In the Heart of the Forest

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Thea

I sigh as I finish getting dressed. Only two more weeks of school, I tell myself. At this point, I just want school to end already. It's not like we are doing anything super important in our last two weeks, right?

I head down stairs to the kitchen. I walk in to see my dad seated at the bar drinking coffee and eating a doughnut.

"I thought Mom had you on a diet," I say with a skeptical look on my face.

"Well, I don't see your mother anywhere, do you?" He asks. "And if you tell, you're grounded."

I chuckle, shaking my head. "Your secret is safe with me." I proceed to eat a bowl of cereal before brushing my teeth and getting my backpack.

The ride to school is quiet except for the soft Chicago music playing in the background. It is snowing lightly and the roads are covered in ice. The trees' branches sag from the weight of the snow, further adding to the nostalgia of the winter landscape.

We arrive at the school at around the same time as the Moonrisers. The girls are bundled up tightly, but the boys are still wearing their summer clothes. They aren't even shivering? Dudes, its freeze your nose-hairs cold--incase you hadn't noticed.

"See you," I say to my dad as I step out of the truck and head to the school's front doors. I wish I had my own car, but we can't afford one right now. At least I have a driver's liscence.

Eventually, I arrive at English class and I take my usual seat between Carter and Rose. I say the socially required hello's and watch as the teacher starts the lesson.

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Before I know it, half the day has gone by and I am sitting at the lunch table drinking a green smoothie that has a little too much avacado in it, making the aftertaste slightly bitter.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something," Carter says. He turns his body so he straddles the bench and faces me.

"And what's that?" I ask with a small smile.

He and forward and kisses my cheek. "Will you go to a party with me, tonight?" He asks, kissing my cheek again.

"What kind of party?" I say slowly, skeptically. Carter has been known to go to crazy parties with drinking and drugs. I, on the other hand, do NOT go to these parties.

"Erm, the kind you don't necessarily like..." he says with a cautious half-smile.

"You know I don't go to these things, so why do you ask?"

"Come on! This is important to me. Its Christmas themed and all the guys are bringing their girlfriends," he says, pleading his case to me. "You don't want me to be all alone, do you?"

"I actually have a lot of faith in your social skills. I doubt you would be alone."

"So you would be fine with me just hanging out with a bunch of single girls? Some of those cheerleaders are pretty hot," he says, eyeing Aubrie's table.

"Well, you had said all the guys would be going with their GIRLFRIENDS so, according to what you said earlier, there wouldn't be many single girls. That, and I did have faith in you until now, when apparently you are easily swayed if I'm not there," I say, crossing my arms in contempt.

"Th-that's not what I meant--"

"Oh, sure it isn't," I respond curtly, taking a sip of my smoothie. I sigh. "Listen, I don't drink. I don't smoke tobacco or weed. I don't like getting all sweaty grinding on a dance floor. It's just not my style. If you want to go, that's fine. Just...just stay faithful to me?" I say, setting my smoothie down.