Ticket to Ride - Luke Ross

Chapter Two: Not So Bad After All

Riiiiing.

Saved by the bell. One class down... five more to go.

I quickly got out of my seat and bent down to pick up my backpack when I heard Luke speak again.

"Hey, uh..." he began as I tossed my backpack onto my shoulder and straightened up, "I was wondering if you'd like to go to the park after school today?"

"The park?" I questioned.

Normally I love the park. But that's when I have my skateboard. And I don't.

"Yeah," Luke nodded his head, "Unless you don't like the park, of course. We could watch a movie back at my place?"

The thought of going to his 'place' so soon was kind of weird to me so I shook my head, "It's okay, the park sounds great."

"Awesome, I'll meet you there after school?" he asked and I nodded.

"Hey, uh, what class do you have next?" he questioned me further.

"Let me check," I said before reaching into my pocket and grabbing a folded piece of paper that held my schedule, "Math."

"Oh, me too! But I have Freshman math," he was excited at first but then not so much.

The boy in front of me from earlier turned around with a grin on his face, "I have sophomore math next!"

"Are you a sophomore?" I asked him, confused because he didn't look like it.

"No, he's an eighth grader," Luke told me, "But apparently when you're super smart you get some higher classes. I still don't get why I'm not in any higher classes."

"That is because you have a brain the size of a teaspoon," Ravi mentioned, "Even Mrs. Kipling has a bigger brain."

Luke frowned and I said a quick goodbye to him before walking with Ravi out of the class.

"So where do you come from?" Ravi questioned with an intrigued look on his face.

Where do I come from? That's an odd way to ask where I moved from.

"Just the Bronx," I told him as we walked through the crowded hallway.

There were so many students and we had barely any room to walk.

"That is quite interesting," Ravi said, "I am from India."

"Oh really? No way," I already could tell he was because of his accent but it was still pretty cool, "Does that mean you can speak Hindi?"

"Nahin, mujhe nahin pata ki hindee kaise bolanee hai."

"Woahhh, what did you say?"

"No, I don't know how to speak Hindi."

I let out a laugh almost like a snort. This kid's sarcasm was hilarious.

"What about you?" he asked, "Do you speak any other languages?"

"I can speak Spanish for the most part," I said, "My Grandma is Latina."

"Ooh, say something in Spanish, por favor por favor por favor!" Ravi said excitedly.

"Okay," I said, "Hola, mi nombre es El y me parece muy atractivo tu hermano."

"What did you say?"

"Oh..." I trailed off, "Nothing."

"Ew, is that new girl hanging out with the geek?" a loud voice said across the hall, "Only losers hang out with losers!"

I looked over to see a large blonde boy pointing at Ravi and I and laughing. I could feel myself steadily getting angry.

"You probably shouldn't walk with me," Ravi said with a down expression on his face, "You'll be bullied."

That is not okay. My hands were clenched in fists by my side and I stopped in my tracks, turned, and walked straight up to the kid.

"Don't you dare make a comment like that again!" I told him sternly, "Ravi is so much cooler than you'll ever be so you just keep your snide remarks to yourself if you don't want a foot up where the sun does not shine."

I turned swiftly on my heel, flipping my hair just enough so that it would smack him right across the face. I walked back over to Ravi who had his jaw dropped in awe.

"If someone is ever rude to you again, you tell me," I told him.

He nodded and we finished our walk to class. I don't know what came over me back there. I've never stood up for someone like that.

Then again, I've never had a friend to stand up for like that before. I guess that means Ravi is my friend? A smile grew on my face. Maybe today wasn't going to be so bad after all.