The Sun, The Moon, and Their Stars

13 : Notes

Benjamin

"Every Saturday?" Jay asks me, as the rest of us take our usual spots invading their living room for the nth time.

I nod. "Yep," I say.

I just told my friends about this Math Circle thing that the teachers organized to train a handful of students, including me, every chance they can get. They want us to be ready if we somehow make it through at least the Regional level, if not the National Quiz Bee.

"For how long?" he asks.

"It starts tomorrow, until after the new year, I guess."

"Good luck with that." Then he disappears into their kitchen.

"Say it, Cap," Daryl tells Steve.

Steve sighs. "Tell me something I don't know," he sluggishly says.

"A group of baboons is called a congress," Daryl proudly exclaims.

"I already know that," I tell him.

"Oh, well," he shrugs, "I tried."

"Why are you eating ice cream?" Steve asks me.

"Do we need to have a reason to eat ice cream?"

He slouches on the chair and drops his arms on its sides. "Guess not," he says.

Daryl pouts. "Now I want ice cream, too." He sounds like a child.

Jay emerges back and places a pack of junk food on the table. It's the coated green peas one in a shiny green packet. Steve automatically grabs a handful.

"Oh, hey, I went to the last practice of Ten Cents Short," Daryl says normally again before helping himself with junk food green peas.

Jay snorts.

"They're actually improving," Daryl adds.

"So, they're good now?" I ask him.

"Well, not that good for mainstream radio, if you ask me. But they're better than before, I'm sure."

"What genre do they play?" Jay asks.

"I don't think they identify with a certain genre. But I heard them do some Coldplay. And it wasn't bad," Daryl points out.

"Do they have gigs now?" I ask.

"The thing is," Daryl turns to Steve, "Frederick said they want to play during our Seniors Ball."

Steve chews and swallows the serving of green peas in his mouth. Then he says, "seriously?" And he sounds both surprised and annoyed. "It's just September," he adds. "It's not even halfway through the school year, and they're thinking of the Ball already? Jeesh."

"But the student council handles that, right?" Daryl says. "You're part of that council, Cap."

"Nah. Not really up to me," Steve replies with a shake of his head. "And Mela hasn't mentioned anything about it during our last meeting. It's not even in any forthcoming agenda."

"Maybe you can suggest it next time," Daryl says with a mocking smile. "See, I just gave you a reason to talk to your crush."

Steve throws a pea at him.

***

On Fridays, we have Economics instead of History for the afternoon second period.

Right now, the teacher is giving instructions about an upcoming major project that we have to work on. There's a chorus of disappointing sighs after the class hears about another requirement to our already piled-up academic load. But, Miss Cruz assures, it will be done in pairs, to which there comes another chorus of yeses this time.