Anything For You

7: Fate and Friends

-Natalie's POV-

I ran into class with two minutes to the bell. Everyone else was already there. I walked to my desk, taking a seat besides Castor. Cara flashed me a thumbs up. I returned the grin.

Miss Andrews rang the stupid bell. She stood up from the 'desk' she sat at.

"Alright class, today we are going to be talking about books." Cara flashed me a smile of pure delight. I sat up straighter. Everyone else groaned and slumped down. "Why, Jackson, what's the matter?"

"I can't read," he muttered. Cara looked at me with a disbelieving face. I shrugged.

"What? I've seen you read before."

"Busted," Ricardo muttered to Jackson. Jaydah rolled her eyes.

"Any other problems?"

"Do we have to read the books?"

"If you haven't already read them. Now, let's begin. The first book we are talking about is called Lead Me Through Egypt. Has anyone read this book?"

I expected Cara, Castor and I to be the only ones. Castor and I read it during our book marathon one summer. And Cara had really just read every book in the world.

But we weren't the only ones. Bria hesitantly raised her hand. Jackson looked at her in shock.

"I've read it, Miss Andrews."

"Good. Now, we shall proceed to talk about this book, for those who haven't read it yet. Perhaps get them interested in a new subject. Would any of you like to come up and talk about it?" I raised my hand. So did Cara. "Cara. Come up."

Cara stood, and walked to the head of the class of seven.

"So, Lead Me Through Egypt is one of my favorite books. The story bounces back between Teos and Sairih, two neighbors. Their village is in the process of being destroyed by a freak storm. The locals reckon that the storm was sent by the gods, and that the village has done something bad. Teos is charged with protecting Sairih. He says he will. The two of them hide in the ruins of the ziggurat, where they are trapped. When both Sairih and Teos get a beating from the ziggurat collapsing, Teos digs them out, and together, they make their way across Egypt. Their parents and some of their friends survive. But they believe Sairih and Teos dead, so they don't look for them.

"Remember, there were still slave traders in Egypt at this time. While looking for their parents, slavers capture Sairih. Teos tried to save her, but it's six against one. When Sairih disappears, Teos vows to get her back.

"And then the book ends. The second book in the Sands of Sadness Cycle is When The Sun Sets."

Cara finished speaking, and took her seat. There was silence.

I began clapping. Cara looked over at me, startled. "It was good," I whisper. She beams.

"Thanks," she whispers back. Castor joined in clapping. Then Ms Andrews. Then Bria, and Jaydah. Leo clapped unenthusiastically. Jackson sat there, motionless. Ricardo frowned. Bria nudged him. He looked up, startled. He began to clap slowly.

Then Miss Andrews' phone went off.

She grabbed it, and checked the text. Her eyes widened.

"Class dismissed," she said. Then she began to pack.

Everyone sat there, stunned. Then Leo jumped out of his seat, slipped a notebook into his bag, and ran off. Wait. Was that...

"My notebook," I whispered. I grabbed my bag, and chased after Leo. He had stolen my important notebook, the one with the plans for the planetarium presentation. If it was the other one I could have ignored it.