Ketchup Stains

2. The Pink Ink Pen

If there was anything more extraordinarily beautiful than a glowing celestial to walk the Earth, it was Erin Patelline.

Erin Patelline: goddess-like girl of Grabbles Ville, innocent in an interesting and somehow enticing way, younger sister of Walter Patelline, next in line behind Jeffery on the exemplary grading scale, a kind-hearted soul wishing to be tethered to someone else. Erin Patelline--she reminded herself of who she was as she walked into zoology class to start their newest group project.

Knowing Erin, she was the type of girl that worked hard to earn one hundred percent and nearly nothing less. Something inside had always yearned to prove to her foster parents that she was trying her best in school. Even though they had consistently told her to 'try her best', (and trust me folks, she did) trying Erin's best was like taking one hundred to the next level. No matter how much she strenuously worked herself to the near point of sleep deprivation, she still couldn't manage to get past Jeffery Frederick's place as number one on the Grabbles Ville grading scale. She was always second and second was a good place to be, she retold her conscious mind over and over again. If only she hadn't gotten a B+ in gym class freshman year. If she'd just studied a little past midnight that one weekend she could've ended last year with a perfect score in Biology. Maybe, just maybe she would be standing in the place of her competitor.

"Alright class, so you already know I've explained the arthropod film project to you so this shouldn't be a huge surprise that we're partnering up with our groups today. Just a reminder, this project is worth half of your grade this quarter, so please don't wait last minute to turn it in," Mrs. Lohn looked directly at the back of the classroom. "It should take you and your group about two weeks total to finish a ten minute arthropod of your choice film along with an essay paper explaining all of the seven core topics we've learned over the course of the year thus far."

Erin Patelline sat in the seat beside Jeffery; they both watched intensively as the teacher made her way towards the front row. Erin mentally crossed her fingers for good luck. She had much rather preferred to be paired up with two students that were just as organized and focused as her. If she was partnered with the underachievers, well, then she would have no other choice than to take matters into her own hands.

"Harley Tucker, Landen Brecken, and Merin Roth are a group. Mitchell Corneally, Sammi Chilies, and Sean Mumford are a group," Mrs. Lohn started reading from a list of names and all the whilst, Erin sat on the edge of her seat, gripping onto the ends of her gray sweater in anticipation.

Numerous names were read when suddenly, Mrs. Lohn was at the foot of Erin's desk. "Darius Jarosz, Erin Patelline-" she spoke and Erin's world seemed to freeze at all once as she uttered the name, "Jeffery Frederick."

Jeffery Frederick, she thought. My ultimate rivalry.

Although she had never had a real conversation with him in her entire life, she remembered a time when he had forgotten a pencil to class. Being concerned for his ability to take the quiz that day, she generously handed him her favorite pen without a doubt. But why her favorite pink ink pen when she had plenty of other half broken pencils at the bottom of her book bag?

Throughout her years spent at Grabbles Ville High, she had heard plenty of Jeffery Frederick and presumed that he was extremely intelligent, talented in band, and well liked by nearly everyone. Other than that, she saw him as purely motivation to push her grades forward. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Although in Erin's case, he wasn't an enemy per say, but a challenge.

Abruptly, she felt him staring right through her, breaking her free from wondering thoughts. She turned towards him and saw the most peculiar look swimming deep within his perplexing emerald green eyes. Her pale hands grappled with the side pages of her notebook unsteadily.