21st Century Breakdown: Nathan and Ari

11 - ¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)

Chapter 11

Melonie Caldwell

"I can't do this for much longer," Ari sighed quietly. I looked up from my phone and at my desk, trying to make it look like I was actually doing my English work as opposed to scrolling through my Facebook news feed.

"What do you mean? Analyzing Shakespeare?" I whispered, looking at her really confused. Ari shook her head, tapping the eraser of her pencil against her temple. "Oh wait, this is about Nathan, isn't it?!?"

She laughed quietly, shaking her head at me and putting her pointer finger on her nose like we were playing charades. "Yeah," she sighed, "it is. But Shakespeare, I can't deal with him for much longer, either. It's all really confusing."

I nodded my head and laughed humorlessly. "Old English is shit." She nodded in agreement. "So, you're feeling conflicted, aren't you? About Nathan, I mean." She opened her mouth, beginning to object, but I cut her off before she even got a word out. "Ari, we've been best friends for seven years. I know you, and I know when you're feeling conflicted about something. Especially about Nathan. Don't you give me bullshit, girl."

She laughed at me again. "You really do know me," she whispered, a smile creeping onto her face. I just smiled triumphantly, sitting up straighter in my seat.

We both looked across the room when someone shouted, "How the hell are we supposed to analyze the details of Shakespeare?!?" I laughed with everyone else as Christian threw his hands up in the air in an exasperated manor. "I don't even understand this!" he shouted again.

Diagonally in front of me, Anthony chimed in. "Neither do I!" he yelled through clenched teeth, slamming his fist down on his desk.

Ari sighed, slightly smiling. At a normal volume, she said, "Honestly, I don't think any of us do. Don't freak out, guys. God."

In a mere few seconds, Mrs. Frank was standing at the front of the room, her hands on her hips and her foot tapping impatiently. She looked like she was about to explode. Somehow staying calm, she said, "I cannot believe how in one second, you guys can go from being almost completely silent to screaming across the room in exasperation. You're the AP class! You guys should be better behaved than this!" The whole class laughed again, only to be responded with a death glare from Mrs. Frank. "Get back to work," she said sternly, abruptly walking back to her desk.

Anthony leaned back in his chair and rested his arm on Ari's desk. "Someone's thong is way too far up her ass..." he trailed off, fighting to keep the smile off of his face. Ari and I both laughed at him, earning us another glare from Mrs. Frank. "So what was this talk I heard of the asshole sitting across the room?"

I laughed. "Our little Ari feels conflicted about him," I said, patting the top of Ari's head. Oh, the perks of her having the short chair.

Anthony smiled cheekily. "Awe, does someone want their ex back again?" he asked in a hushed tone, pinching her cheek. She swatted his hand away from her face, looking down at the questions in front of her and letting her hair fall in her face. "Denial," he said to me in a sing-song voice.

"Oh, please. It's not denial because I kind of somewhat admitted it. I never said that I didn't want him back," she pointed out, looking back up at Anthony. He nodded his head considering that. "If anything, you're the one in denial, Anthony."

"And why do you say that?" he questioned her, raising an eyebrow.

"Because you won't just ask Amy out," she said simply, leaning against the back of the chair and crossing her arms over her stomach. "I mean, really. Come on. You're the one who's always telling Ryan or Lou or Mitchel to ask the girls that they like out, why won't you just man the fuck up and ask the one that you like out?" I laughed at how true that actually was.