the moral of the story

chapter three: celebrity in the wild

my parents and i both decide that i'll be taking art classes every saturday morning in the city. i guess it really shouldn't be all that bad, except for having to wake up at seven in the morning and actually having to talk to strangers and have people judge my art. anyway.

i spend the rest of the weekend not really doing anything. i catch up on some homework, mostly. at this point, school is really the only thing i have going for me. not that i'm a fantastic student or anything, but i do put in effort. if i put in effort, then i'll get into a college far enough away from here. besides, it's not like i have anything better to do after school.

when monday comes, i can't be bothered to put in enough effort for my outfit. i settle on a pair of leggings and a large sweatshirt leftover from middle school when i was a cheerleader. considering that it's february and there's a foot of snow on the ground, i shove on a pair of tan boots that i've owned probably since fifth grade. one thing that's nice about being an early bloomer—you never have to buy new shoes.

when i arrive at school, i head straight towards my locker to gather the stuff i need for my first class, which happens to be chemistry. my locker isn't that interesting, considering that school doesn't allow students to personalize lockers (even though most students do end up choosing to). and even if they did, i probably wouldn't take advantage of it. i really just only have school supplies here, and a few leftover posters from my cheering days. but nothing really that entertaining.

right when i shut my locker, i hear the loudspeaker beep. "attention students," the secretary's voice booms, "do not go to first period, there is a mandatory assembly in the gym in ten minutes. i repeat—mandatory. thank you."

that's strange. i scrunch my nose up in confusion. we usually know a week ahead of time if there's an assembly. and trust me, i would know.

i think about skipping, considering that i have some homework i could use some catching up on. but i decide against it. not that people would notice if i was gone, but i have to admit that i'm curious as to why my school would willingly let their students skip out on a class.

the walk to the gym isn't so bad, only a few strange looks and nasty whispers. i wonder, if they'd been there themselves, in my shoes, how they would treat me. maybe they would see how unfairly i was treated by all of them, and realize that ostracizing me isn't the way to go. but of course, they'd probably side with him, because he's so big and important, and not mention, hot.

i take a seat at the very back of the bleachers, up towards the back. all of the cheerleaders and varsity players sit near the front. they're at the top of the food pyramid, of course they have to sit there. smile with their pearly whites and hang onto every single word that the principal says. once upon a time i was one of them. but cassie brooks is now. at one point in my life, i was proud to call her my best friend. now look at her.

"students," the principal announces, standing at the podium like he's jesus christ or something, "i know this assembly might've come as a bit of a shock for you."

you're telling me, i had a quiz that i was ready to ace.

"but i tell you, this is something very, very exciting."

exciting to him is getting the mold cleaned off from the sinks in the bathroom, so hold onto your hats everyone.

"for a long time now, our school has held a high amount of gratitude and excellence, and now it seems like people are finally recognizing that."

oh my god. get to the point already!

"so i guess i should get to the point already. for the next five months. the newest season of the netflix show, tempest, will be filming at our very own school!"