DESPERADO | SWEET PEA [2]

15

 After being caught, the group of eight teenagers sat back in their regular seats with Principal Featherhead standing at the front of the class, "You all just upped your sentence. From one Saturday detention to four." He told them, causing both Samantha to give a look of disbelief as she let out an annoyed groan. She glanced over at Benny, who didn't seem at all bothered by getting four more.

"We were angry, of course, at each other, at ourselves. But little by little, hour by hour, the walls we've hidden behind all our lives started breaking down. As pudding cups and sandwiches were shared, the bravado fell away. And a group of misfits became unlikely friends." Alice explained in present time to Izzy and Betty.

During their lunch, Alice, Benny, and Samantha were all sitting together when Marty Mantle knocked on the door of the classroom.

All but Samantha were confused as to why he was there. Samantha smiled, getting up from her seat before walking over to him. She grabbed the two Pop's takeout bags from his hands and handed him a twenty. She placed a quick kiss to his cheek, "Thanks, Marty. I owe you," She told the football player, who smiled at her before leaving.

Samantha turned around, only to see everyone looking at her weird, "What?" She asked them confused, "I told him to get me Pop's for lunch this morning. He said he'd do it for a kiss on the cheek and a twenty. I thought it was a fair deal," She explained before holding up the two takeout bags, "Now, who wants Pop's?"

Everyone smiled and thanked Samantha as she walked over to each and every one of them and handed them a burger. She stopped at FP, who smiled at her. She sighed, going into her bag before handing him a burger, "Thanks, Sam." He thanked her and Samantha only nodded before walking back over to her seat. She took out her fries and burger and began to eat along with the rest of the group.

"And then there was that rainy Saturday afternoon. The first cold rain of the season. When I got it into my head to add the rest of the group's initials to the windowsill carved next to mine. And Hermione decided to break into Mrs.Krabappel's drawer." Alice explained.

  Samantha helped Alice and Benny as they carved every single person in the room's name into the windowsill. Hermione was trying to use a letter opener to open Mrs. Crabapple's drawer, which quickly gained the attention from Penelope, the teacher's pet.

 Penelope quickly rushed over to Hermione, "What are you doing?" She exclaimed, causing Samantha to stop carving her name to look over.

"Yesterday, Mrs. Krabappel took my game lad and she locked it up in here, so I'm getting it back," Hermione explained to Penelope.

Penelope's mouth gaped open in shock and she gasped when the drawer opened, "That's vandalism." Penelope snapped at her.

The whole group immediately walked over once figuring out Hermione had successfully opened it, "Yeah!" Sierra cheered as she picked up Fred's drum sticks and handed it to him, "Holy crap! Krabappel's been hoarding our stuff for decades." Penelope suddenly lifted up a book that read, 'Gryphons and Gargoyles'

"And there it was, Gryphons and Gargoyles." Alice told her two daughters.

"I have heard of this game before," Penelope informed the group before snapping herself out of it, "We shouldn't play it, it doesn't belong to us anyway."

Benny scoffed, prying it from Penelope's hands before taking a look at it. Samantha peeked over his shoulder, getting a look at the book herself, "Gryphons and Gargoyles." He read out loud.

"Thought this was an urban legend." FP told the group with a puzzled look on his face. "I heard some kids have been playing it at Seaside High," Samantha informed them before Hermione added in. "I heard one of them had a heart attack and died," Hermione told them.