Standing Up to Life

Chapter 9:

THE NEXT DAY school went decently, except for one thing... Homework! Amy and I had first period together, and Mr. Krantz decided that this was the week to do two things. One, we had a paper due Friday based off a lab we did that day dissecting a frog. The second was a major test on Friday that was supposed to be a 'practice final exam.' We still had two months till the end of the year, why were we taking a 'practice final?'

Amy and I complained about both of those things to each other over lunch. Nikki sat down at our table and said, "Hey you guys have the same shirt on!" I blushed a bit.

"I'm surprised no one said anything before now." Amy commented. "Brandon went with my family up to go skiing this weekend."

"It was a lot of fun," I added.

"That's cool. We got back from Denver last night..." She continued on, and it was clear that it wasn't a big deal to her that we were wearing the same shirt. I was somewhat relieved; it was a unisex shirt, but still... Anyway I got through the rest of the day without being picked on at all. I was a little surprised by that, and the absence of trouble made me a bit nervous. However, as they say, 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth.'

After school I met up with Amy and rode her bus to her house. I showed a note to the driver when I got on and she let me on without a problem. I sat next to Amy and we chatted all the way to her house. "So you guys have your band competition soon?" She asked me.

"Yeah it's in about three weeks. Mrs. Remar is completely going psycho about it. Just today a kid didn't know his part so she told him to put up his stuff. I mean, it was just one note... I just hope I don't screw up in front of her these next few weeks. I don't want to lose my first chair."

"Are you doing soccer this season?" She asked me.

"No, my good coach is leaving and the new guy is the old assistant. In a word he's a jerk. I went to two practices before deciding it wasn't worth it. How about you? Are you doing anything this year?" We pulled up to her bus stop and started walking towards her house.

"I'm thinking about trying out for the cheerleading squad this month. I've always wanted to be a cheerleader – I just hope I'm good enough to make it." She said.

"I'm sure you'll make it Amy, out of any of the girls you're the most likely to. You've done so many things like gymnastics and dance I can't see you not getting onto the squad!" Amy had done both of those activities since she was two. Her gymnastics coach had been trying to get her to go to some of the Olympic trials, but she said 'no' to that. She liked doing it, but didn't want to compete at that level – she just wanted to have fun doing it.

"I hope you're right Brandon, it would be so much fun I think." We reached her house and went inside.

"Well, shall we start on this stupid assignment that Mr. Krantz gave us?" She asked.

"Yeah... I guess. I can't believe he wants us to do all of this the week after spring break, why couldn't he have given us at least a day without homework?!"

"I agree, but I don't think we could get anywhere arguing with him. Here, let's go work in my playroom. I have a table in there we can work around." She said as we topped her stairs and went into a room I hadn't seen before.

"Okay." I replied as we entered into one of the most girly rooms I had ever been in. The room was painted in pink and purple, and I guessed must have been her nursery when she was a baby? There were Barbie dolls, baby dolls, stuffed animals, and basically every toy that a girl her age could have wanted from age five to twelve. "You weren't kidding when you said you had a lot of toys." I said to her.