the a team

avianna v.1

I stared at the clock in the right hand corner of Mrs. Hopskins classroom, watching the hands slowly move closer and closer towards the one thirty bell. My work had been finished fifteen minutes prior while everyone else had seemed to just finish up. The hands got closer and closer to the count down before they struck one thirty, followed by a loud bell that echoed throughout the classroom.

I grabbed my Hilfiger purse from under my desk and hurried out of the classroom, into the cafeteria that was right across from my room. I didn't bother getting lunch- I knew Nadia would want fast food after school anyways. I found our usual table in the corner of the lunch room and sat down there and plugged in some ear buds, waiting for everyone else to arrive.

Someone pulled my right ear bud out from my ear. "Avi!" They exclaimed.

Jaxson slid across the table- almost falling on the way down- and sat across from me. I smiled and laughed at his child ness.

"I hope next time you try to impress me you fall on your ass," I snickered.
"Oh, he will." Luciana replied as she plopped herself down next to me. "If he doesn't fall, I'll push his ass down."

I laughed and Jaxson rolled his eyes before flipping off Luciana, causing her to laugh.

"No Keaton? No Nadi?" I asked.
"I think Keaton dipped third period and I haven't seen Nadi sense fifth period," Luciana replied.
"Keaton came back. I had to get the back door for him," Jaxson added.

I shrugged my shoulders and Luciana took off to get lunch, Jaxson and I sat down talking for a bit before Nadia finally showed up. Nadia had a vibe that something was wrong, but I didn't bother asking. She'd just bat her eyes, smile, and say nothing was wrong.

"Hey!" She exclaimed as she sat down next to Luciana's empty spot. "No Luci or Keaton?"
"Keaton's gone a-wall and Luci's getting food," Jaxson replied.
"Oh okay. Nobody eating today?" She asked.
"Not besides Luciana."

Everyone acted dry today, like something was wrong besides Jaxson who was his happy self as always. Jaxson was just the kid who you always wanted to be around, he was good looking, good hearted, nice kid with a good reputation and a nice girl.

Interrupting my thoughts- a body slammed down next to Jaxson. Black slicked back hair and eyes so brown they appeared black. He had deep bags under his eyes and he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks.

"Keaton, you're alive man," Jaxson smiled. "Where have you been?"
"Uh, left around nine came back thirty minutes ago. Went to Rusty's with the guys," Keaton answered.
"The guys?" Nadi asked.
"Yeah. You know... The guys," Keaton said.

We all exchanged looks, sharing the same thought but not wanting to say anything. Luciana came back and sat in between Nadia and I, passing out any food she didn't want to us. She ripped open her bag of chips before raising an eyebrow at Keaton.

"Bro are you fucking drunk?" Luciana asked.

'Way to address the elephant in the room...'

"No. I had two... Four.... seven-something drinks," Keaton stuttered out.
"Only this kid would show up shitfaced to school," Luci rolled her eyes.
"If our seventh period teacher catches him drunk- she's going to report it," I whisper-shouted.
"Fuck. What are we gonna do?" Nadi asked.
"Let 'em report me. What are they gonna do? Expel me?" Keaton snickered. "Finally."
"Okay. Okay. Uh, we can sneak him outside. Say we're going for lunch," Jaxson said.
"Where are we going to take him? His dad is home on weekdays, dumbass," Luciana continued.
"Who has a free house?" I asked.
"My brother is home this week," Jaxson said.
"My step mom is at home until four," Luciana replied.
"My sister is home sick," I added.

Everyone looked at Nadia.

"No... No way! If my mom finds out I snuck a drunk friend home AND left school- I can kiss my Jeep goodbye," Nadia pleaded.
"You're not going to get caught, Nadi. Stop being a pussy." Luci said, Nadia slapped her in the arm without looking, causing Luciana to laugh.
"And if I do? How am I suppose to get to school? Or go anywhere for that matter?" Nadia panicked.
"I already take Luci to school everyday I'll take you too. And if you need to go anywhere I'll take you. But you're not going to get caught- your parents don't come back until 4," I responded.

Nadia sighed and groaned, before taking a breath and looking at all of us.

"Let's do it."

Jaxson and Luciana helped Keaton through the hallways so he wouldn't fall in the process while I lead and Nadia followed in the back, making sure nobody could see Keaton. We ended up rushing around any hallways or corners where teachers weren't, trying to avoid them at all cost. By the time we made it out through the back, we all hurried to Nadia's car which was parked in the far end of the parking lot.

Nadi drove as Luciana got in the passenger side- with her claustrophobic self- as we shoved Keaton in the middle and Jaxson and I got on both sides of him. Nadia didn't even wait for anyone's seatbelts, as soon as our door shut she took off and drove off campus. It took a minute but of course Luci plugged in her phone and started blasting music in a language only her and Jaxson understanded, most likely Spanish.

Within ten minutes Nadi pulled up outside her house, she turned her car off immediatly and checked if any cars were outside her house, which there weren't. She opened up Jaxson's door as everyone else popped out and Jaxson basically carried Keaton inside. Nadia lead us through her house and into her living room where Jaxson tossed Keaton on the couch, and we all stood around him as he knocked out.

"Great. Not only did I leave school and sneak in a drunk guy, now there's a drunk guy on my couch," Nadia sighed. "This day couldn't get worse."
"I mean, we could make it better," Luciana winked.

She walked over to the table in the kitchen and grabbed the set of markers and walked back in, tossing us each a color. She laughed to herself as she grabbed a black marker and tossed the rest back and walked over to Keaton, laughed, and looked at us.

"Let's get to drawing!"