The Same Mistakes Club

Chapter Twenty-Four

I felt like I'd been cut open.  I was exposed.  So I guess it was fitting to be in Bio class, dissecting our pig, when my quiet punk-rock lab partner Kadan said, "Um... Alissa.  There's something, um, I wanted to talk to you about."  He leaned back on the chair and stared at his hands.  "Um, I read about that club of yours in the paper.  Is it true that you can't date anybody if you're in it?"

"Well, yes, but there's more to the Club than that,"  I replied.

For the first time ever, Kadan looked me directly in the eyes.  "You know, not every guy in this school is a jerk."

I was taken aback.  "I don't think..."

He ran his fingers through his swoopy bangs.  "Maybe some of us deserve a chance."

I began to nod slowly.

"You know, it's really hard for a guy to get up the courage to ask a girl out."

I looked down at the table, not sure what to say next.

"I was finally going to do it - and then I read the article.  Now it's useless, because Melany can't even go on a date."

My jaw dropped open, and I turned around to where Melany and her lab partner were reading from the syllabus.

"Don't look!"  Kadan said sharply, sinking down in his seat.

Oh.  My.  God.

Kadan liked Melany!  Why couldn't he have admitted it earlier?

"Just forget I said anything."  He opened up his notebook and started to vigorously write something down.  I peeked over his hunched shoulder and saw that all over the paper were words - most likely lyrics.  I wanted to grab the notebook out of his hands and read it.  I'd noticed him writing things down before - I just thought he was doodling or writing down his band's name over and over again.  Little did I know that he was pouring his heart onto the page.

***

I walked to the cafeteria in a daze.  While I was waiting in line, debating between the pizza and chicken nuggets, I heard that awful high-pitched voice.

"Ohmygod!  How pathetic!"

Katie was standing next to me with a couple of Katie wannabes.

I grabbed a slice of pizza and a bottle of water and headed to the cash register.  She followed closely behind me.

"Guys, ohmygod look, it's Alissa, the girl who kept on making the same mistakes.  Where's your group of followers, Alissa?"  Katie whipped her head from side to side dramatically, looking around the cafeteria.  Then she got in my face, her herd giggling behind her.  "Do you only let pathetic people into your club?"

I rolled my eyes and tried to move around her, but she moved to block me.

"Are you even being serious?"  I asked back.  "What exactly is your problem?"  More people were watching now.

Katie opened her eyes wide, trying to look all innocent.  "Problem?  Moi?  No, no, I just think it's so sad that you kept on making the same mistakes."  The Katie-lites high-fived each other.

"This is ridiculous...."

I tried to turn around, but Katie grabbed my elbow.  "What?  I can't join your club?  Oh, wait - I can't, because guys actually want to date me."

A voice came from behind me.  "You can't join because we only allow people who have an IQ."  Katie dropped her grip, and I turned around and saw Maishely standing there with her arms folded across her chest.  "And, we usually prefer people who have their own sense of self.  Nice top, Katie."  Maishely motioned toward Katie's scoop-neck sweater with a tie at the waist.  "That is so me, two years ago."

I thought that would be it, but then Maishely leaned in to Katie and said, "You can try to be me all you want.  He'll never date you."

If humanly possible, I bet smoke would've come from Katie's ears.  I was enjoying the moment so much I was a little startled when Maishely linked her arm in mine and said, "Let's not waste any more of our time, Alissa."

We got a round of applause when we reached our group of tables.  Maishely curtsied.

"Hey, guys!"  A loud voice silenced the group.  I looked over my shoulder to see Hadassa John-Louise, a senior, with her lunch tray.  She put it down in the small space between me and Margaret.  "Do you mind moving over?"  she said to Margaret.

Margaret shifted over and Hadassa sat down.  "I absolutely loved, LOVED the article, guys.  What's going on?"  Hadassa asked, as if there was something important she was missing.

I shrugged my shoulders.  "Nothing, we were just talking about out days -"

"Anyways, you aren't going to believe what happened to me this morning when I was getting ready for school..."  Hadassa started telling this overly long story that I think had something to do with her pants being wrinkled, but it was getting so drawn out I had to stop paying attention.  I looked around the table and saw everybody looking down.

Pride leaned in to say something to Melany.

"Wait, I'm not finished yet!"  Hadassa exploded.

"Um, actually,"  Maishely said,  "people are allowed to talk amongst themselves at lunch."

A few people at the table laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry.  Guess I'll have to catch up on the rules later.  I just think it's rude to interrupt people."

Hadassa continued to talk for the rest of lunch.  Not surprisingly, most people left early.

"Ugh, Alissa, we seriously need to develop some kind of process to join,"  Margaret said on the way to my locker.  "After the article, more people are going to want to become members, and I don't necessarily think for the right reasons.  You can't seriously think that Hadassa John-Louise is for female bonding.  She just wants a bigger audience for her lame stories."

I hesitated.  "I know she can be annoying, but I think we should at least give her a chance."

"I guess.  Hey - aren't you impressed I didn't yell at her or anything?  I think this Club is mellowing me out!"

I was shaking my head as I retrieved my books for the rest of the afternoon.

"Hey."  Gabriel started to go through his locker.  "That article in the paper was really great."

"Thanks."  This could really only last a day, right?

"So,"  Gabriel leaned against the lockers and started playing with the corner of his Physics book.  "Are we still on for next week?"

"Yeah, why?"  I asked him.

"Oh, nothing...."  He put his hand on my shoulder and I felt a jolt of electricity.  "Since you're technically a celebrity now, you might need some security."  He held out his arm.  "May I escort you to your next class?"

I hesitantly began to reach for his arm.  My nerves were completely on edge.

"Jesus Christ, you have got to be kidding me,"  Jacob said as he approached Gabriel.  "Don't start encouraging Susan B. Anthony."

Gabriel dropped his arm.  "Jake -"

"Whatever, Gabriel.  Are we going to class or not?"  Jacob wouldn't even look in my direction.  Before Gabriel could say anything, I told him that I had to go and headed down the hallway.

"Oh, Alissa, you keep on making the same mistakes with the boys?"  I heard a voice - not Jacob's - call out from behind me, along with laughter.  I just stared down at the floor, wanting to get to class as quickly as possible.

I continued to hear laughter and my name as I walked down the hall.