The Juniors - The Villains of Valley View

T. ONE / "Solving for X"

CYBER // JOSIE

It was Monday, because of course it was. My life couldn't be anymore complicated, so why not add Mondays to the mix?

It was way too bright for my attitude, but I guess it measured up to Texas standards. Still, this place had a few letdowns. I've yet to see a single tumbleweed since we settled here.

The closest this thing comes to what I pictured in my head is The Round-Up, and I prefer to avoid it since that's where Jaxon has chosen to make his nest.

We walked through the school's doors after getting off the bus and made our way through the halls.

"Do you ever use your locker?" Hartley asked curiously.

I frowned and met Amy's eyes. She rolled her own eyes and simply shook her head. I guess I'd just go with it. I side-eyed Hartley and answered as civilly to the best of my ability. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

"Just checking. People used to leave notes in the lockers of people they like. Nobody does that anymore."

Great. She's still hung up on Jaxon. I sighed and slowly opened my eyes to the girl. "Hartley—"

That's when I felt the hand on my arm. I quickly shut up and let Amy speak. "Wait, you're telling me nobody's left a note in your locker? Me and Josie do it all the time."

I resisted smiling. That would cause this to end too soon. "Yeah, just yesterday Amy circled yes for 'will you go out on a date with me?' !"

"Really?" Hartley asked hopelessly.

Amy smirked. "Nobody from planet Earth does that. I don't think they ever have."

"No, Ames, I'm pretty sure you're the problem. Because I do it all the time. You're telling me you haven't found a single one?" I exclaimed, feigning shock. Then my features slumped into a grin.

We finally approached the subject of this whole conversation, my locker, and I opened it up. Yeah, I've gotten a lot better at it since our first day. Now all I have to worry about is Jaxon using his powers at his games! At least he isn't using them at school...

"I think it's heartwarming. In fact, I'd find it romantic if someone was so interested in me they'd go through all the trouble of-"

I was distracted by a sheet of paper falling out once I got the door open. Hartley was still going on while I ignored her to pick up whatever fell.

Before standing back up, I realized it wasn't a regular assignment or an index card for a class. It was way worse. It was...

A note.

'Josie' the folded sheet read. Oh, she didn't. Unless she's an alien, she wouldn't.

I mentally promised to read it later and stuck it in the back pocket of my baggy jeans.

Then I stood up, grabbed my algebra binder, and shut my locker.

"What do you guys have first?" Hartley asked.

"Algebra," I answered simply, picking up my binder a little to show her. "Ames?" I asked, glancing at my girl— my friend, for the sake of North, as we walked.

"Skipping," she replied with a tight smile. "Care to join me?"

I wish I could say yes... but I do well in my class. And not just because I could upload every bit of data from Desmos to my brain.

"And by that look on your face, I can tell that's a no."

I chuckled lightly, dropping my gaze a little, before looking into her eyes. "It's just that there's a unit test next week. I have to be there so I don't miss anything."