LIGHTS PLEASE, Abby Littman

E I G H T | CHECK x2

CHECK ONE, CHECK OTHER : EP 8

Ginny and Georgia. They had always had a super close relationship. They were closer in almost every aspect. They spent the most time together, they had a lot of things in common, and they even had more intense and heartfelt arguments. Not to say Aspen didn't have a good relationship with her mother but, sometimes it felt like she was just there. But this was different when Zion was in town. It was more Aspen and Zion. Zion did everything he could to spend time with Aspen, whether it was playing stupid video games, taking his motorcycle out for a ride together, or just talking about life in general, they did it all.

Aspen, Ginny, Max, and Hunter were sat in AP lang, stressing about extracurriculars and college. Well more Ginny, Max, and Hunter, Aspen couldn't care less about getting into some top prestigious college.

"Dude, I am so stressed." Max exclaimed accompanied with some dramatic hand gestures. "I have hives in really annoying places. It's not fun. And the thought of volunteering with EDCO on top of homework and school and rehearsal! It's like it makes me want to chop myself up into hamburger meat!"

Aspen stared at the frantic girl in disgust, Ginny stared in longing, and Hunter chuckled and related. "I feel you." Hunter replied. "Between soccer, 3SB, and tutoring, I'm burnt out."

"Shit, you guys are so scheduled." Ginny said. In the moment, she had felt like she was some kind of underachiever. Her friends were doing all these amazing stuff to guarantee them a good future while she had basically nothing going on for her outside of school.

"Not really, just normal." Hunter said, dismissing Ginny's comment.

"Desensitization and it's affects." Aspen muttered. There schedule compared to hers was like a page compared to the whole book.

"It's just stuff you have to do for college, which is pointless anyways since a psychology degree will be useless when the planet implodes in 30 years." Max nonchalantly added.

"Stuff you have to do for college?" Ginny anxiously asked.

"Volunteering in Peru and winning a mock business proposal competition..." Max explained.

Hunter shook his head bashfully. "She's talking about me. I did those things." He said proudly.

"We know." Aspen added again, looking up from her phone and chiming into the conversation.

"What extracurriculars have you done?" Ginny asked Max.

Max dramatically took a big breath and started, "Flute, French, piano, field hockey, basketball, soccer, tap, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, pottery, karate, and theater."

Before Ginny could even reply to Max's unbelievable list of extracurriculars, Mr. Gitten nasally voice interrupted to start class.

"Settle down! Seats, please." Mr. Gitten started. "I have an announcement. We are going to be submitting to the National Junior Pulitzer Essay Contest. The theme is, "Where do you feel you most belong?", I will choose one of you to proceed to the regional competition. It's perfect for college applications."

"Yeah, Maxine?" Mr. Gitten said in response to the curious girl's hand raised.

"What if the only place you ever felt you belong is in a dark room watching The Office?" Maxine asked very seriously. "Do you still have to write the essay?"

"Yes" Mr. Gitten replied.

"Darn it." Aspen jokingly said.

"Anymore Jokes to add Maxine and Aspen, before we can properly start class?" Mr. Gitten asked.