Say Hello, Wave Goodbye -- Louis Partridge

3. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye

I think the first day of school went badly. Horribly, if you want to exaggerate things. I was late, got burnt and couldn't sleep at all that night. That... boy. He distracted me. I wasn't used to thinking my actions over, I was literally a bubblegum bitch half the time. So why did I feel guilty about my actions towards him? I couldn't think it through. The whole situation was just too... weird for me. Chances were I would never see him again, so I didn't have to worry. And yet I did worry. The whole night I couldn't stop worrying. I was a bitch. All of my life I have been a bitch. And I can't go back and just fix things. I guess that boy was karma.

I came to school early and sat down at the front, not even bothering to argue with my teacher to sit at the back. I didn't look any place apart from my desk. My eyes were too tired to search into people's faces. Ms Laftsbury came in and said.

"You're early, what a surprise!" The rest of the students sniggered but I just looked down. I couldn't process any of it, I didn't want to fight back anymore. So, I remained silent. I heard her scoff.

I had two free periods so I headed to the benches again. I needed to finish my art homework. I was drawing buildings with ink and paint. Architecture suddenly popped up in my mind. Wait, why was I thinking about my future? What was going on? Thank god, Carly came and sat down next to me. I needed a distraction.

"Do I ever act like a bitch to you?" I asked actually meaning it. Carly just started laughing but stopped when I didn't.
"You're serious? Um, yes. If you really want to know then yes. But that is what I like about you. You say what people are afraid to say."

"So I talk too much. I guess I really am a Bubblegum Bitch." That was when Carly actually burst into laughter.

"What is so funny?"

"What the heck is a bubblegum bitch?"

"Someone who uses people and treats them like garbage. Have you seriously not heard the song?"

"No." I nodded, clearly her music taste wasn't good. "But you are not what you described. You are amazing, Ava. You're just going through something. You'll get over it. I know you will." She stretched her arms and I hugged her. Sometimes I was very lucky to have Carly. Even if I preferred to be alone.

We talked for a half hour and then the bell rang, "I need to go to drama." Carly pouted.

"You might be in Louis' class!"

"Who's Louis?" I asked, I didn't think we had a Louis in this school.

"The new boy! I ship you too already!" I laughed, Carly and her imagination.

"I haven't met the boy yet, calm down." Plus I promised my dad I wouldn't date until university, that was besides the point.

"Well, check him out. Because he is just something else." That was when Carly sighed and looked to out of space. She had too much thinking time. I needed her to do some co-curricular because she was wasting her creativity on rubbish.

I entered drama and sat at the front of the theatre chairs. I was suddenly feeling brave. I wouldn't sit at the back of classes anymore. Our teacher Mr Bernast walked in with a big smile on his face. Im my opinion, drama teachers were the most positive in our school. They kept the school alive. The rest of the student past through the doors and it was time for him to give his famous speech.

"Start of your last years, ladies and gentlemen. Beware, this year Drama A-level is taking a different turn. Monologues are in the past now." Wait, what? If not monologues than how do we pass our exams? "This year, the exam board has decided that your acting part of the exam will be dialogues." No. No. No. This can not be happening. I can't do a dialogue I'm better working solo. I was so irritated about everything I felt like screaming. "The exam board clearly specified that you have to pick one person and stick with them the whole year. Now, they also said that I have to assign partners. But I'm not going to do that." Everyone started cheering. Great, I would probably be stuck with the another outcast who doesn't know any of the names of the people in this class. "No, no I didn't say that I would let you pick, either." The class booed. They were honestly so immature. Mr Bernast moved out of the way to reveal a table with two buckets in them. "In one bucket, there are names of all of you in the class. In the other, there is a theme. That person and theme will be the glue for your A-levels, do you understand?" Everyone nodded. I felt like shit. I was definitely flunking my A-levels now. "Who would like to go first?" He asked and everyone put their hands up apart from me. Well, I didn't know that because I was sitting in the front. But it was quite obvious when Mr Bernast said, "How about the one person who didn't volunteer. Ava, you're up first. I begrudgingly stood up and stumbled onto the stage. I didn't want to turn around but I had to, eventually. He first gestured me to the names and I pulled one out.

Louis Partride

Was he the new boy that Carly was talking about? "I got Louis Partridge." I said to Mr Bernast, he nodded and scribbled it down. I went to the second bucket at picked out a theme. I sighed when I saw what it was. "And, I got Love as the theme." The whole class oohed and I rolled my eyes. I looked at the seats and I didn't recognise anyone. Any of the boys could be Louis Partridge, how was I going to work out which one it was? I sat back down and the rest of the class took out their names and themes. Apparently the love theme wasn't the worst of them. There were funeral, pets, hospitals, police and even a tv show. But still, I didn't want to do love. It was stupid.  "Okay, class dismissed. For homework I just want you to say hello to your partners." That wouldn't be so tough, if I knew who my freaking partner was. I knew I was going to be embarrassed anyways, so as the class was packing up I shot my hand up. "Yes Ava."
"Who is Louis Partridge?" I asked and the whole class laughed.

"That would be me." I turned around to see a gorgeous, tall boy walking up to me. His face, was familiar. No, no, no. This boy was the one who spilt tea over me.

"No." I said and the class was dismissed so I stormed out of the room. The corridors were full but I still managed to slide through the gaps.

"Why no?!" I heard the boy yell behind me.

"Because I'm not supposed to know you." I said as I turned around to look at him.

"Why not?" I sighed, he wouldn't get it.

"Goodbye, Louis Partridge."

"Wait!" He yelled as he held my arm. I kept staring at his hand until he let go of him.

"What?"

"You can't wave goodbye without saying hello." I raised an eyebrow at him, what on Earth was he on about? He shrugged, "you know. The song, Say hello, Wave Goodbye. It's by soft cell."

"Never heard of it."

"Well it's a great song and you have to say hello anyways, it's homework."

He got his way this time. I pulled my hand out. "Hello, Louis Partridge, I'm Ava Greenway."

He shook my hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you Ava Greenway." I pulled my hand back.

"Now, goodbye, Louis Partridge." I turned around and kept on walking. Turns out I couldn't stop, I had to continue being a bubblegum Bitch.

This chapter is inspired by Say Hello, Wave Goodbye by Soft Cell.

I hope you liked it. It gets interesting from now on readers! Again, if you have any ideas or suggestions on what I should add next, write it in the comments!

Xoxo, BrooksAreGreen