Make My Way

Chapter Twenty-Five

Aria's POV

School. School. School. That's what ruled my life, standing just above dance. First period: band. I stepped into the classroom and grabbed my French horn before sitting down. Then, I saw the big letters scrawled across the whiteboard. 'Study Hall Today.' I groaned in annoyance, since I had already set up but was overall happy that we didn't have to play.

I sat down next to Stella and looked around the room. Josh was sitting directly behind us, trying to actually get his math homework done for once. Next to him was his backpack. He had had that bag since the beginning of fifth grade and, now that he was a senior, it was falling to pieces. There was a huge hole along the zipper so that zipping it up would do absolutely nothing. Not that he could zip it anyway; the zipper had broken off years ago. Josh's goal was to see how long he could make that bag last. He was hoping he could make it through senior year.

No one knew for sure why he lived that shredded bag so much, but no one really questioned it anymore. Josh's emotions were a little all over the place, too. One day, he'd go up to Stella and creepily whisper, "I love you," or "You're hot," into her ear, and the next he'll be calling her a dick and many other unpleasant names. He came up behind me in the hallway one day and out of the blue, he wrapped his arms around my head and shoulders, and pulled me into an awkward hug with my head testing against his uncomfortably boney chest.

This particular day, he wasn't as bipolar as usual, but instead, he just stared at me, then Stella, and then at Lila, who had just sat down next to me. "I like blue eyes. And blonde hair too." We all gave him a confused stare before he made another odd comment. "All three of you have blonde hair and blue eyes," he stated, abstractly.

I laughed and turned to the others who smiled. I talked with some other people for a while before the bell rang and everyone gathered their things. Josh picked up his bag and stuffed his books in. I couldn't help smiling as he swung the flimsy sack onto his shoulder and the contents threatened to spill out.

As he approached the doorway, he spun around to face me and stared me dead in the eye for a solid thirty seconds before continuing on his way. I don't think I'll ever understand Josh, no one ever will, but everyone loves him anyway.

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The next few periods and lunch all blended together and into the afternoon until my seventh period math class. I was walking to the classroom when I saw a poster outside of the drama teacher's room. "AUDITIONS FOR INTO THE WOODS TOMORROW AT 7." I squealed in excitement and ran to class.

I had already guessed that the play would be 'Into the Woods' but the fact that auditions were tomorrow made it better. I didn't care who I was, but I was still hoping for a lead. I knew Stella wanted Little Red Riding Hood really badly, but she would also gladly accept Cinderella, the Witch, the Stepmother or the Baker's Wife.

I walked into math and remembered that the teacher wasn't there and that we had a sub. In other words, we wouldn't actually be do my math. The volleyball team was also gone, leaving me to be the only girl on my already small class. Now, it was just me, Easton, Adrian, and another boy from my class. I sighed and sat down in my spot behind Adrian. Easton was behind me because the teacher had to separate him and Adrian because they talked too much.

A blonde woman who looked to be in her upper thirties peaked her head into the room. "Hi, I'm supposed to be subbing for your class, but I'm also subbing for the class next door. I trust that since this is an older, smaller class, that you'll be okay if I just peak in every class once in a while?" We all nodded, assuring her we'd be fine. Be fore she left, she stared Adrian in the eye and said firmly, "Don't by eat any Taco Johns out of the garbage again." With that, she turned and strutted down the hall.

I turned to Adrian, who had burst out laughing, and gave him a confused look. He just looked at me and shrugged. "It was still good."

I shook my head and laughed softly before setting my math book on my desk, opening it, and took out my phone. I tapped on Snapchat and sent an extremely unattractive picture of Adrian to Stella. I knew she probably wouldn't respond right away, but I didn't really care.

Adrian and Easton had taken out their phones too. Adrian leaned back and rested his head on my desk. He looked at what o was doing before turning his whole body to face me. He held out his phone. On the screen was his snapchat account info. "Here," was all he said. I shook my head and he, Easton and I exchanged contacts.

We talked for a while and eventually it resulted in Adrian throwing pieces of lead from his pencil at me and Easton sitting off to the side laughing. When I threw a piece back at him he stuck his tongue out and cussed at me. I just glared. "Oh," said Easton, "the good girl doesn't swear." He taunted me and I just smiled.

"And you'd bet your fat ass on that too, wouldn't you," I fired back, nonchalantly.

Easton sat in his seat, dumbfounded, while Adrian doubled over in laughter. He laughed for a minute straight before he got control of himself again. I just smiled smugly and crossed my legs. When Adrian could breathe again, he remarked loudly, "Shots fired."

The sub chose that moment to peek her head through the door. I had already tucked my phone under my thigh, earlier, and so when I heard the doorknob rotating, I picked up my pencil and tipped my head down over my book. Adrian, still slightly doubled over in pain from laughing, turned around and put his arm on my desk, pretending to ask me a question.

"You guys doing okay in here?" We all knodded. She looked straight at me. "I trust he hasn't eaten anything out of the garbage?"

"Not yet," I responded. She went back to the other class and I asked Easton and Adrian, "Are you guys going to the musical auditions tomorrow night?"

"Oh yeah," Adrian responded, extremely confidently. I laughed a little at his enthusiasm. It wasn't that he was a bad singer- he had a good voice, but he was pretty tone deaf. He'd probably still get a lead, though. There weren't a whole lot of older guys in drama, it was basically my friends. I knew Xavier would probably be the Baker. The other guys were really just those two, Merrick, and Blake.

"Yep," Easton responded a little less enthusiastically.

Then something hit me. I had an idea. And a lot of work cut out for me. I also knew I had the get it done before I taught my ballet and tap class that night.

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick snap before the bell rang.