Rivals

Seniors

I got my schedule on the first day of school and found out that I would be in Physics, English, Pre-Calculus 12, and that a class I signed up for wasn't running this year so I had a spare. Unhappy about this but knowing that there was nothing I could do at the beginning of the day, I went to Physics. I sat in my usual spot and was more than happy to find out that Hannah was in this class with me; and, because there was only one senior Physics course, she wouldn't be switching out.

My reaction to Tyler walking in this year was much different than that of the year before. While last year I had been filled with annoyance and something close to hate, now I just felt weird. I thought about last night and whether he had been to drunk to remember. Seven beers at 5% alcohol each... If I had 7 coolers, would I be able to remember my night? Yes, so what did that mean? I wondered what Tyler was thinking as he took the seat he'd always taken last year and we started the introduction to the course.

We then made our way down to English - "we" being what I thought was myself and Hannah. We walked into the English room to find Hailee already sitting in the spot she'd sat in this classroom last year. We sat beside her and recreated what I alone called the Writing Squad, originally formed in Writing last year, when we were all in this teacher's Writing class. We sat in the same spots at the front of the classroom so we could easily talk to our favourite teacher. Oh, Tyler sat behind us.

After English, we made our way back up to the Physics room, but this time for Pre-Calculus. Again, in the same spot as before, Hannah sat beside me. This time, however, Tyler walked into the room later than usual to find that someone else had sat in his spot. He made a comment about not knowing where to sit and made his way to the front of the classroom to find an empty desk while Hailee laughed at him.

She then turned to me. "I hate how he never moves the corners of his mouth. He shows zero expression in his face. I think he does it to look cool but he just looks and sounds like an idiot and it's the most annoying thing in the world," she whispered.

I'd never noticed that he talked like that until she pointed it out. I didn't think I minded it.

When our math class was over, Hannah had band and I decided to walk around aimlessly because I had no class to go to. That was until my vice principal approached me asking what I was doing.

"I was given a spare, but I'm disappointed 'cause I don't want one."

"Oh, well we can try to put you into another class. Is your spare in this block?"

"Yeah."

She led me to a table with all grade 12 classes running in block 7/8 that were available.

"So you could take Art or Law if you wanted."

"I would love to take Law but I took it last year. And art, as much as I like it, isn't gonna help me with what I want to do when I graduate, so I'd rather not take that."

"Okay, well you could always do work experience, or you could do an online course like Psychology with the librarian?"

"That would be amazing. I could do that?"

"Yeah, I'd say go up there right now and talk to him about it."

"Okay, thanks!" I said as I started down the hall to the stairwell.

My vice principal was incredible; she was always so nice and helpful. She used to be a councillor.

Long story short, I was given the task of researching online high school Psych courses with the help of my librarian. We found one, and by the end of the week I was enrolled and ready to do my first assignment.

A few days had passed and it was Friday. I sat in the library computer lab working on my assignment as the Law 12 class strolled in and took over the computers around me. It was at this moment, when Tyler sat behind me, that I noticed that he was in Law. Soon after came Mr. Simmons, the humanities teacher.

"What are you doing, Elizabeth?" he asked me, peering over from his desk. "Oh, sorry," he said, looking away. "I shouldn't snoop."

"No it's okay, they gave me a spare in this block so I'm taking Psych online."

"Oh how interesting. And is that fun?"

"Yeah I'm just doing the startup assignment right now so I haven't actually learned anything, but I'm glad I get to be in the course."

"Psychology is very interesting," he agreed to what I'd implied.

"Oh, I'm bringing you a can of SPAM on Monday," I told him, wheeling around in my chair to look at him. When I had him as a teacher last year (for both Social Studies and Law) I gave him cans of SPAM that my step dad would bring us, because we didn't eat it often and I knew how much Mr. Simmons loved it.

"Oh joy. What flavour this time?"

"I'm not sure; I have two different flavours I think."

"Well, I believe I had that hickory one last time.."

"I'm pretty sure that's one of the flavours I have, so I'll bring you the other one."

"Excellent, excellent."

I turned back around in my chair and continued on with my work. A few moments later, Mr. Simmons sparked up conversation with Tyler. I mostly ignored it, knowing I had to get this assignment done, but I couldn't help picking up a couple of sentences, especially when I heard what they were talking about.

"Do you prefer the original? Or the American adaptation?" Mr. Simmons inquired.

"The American one is nothing but 'that's what she said' jokes," Tyler said.

"Ah, I see," Mr. Simmons said, leaning back in his chair. "And no one can replace Ricky, the temp, can they?"

"Exactly, exactly," Tyler agreed.

"Wait you watch The Office?" Nick asked. Before getting his response, he continued: "The American one or the UK one?"

"UK version 100% man," he replied, and that was the end of the conversation.

Meanwhile, I sat across the aisle very happy that I faced the other way, because I couldn't shake the completely dumbfounded look I had on at that moment. Of course this would happen: I have a weirdly sexually tense moment with my rival at a party and then that same week I happen to find out that he loves the British version of my favourite tv show. 

Fuck.

Was there someone trying to fuck with me? What, was this just for shits and giggles? Why can't the world just let me hate him and have that be that.

--

Okay I know this is probably kind of boring, but it's because it's all real and This Just In: life is boring as shit. If I wanted to make it any more interesting I'd have to lie and I don't want to do that because it lessens the experience in a way (plus this is my way of getting over everything that's happened and if I make shit up it'll defeat the purpose).