The Student

Chapter 20

I am so hungry my stomach is growling profusely. I pray no one heard that.

"Toni!" hollered Vin from where Casey, Jessica and Sara were sitting. I marched over to them trying to shush my tummy at the same time. I take a seat between Jessica and Vin and immediately chow down on my turkey and salami sandwich.

"A little hungry?" asked Vin.

"I ran eight laps during P.E." I manage to reply through a mouthful of food.

"Are you trying kill yourself? Don't tell me you're trying to lose weight for the dance. Nia, you're perfect, you don't need to lose an ounce" Vin tells me with a stern look on his face. I can feel the heat creeping up my neck to my face. I hate blushing.

"Vin! I am not doing some crazy diet okay? I just had a lot of steam to blow off and I accomplished that."

"Good for you" says Jessica. "I can barely handle completing our monthly mile run. Oh! I almost forgot. The girls, Vin and I will be picking you up at 10am tomorrow to go shopping for the dance. We seriously need yours and Casey's assistance with this steampunk fashion."

I think Jessica is trying to kill me. I never get up before 10am on a saturday morning. With my usual routine of vegging out in front of the TV while I eat my Cocoa Puffs, and then taking a shower and checking my social media for news on my favorite authors before I do something with my hair and minimal makeup, I going to have to be up by 8am. I am so dreading this. "Can't we do noon and go for lunch and then shopping?" i plead.

"Antonia Love Edwards! You need to quit being so lazy. We're getting started early because I have plans for us that evening. So, I will see you at 10am tomorrow morning. Understood?" Jessica can be so militant sometimes. She gets it from her grandfather, who was a Vietnam war veteran.

"Yes ma'am!" I salute her and she rolls her eyes at me.

"So, who are you going to the dance with Jessica?" asks Sara, trying to change the subject.

Jessica sighs, "I don't know. I really want to ask Zach Anderson."

"The co-captain of the soccer team?" queries Casey.

"Yeah, but I think he's already asked one of the barbies." Jessica replies with a solemn face.

"Well, I can see if Gideon's stepbrother will take you" Sara offers.

"Gideon has a stepbrother? What grade is he in? I cannot be seen with a freshman at homecoming."

Sara giggles, "He doesn't go to school. He's four years older than us. His name is Jonathan Cross. He owns his own company and is very successful."

"I don't know, I don't think my mom would be very keen on me going with an older man."

"Well, what about Darien Tsukino? He's our grade and not too bad on the eyes either. He's also up against Toni for valedictorian." suggests Casey.

"That's perfect! He's perfect! My mom wouldn't care if I come home late if I'm with him. She knows his family and will trust us to be responsible." Jessica looks proud of herself, like she came up with the idea.

"Now you just have to get him to ask you." I point out.

"Why should I have to wait? We live in a new era where a woman doesn't have to depend on a man for everything." Jessica then gets up and marches off.

"Where is she going?" I ask.

"Oh no" says Casey.

"What?" asks Vin.

"She's going to publicly ask Darien to the dance." Sara informs us.

This I have to watch. Jessica hasn't done any thing this bold since eighth grade, when she kissed a boy on the cheek. I pulled out my phone and began video recording the whole scene. I watch as Jessica climbs on top of the table next to where Darien and his friends are sitting. She puts her hands up on her hips and shouts, "Excuse me everyone! Quiet please!" I look over at Darien and he's staring at Jessica with a huge smirk on his face. It won't be there for long.

"Darien Tsukino, will you do me the honor of escorting me to the homecoming dance?" Darien's face turns from a grin to a beet red countenance of embarrassment, and I have the whole thing captured on my phone. It's priceless.

Darien soon gains his composure and stands up to help Jessica down from the table, and tells her that he would be delighted to be her date for homecoming. Jessica squeels and jumps up and down and wraps her arms around Darien causing his face to turn red all over again. Once Jessica gained her composure, she headed back over towards us, but before she could say a word the bell rang.

"I'll talk to you guys after school." I say as I waved goodbye to my friends.

Biology is super relaxed today. We have our final exam on mitosis. This topic was so interesting that I finished my test in twenty minutes, which I think is a record for me. My teacher is pretty cool. If we finish our tests early, we're allowed to be on our phones as long as the ringer is off and we don't make or accept any phone calls. I check my social media. I have 10 notifications. They consist of a couple birthdays, dance announcements and that Vin is in a relationship! Well they moved fast. I click on Vin's page to see that it's not Casey he in a relationship with, but some girl named Marissa Meyers. Who is she? How can they be in a relationship? Vin has some questions to answer this afternoon. The bell rings and I'm off to my last class of the day.

I walk into class and Princey gives me this weird grin. He can be so creepy sometimes. I think he might be bi-polar. I take my seat in front of the weirdo and pray that he won't send me anymore notes. The teacher announces that we'll be having a pop quiz today. The entire class groans except for me. I studied last night. I have this weird knack for being able to tell when the teachers are going to schedule a pop quiz. I have never been caught off guard. I finish my test quicker than my biology test. I go to hand it in and as I turn around I walk straight into Princey.

"Watch where you're going" Princey says rudely. I just walk around him and head straight for my seat. Shortly after he takes his seat, a piece of folded paper lands on my desk. Great, another note.

Nerd,

I didn't know you were raised by wolves. What happened to your manners back there?

-Wes

Ugh. He is so annoying. I know I should have apologized for running into him, but part of me felt he deserved it. I crumple up his note and took to the garbage. As I headed back to my seat I saw Princey writing another note for me. Sure enough, as soon as I sit down, he tosses the note on my desk.

Nerd,

Are you okay?

-Wes

Wes,

I'm fine. Leave me alone.

-Toni

I don't know why I'm being so mean to him, but he is just getting under my skin today. It's probably because he's the one who nominated me for homecoming princess. At least, I think he is. He never came out and admitted it. I can't think of who else would do such a horrible thing. I don't get anymore notes from Princey, and the bell finally rings. I cannot wait to go home and go to bed, especially since I have to get up early.

During dance commitee we went over all the final details. The last thing we had to work on was getting chaperones for the dance. None of us wanted to ask our parents, so we decided that we'll try coherse the teachers and counselors for the job. We also decide that whoever does chaperone should get a little 'thank you' care package. After all is said and done, Vin gives me a ride home. I know I need to talk to him about this Marissa chick, but I don't have the energy right now. I get in my house, rush upstairs and plop my self, face first, onto my bed. I end up sleeping straight through until the next morning.