Synectica

Chapter 10

        Netta caught up with Ryan in the hallway the next day before fourth period Spanish just as the bell rang. She now knew where his locker was, so she could easily wait for him there as they had agreed earlier. He came down the hallway from the other end of the building, rummaging through a pile of papers that were falling out of his history textbook.

        "I think you dropped something there," said Netta.

        Ryan spun around, letting his numerous papers fly everywhere with him, and finally found Netta at his locker. He strode over to her and rolled his eyes when he saw she was trying desperately not to laugh hysterically.

        "Oh shut it," he snapped.

        "Oooh. Why so testy today?" replied Netta. Ryan took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.

        "Fine. Peter's driving me crazy because now he wants to come to more QO meetings which he can't because he's too young but James won't back me up which ticks me off and I can't find my chem homework from this morning and if I don't find it I'm gonna get a zero and that would seriously suck and..."

        "Ryan. Take a breath."

        "Right, right. Breathing."

        "Come on nut job. We have Spanish," said Netta laughing. She grabbed his arm and pulled him along down the hallway. When they got to the Spanish room, nearly everyone was already in their seats. They had thankfully made it just in time. The bell was only seconds away from ringing. Netta noticed James wasn't in his seat.

        "Ryan, is James sick or something?" asked Netta.

        "Ha! James? Sick? Never. He's a healer, remember? He never gets sick."

        "Then where is he?"

        "Oh. Watch the door. He does this every time."

        Netta watched the door for a few seconds. Finally, the bell rang, but almost a nano-second before the bell stopped ringing, James walked calmly through the door. He took his seat, pulled out his book, and took his usual slouched position in his chair. The teacher took her place at the front of the class and subtly glared at James. Technically, he wasn't late. And if he did this every day, that would make him a real pain in the neck. Netta looked a couple seats down her row at Ryan. She gave him a "why-even-bother" look.

        "Because he can," he replied. Netta smiled to herself and took out her notebook and the only pencil she could find that didn't have a stub for an eraser.

        "Buenos días clase!" chirped their teacher. The class involuntarily rolled their eyes. "Necesitamos empezar un proyecto hoy para preparar por nuestra viaje en dos semanas. Busque un compañero después de yo explica el proyecto por favor. You will write an analysis of an artwork of your choice by a Hispanic artist or sculptor. It will be due the day before we leave for the MET. You may begin."

        Kids got up and began to meander around the classroom to find their friend groups and sit and talk about things not related to Spanish in the least bit. Netta and Ryan had agreed to be partners telepathically and started to work. They didn't really notice that they were discussing their project from across the room. Most of the others were already paired off anyhow.

        "Do we really even have to work on this now?" asked Ryan. "I mean, we can just work in it over lunch or something."

        "Ryan, come on. We should just get it done. Look, I'll pick out the topic, you'll write it, and I'll translate it into Spanish. Deal?"