The Inbetween Cult

chapter thirteen - carnival

Casey

"Okay class," Mr. Hans says, snapping to get our attention after the bell rings for fifth period to start. "We're going to start our poetry session. We will be doing multiple, multiple poems throughout the year, but there will be one poem I want all of you to work on until the end of the year. Then, I will pick and choose a poem I think deserves to be in the display case.
"I do not want any of you turning in a poem in a few weeks or months. I want you to give it to me the day  that it is due. Some of you may say you're not good in poetry. My response; that is impossible. Everyone is good a poetry. Some may not be as good as others, but everyone  is good at poetry.
"I want everyone's poetry to be Free Verse, and we will be doing multiple outlines and rough drafts until I believe you're ready for your final draft, and I want you all to somehow add an artistic element, whether you're good at drawing or not."

There are multiple groans and grumbles.

I, for one, am actually very glad. I love poetry, I always have, but I'm not the best at it because it's about emotions, and I'm not the best at expressing my emotions. 

"I want everyone to start thinking of how they want their poems to look and what they want to write, and I'd like to have everyone to have an idea by the end of the month. If you get one before then, you can start one of your outlines. For now, we're going to start watching some poems presented aloud by either their creators or college students. I want everyone silent and to listen carefully."

A student turns the lights off and Mr. Hans turns on the projector, turning on his computer and going onto the Internet, a tab already open.

The poem; "To This Day" by Shane Koyczan.

We watched this video in sixth grade and ninth grade. I love the poem.

I begin to start thinking of ideas.

******

"Boo, poetry?" Hair groans as we're leaving for the school day.

"I like it," I oppose. "I'm not good at it, but I like it. It's an artistic way of expressing yourself."

"Expressing myself, my ass."

I scrunch up my face and the five of us begin to get in Hair's truck when I hear someone yell my name. I turn, Noah jogging over to the car, and the guys groan under their breath.

I chuckle.

"Hey, Noah, what's up?" I ask.

Wall swings his arm around me and tugs me to his chest. "Hey, Noah," he coos sarcastically.

Noah frowns at him, then smiles at me. "Hey, Case. So, um, there's this carnival tonight for the school to raise money for some choir thing, but do you maybe wanna go?"

Wall scoffs.

"Something wrong, Beckett?" Noah grunts at him.

Wall's eyes widen, then slowly squint in an angry glare. "Yeah, there is, Watts," He says his name like it's a disease. "because you're asking if you can take my girlfriend  to some carnival alone with you."

I stare at Wall.

Girlfriend?!

If this bitch...

Noah snorts. "Yeah, problem though, shortcake; Casey's told me enough times that you two aren't together now and never will be, so why don't you  stop being the annoying, psychopathic bitch that you are  and let Cutie over here decide if she wants to or not."