Maybe it's Time (a Horse Story)

Chapter 8 - Just Another Day in the Classroom

I ran into maths. Rhiannon was already sitting at her desk opening her pencil case and leaning over to chat with Stephanie and Isabel. I look at her with terror.

"Mr Mayhew?" I tentatively asked. He pushed back his glasses. This was Mr Mayhew's first year teaching a Maths class. He's quite young and very smart.

"Yes Monica?"

"I was wondering if we could please change where we sit today?"

"Why? You're sitting next to Rhiannon and Isabel and Stephanie. You girls are best friends."

I just stared at him. Understanding flashed in his eyes.

"Yeah, okay. Go to your seat." he muttered.

I scurried over to my desk and kept my head down, feeling my face flush scarlet.

"Okay girls, good morning. Kingswood St Matthew's girls need to be versatile, so today we're switching seats!" There was a collective groan from the whole class. I ended up sitting next to Natalie Travis, Sophie Kahn, in front of Rosie McKinnies and behind Abigail Matthews. They all looked at me with dislike. Sophie and Rosie we very high on Rhiannon, Stephanie, Isabel and my 'Don't like' list. No, Rhiannon, Stephanie and Isabel's 'Don't like' list, I mentally corrected myself. I was done with being the mean girl.

Mr Mayhew started talking, but I wasn't listening. I followed the path of a dying fly creeping along my desk, before flicking it out the window. The long groan of a heavy truck sounded, the roar of a Harley Davidson, the putting of an exhaust pipe from an old car. Mr Mayhew came past and a fractions sheet fluttered to my desk. I grabbed a pencil and started working numbly through the problems, not caring whether my answers were right or wrong.

When the bell sounded I picked up my bag and headed to Drama, my head swimming. Rhiannon and I had made a play together and were just finishing it off today. What would I do? Miss Apodaca would not let me sit out. No WAY. She may have grey hair, but that lady was fierce.

I dumped my bag onto the bench and sat down beside it. Natalie sat down next to me, talking adamantly to her best friend Samara and not looking my way.

"Um... Natalie?" I mumbled.

Samara stopped talking and both of them looked at me.

"Uh... yeah?" she asked, clearly confused.

"I'm... really sorry for being mean. Rhiannon and I had a falling out after she tried to sabotage a girl at my pony club and I... anyway, now I've realised how mean I was to you. And Samara. And Rosie. And Lachelle. And... everyone, basically." I blush beet red.

Natalie looks at me blankly.

"Um... thanks?"

I nod and turn my face away, a lump growing in my throat.

Basically, Drama was almost as bad as I thought it was going to be. Rhiannon didn't talk to me as we practised, apart from a snide "You like birdies, don't you?" as my character fed the pigeons outside her window. I blushed and muttered, "Go stuff yourself, Rhiannon." And of course that led to Miss Apodaca sentencing me to writing 100 lines of 'I shall be polite and kind' at lunchtime. I didn't care. What else would I have done at lunch? It wasn't like I had any friends.

Then Miss Apodaca called, "Rhiannon and Monica with 'The Moonlight Bestie' please come up." Okay, the name was weird. Rhiannon's deal was, I write the play, she does the title and plays the main character. I agreed. I always agreed with Rhiannon.

As the play was performed I only looked at Rhiannon when I had to, and when Rhiannon's character saved me by pulling my hand and hugging me, we skipped the hug and she grabbed my blazer instead of my hand and yanked. I winced, feeling at least 10 stitches pop out in the cuff. She smirked before saying her line.

When we were finished Miss Apodaca smiled and congratulated us.

"And, who wrote that play, girls? It was fantastic!"

I was just opening my mouth to explain when Rhiannon opened hers.

"Thanks Miss Apodaca. I wrote it. I went to an art gallery to get my inspiration. The play was great, wasn't it? I guess Monica was really lucky I let her be with me." she smirked.

Miss Apodaca nodded. "And now, Samara and Nata -"

"Wait a sec," I cut her off. "I wrote that play. Rhiannon didn't."

Miss Apodaca frowned. "Rhiannon?" Rhiannon was deep red, but from anger, not embarrassment.

"Um, Monica, don't lie." she said through gritted teeth. I felt myself exhale in frustration, and ran over to the bench where my schoolbag lay. I sorted through the junk and pulled out a tattered exercise book. 'Monica Lenners, Drama, Miss Apodaca's class, Room 6D.' it read. I ran back to where Rhiannon stood and flipped through the pages until I found the one I was looking for. The page was titled 'Rhiannon and Monica's play' but that was crossed out. 'The Moonlight Bestie' was written instead. But underneath that, said 'By Monica.' The play was scrawled across four pages - all in my handwriting, in my book.

"See?" I said.

Miss Apodaca hadn't stopped frowning.

"Rhiannon? Trying to take credit from someone else's work is disgraceful. You will join Monica in detention this lunchtime, writing 100 lines of 'I shall not lie to my teacher.' Alright. Now you can go, Natalie and Samara."