The Matchmakers

Chapter Two: Don't Dull My Glimmer

As the bell rang for third period, I felt myself growing impatient with the day. With Valentine's Day tomorrow I had no reason to smile. I peeled off my top and reached for my t-shirt as girls chatted away in slight whispers about the wonders of the upcoming lovey-dovey holiday. Altogether, it sounded like the girls locker room had been replaced with a very loud rattlesnake.
    "This is sickening." I grumble.
    "Calm down, Snarles McGee. You don't have to do anything for Valentine's Day if you don't want to." Van said, stomping her foot on the bench to secure her sneaker. She bent down to tie her shoe and said, "Besides, what's the big deal anyway? It's not even a real holiday, it's just a time for people to have some fun."
    "Fun?" I snap, slamming the locker shut. I turned around, leaning my back against the locker. "Oh yeah, when I walk down the hallway, it's so fun to hear, "Girl, I know I've never noticed you before, but the truth is I love you, here's some chocolate, please be mine,' every two seconds."
    "No one says that." Van protested with a sigh. Even from the back of her head I could sense the eye roll.
    "-and then he gave me these chocolates and asked me out. We are going to the movies tomorrow." I overheard a girl, Katy, I believe her name was, brag to her friends. The girls swooned, screeching and whispering to each other in excitement of the new gossip.
    I turned to Van and gestured towards Katy with my hand, raising my eyebrows as if to say, see?
    Van's face fell in surprise. "Huh. Well would you look at that. That does work."
    "Yeah, on desperate girls who can't be single to save their lives." I said, stomping out of the locker room and towards the gym. Van skipped beside me, a hidden smile on her face.
    "What are you so happy about?" I asked.
    That snapped Van out of her trance. "Huh? Oh, nothing. Just a nice day I guess."
    "Mmhmm." I said.
    "Shut up. Just 'cause you don't like Valentine's Day doesn't mean I can't enjoy it." Van said.
    I wanted to ask what she meant but Luke came up behind us, guiding us into the gym.
    "Why does gym have to be a thing, huh? Why do they care about how fit we are? Why are we being judged on our physical form? I say it's a violation of the US Constitution. People have a right to be fat!" Luke ranted.
    "Zip it, Carney, or you'll have to explain to the class why you made them do extra push ups." Coach Lindsay said, bounding past them and standing in front of the class. "Now take a seat before you get on my last nerve."
    Luke obeyed followed by Van and I. Coach spoke up, her deep voice echoing throughout the gym.
    "Today we are going to test your coordination skills. A test of rhythm, strength, aim, and being a team player." Lindsay said.
    "So, basketball?" Owen Tucker said.
    "Yes, smart alec, basketball." Coach roared. "I would think you'd all know the rules by now, so break up into teams, I'll be the referee. Nelson and Oliver are team captains."
    The two wrestlers hollered and bounded towards the front of the class. They smirked at each other, like dog catchers planning to imprison a puppy. The two turned back to the class. Nelson spoke first. The two called out names back and forth until we were the only ones left, along with a smelly kid named Blint, who seemed to have a strange appetite for whatever he found in his face.
"I want Barney." He said, crossing his arms, glaring in my direction.
It took me a second to figure out it wasn't me he was talking to. It was Luke.
I nudged Luke on the shoulder, who was spaced out. He flinched and the whole class laughed. His ears went red at the sight of all eyes on him.
"What?" Luke hissed.
"C'mon, Puke, get up there." A kid shouted.
Proudly, Luke stood up, pulled down his shirt, and stomped up to the front near Nelson. He stopped, looking eye to eye with the wrestler. "It's Carney."
"No one cares." Nelson spat back.
Luke shot me a look before walking behind Nelson. Oliver spoke up.
"I want Blint." He grumbled.
"Yeah!" Blint screamed, running up to Oliver and the two did a manly chest bump.
"What's the big deal? It's just a game." Van said.
I just shrugged.
"I want Fiesty." Nelson said, pointing at Van.
"Uh no no!" Van snapped. "My name is Wonder. Last name Woman. Maybe you've heard of me."
"Maybe." Nelson said.
"Game on. I'm about to leave these suckers in the dust. Whoo!" Van said, high fiving a boy next to her. He chuckled.
"Just a game, huh?" I said.
Oliver sighed. "I'll take Hudson."
"No, duh." I said under my breath.

                    ****
Coach blew the whistle and the game started immediately. The preppy girls stood on the sidelines, whispering about the players. I, being a good human being, tried to stay as calm as possible as I hoped I wouldn't kill anyone who trampled me.
"Move it, blondie." Owen said as he whizzed past me. Stepping on my foot, he caught the ball and swiftly maneuvered it into the hoop.
I cursed. Van caught the ball and froze. She threw it to Luke, who dribbled down court. Nelson swiped it from him and knocked Luke down. Even from the other side of the room, I heard Luke hit the ground with a thud.
Van yelped Luke's name as we both bounded towards him.
"You can't do that!" Luke shouted. "Foul!" He said, turning towards Coach.
Coach just shrugged and the game proceeded.
"Too bad for you, Barney." Nelson said.
Luke put his head back down on the ground, swiping a hand through his damp hair. We helped him up slowly.
"You okay?" I asked, pulling him off the court.
"Yep. Fine. They won't dull my glimmer." He said with a small smile.
"Don't you mean sparkle?" Van asked.
"What?" Luke asked.
"The expression is, 'I won't let them dull my sparkle.'" Van said.
"Honey. No one sparkles. Except for Edward." Luke said, rubbing his eyes.
"But you glimmer?" Van asked.
"I glimmer." Luke agreed.
"Glimmer." Van said again, as if she was trying out the sound on her tongue.
"Yes. I GLIMMER!" Luke shouted into her ear. Van pulled back and Luke laughed.
Before we knew it, the bell rang for last period.
Ugh, I thought.
I hate gym but you know what I hate even more?
Math class.