Pieces

"I bet you twenty bucks you won't do it."




I examined the distance between Mrs. Harris and I. I rolled the straw between my fingers. I didn't have the twenty bucks to back out now.




I sighed. Reluctantly, I placed the wad of paper in the end of the straw and put the other end in my mouth.




"C'mon, man. Just do it. She won't even notice."




I turned away from the doorway and gave him a look. "Alright, Jacob, shut up." Jake put his hands in the air and took a step back from me.




Mrs. Harris was standing in front of the class, writing on the chalkboard. Her rather large behind moved with every new word she wrote on the blackboard.




I took a deep breath and blew. The spitball hit her cranberry-colored skirt and stuck, making a few students in the front row giggle.




Jake laughed out loud and gave me a loud clap on the back. Mrs. Harris turned and gave us a look.




"Why are you disrupting my class?" She started toward the door, marching angrily towards us. "This is the third time this week! I have the right mind to writ you boys up!"




"Shit, let's go, Chandler!" Jake grabbed my arm and we ran down the hallway.




I laughed and hit his arm as we sped around the corner. "You owe me twenty bucks, man."
















"...and when I grow up, I hope to become and editor of the Wall Street Journal."




"Very nice, Elizabeth. You may sit down."




The short girl at the front of the room sighed and put her paper on her desk. "As I said before, and just restated in my paper, I prefer Liz." She smiled, flashing her white teeth at him before turning around and rolling her eyes and returning to her seat next to me.




Mr. Tuff checked his paper and looked up at me. "Chandler, you're next."




I sighed and stood up, grabbed my paper, and trudged up to the front of the room. I cleared my throat and looked down at the paper in my hands.




"Hey, my name is Chandler--"




"Hiii, Chandler!" Jake and two more of our teammates laughed at their own outburst, until Mr. Tuff gave them the death glare.




I cleared my throat again. "I'm Chandler McMann, I'm co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and I also play hockey and run. I'm 17 years old and have no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life. My best friends are Jake and Liz, because they have lived in my street since before I can remember. I live at home with my mom and dad, and my dog, Rocco."