Changing Past

Chapter 35: New Feelings

"Okay class turn to page 375 and read until 450. You have 20 minutes to read and another 10 to study for the quiz we will be having at the end of the class. Does anyone have any questions?"

I bit the inside of my cheek as I watched my professor fiddle with his spectacles that were currently on a loop of falling off of his pointy nose.

"Um Professor Calahan do you know who the valedictorian is this year yet? Graduation is on Friday and I'm pretty sure we've all been itching to find out."

The room filled with the sounds of people agreeing and groaning from annoyance of the girl's- Natalie- question.

She was a prissy little thing and she was what most people called the teachers pet or more importantly the over-achiever.

Everyone did there best to avoid her, but she would just show up to places sometimes without you even noticing until you heard her incredibly monotone voice.

All she talked about was how she had a plan to become valedictorian for all of her four years in college which was practically impossible. She had a boyfriend who just happened to be the complete opposite of her. He was on the school's baseball team and was incredibly laid back. I guess opposites really do attract when it comes to those two. Whenever she says something he replies 'yea' 'cool', or 'whatever'. Its kind of funny really. She almost expects herself to become valedictorian and she would probably have a mental breakdown if she was saledictorian because apparently that was a complete disgrace.

People didn't have a problem with her, just her personality. If she would take a few notes from her boyfriend's playbook she would have plenty of friends. She always sat straight up and whenever you saw her I swear she was wearing the same black pantsuit with her light purple button down underneath.

She scolded the people near her that she could see were quote on quote 'dishonoring their families by being rude to the future and first female president'.

I was glad I had sat myself in the back of the room where I usually was to become unnoticed.

I wasn't really the know-it-all type. I just liked to get my work done quietly and efficiently so I could move on to other stuff.

"Yes Ms. Martinez, I do know who the valedictorian and saledictorian are going to be. I was going to tell you at the end of class, but we are already discussing it so why not."

Everyone was either sitting straight up in confidence or slumped down in their seats biting their fingernails praying that it wasn't them.

I personally didn't care either way, because I didn't have stage fright, but I wasn't going to jump for joy at the thought of giving a speech at graduation in front of my entire class.

"Let's start off with our Saledictorian Mr. Brandon Davidson. You have had and kept a 4.3 GPA this entire year and are in the top 7 percent of your class. Congratulations Mr. Davidson."

I heard hoots and hollers from across the room from his friends congratulating him, but my eyes focused on Natalie rolling her eyes at the celebration.

"Ok and for our valedictorian we should all congratulate Ms. Alexis Westbrooke. She has brought up her grades tremendously from the start of the year to currently hold a 4.5 GPA, and you are in the top 5 recent of your class ranking in number 1. Congratulations."

My mouth almost dropped to the floor. I couldn't tell if I was excited or nervous.
People looked around the room for me and when one girl layed eyes on me she pointed and let out a yell. Everyone joined in before I saw Natalie huff and turn around in her seat before she covered her face with her hands.