“Alright class, there is only 10 minutes of the exam left. Answer your final questions and review all work,” Mr. Hannigan says, tapping his pencil on his desk in the front of the classroom. I bite the eraser of my Ticonderoga pencil, allowing the pink shavings to fall onto my paper. “Is the answer A? Or is it B?’ this damn test is so frustrating. Luckily, it is the last test before break. And if things go my way, the last test I’ll ever take in this high school. I stare at the clock. 5 minutes remain, and I have 3 questions left. I scribble in the “A” circle on the scan tron.
“This better be right,” I mumble, causing the girl next to me to raise her index finger to her polished lips. I roll my eyes, and blow a stray piece of hair from my face.
“Time is up class!” Mr. Hannigan announces. Great- I had left two answers blank. Without reading the questions, I quickly fill in two more empty bubbles in each row. But with my luck, neither will be right. I hand in the test at the front of the room, and turn to walk back to my desk. “Ms. Ennis,” Mr. Hannigan calls. I return to my desk and pick up my purse.
“Yes?” I ask, honestly no caring AT ALL what he has to say.
“Name,” He says, holding my test in the air.
I take my test and mumble a quick thanks, then dart to my locker. The final bell had rung, but it felt as if the day had only begun. And that’s because- it had. I glance at my empty locker. The majority of the text books had been returned weeks ago, and my notebooks full of pointless doodles and the chicken scratch I call notes- I’m no pyromaniac but- I may have had a bonfire with them. Oops.
“Janette!” Misty says, running towards me in her 4 inch stilettos. She slipped on a stray piece of paper, quickly stands back up and runs toward me and my now empty locker. “You will never guess what is happening!” She grips my shoulders with her boney fingers and shake me back and forth.
“What is it Misty?” I ask, grabbing her hands with mine and freeing myself from her grip.
“Boys, Singing, and Dancing. What do all of these things mean to you?” she asks, her bright blue eyes piercing my skin.
“Pointless human interaction?” I say, jokingly of course. Misty however, standing 5 foot 3 with a short blonde bob cut doesn’t take it so lightly.
“Come on Janette! It will be great! We can meet some new guys, have some fun before you leave!” she says gazing at the ceiling.
“Thanks for the invite Misty,” I say shutting my locker and pulling my messenger bag over my shoulder. “But I have packing to do.”
Misty gives me a blank stare. “Janette, let’s be honest with each other alright?” She twirls a strand of her hair with her finger. “You are always telling me how little you own. Not to be rude, but I don’t think you have that much packing to do.”
I stare at the floor for a moment, kicking the dust and bits of paper around. “Well that’s one way to put it,” I say, finally making eye contact. Misty holds and unchanging expression.
I stare at the floor for a moment, kicking the dust and bits of paper around. “Well that’s one way to put it,” I say, finally making eye contact. Misty holds and unchanging expression.
“So will you come?” she asks, taking a small piece of paper out of her back pocket. “Got a pen?”
I scramble through my bag, looking for a pencil. I now realize I had used almost all of them for kindling at that ‘bonfire’. I dig to the bottom of my abysmal bag, and find one laying there. “Here,” I say, handing her the pencil. She takes it from my hand and leans against the surface of my locker.
“It’s at 32 Waterman Ave. It starts at 7:30, so come on down!” She exclaims, her face more enthusiastic than ever before. ‘Come on down’? What am I? The next contestant on the Price Is Right?
“I’ll think about it,” I add, grabbing the slip of paper and my last remaining pencil from her petite hand. I fold up the paper and put it into my front pocket. Misty walks away, towards the front door of the school.
“The buses are leaving in 5 minutes, seniors with spaces in the parking lot MUST be out before 2:30, there is a board meeting tonight,” The announcement blasts through the loudspeaker. Get my car out of the lot by 2:30? If I could have, I would’ve been out of her much sooner than that.
I run to the bathroom before I leave, just to check my hair and makeup. I’m not going to lie, I’m not one of those girls that ‘doesn’t wear any makeup’ but I don’t have it caked on my face like a clown either. A little bit of bronzer here and there, a light eye shadow and maybe some mascara. My hip length auburn hair is pulled up in a top knot, done by yours truly. It has stayed all day, even though PE was rough. My bag falls down to the floor, and a few loose papers fall. I sign and pick them up. As I bend, my jean pocket rips. I can’t win today. The little piece of paper Misty gave me falls out, onto the bathroom floor. Then I hear a toilet flush.
“I’ll help you with that,” She says, emerging from the stall. She wears an oversized sweater and brown leggings her brown hair is curly, and hangs by her sides. She bends down and grabs the piece of paper with the address of the party. “What is this?” She asks examining the paper. Who are you? Sherlock Jones? I smirk, and let it transform into a smile.
“It’s the address for a party tonight,” I say, taking the small piece of paper from her hand.
“Oh! I’m invited to that too!” The brunette says, smiling ear to ear. “There is a band playing there! Apparently it’s like a going away party for some senior that’s moving to England.”
“That sounds nice,” I say, pondering the mystery girl moving to England. Oh gosh does she sound familiar. I wonder why… oh that’s right. It’s because that ‘mystery girl’ is me. I’m moving to England. And I can’t wait. But why would I have a going away party? Who would hire me a band to play? Which band was playing? All of these questions dance around in my head, bouncing from front to back- side to side.
“Are you going to be there?” The girl asks, standing straight up and adjusting her bag.
“I think so,” I smirk. Even if the party isn’t for me, maybe the girl and I will be moving to the same area. Maybe I will already have a friend.
