The Definition Of A Hero

II | what's my favorite pastime?

debate: a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward; argue about (a subject), especially in a formal manner.

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II| What's my favorite pastime?

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A debate. A long and factual debate that I can defend and win without a fight. That is my favorite pastime.

I get to be able to fuss with people and not have to worry about having to deal with any consequences. Not to mention the constant time I get to win. And when I say win, I mean win. It's one of those traits I get from my mom. She's apart of one of those family law things that helps kids with adoption and if they're in a domestic violence situation and all that stuff. It's pretty cool if you ask me. My father, though, isn't around much, and when I say that I mean I haven't seen or actually heard his voice in 16 years.
Mom tells me that they divorced years ago after I was born but he sends Mom letters sometimes when he feels like checking in.
"Why can't he call?"
I don't know either because Mom always dodges my questions when I ask about him. But that's besides the point. She's the reason that I argue with people and why I will always win.

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"Alright l hope everyone has a good weekend and we'll pick up on the persuasion section of debates after school on Monday. You're dismissed," Ms. Shelby said closing her textbook and starting to erasing the dry erase board. Just then Zack came from out from the lockers in the back of the room with some kind of new theory he had. Zack's theories are different from your average, let's say conspiracy theory. His theory is only circling trying to figure out how we can make it to the top of the school food chain. So actually a plan. And right now that's getting to the top of the Summer Committee.
The Summer Committee is like any other dance but it has the hype equivalent of prom. The cool thing that makes it so well known in our city is that it isn't in fact during the school year but in the summer so that they can make it all exciting and at the beach so people can get excited for school again. But believe me when I say it doesn't work. The only thing that it does is show people whether or not you've started to glow up from the last school year. For people like me, not really.

Oh and we don't want to be queen or king, just apart of the committee. It would be nice, of course, to win but it's not worth it. Unless you have a feeling that you even have a chance when you know that Serena Tomola is gonna be the competition. She's the queen of everything since her mom has almost every person in the city taken good care off. She's the head waitress at the diner across the street from my house and her dad is the owner of the most popular apartment complexes in the area. I don't know how that goes but what I understand, her mom's first job was at that diner and they took good care of her and so now she takes care of them.
Also, I should mention that this "soon to be queen" also happens to be one of my best friends in the entire world. Serena was so kind and yet you could feel the force and leadership she carried everyday almost effortlessly at school. We only met in 8th grade and while she's popular it's more of like everyone knows her name and by association type thing. A modern day Gatsby if you will. And so real friends had been foreign until then. But she gets me oddly enough since she's much different than I am and I understand her for the most part since her mom is a big deal to this city so it just works.

I walked over to the parking lot with Zack and tried to find the only baby blue truck in the place and believe me when I say it wasn't hard to find out of a bunch of normal blacks, whites, grays, and the occasional reds. Serena had a certain style to her that I don't think anyone would understand. She was weird but extremely cool and nice to everyone.

I sat in the back since I'm only five foot and Zach is a whopping six and his long giraffe legs can't fit behind our seats barely anymore. It's kind've funny when you really begin to think about it but it sucks when you get overlooked for being so short. Literally.

"So what's the first thing we're going to do now that it's summer?" Serena asked turning the keys into the ignition. With that Serena also turns and looks at me while she has the biggest smile on her face which means one of two things. One: she's only about to start some trouble or two: that she knows exactly what we're gonna do right now since it's summer.

"It looks like you already know, Rena," I say looking forward still waiting for her to confess what she has in mind.

"It's just an idea that I've had plans on bringing up for a long time now and I would really like it if you said yes."

"Okay, what is it?"

"You know that I'm gonna be trying out for the Summer Prom thingy right?" She says nonchalantly which only makes me realize how she genuinely doesn't understand that winning queen is hard for us that are popularity challenged is what I'd like to call it.

"Right."

"And I know that you and Zach really wanted to be there but for the committee, too."

"Rena, what are you getting at?" Zach finally spoke up after looking at his phone for what felt like forever. I wonder who he's talking to since his phone keeps going off, it's not like he's any more popular than I am, right?

"I just thought it'd be nice for my friends to join me trying out to be the queen and king for the Summer Prom."

It's not like Serena to try to make me do these kinds of things. She knows that I'm one of those people who doesn't like to compete with other people for things. Especially if it's basically a popularity and beauty competition. I mean honestly, what's the point of that? I would only lose anyways unless a get some kind of popularity sprout or a major Kardashian makeover in a month.

I felt her forehead dramatically and said,"Oh no, Rena, I think you're getting sick. You may need to come back to reality."

We all laughed slightly at the cringe worthy joke that I had made and just when Serena went to convince me again, the bearers of bad news came to ruin it.