The Payback or The Adventures and Pranks of Zachary O'Connor

Chapter Two: A Night to Forget & Philosophizing

Perhaps I should've said that that game was the homecoming game. But I'm saying it now, so whatever. Anyway, I wasn't terribly excited for the dance cuz I didn't like my date, and I had recently broken up with my girlfriend (that'll be addressed later). I didn't even want to go, but Meghan made me buy a ticket. Someone in Color Guard apparently liked me and eventually asked me because I obviously wasn't going to ask her. I said yes because I didn't have a date, and I was being forced to go. Her name was Jordan, and I didn't really know her well, but she was nice enough, I suppose.

So, the day after the game, I called Jordan and asked her if she wanted to eat.

"Hey," I greeted her.

"Hey, Zach. What's up?" she responded.

"Well, I was, uh, wondering if you, like, wanted to eat dinner or something. Ya know, like, before the dance... or something," I said smoothly.

"Yeah, ok," Jordan said, "I kinda figured we'd do that anyway."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Ok, well, I'll pick you up later."

"Ok."

"Bye," I said.

"Bye."

I groaned and grabbed my hair. This was not what I had in mind at the end of last year. I had planned to spend homecoming with Annabeth. We had gone to Prom together last year and danced together the entire time, apart from that moment when I witnessed what had happened with Laurel. So, now it's time for a little bit of back-story.

I had had a huge crush on Annabeth since- like- 7th grade, and in freshman year, we began to date. She was my first kiss, and my first real girlfriend. I mean, I'd had "girlfriends", but I'd never gone on dates with anyone until Annabeth. We had dated up until that past summer. She had moved to Wisconsin (WTF, right?), and the long-distance thing hadn't worked out. At all. So, that was that, and I hadn't had a girlfriend for a month or two.

Unless you count Jordan.

Which I didn't.

And I hoped no one else did.

Anyway, I picked up Jordan that evening at around 6 o'clock and drove us to Wendy's. Jordan has long orange hair and average features (I'm sorry, but it's true). She was wearing a pretty black dress and seemed pretty happy originally. While pulling into Wendy's, Jordan frowned and didn't get out of the car for a second. I later realized that she was waiting for me to open the door. Oh well. Inside Wendy's we sat in an excruciatingly awkward silence while I ate a Baconator and she ate a salad.

In the car, I turned on the radio, but Jordan didn't seem to like my music. That was a problem. I couldn't date a girl that didn't like my music unless she was something special. Also, she started texting another guy while we were on our way to the school. Walking into the wide expanse of the dark dance floor in the gym, I found my friends as quickly as possible. I introduced Jordan to Meghan, Gabby, and Anti. Anti and Gabby were going together as friends. Meghan was going stag. She had broken up with her ex a few months ago when she found out he was cheating on her.

Jordan and I managed to dance to a few songs together before I lost my patience. Jordan was annoying. She kept excusing herself to text someone else, and all she seemed to care about was her grades and her various friends and exes. She didn't, like, talk my ear off or anything, but I would try and steer to conversation toward marching band or color guard or her family or my family and even religion, but she would always change to topic back to friends and grades. And then she would ask for a moment and go text someone else.