Chapter 14
1527 Words
Just when I think I can move on from the presence of the new students, I realize as the bell rings and we head to our next class, Phoebe's in English with me. The introductions are same as math, but much quicker and simpler with not a lot of gawking at the new students. Phoebe's told to sit next to Joanna, the only empty seat in the classroom.
"Hi!" Phoebe says to her partner. Joanna lifts her head and notices the stranger. She doesn't say hi back. "I'm Phoebe. You?" No answer. The room is filled with tension, even Mr. Wright is paying full attention. Greg turns.
"Her name's Joanna Honey. She won't talk to you, but..." Greg flashes Phoebe a smile, "I will. I'm Greg." Phoebe smiles at him and with the tension broken, Mr. Wright tells us to turn to Act 4 Scene 2 in our books.
The day's kind of queer, unusually different than most. I begin to the think it's because of Phoebe and Sienna. They're very pretty girls, and almost every guy in the school will look for fish like them to bang on. I'm still having that thought that I've seen those two before, but it's a fading in and fading out thought.
During lunch, I don't see them anywhere because Carla's table is far away from us. I do, however, see Alistair's table. He, Mathias, Curtis, and Jarvis are sitting there as usual, but instead of laughing and talking like they usually do, they're a little glum. No, they're worried. Worried or a little nervous.
"Did you hear about the hot girls that are new to the school?" Hailey says in an agent-like voice. "They're so pretty, and I accidentally bumped into one of them and she said sorry in the cutest way possibly. So nice." That must be Phoebe, cute as a button.
"I'm not into hot girls," Lena remarks. "I already have a hot boy having my back, and if you'll excuse me, I have to meet him in a couple minutes. We're going out for lunch."
"Aw, don't leave me!" Hailee whines. Lena doesn't change her mind. "I'll come with you!"
"Don't," Lena warns her sternly. Hailee pouts and munches her lettuce. Guess I'm not such great company.
The doubt I had earlier becomes vivid when bio comes around, and I see two more new faces. All the students are curious and even the gossip is about these other two girls. The introductions start again in the class.
There is a girl with long, brown hair, dull green eyes on very pale skin, and is tall and skinny. Her name's Cara, and beside her is Lei, I recall. Lei is very short, face caked with make-up, ravishing style, and everything seems to pop out about her. Her short, layered black hair, her big plump lips, all the curves of her body, and the black pits in her hazel eyes that give me a shuddering feeling.
But really, this is when I realize. I'm sure these four girls are the ones that go to Alistair's house almost everyday. I'm so sure, I can even remember the headcount and hair colour: four girls, two blondes, one brunette, and one with dark hair.
Phoebe and Sienna are neither in this class, but these girls are relatively similar. The last row is empty so they go sit there, right beside Alistair. They know him, and he knows them, but I just don't want them there next to him. It irritates me all of a sudden.
"Alright guys!" Mr. Wu says with a clipboard in his hands, grabbing our attention. "You know I'm a friendly innocent guy and I show you cool science videos every class, but, today we're doing something very special." He gives us a teasing smile, pausing dramatically for the tension to build up. "We're doing something, that's diverse and has only a small component of science, and each and every one of you will take part in it."
"What is it, man?" Cameron calls.
"Wait, young gentleman, I haven't finished talking," Mr. Wu replies. "Now, you all know Halloween is coming up, correct?" Murmurs start. "Ah, shush! I'm still speaking." Mr. Wu is satisfied with our thrill. "The school in a couple decades is hosting it's first Halloween Dance. Our class is responsible for each and every bit of the Dance, you hear me? It's held inside the school, and you guys are responsible to pick a job and stick with it to organize the Dance."
He posts a list of jobs for the Dance on the Smart Board: Decorations, Food, Clean-Up, Music and Entertainment, Invitations and Advertisements, and more. Everyone is excited with this, and it's as if they no longer care about the two new girls that joined our class. It's good to have my class back.
"You'll be picking a partner and you will do the job together, how's that?" Mr. Wu says, and all the blood freezes in me. How's that? It's terrible! I hoped he picked the partners for us but... "After the event, each of you will do a report on the observations you made and your own opinions of the party. I'll give you a handout once you pick a partner and it will outline everything you'll have to reflect on after the Dance."
When Mr. Wu tells us to go and choose our partners, I don't move an inch. I wait... and wait for someone to ask me, and yet, I don't ask anyone either. I look behind me, and see Alistair mouthing 'no' to Cara and Lei. The two girls scowl and go to Mr. Wu to get their job. After a while once almost everyone has been given a job, I stand up and walk back to Alistair. I'm nervous out of my wits as I stop in front of his desk, my eyes anywhere but on him.
"Want to...be partners?" I ask in a bare murmur. Alistair raises a questioning eyebrow. "Want to be partners?" I say a little louder. He stands up, and I'm scared he's going to decline and leave. I watch him start towards Mr. Wu's desk.
"Are you coming?" he tells me. Glory fills my chest and I follow him. We're the last ones to get a job and got what's leftover. The strip of paper says 'Awards and Rewards'. "Awards and Rewards?" Alistair repeats, unable to know what to make of such a job.
"Yes." The word is a little sly coming out of Mr. Wu. "Read the description, do a little research, you'll know what to do. Might want to speak to the Music and Entertainment group. Will give you an idea." We settle at my desk and read the Awards and Reward paper.
It basically includes prizes for games won in the Dance, awards such as Best Dancers and Best Costume, and all that sort of stuff. To get a decent mark, we need at least five awards and rewards at the Dance. Awards are to be announced at the end of the Dance, and any rewards like prizes to be handed out after winning a game.
"How about we have different types of Costume awards?" I ask, erasing one of my jot notes. Alistair asks me to elaborate. "What if we have like, Scariest Costume, Cutest Costume, Worst Costume, Best Costume, and Ugliest Costume?"
"How about we try not to insult anyone?" he says. I nod, embarrassed. "You have a lot of ideas, I don't," he continues, as if to compensate for his rash comment. "I just pick out the ones that make sense and are appropriate. I don't mean to...make you feel embarrassed." My mouth hangs open and Alistair stares at our job sheet. Had he always read my facial expressions and feelings accurately like this? I hope he hadn't! That would certainly be more embarrassing.
We go to the Music and Entertainment group to talk about prizes, but they're a little skeptical when they see Alistair. Class is about to end anyway, so we retire to our seats. All we have are two awards we have thought of and researched on our phones about. We have a lot more to discuss and Mr. Wu said this is a side assignment, meaning we have to continue classes and do some actual science. So we don't have class time.
"How can we work on this?" I ask, worrying as I pack up my books. "Don't your friends go to your house everyday?" Alistair isn't as worried as I am. In fact, he's a lot more calm than I thought he'd be.
"They don't come every single day," he replies. "But I really don't care."
"So...it's okay if I meet up with you?" I sound a little too hopeful; I don't want him to notice. He gives me a look, which tells me he's already got something planned. Maybe.
"Yes, it's okay," he finally says. I smile and pick up my backpack. My smile drops when Cara and Lei suddenly approach us and stop at our desks.
They smile at us, but something else lurks behind their eyes.
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