Pen Pals (EDITING,, READ DESCRIPTION)

Prologue

"Listen up, class." My tired English teacher exclaimed from the front of the big class, her hair looking flat compared to it's usual bounce and her eyes dull, but still making the effort for her already bored class. The class contained a portion of energetic students that where starting year 9 this year along with me, Jodi Potters, the slightly smart, chubby kid in the corner of the class, with only a handful of friends and not very many talents or aspirations. To say I was popular or one of the 'it' girls with blonde hair, a thigh gap and every piece of designer clothing on the market was an overstatement. Instead, I was the complete polar opposite to that, and I can't stress that enough.

"This year the school has let us choose what we do as a project, so I've changed our lesson plan up a bit to fit in with my idea!" She said, causing a few people to perk their heads up eagerly at the idea of a project that wasn't all work and no fun, however few people to moan because they where just 'too cool for school' or however they would have put it.

"The basic run down of the project is Letters." She said, handing out paper for the rest of our lesson at the same time. "I want you to choose an idol of yours and send them a letter. Introduce yourself, give them some facts and ask them some questions. Anything you want." She handed me a piece of paper and headed back to her desk, smiling to herself at her idea and how most of our class now looked like they where going to get involved with something.

"And you are going to see if you can keep up contact with them, tell them about yourself and learn stuff about them." She finished, writing the homework of 'letter writing' on the white board.

"Any questions?" She asked, and a chorus of hands shot up, including Michael Meadows hand, the short, angry, know it all who was always looking and picking a fight with anyone and everyone. Thankfully I'd managed to stay out of his way for most of secondary school but he still terrified me sometimes. Just sometimes.

"Yes Michael?" The teacher said, sounding aggravated at his attempts to join in with the class for once although she should've welcomed his attempt at using the education he'd been given.

"Like pen pals?" He said, simply. The teacher nodded her head, smiling at his words and contribution, albeit small. She then proceeded to rub out her original 'letter writing' homework on the board and writing 'Pen Pals Project' instead, making it sound more interesting than it already was, in my slightly invalid opinion to the eyes of the rest of my class.

"What if they don't write back?" Another kid asked, which perked my interest, because there was no way any of my idols would ever reply to me; a small secondary school kid who they'd probably see as a threat or another crazed fan from the cold land of Britain.

"Well, it will just be a shame. If your chosen celebrity doesn't write back then I'll let you chose another one, but if no one replies then we'll just have to give up." She said, sighing at the painfully realistic idea of her beloved project not working. I then slumped back in my chair, which was situated in the middle row of the class, on the edge near the wall that had English posters littered over it, and on the same side as the door. I rested my chin on my hand as my elbow propped me up, allowing me to think.

But you see, thinking about this was something I definitely didn't have to do. I already knew who I wanted to write to, and I wasn't one to change my mind. Instead, I was going to cross my fingers, toes and eyes in hopes of him writing back.

The rest of the lesson and the proceeding one after that seemed to drag on forever, which wasn't surprising as that's what secondary school usually did, and lunch couldn't have come soon enough. I walked my way to the lunch hall quickly with the aim of buying a sandwich, drink and a snack with my spare change I had managed to find in my rushed morning state before the rest of the school piled into the cramped cafeteria. Then I rushed once more to the edge of the field, where my small group of friends sat with their various lunches packed into tight bags and boxes, and squashed in a small circle so to avoid the hoards of sixth formers and year 11's that play football (not very well, though) on the field at lunch.

"Hey Jodi." I heard a few of them say, acknowledging me as I took my place in the circle with my friends.

"Are you doing the pen pals project in your English classes?" I said, getting straight to the point with them, because I had n one else to talk to about it and none of them where in my class.

"English Lang?" I nodded in reply to the question. "no, we're just doing a bunch of book analysis projects and some poetry crap that our teacher hasn't announced yet." One of my friends said, Leah, who spoke on behalf of her and another girl, May, who was rushing out late homework at that point and simply nodded her head in agreement, not even seeming like she knew the question.

"What about you guys?" I looked over to the three other friends in my group, Jordan, a tall, gay guy who was happy 24/7 and probably on some kind of drug. Ryan, who never failed to make anyone laugh even though he very rarely spoke. And Jade, who was possibly one of my best friends and I'd known since god knows when. But although the three of them looked intrigued, they all shook their heads no and shrugged their shoulders simultaneously.

"No, what is it?" Jordan asked, smiling and leaning back on his arm, looking just as camp and flawless as he always managed to be.

"My class where set a project to write to an idol, and try and maintain some kind of pen pal friendship with them.... It's actually pretty cool and it's going to last all year." I explained, smirking and nodding my head because I actually really liked the idea of it and I was sure I was going to enjoy it very much.

"No way, who are you going to send your letter to?" Jade asked, seemingly intrigued by my class project whisky others split of into some other conversation about Pringles and which flavour is better.

"Tony Perry." I said confidently, watching as various people around our small circle of friends turned their heads and nodded, then going back into their conversation. I wasn't one for speaking too much, so whilst they started talking about god knows what anymore, I got my lunch out and couldn't rid myself of the infectious smile on my face.

This was going to be great, and nothing would stop me. Not one thing.