?" I ask and he thinks it over
"I don't know I mean I thought I would come out for sam but I don't know if sams the one I'm after anymore" he says and I nod
"So then what do you want to do?" I ask
"Give me another week of this?" He asks and I nod
"Ok i want both of us to be comfortable" I say and he smiles
"I don't even think he realizes I know he's been flirting with me all week" he says and I laugh
"I have no clue who you're talking about but I hope it works out" I say
"Yeah" he says before we have to get back to work

I can't focus in math because I'm trying to figure out who Jackson was talking about but nobody is coming to mind then a ball of paper hits me in the head
"That was meant for ace" a girl I think her name is Willow says so I hand the ball to ace
"Oh my gosh Willow" she says reading it and turning beet red
"So do you want to?" Willow asks with a promiscuous smirk
"I said we were just friends what part of that involves this" ace says and I just catch the words 'bend over' before she moves the paper so I can't see
"Yes 'friends' just like you said" Willow replies putting friends in air quotes
"God,how do you even think of these things in class have some decency" ace says but Willow continues smiling
"I guess I just really like math" she says

Ace kept that dirty note I mean what if that means she's getting back with her ex
"You seem down you ok?" Jackson asks at lunch
"Yeah I'm fine" I say but I'm really kinda bummed out by the thought that ace might not want me in favour of Willow
"Ok what happened because even I can tell you're not" Luca says
"I need to hit something like hard" I say and Jackson nods
"At practice" he says but he doesn't get it
"Fine" I say then drink what's left of my orange Gatorade Before getting up and leaving the table

In drama I can tell my friends know somethings wrong including ace but they're not saying anything
"Ok so today marks the start of the planning phase for your major projects since there are 3 weeks left in the semester" mr.moore says walking into the theatre classroom
"Get into groups of 4" he adds and I look around for a group to join but I see everyone has got a group except for me,Ace,Willow and Nikayla
"I guess that settles it,I'm with Ace again" I mutter to myself before going over to them
"Hey Erin" Nikayla says and I smile,I don't know her very well but in all the interactions we've had we've gotten along pretty well
"Hey Nikayla" I say then look over at ace and Willow who look less than pleased with the group selection
"So what do you guys want to do?" I ask the group taking charge

Willow and Ace seem to be butting heads a little while we're trying to come up with things to plan the storyline for our play
"How about the classic football player and his girlfriend trope for our main character or like a revamped Cinderella story" I suggest and Ace and Nikayla nod but Willow looks hesitant
"Maybe the main character cheats on their current boyfriend with the football player" Willow says like a jab and Ace frowns
"We are not current and we aren't together in any way" she says quietly
"Maybe that's a good idea I mean it leaves room for character growth where by the end of the play they realize their mistake and realize what they did was wrong even though they love the football player" nikayla says skipping over their little argument and she does have a point
"And everyone sings kumbaya in the end" Willow says rolling her eyes

"Ok seriously this project is important and if you could stop being a pessimistic ass and give a shit we could actually plan" I snap at Willow making the entire room go silent and stare at me probably because nobodies ever heard me swear let alone snap like that
"Why are you looking at me like that you're part of the problem right now too Ace" I say and she looks at the floor
"Sorry" she says then everyone else gets back to work
"Alright now are we going to work or do you want to continue arguing with each other while me and Nikayla actually do the work?" I ask the 2 of them
"I want to work" Ace says and I smile which makes her smile
"And you Willow?" Nikayla chimes in
"Screw this" Willow says then just grabs her stuff and walk out

Nikayla is one of the only people in our class who can cry on command which I think is really cool and now that Willow has gone and ace isn't so distracted by her we can actually work
"Are we just writing a script or are we also performing it?" Ace asks mr.moore
"You will write the whole play but only preform the end scene for the class but Uh wheres Willow?" He asks and I shrug
"She kept picking fights and didn't want to be a contributing member when we asked so she just left" I say and he shakes his head disapprovingly
"We're doing just fine though now" ace says and I nod
"We've actually got a strong idea for a plot skeleton" Nikayla says and he smiles
"Then I'll leave you to it I guess" he says before moving on to a different group