Simple As A Song (School of Rock)

four - love me back

THE END OF SUMMER has rolled around as a chilly breeze blows through the school courtyard -- literally. She's standing next to me, a phone pressed against her ear as she waits for the sign from Tomika. Crossing my arms over my chest, I look around the courtyard of the school, watching as the rest of our classmates are walking into the school. Hopefully, they move out of the way since Tomika is coming soon. 

The bell rings loudly, signaling that class is about to start. Summer and I share a look, and she starts talking. "School's about to start. What's your ETA?"

The courtyard has emptied beside Summer and me, which is a good thing because I can hear Tomika rolling through the school capus. I can't hear what Tomika says on the phone, but I bet she's nearly here. Like she can read my mind, Tomika shoots off the top step and glides off of a bench before stopping beside Summer and me. She has a grin on her face as she faces us, and I can feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins. 

Ever since we were little, Tomika has always been more tomboyish than me. I loved dressing up while she loved playing in the dirt. I loved playing house while she loved riding her bike. We usually did the things that the other wanted to do, so it wasn't like I didn't play outside and get dirty and she didn't try dressing up. We were just opposites of each other, and that was okay. The one thing we had in common was singing; we would battle each other, especially in the car heading to our gymnastics practice while Mom and Aunt Milani chatted in the front seat. 

Summer high fives Tomika. "The bell's going to ring again in twenty seconds," she says as she drops her hand to her side. "How are you looking underneath that helmet?"

"It's probably a rat's nest," I remark, and Tomika glares at me. I throw my hands up, giving my cousin a look. "What? You didn't brush your hair this morning, so I'm just saying . . ."

"I'm not worried about it," Tomika says, shaking her head. There's an easy grin on her face. "I got the best pit crew in the business -- well, besides Harlow, of course."

"Please," I say, rolling my eyes, "I'm your only chance at looking good."

She scoffs, and Summer giggles. "Aww, thanks, Tomeeks," she says just as the bell rings. She motions over her shoulder, her light brown, curly hair hanging down her back. Summer is quite like me, dressing up whenever we want to, and I wonder if she would share her secrets about silky-looking hair. "Let's get inside, and then I'll do your hair."

"I thought you said school was starting soon," Tomika says as the three of us head inside. Clark, this weird little guy who claims to be the right-hand man of the principal, is walking up and down the hallway, staring at the three of us with his beady little eyes. "Let's stay out of Clark's way. I really don't want to be questioned by him."

"Does he really have any sway in what Principal Mullins decides?" I whisper as we pass him. The three of us avert our gazes as he walks by us, and I swear I can hear him thinking about the different ways he could tell on us. "Like, does she take his word into consideration?"

Summer shrugs as we stop in front of her locker. She reaches out and tugs Tomika's helmet off of her head, gasping loudly. It seems like Tomika's hair disaster is more important than my question about Clark. She says, "Uh oh. We've got a situation."

Tomika waves her hand through the air while saying, "Don't worry about the hair. There's no time." Summer opens her locker, where a small mirror sits in the bottom corner. Tomika zeroes in on herself in the mirror, her eyes widening. "Oh, boy. Do your thing."

"No sweat," Summer says, setting her backpack on the ground. She pulls a bright pink brush out of it, handing it to me. "We got this. Harlow, you brush her hair while I wet it down to get her pretty curls back."

"Got it."

I start brushing back Tomika's hair, grinning in her face when she sighs. Moving to her back, I tug the brush through her hair while Summer gently spritzes it down, helping the brush to move through her tough locks. However, this all takes a turn when Summer sprays Tomika in the face, making my cousin splutter in disgust. 

Glancing over my shoulder, I see Riley and Freddy walking down the hallway, deep in conversation. I frown slightly when I don't see Zack with them. I thought that the twins would come to school together, but it doesn't look like it right now. Maybe Freddy and Riley had breakfast here together while Zack went to the classroom. I wouldn't know because Summer stopped me from entering the school when I told her I wanted to settle in my seat and catch up on some homework. 

A few days ago, I decided that I wanted to distance myself from Tomika's friends. I thought that was the right thing to do since they were obviously keeping something from me, but it was harder than I realized. Our class isn't that big, and it seems like they're everywhere in the school. While I do want to keep to myself, I can't quite avoid them as much as I'd like to. 

"Oh my gosh, here comes Freddy," Summer says, giggling nervously. She lowers the water spritzer, dropping it into her backpack without taking her gaze away from Freddy. I look over at the boy of Summer's dreams to see him smiling widely at something Riley said, and they're both sporting a warm blush on their cheeks. "I hope he notices me."

"I doubt it," I say, looking back at Summer. A heartbroken look appears on her face, and I realize that I probably shouldn't have said that. "Well, I mean -- "

"Of course, he'll notice you," Tomika says, shooting me a glare. Summer looks between the two of us as I hand her the brush back, satisfied with my work on Tomika's hair. Summer takes the brush and drops it into her backpack, and then she grabs a bottle of hairspray from it. She sprays it onto Tomika's hair, and I'm in the blast zone. As I cough, Tomika continues her speech praising Summer. "You're smart, you're generous, you're great. Just act cool."

My breath gets caught in my throat as the hair spray moves directly into my face. Ducking out of the way, I start to back up, trying to get away from the noxious spray. Unfortunately for me, I end up tripping over my two feet, and I knock into someone behind me. The two of us go down hard, and I land on my backpack, praying I didn't crack my computer. 

"Unlike Harlow," Tomika comments. My eyes flash open, and I see three female figures standing above me. Tomika is grinning down at me while Summer is frowning, and then there is Riley, who can't seem to decide if she wants to smile or frown. "Wow, dude, you're making a new personal record on falling."

"Shut it," I breathe out. The other person on the ground must be Freddy, and part of his arm is resting beneath my back. Rolling off of him, I sit up from my position on the ground, looking his way. He gives me a funny smile before focusing his gaze on Riley behind me. "I'm sorry for knocking you down, Freddy. Someone sprayed me in the face with hairspray."

"It wasn't my fault!" Summer says, her voice raising a pitch. "I was trying to perfect Tomika's hair." She bats her eyes at Freddy. "Also, hi, Freddy."

"Hey, Summer," he says, chuckling softly. He stands up, and I notice that his hair is slightly messed up from our tumble. He doesn't seem to realize how messed up his hair is, and I don't want to be the one who tells him. Freddy sticks his hand out for me to grab, and I do so, allowing him to help me up. "And you're fine, Harlow. I know how crazy Summer and Tomika are."

"Hey!" Tomika says loudly. "I'm not crazy."

"Sure," Riley says, laughing. She takes a spot next to Freddy, which confirms my suspicions. There is something going on between Freddy and Riley, and Summer can't see it through her own obsession. "Remember the time when you held our class on strike against a quiz our old teacher was giving?"

"Duh. I didn't think it was right that she was making us take a quiz when we had taken one a few days prior."

The bell rings one last time before anyone else is able to answer. The five of us look at each other, and then, we sprint down the hallway. Behind us, I hear Clark tapping after us, and that spurs me onward, a grin working its way onto my face. I know, I know, I don't want to be friends with these people, but they're actually not that bad. Maybe, just maybe, if they tell me what's going on, I'll be able to be their friend, too.