Just Good Friends

Chapter 57

DIGGY's POV

~A few days later~

Julie didn't show up again for class. I kind of don't care because it's not like we're friends or anything. But after the online rumors about us, I can't say that I wasn't a little concerned about how she'd handle everything. I assume part of the reason she's been skipping class is because of the rumors. She's really been on and off; some days I see her in class or in the hallways and she's perfectly fine, then other days she's like a ghost. I don't really talk to her at all these days but... I can't shake this weird feeling that something's going on. I genuinely hope she's doing okay. Maybe I'll ask Becca if she knows what's up with her. Or maybe Dana knows; we've been talking a bit more, so I'm sure she would tell me something.

Anyway, another school day full of the same ole stuff. To make it worse, our teacher Mrs. Raymond decided to throw a group assignment on us. Yay me. As soon as she announced it, the entire class groaned. Our groups would be made up of the people sitting in the same row going left to right, and there'd be four people in each group. Well, since Julie decided to play hooky for the second time this week, guess who I gotta be in a group with? Sam and Jake.

I glanced at the both of them sitting next to each other, smiling and joking about random stuff like best friends. It's super weird how close they've gotten over the last month. I've been playing on the basketball team with Jake since Freshman year, but we've never been that close. So to see him chop it up with someone that was one of my best friends... man, it's weird.

Regardless of my feelings, I shake the thought off and try to remain focused. No matter how I feel about their relationship, no matter what tension is still between me and Sam, this is strictly business. We gotta complete this assignment just like any other assignment. Ain't no time to fail today just because I feel some typa way.

The assignment was to create a "how-to" on a particular subject or activity, writing the directions in Spanish. We decided on writing directions for a cooking recipe which seemed simple enough. Now we just gotta figure out what kinda recipe we wanna choose.

"Maybe a meal that most people like... something simple," Jake suggests.

"Aight. Any recommendations?" I ask while steadying my pencil above the lines of notebook paper, ready to take notes. I wait for his response.

"Maybe like pizza, or a sandwich..." Jake says with a shrug as he looks to Sam for her opinion.

"A sandwich would be super easy. Let's go with that," Sam says with a shrug.

"Alright... any particular kind of sandwich?" I ask, twiddling my pencil between my fingers.

"PB&J," Sam replies.

Jake chuckles, "Okay, I'm down for a good PB&J sandwich, but that's a little too simple. We have to think of something that people would need to use recipes to make. You don't need a recipe for that."

I nod my head in agreement. "I second that. That's a bit too basic... let's think about other types of sandwiches," I say. As I begin to brainstorm, I hear Sam suck her teeth.

"Man... I was just trying to think of something easy for this assignment so we don't have to work so hard. We're seniors. We deserve to take it easy a bit..." Sam complains as she frowns and rests her chin on the palm of her hand.

I sigh at her logic. "Yeah, well, sometimes the easy way ain't always the right way. I'm not tryna slack for this class or any other, so..." It could've ended there, but of course she always gotta have a comeback.