The class went by slow.
Science.
"And that is what convection means, understood?" Mr Ang asked, his voice hoarse and firm.
Everyone kept quiet. I just sat, feeling squirmy as I looked around the class. Mary was sitting in front of me, and she looked so engrossed with her work, I didn't dare talk to her.
"Very well, do page 25 in your workbook and send it up when completed."
I flipped open my brown workbook and grabbed a pen beside me, and then I waited for something exciting to happen, maybe Mary would suddenly burst out talking or, or or or, the school could burn down ANY SECOND NOW without a cause!
"Hey Winnie!" Diana whispered beside me, she was a tall slender girl, with a few pimples on her face, but she was tanned and very pretty.
"Yeah?"
"Why aren't you doing your work? You know, if you don't, and if we've all done, he'll call you up." she said, sounding intimidated.
"Uhh, I was just brain storming." I lied, and flashed her a small quirky smile. She nodded, and continued with her work. I did a small mental to-do list in my mind: Follow Adam to Mary's house, stall Mary and tell her I was sorry, and go home happy.
"People, 10 more minutes." Mr. Ang announced as he went out of the class, "be back soon."
UH-OH.
I hurriedly focused on the first question and groaned, 100 questions. DARN IT.
* * * *
"Irwin?" someone shouted across the hall. I glanced at the way where the voice was coming, my hands in my locker. Some guy materialized beside me and walked towards a girl, a little shorter than me. She linked her arm around his as they walked towards another class.
Must be fun having a soul mate, I thought.
Have I really done the right thing to push Ian off like that?
I slammed the locker and walked off, maybe I just wanted to socialize more, to other people so even if I lost them, I had other friends.
I went friend-hunting, walking up and down the school, banging with different people and having people getting in my way. "Hey you, I tagged ya!" some guy yelled behind, someone fled past a whole bunch of group I was in.
The guy was chasing after him as the chasee chuckled out loud. It was childish but at least he had a friend. The chaser came rushing past as he hollered again, "Come back! No fair!"
I caught myself giggling as I remembered how Dame always couldn't get to us because his mother told him if he ever fell into a puddle of mud, he can never enter his house.
And that idiot really believed her, and ever since then, he never ran faster than a bike. Which as we can tell, is pretty slow.
I missed them. It's been so long I've never called or texted them, maybe I've gone out of their lives. Maybe it's better that way. That might explain why they never made the first move. To text or call me.
I walked down again and waited for fate. Come on! Someone talk to me!
Five minutes dragged by and still no one came around. I decided to give it one more try, and this time, I'll make the move.
Summoning hope, I walked out, my head held high.
Today, I wanna be a rockstar.
"Hey." I said, looking at a guy leaning against his locker, as he slowly looked at me. His one leg was leaning on the locker, the other carrying his weight. His papers were on his lap, so he must be pretty hardworking.
He nodded.
"Well, uhm, what grade are you in?" I asked, trying to sound friendly as I put on a smile. And I reached behind to check if my hair was okay.
"8th." he replied dully, and continued looking at me.
"O...kaaay?"
Silence.
"Okay, so." I added, looking away. He was wearing a pink shirt with some other shirt underneath, and he had a Jason Dolley hair, which I absolutely adore. But he was creepy.
"You?"
"I'm 7th."
"Oh," he looked down, "have you seen someone named Marie?"
"Mary, yeah! I mean, we're not in good terms now. Why? Did she talk about me?" I asked, sounding giddy but my temper rising.
"What? You know Marie?"
"Yeah, Mary, right?" I trailed off. "Right?"
"Pfft, no. Ma-rie. She's my girlfriend." he explained, putting his leg down as he giggled at my stupidity. I guess I had a lot to learn to be accepted in here. "Have you seen her? She broke up with me last night and she didn't come at all today. Do you think she must've died?" He asked, his eyes wide with horror. Man, this was my turn to laugh.
"Ha-ha! Died? What are you? Brad Pitt?" And then I hugged my books tighter to me as I strode away, with my head still held up high.
"That wasn't even funny!" He shouted.
"It was to me," I whispered.
* * * *
After a few more lessons which included Domestic Science, which had something to do with cooking and science again, I was worn out.
I successfully baked ONE cookie, and I decorated it, and I was having this idea of probably preserving it: My first cookie.
And well, just display it.
Everyone rushed out of the class after that, everyone carrying a bag filled with cookies they made. All of them baked at least 5. But I could tell, theirs wasn't gonna taste as awesome as mine. I put a lot into it.
One more lesson before school ends.
The next class was History, great, just great.
We settled down and someone else came and talk to me, someone I didn't exactly call my 'friend'.
"Hey, so, what's with you and Ian there?" he pointed. Andrew was known as the prep talker and he talked a WHOLE lot. Besides that, he asked people stuffs that are confidential or plain 'not-his-business'. And then, secretly, he makes a school newsletter for the latest student gossip, which includes who's sleeping with whom. But he only gives it out to those who paid him, so it's an undercover thing. But he sure made loads of bucks.
Too bad the teachers didn't know, isn't it?
"What?" I asked, bewildered.
"You know, you and him? I found you two smooching behind the school."
I practically rolled out of my seat. And then I realized he was just making me believe something I never did. How could he think I would be that dumb?!
"Okay, to think about you lying to me that ridiculous way, I would have called you a big fat liar. But that would be an insult to them, so you're just uncategorized." I snapped, grabbing my seat tightly.
He just stared at me intently as if I was joking him. "You're joking."
"No, I'm not." I answered firmly, and I looked straight in case he wanted to ask me another stupid question.
"Because I swear! I saw you and him smooching somewhere behind."
"That wasn't me!" I defended, my voice shaky afraid that he'd put me in his stupid newsletter.
"Then who was it?" he asked, his voice filled with eager.
"How would I know?" I asked, sounding annoyed. He's just playing you, Winnie.
"Know what?" The history teacher walked in and looked directly at me, and I pointed to Andrew. "Yes, Andrew?"
"Nothing I just, nevermind." he smiled cheekily.
"Okay, today we're having an oral exam on what you've read about the Prince Charles." He said, but the only words rang in my head was:
"I smooched Ian and was busted."
It was so fake, but inside it stirred, I really wanted that to happen.
And so I made one of the biggest mistake, ever!
"Psst Andrew!" I leaned over to him when the teacher drew something on the board,"yeah, you got me. I'm busted."
He smiled, satisfied with his little 'sleuthing'. "Yes, yes I know."
Wait, what the heck did I just do?
Wait, what the heck did I just do?
