Welcome to Oceanside High: Revenge of the Bully

Chapter 10

It's not until Wednesday after school when I get to hang out with Annabelle while Carlos has soccer practice. I know Travis is there. A part of me wants to convince her to go and watch, not like it would take much convincing, but it would give me the perfect reason to watch Travis without pretending like I'm not. But at the same time I haven't spent much time with Annabelle lately.

"You want to head to the mall?" I ask her before we even pull out of the school parking lot.

"Can we swing by Putt'N 'Round?"

"What? You seriously want us to play putt-putt golf so I can destroy you? Right now?"

She laughs. "No. You would not destroy me. Last time we totally almost tied. It's just...I need a job."

"Tied? Stop the lies. But wait, let's get back to talking about this job...you want to work now? But I thought the summer after high school we would have fun before college in the fall."

"Yeah, yeah. I know, but I need the money. Mom and I aren't really getting by with her measly checks from working as a hotel maid, for two different hotels. She works a lot. I know we're always saying that corporate America is a green, oozing mass of slime, and packed with grimy bags of scum. Honestly, I'm tired of Carlos always paying the tab when we go out. I can tell he doesn't like being the one to pay all the time too. His dad only owns a mechanic shop. They're not rich."

"You'll do that for him? By the way...you two don't have to always go out." I think of the beach and how it—if I can call it a date—was the best date ever.

"It's for me too," she says with a shrug. She looks at me while we circle around the Wendy's parking lot and swing in to the back lot of the putting grounds of Putt'N 'Round. She parks and instead of getting out she cranks the A/C up and looks at me. "What about you? You want me to grab you an application too?"

I hold my breath while I think. "Um."

"Damn, don't think too hard."

"Just thinking about boxing practice." I say, also thinking about Travis.

"I'm sure they'll—wait you know what. I'll put one in for you too."

"Oh thanks, I guess but I doubt they'll want me just like three nights a week."

She swings her door open and gets out. "Don't forget you're free most weekends too!" and slams the door.

I hate it when Annabelle tries to drag me into something she wants to do. I sit with my arms crossed in front of me and wait for her to come back out. It's not like I have to even turn the application in. Twenty minutes go by when she finally comes out. But I don't see any papers. She's empty-handed.

"What's up?" I ask when she gets in the car.

"I filled them out. And slipped them right into the grimy manager's hands. I told them I wouldn't leave until I saw the manager! He's a sight for sore eyes with that comb-over. It took a while but when he popped in to finally see me I made sure they landed right into his cold, corporate-calculating-hands."

"Them? You mean my application too?"

"Yup. Filled them both out, one for you and one for me too. You don't think I'd forget my best friend, do you?"

I roll my eyes. "Okay then." Not like I need to take the job. But now that she'd actually did it and the wheels were turning I started to think that maybe it's not such a bad idea after all. Working, boxing practice, and school would keep me so busy that I wouldn't have to face up to the fact that Travis wants more of my time to get to know me. Which means at some point everyone would have to know all about us.