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VALEDICTORIAN: CHAPTER 1
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“The lifespan of indigenous plants, of course, will be longer than that of plants that are not native to the area, due to slow adaptation to the environment,” my professor said in his typical monotone, nearly putting me to sleep. I was halfway through Biology 1102, the bane of my existence, and the class that I just so happened to have more often than any other this week. It was remedial stuff, really, and I was only taking it to get one of my last credits, so while it was an easy A, it was boring as fuck, especially considering the fact that I was on the track to becoming valedictorian of my graduating college class. It was a feat I was incredibly proud of, and I couldn’t wait to make a speech at graduation in front of the entire College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In other words, I was way too smart for this class, and basically used it as nap time. “Miss Taylor?” I heard Professor Harken’s voice and snapped my head up, ready to make an excuse for my drowsiness. “The dean would like to see you in her office.” I smiled, knowing exactly what it was about. I’d gotten the valedictorian email last week, informing me of a meeting in the coming days to discuss the planning of my speech, etc. etc. I gathered my things and was just about to leave when the classroom phone rang again, interrupting the plant lesson a second time. “Yes…yes, he’s here. I’ll send him as well. Mr. Hemmings, you are also excused,” Professor Harken said, and I furrowed my brow.
Enter Luke Hemmings, the transfer student. Tall, blonde, and a music major, he was a lady killer at large. But why was he, of all people, called down? Everyone knew he smoked his way through the semester. I rolled my eyes to myself as the tall boy stood up and popped his knuckles obnoxiously, adjusting his SnapBack and slinging his backpack over one shoulder; he was probably going to get yet another warning from the dean about partying, or public disturbance, yada yada yada. When he transferred last semester, he’d been immediately picked up by the biggest frat house on campus. Alpha Sigma Phi was known for its raucous parties, and had been put on probation three times since my sophomore year. Now, even as a last-semester senior, I still refused to set foot into that palace of pot and failure; my grades were far too important to risk my name being added to the list of “Alpha Arrests,” as they called it over there.
“Well, let’s go, then,” he smirked at me; the Greek letters on his tank top framed ludicrously by day-glo yellow fabric only served to deepen my distrust of him even more. I huffed and turned on my heel, exiting the classroom. The two of us walked in silence across campus, the beautiful weather spoiled for me by Luke’s douchey presence. I actually groaned out loud in exasperation when we stepped out into the sun and he donned a pair of reflective Ray-Bans.
“Really?” I asked him as he popped his gum, that stupid dimple making an appearance.
He cocked an eyebrow at me over the rim of the glasses. “It’s bright out,” he drawled. “So what are you called down for?” he asked, spitting on the sidewalk. I made a face and kept walking, head held high.
“I’ve been named valedictorian; they emailed me and want to meet with me about my speech,” I said aloofly, not even sorry that I came off as a prissy bitch. I sighed inwardly; only one more month and I’d be an official alumnus, who never had to deal with the Luke Hemmings’s of the world ever again.
He nodded his head slowly, his thumbs tucked in the straps of his backpack. “Yeah, you always were the know-it-all. Impressive.”
I balled my fists at my sides and bit back a retort. “And you?” My voice was forced as I asked him the same question out of courtesy, though I couldn’t care less what his answer was.
