Forces of Nature

Economics Starts With A D

My economics class was uncharacteristically quiet. Usually there was a solid stream of background noise - pencils tapping desks, papers rustling, quiet mutterings, an occasional snore. But today the silence was so profound that if I was to drop a pin it'd sound like someone had just smashed a gong. Could it be Mr. Phelps had finally killed the class with boredom? A loud snore punctuated the silence as if in answer to my internal question. A chorus of snickering followed it. Phew. Good to know they'd survived the torture our teacher called assigned reading. I looked down at the thick book on my desk which I had given up on after the first paragraph made me feel drowsy. Of course, the information he was trying to drill into our brains was so outdated it wasn't even relevant in today's economic society, so it was a waste of time reading it anyway. I should know, seeing how Riley made me meet up with the working forces behind our company over the summer. This included The Chief Financial Officer Melanie Brown, the Chief Accounting Officer Lincoln Barrett, and Executive Manager Malcolm Holden, but more commonly known to me as Serena Holden's father. Let me just say that there is nothing worse than spending your free time, much less your summer vacation, with your worst enemies dad. Complaining to Riley had gotten me nowhere. He'd insisted it was for my own good. Learning the ropes, he'd called it. Cruel and unusual punishment was more like it. Melanie had drilled me about the economic structure of America and Azalea Shippings standing point within it all, Lincoln had thrown me so many numbers I'd started seeing them flash across my eyelids whenever I closed them, and Mr. Holden's incessant ravings about his perfect little angel Serena while he explained the inner workings of hiring and firing people just about drove me up the wall. Not only had I wasted most of my summer swamped with paperwork, but I'd missed out on going to the lake with Courtney's family. No words can express how it felt to give up a week of Lake Tahoe to unwillingly learn all about dear Serena's summer adventures in minute detail, down to her harrowing ordeal of having her hairdresser put in highlights that were "Golden Blonde" instead of "Honey Blonde". Like there's a difference!

I glanced at the clock by the classroom door. Time was ticking by painfully slow, which surprised me considering the last three weeks had passed in a blur. Between avoiding Aidan, trying to stay two steps ahead of Serena's evil plots, and studiously ignoring Tyson I'd barely had time to breathe. The last was proving remarkably easy. Especially considering Miss Clarke's proposal on the second day of school. Worried about the lack of class time we'd have to complete our assignments, she'd suggested that we sit with our partners until the assignments completion. That way if there was a spare twenty minutes at the end of a period, precious time wouldn't be wasted moving about the room to locate each other and settle into new seats. I had almost protested when she'd sprung this on us the second day of classes. Suffice to say, I was of the opinion that it only took thirty seconds at most to pick your butt up and plant it in another seat. She made it sound like shuffling about the room was akin to rocket science and therefore required a lot of time and effort. However, my protest had died on my lips when I realised that assigned seating would work greatly in my favour concerning my plan to avoid Aidan. And judging by the scathing look on his face, I'd say it had also registered in his mind that he wouldn't be able to harass me during the only class we shared. I'd watched with great amusement as he'd grudgingly stood and trudged over to Serena, who was still directing her look of appalled outrage at our teacher. When Aidan had taken the seat next to her, she'd redirected her venomous glare at him like this was all his fault. I'd only been able to stifle my laughter by clamping a hand over my mouth, all too delighted to witness one of her evil little schemes backfiring. I guess it's true what they say. Karma is one mean bitch. I'd continued to revel in my small victory, triumphant smile threatening to crack my face, when the chair beside me was yanked out. My feet, which had been propped on the edge of the seat, suddenly hit the floor, the jolt startling me. I'd snapped my head up, eyes narrowed, when my gaze landed on Tyson who was matching my scowl with one of his own. Oh, craptastic. I'd been so consumed watching Aidan and Serena get a taste of their own medicine I'd completely forgotten about him. Of course, with one victory came a loss. I'd become free of Aidan only to be stuck with Tyson, whom I'd vowed to ignore after our little discussion the day before. Without a word he'd dumped his bag on the ground and sat down, placing his head in his arms on the table. I'd caught a whiff of his heady scent, a sweet, musky fragrance that could only be described as truly delicious, and had to keep up a mantra in my head: you're ignoring him; you don't like him. You're ignoring him. Unfortunately, while my mind was happy to comply, my body was not cooperating. When it wasn't skipping a beat, my treacherous heart was pounding rapidly in my chest, all too aware of his close proximity. Still, despite forces beyond my control trying to thwart my dream of a simple life, I'd been successful in both avoiding Aidan and ignoring Tyson.