In Fair Verona

XXVIII

"Got any ideas about university or college?" Penny asks as she straightens out the napkin on the table.

"Nope. You?"

"Well yeah because right now everyone is mailing their application letters and such."

"Good career choice," I say sarcastically about how she didn't really answer me.

"The main school I want to go to is the university of Waterloo."

"Oh. Cool."

"I was considering Queens but it really didn't make much sense for what I want to pursue. Part of me also debated to apply in British Columbia because it's beautiful down there."

"Well did you?"

"Yeah I applied to two different schools there. I'm kinda sick of it here. My cousin went into an I.B program to help her chances of getting into schools out of the country."

"How'd that go?"

"Well her older brother did go to Oxford."

I nod my head.

"It's cool and all but oh gosh you can never top that. Hey grandma I got into a totally average university well your other grandchild made it to one of the best university's."

"Isn't it?"

"Debatable."

"Is it?"

"Yeah I may or may not be a little salty," she laughs.

She stirs her ice tea with her straw as she talks.

I mentally sigh at my plain but affordable water.

She continues to talk but I don't really pay attention. I still look at her to pretend I am.

Out of boredom I realize a piece of her hair that sticks out. It bothers me because her hair is perfectly straight but I look past it.

"Enough talk about school," I say. "I feel like I'm talking to an adult."

"Well I do turn eighteen in a couple months."

"Besides the point. What do high schoolers talk about? Drama. Gossip."

"Gossip? Uh Sebastian and Poppy might be dating."

"What?"

"Yeah. I mean we sit with them everyday and we're not the first to know?"

"Apparently the whole school is."

"Exactly. Although isn't it obvious. They're always side by side and sticking up for one another."

"Funny. They're the ones constantly teasing each other."

"That's just a rumour. What do you know for rumours?"

"I think Poppy almost let it slip about why Sebastian fought that kid at Halloween."

"I thought that was just a drunk decision."

"Me too till she got all secretive about it."

"And of course he tells her."

"They've been friends forever. I came into the picture four months ago and you, like one?"

"Okay. What else do I have for drama? No new school couples. I'm surprised Mia and Georgia are still going strong."

"Oh yeah didn't Mia kick some dudes ass?"

"Oh yeah that pervert in grade eleven who rides the trash motorcycle?"

"Long curly hair?"

"Yeah that guy."

"Yeah maybe he groped her ass or some shit. Doubt the school would do anything."

"Haha but nooo the shoulders," Penny mocks the system. "Luckily we don't have a dress code."

"Yeah."

"And what the heck. I bet the school blamed Mia for how she dressed. Like what the hell he's so gross."

"I don't even know if you're talking about the kid or principal."

Penny looks to me shocked.

"Our principal is female," she laughs. "We have a male V.P though? And a female one."

"Oh."

"That's hilarious."

I smile a bit.

"Did you get your semester two schedule yet?"

"No they don't give you your official one till January twenty something. Unless you paid the student activity fee."

"Which I did not."

"Well maybe we'll share some classes."

I'm hoping to share some with Isaac too. Only thing is, he takes enriched math and English. We both had English this semester anyway.

"You know what's a good date idea?" Penny asks.

"Oh so there's going to be a date number two?"

She gets a little red in the face and shy.

"Well I was just thinking Indigo."

Cheesy.

"Great so I can recommend books and ride around on scooters."

She raises an eyebrow.

"Isaac and I had a scooter race last time," I say. "I won."

"Teen boys unsupervised in a store." Penny clicks her tongue and shakes her head.

In the corner I can see our food so I move things out of the way on our table.

"See Isaac is somewhat... mature?"

"You were also playing trains."

"Aha we also had a snowball fight once because I got mad at him and threw a snowball and yeah. Then quickly it turned into a war and I still don't remember what I was mad about."

The waitress places the plates on our table and we say thanks.

"You say once as if it wasn't some point during the past couple days. It started snowing like two weeks ago."

"I think it was one week," I say.

"Okay. Well anyway. Will there be a date two?"

"Oh my gosh will you ever sound younger then twenty five? Too formal."

"Yes. The answer I was looking for."

"Anyway. Yes. We could see a movie this week. Over used date idea? Oh well."

"Sure," she smiles. "How about the thirtieth?"

"That works."