Dear Dakota | Academic Rivalry Story

Fifteen | The Outsiders

N Y L A D Y L A N S

Virtual labs are boring.

And thanks to some random guy who thought it would be funny to blow up a balloon by using the bunsen burner, we aren't allowed to do any for the rest of the quarter.

Dragging and dropping using a mouse to create a chemical reaction is not how I wanted to spend my last hour of school today.

I just want to go home, take a nap, and go to a much more entertaining soccer game.

When the teacher leaves the media center to talk to another teacher, I do a 180 in my rolling chair, observing the books behind me.

The Outsiders is the first book to catch my eye. Ever since I watched the movie I have been obsessed with Sodapop. That shower scene...

I clear my throat and go back to my seat, taking the book with me. I place it in my lap, quickly finishing the lab on the desktop so I can read this book for what feels like the one-hundredth time.

Clicking the turn-in button, I log out of the computer and open my book. I glance up every few times to make sure the teacher doesn't see me as suspicious. Luckily, she would have to walk all the way to the other side of the media center to look at my screen.

She seems too occupied by her laptop to notice anyway.

I get to the second page until the person next to me starts zipping and unzipping his backpack.

"Quit it!" I whisper. "I am trying to read," I say, motioning to the book in my hand.

He takes his headphones out of his ears and then takes the book from my hold. "The Outsiders. Did you read this in seventh grade too?"

I nod. I remember squealing with my school friends whenever the cute greasers popped up on the screen. Man, they even got the boys acting immature. I remember this guy in my class and his friend falling out of his chair and hitting his head right against the file cabinet near him. That is something I will never ever forget.

Back to the shower scene with Sodapop. It is insane how much my class talked about that scene. I swear that image is engraved into my mind at this point.

Also, Ralph Macchio who played Johnny Cade. I just wanted to hug him. He deserves one.

Dakota snaps his fingers in front of my face. "Earth to Nyla. Are you daydreaming again?"

"Again?"

"Well yeah, you kind of zoned off."

"Just thinking about all the cute boys in this book," I say, taking my book back. "Now excuse me and let me read in peace."

And that's exactly what I do for the rest of the class. I read about one-fourth of the book. Purposefully reading slowly so I can savor every moment.

As soon as one person begins to put their things away the domino effect takes place. Everyone follows and starts standing up to leave. The dismissal bell rings in two minutes. I take this chance to check out the book in my hand.

I have no idea what type of confidence I gained from these books but I no longer feel ashamed of holding one of them in my hand as I walk through my high school halls. It makes me want to let everyone know I am more elite than them. Kidding, but that is definitely my mindset.

Somehow finding Dakota in the crowd of students I hold onto the back of his backpack so I don't lose him in the hallway. Once we hit the main dividing area for bus riders and car riders I let go and walk next to him.