Mr Wattle snakes in and out of the desks, handing us all our math tests back. If I get a good score I'll be overjoyed, if I don't I'll create a dip in my A average and possibly endanger my existance in extension math.
My heart beats quickly. He places the paper face down on my desk. I'm allowed to see it but for a moment I just let it stay there, anxiety building.
84 percent. I think a tear is about to trail down my face. Mr Wattle hands out stickers (yes I suppose we're a bit old for gold stars...) and does not come by my desk. as soon as class is over I run to the bathroom and scream. Second day of school and everything is going downhill faster than a jet-pack fueled Lamborghini. Hailey runs down the steps and finds me staring into the mirror, my face bright red. She puts a perfectly manicured hand on my shoulder and looks into the mirror at the two of us. I see me, my gold-blond hair pulled into a high ponytail, my eyes watering making the green blue colour vibrant and bright. My skin is moderately tanned and my cheeks are flaming, a tear streaking down over one of them. Hailey stands beside me, her hair is strawberry blond and her eyes are a pale blue. Her skin is tanned and stands out in contrast to the whiteness of the uniform shirt and dark blue tie.
I kind of hate her, she's smart like me and also massively involved in all the sports related activities, bringing many of the teams to success. She's a popular, pretty, high achieving cheerleader.
"What's wrong Maya?" She asks sympathetically. I wipe away my tears on the sleeve of my blazer.
"Nothing, look I'm fine, I'm just a drama queen that's all." I reply, my voice wavering. She raises her eyebrows. "I only got 84 percent." I mumble.
"What? That test was soo hard yesterday! Especially for extension maths! You are like so smart to get such a high score!" She cries. "Seriously, I only got 75 percent and I was proud of it! You got 84 and yet you're CRYING!" she laughs. I giggle and then we're both laughing. I hug her.
"Thanks Hailey, you're so nice." She smiles and waves before jogging up the stairs to her next class, hair flipping from side to side as she runs. I HATE HER SO MUCH.
I get through a class of Geography feeling a bit better about my mark, but determined to lift my game back in the ninety percent range. As soon as the bell rings Georgia and Tamara find me in the cafeteria.
"There she is!" Tamara cries and pushes through the line, grabs my hand and drags me with her. I stumble after her in surprise.
"Where are you taking me!" I cry out, laughing.
"To the sports try outs for this term! We're going to watch!" Georgia giggles excitedly.
"Not me," Tamara reminds us. I feel like such a nerd, not participating in school sport this year. Tamara does it every term and holds the highest attendance rating in the school. She's got tons of sports awards pins on her blazer lapel. Although i don't take part in sport as much I am extremely successful in Creative Writing, Mathletes, Tech Club, Intermediate Strings and Orchestra, Choir, Physics Group, and I'm also a Math and English tutor. I do play sports but not this term, I'm too busy with my academic commitments. Early in the year I was part of the volleyball squad and the water polo team. Those are my favourite school sports. Tamara is trying out for basketball this term, she would have gone for football too but her brother's doing it and she can't stand him.
**
We get down to the field and the stadium area. We head for the courts and Tamara gets changed out of her school uniform into the school's sport uniform. A grey and white shirt with white shorts, a navy blue symbol on the hem, the school symbol, complete with runners.
The basketball players warm up, passing and dribbling through courses. The coaches assess their skills, and pick some incapable people to eliminate. It gets down to 30 great players. Tamara included. They start a game, rotating players onto the court. I look at who's there. Tamara and Hailey are playing well, Hailey's in defence and Tamara is a shooter. She's scoring plenty of goals. On the court I see Harvey, my Science partner, Jonathan: my Home Ec partner, and...Josh Martinez: school moron. But I find myself watching him, he plays really well, one powerful and accurate throw showing off the muscles in his arms. He's fast too, dribbling the ball speedily through the opposition, showing off his talent by toying with them playfully. The coaches are forced to pick off a few more people and they separate the remaining people into two teams. The A team has all the best players and the B team has the rest. Tamara makes the A team, with Josh and Hailey. I see Harvey and Jon are in the B's. Both teams are filled with talented players, we might win this year.
Some of the people leave to go back to their lunches, some of the players rotate onto the fields, getting on the extra gear for football and some people sitting in the stands run down to join them. Tamara rushes up the steps to find us, sitting down in one of the plastic fold down seats. Her forehead shines with sweat and her dark ringlets are frizzed out with the exercise she has just done and her face is flushed with the excitement and victory of her achievement.
Georgia and I high five her and congratulate her but while she's chatting about her new team mates and the way they played my eyes stray to the field where Josh Martinez is playing. the coaches are especially tough for football because the school has a good reputation for it. He's thrusting himself into it, going in for tackles and drop kicking the ball down the field. He's also working with his temporary team, helping them out and standing just behind them at times in case the opposition gets past them. By the time the whistle blows I can tell he's exhausted. He sprints up into the stands with some other guys and they sit a few seats across from us. Sweat is pouring down his face and his chest moves up and down, after two whole games, two different sports and pushing himself to the limit with effort. He gulps down some energy drink and water and then takes of the heavy padded top, and pours water down himself. I stare, his biceps, the muscles in his arms and he actually has a real six pack. The water gleaming on his skin. I hear snickers coming from Georgia and Tamara.
"What is it then Maya? A love hate relationship?" Tamara laughs.
"He's hot." Is all Georgia can say.
"Yeah he is." Tamara agrees, "But don't fall for the dork wad, he's making friends with my brother, and the school hotties slash bad boys Steve and Nick. And Hailey's boyfriend James."
"Yeah!" I say enthusiastically, "don't fall for him Georgia, he's a total moron."
"the advice wasn't directed at Georgia." Tamara replies, eyebrows raised and mouth set in a smug smile. I narrow my eyes and stand, walking briskly back to the cafeteria. So, he might be just a little hot. He's also vain, rude, stupid, annoying and totally drives me crazy.
But then again, he totally drives me crazy.
