A World's Bounty

(3) Rhea

Spending my morning with Graham was anything but pleasing, however, my day went on. And, quickly. Before I knew it, it was already afternoon, and I was sitting through the last minutes of my astronomy course.

And believe me, I was beyond shocked when I found out this little nobody of a town actually had such a course.
But apparently, Mr. Ackleshack had left Marson and headed to some super school for astrophysics, and now taught an exclusive astronomy course here in Marson.

I had my notepad flat on the desk, my messy scrawl filling the pages with pen ink as I transferred his words onto paper. His astronomy class was small, literally consisting of eight people. Turns out, space hadn't piqued much interest at Marson high.

As soon as class ended, Sherry's long blonde hair draped onto the front of my desk, as she leaned towards me. Her overpowering perfume made the hairs inside my nose tingle. "Sherry." I addressed smoothly, twisting around to slide my notepad back into my bag.

"Rhea. Was wondering if you've heard anything about this new family moving in near your house tomorrow." Her voice was that silky quality she naturally owned.

As much as I wanted to sit postured and strong under the presence of Sherry, it turned out I'd squeezed every drop of confidence and bravery into just speaking her name. "Well- I've heard they've got money." My voice was shaky, but it didn't matter. I'd still managed to bug her.

It was very clear she wasn't happy with my answer, as she rolled her eyes and shook the hair off her shoulders.

"I'm coming over tomorrow night- prepare snacks in advance, please." Her fingers slide off my desk to her waist, "I'm quite famished after school."

With a final hair flip, Sherry slung her bag over her shoulder, strutting through the doorway. Did she seriously just invite herself to my house?

I remember the last time, that Sherry came over to my house. It is back in seventh grade. Originally I'd been pleased, happy to have her over. That was back when Sherry and Nisha were close friends. And Sherry thought that seventh grade Adrian was 'hot'. Me, being one of Adrian's' closest friends, happened to be the person she chose to, "bless with her presence", as she specifically explained to me- in deep detail.

She had no interest in being my friend then, and she doesn't now.

It was no secret the Old Guy was visible from my living room sofa.

-----

The two of us sat cross-legged on the shag carpet.

"You know, I'm actually not that bad at math. It's just, my teacher totally sucks."

I nodded like I knew exactly what Nisha meant. Although I didn't. Lucky for me, I had the only other math teacher for grade twelve- Mr. Barnears. I leaned against the couch. Mr. Barnears single-handedly held the title of Favourite Teacher. He was awesome.

And, lucky for Nisha, Mr. Barnear's class was in the first semester, whilst Mrs. Abrankovich's grade twelve course was this semester. In other words, I already had gone through the twelfth-grade calculus cycle- as well as taken the exam. Nisha was lucky.

I pulled out the battered old binder and leaned through the pages and notes, unclipping a colourful note titled, Fundamental Theorem Of Calculus.

~~~

Sherry's lips moved more than her hair in the frosty wind, as her heeled boys clacked against cement.

"So I've heard they've got tons of cash- and that they actually bought that ancient old house in the forest. Like yours." She continued on her gossip, and I didn't bother trying to interrupt. With Sherry, I'd found myself far better off to plug in an earbud, and zone her right out.