The Badboy's Tomboy || WATTYS 2015

8- It's Weird to be Social

2 weeks after our meeting, I had fully recovered and was back to hating Matt, glad we had parted ways. The kisses must have gone to my head.

It was nearing the end of September and I was thinking about the Halloween Dance in October. Lucy and I had planned to go together and hang out--just as friends--because nobody was going to ask either of us to the dance.

I decided to call Lucy after school. "Hey," she picked up on the second ring. "What's up?"

"I was thinking about the Halloween dance," I said. "Are we going together?"

"I would, but I'm afraid I'm not lesbian," she replied, and I smiled.

"You know what I mean, dork. Going to hang out like we do every year."

"And then coming back to your house to watch a movie and eat cheese fries?"

"Like we do every year," I said again. "Unless we both happen to find dates."

"I'll bring The Blind Side."

<~○○○~>

The next day in Miss Gurber's, she handed back our poems. "It took her long enough," I heard someone mutter behind me. I couldn't help but silently agree. I had been worrying about my grade for the poems since I burst into her room like a crazy person babbling on about how I was sorry I didn't turn it in when in reality, I had.

But I guess I was worried for nothing, because I got an A! "Yes," I said under my breath, looking at the grade written in red pen.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dixon, but it looks like you didn't turn in your poem," I heard Miss Gurber telling Matt in the back of the room.

"I didn't?" Matt said. From spending all the unwanted time with him I could tell he was trying to play it cool, but was actually worried. I would be too. We were doing a whole project with the poems.

"I could've sworn I did," Matt's voice traveled from his desk. I squirmed. We were supposed to be partners. He would have an A if it weren't for me not putting his name on the paper.

But I wrote the entire poem by myself.

But Matt thought we were partners.

But Matt was a slacker.

But nobody deserved to be cheated like that.

But....

I cannot seriously believe I am about to do this, I thought as I stood up and turned around.

"Miss Gurber," I said. "Matt and I are partners."

"You are?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Y-yes," I gulped. I really need to work on my lying skills.

"Matt's name wasn't on the paper," Miss Gurber stated.

"I must have, uh, forgotten to write his name when we--when we finished."

"Matt forgot to write his name too?" Man, she was thinking of everything.

I wanted to slap Matt when I noticed him not saying anything. I'm trying to save your butt here! I thought frustratedly. I said, "Well, Miss Gurber, I t-took the paper home to finish the...last two lines. So I was responsible for names."

"Okay," Miss Gurber said sounding unconvinced. She drew out the "O". I was silent and did not make eye contact for fear of blowing the whole thing.

"I'll fix Matt's grade to an A as well, then," she finally said. I exhaled quietly. Whew, that was close.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. As the teacher sat down at her desk I pulled it out.