Rebel Etiquette

Basket Case

✦✦MARY MICHAELS✦✦

There was only one rule to break tonight. It was vitality important to my oh-so-anal step mother that I was home on time for dinner.

Her desperation was clear in the text she sent me. It was short and sweet, just how I liked it. Parents normally tend to send the most obnoxiously long texts for whatever reason.

Either way, I still wasn't going to listen.

"Hey, Zac, what are you doing tonight," I batted my lashes suggestively.

He instantly picked up my signals and crashed his lips onto mine.

Sorry, Mrs. Michaels.

✧✧MARIA MORENO✧✧

Mary strode in to the Geometry classroom late. As usual. It was her only honors class left, and from the way things looked she would be dropping this one too by the end of the semester. It was funny how Mary tended to stride in at the same time everyday, though. She was late, sure, but she was prompt, just like I remembered.

Our teacher didn't bother with the customary scolding. As if the door had never opened and a smirking teenage girl never stomped right by him, Mr. Harrison continued with the lesson.

Two twenty eight. It was always difficult to pay attention at this exact moment. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to.

Don't look up. Don't look up. Don't look up!

I looked up.

Spoiler Alert: I always looked up.

My heart sank as it always did when Mary ignored me. She simply wove through the desks to get to hers in the back of the classroom. Cliché, but true.

I always had this stupid hope that she would one day glance at me, and possibly smile. That we could be friends again...

I sunk in my seat, once again humilated that I'd been so hopeful.

When would I get it through my thick skull that Mary Michaels really hated me?

Probably never. I vowed to never give up on my best friend.

By the time the bell sounded, my hair was a sloppy mess. Today, it was more difficult than normal to ignore Mary. Or pretend to ignore her, since doing so was clearly impossible.

There was something wrong. Something more wrong than normal.

Mary slid by and ran into Zac Howard's waiting arms at the door. He towed her off and they quickly made their way to her locker.

Was it bad that I wanted to sit them both down and lecture the two of them? Mary was turning me into a mother.

"You're hair looks absolutely gorgeous, Maria. What is your secret," Cassidy gushed.

I sighed. "Thanks so much."

She laughed at me and gave me a firm pat on the back. "Anytime."

After shooting her a fake sweet grin, we started walking down the hall to collect our things.

Cassidy spoke again in a quieter voice. "Mary?"

My weird mood instantly came back. Every single time I heard Mary's name, I felt sick to my stomach.

"Yes. She's just so..."

"Horrible? Insane? Yeah, I'm well aware," Cassidy reminded me. She thought of Mary as a hopeless basket-case. I didn't blame her. She didn't know Mary very well.

"But more so than usual." I peeked over my shoulder. Mary and Zac were out the school doors by now, up to no good, I'm sure.

Who even spells Zac like that. He's probably so lame.