But today, my lucky spot doesn't seem so great, because I sit right behind stupid Tyler Stanley. Before I found out he liked Katie, I used to kind of like the guy. Being from the land of potatoes and leprechauns and all. I mean, we don't really talk, mostly because his accent is so thick. I can't keep up a conversation without repeating, " Yeah. I'm sorry, what?"
Plus, I like to play connect the dots with the freckles on his neck, which has gotten me weird looks sometimes because I unknowingly move my pen in the air as I'm drawing with my eyes.
Plus, I like to play connect the dots with the freckles on his neck, which has gotten me weird looks sometimes because I unknowingly move my pen in the air as I'm drawing with my eyes.
"Psst."
The voice is coming from behind. I turn to face Gina Hilton.
"Do you have a piece of paper I can borrow?" she asks.
"What do I look like a paper factory?"
She gives me a confused look, but I don't care. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people ask to "borrow" paper when I obviously won't be getting it back.
"Dude, remember it's Tyler you're pissed with,"Adem says, pulling out his binder from his backpack.
"What? It's the third month of school. How does she not have any paper?" I say, shrugging.
"Alright class, let's get going. The bell rang two minutes ago, so let's not waste time," our psychology teacher, Mr. Morrison says, standing behind his podium.
He then transitions into his lecture mode, which is slumped posture, monotone voice and frozen stare off in space.
Everyone's pencils and notebooks are out, ready to report for duty, except for me. I'm more of a visual learner. I have to sit and watch the teacher and the presentation to really get it. Taking notes just gets in the way of things and distracts me. Well, at least I think it does, because somehow my words start going off into doodles of food-shaped objects or me as a superhero and Katie as my damsel in distress. I know, I'm lame.
Mr. Morrison drones on for half an hour and I'm amazed that everyone's actually listening to him for once. I, on the other hand, am trying to figure out a way to make Tyler talk. I'm just not good at randomly bringing things up with people,without setting off any alarms. Adem's the real charmer. He'd be an awesome secret agent. I'm more of an observer, the wingman that tests all the food to make sure there's no poison. No way am I gonna do the cliche drop-my-pencil thing. That never works. I can't go to the pencil sharpener; all I have are mechanical ones. I have to do something real smooth. What if I-
"Mr. Daniels!"
"Huh?"
" So what will it be?" Mr. Morrison says from his podium.
"Uh, I, uh."
My notebook is blank.
" What is at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?"
The whole class has their eyes glued on me. Why do people always do that? Why does everyone have this weird reflex that makes them whip their heads around and stare at whoever is talking or answering a question? It really freaks me out.
"Uh, I, uh."
Adem starts mouthing something.
"Not you, Mr. Yohanes. I'm asking Mr. Daniels," Mr. Morrison grumbles.
"So the top, you said? The highest need... is at the top," I reply, with a weak smile.
" Mr. Daniels, I just said the answer. You're not giving me the answer."
The door suddenly creaks open and a blonde girl with a leather messenger bag strolls in. The bobbleheads all turn towards her as she walks towards Mr. Morrison. Blondie is clutching a wrinkled paper in one hand, while her other hand jingles with bangles at her side.
"Is this AP Psychology with R.Morrison?" she asks.
" Rupert Morrison, yes. That's me. Are you a new addition to my classroom?" His glare suggests that better be the only reason she's interrupting his lecture.
"Yeah, today's my first day. Sorry I'm late," she says, fingering her braided ponytail
"Well, take a seat somewhere," Mr. Morrison says with a sniff. " I don't know if there's any left for you."
Gina raises her hand.
" This seat is open here..."
" Susannah," Blondie says. "Thanks."
Old Susannah weaves through the desks, jingling all the way to the chair between Gina and Jorge Martinez. I catch a glimpse of a small tattoo on her neck. It looks like a cow? Or a walrus? She doesn't spark me as the tattoo kind of girl.
Mr. Morrison clears his throat, signaling a return to work.
"So, where was I? Oh yes, the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is-"
"Oo, self-actualization!"
This time, I even turn around to look at Susannah. She's smiling confidently and holding one of those girly pencils with frilly stuff spilling out of the top.
"Well Mr. Daniels, it seems you weren't able to answer me after sitting here this whole time, while she knew the answer and she just walked into the room. How's that?" Mr. Morrison says, one eyebrow arched.
Great, thanks for making me look like an idiot even more.
" We've done this chapter at my old school, that's all," Susannah says.
"Seriously?" Gina's eyes light up. "We should totally be study partners."
Susannah shrugs.
Mr. Morrison raps his knuckles on the podium.
" Enough yakking, people. Back to the lecture..."
Bring! Bring! Bring!
"What? It's time already?" Mr. Morrison glances at his wristwatch.
No one disputes the bell; echoes of zipping and shuffling erupt as everyone itches to get out of class. For once I wish I could stay longer, since I didn't get a chance to talk to Tyler at all. How am I ever going to figure out what's going on between him and Katie and destroy it?
" Come on, Zac. If we make it home in time, I can catch the last half of the LA Galaxy game," Adem says, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.
" If your mom's making her special salad, I'll promise to power walk," I say.
"Mind if I join you guys?" Susannah's voice chirps in.
Adem frowns.
"You like soccer?"
"No. Well not particularly. I don't not like it, so I think it would an interesting experience," Susannah says, adjusting one of her bangles.
" Well, we would invite you, but Adem's mom isn't big on bringing girls over. Actually, scratch that, she'd go nuts if he brought a girl over," I say, smacking Adem on the back.
"I think that's why she likes me, 'cause she knows I'll never get a girl."
"What if it's for school stuff? You could tell her I'm there for a psychology study session. Which wouldn't be a complete lie, since Zac obviously needs one."
"Hey-"
Adem laughs.
"Look it sounds cool, but you don't even know us. Why do you want to hang out with two random guys? You seem more of a girly girl, no offense."
Susannah sighs.
"Everyone thinks that, but I'm a lot tougher than I look. Plus, I want to meet some new friends. Please? I promise I won't complain or get in the way. I could make us snacks."
My stomach growls.
" Sold! Let her come, Adem. We'll take it nice and slow and not scare your mom."
Adem picks up his soccer ball.
"Alright then. Fine, Susannah, you're welcome to come over. But we gotta leave now. My parking spot is way in the back."
I shove my notebook in my backpack and follow Adem and Susannah out. As we go out the door, Susannah slips her arm around mine.
"This is gonna be so much fun!"
Feeling her skin touch mine, I suddenly feel really guilty. Then I remember that Katie is probably somewhere putting her arm around Tyler Stanley and not caring what the hell I think, so I just smile as the three of us run across campus.
Mr. Morrison drones on for half an hour and I'm amazed that everyone's actually listening to him for once. I, on the other hand, am trying to figure out a way to make Tyler talk. I'm just not good at randomly bringing things up with people,without setting off any alarms. Adem's the real charmer. He'd be an awesome secret agent. I'm more of an observer, the wingman that tests all the food to make sure there's no poison. No way am I gonna do the cliche drop-my-pencil thing. That never works. I can't go to the pencil sharpener; all I have are mechanical ones. I have to do something real smooth. What if I-
"Mr. Daniels!"
"Huh?"
" So what will it be?" Mr. Morrison says from his podium.
"Uh, I, uh."
My notebook is blank.
" What is at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?"
The whole class has their eyes glued on me. Why do people always do that? Why does everyone have this weird reflex that makes them whip their heads around and stare at whoever is talking or answering a question? It really freaks me out.
"Uh, I, uh."
Adem starts mouthing something.
"Not you, Mr. Yohanes. I'm asking Mr. Daniels," Mr. Morrison grumbles.
"So the top, you said? The highest need... is at the top," I reply, with a weak smile.
" Mr. Daniels, I just said the answer. You're not giving me the answer."
The door suddenly creaks open and a blonde girl with a leather messenger bag strolls in. The bobbleheads all turn towards her as she walks towards Mr. Morrison. Blondie is clutching a wrinkled paper in one hand, while her other hand jingles with bangles at her side.
"Is this AP Psychology with R.Morrison?" she asks.
" Rupert Morrison, yes. That's me. Are you a new addition to my classroom?" His glare suggests that better be the only reason she's interrupting his lecture.
"Yeah, today's my first day. Sorry I'm late," she says, fingering her braided ponytail
"Well, take a seat somewhere," Mr. Morrison says with a sniff. " I don't know if there's any left for you."
Gina raises her hand.
" This seat is open here..."
" Susannah," Blondie says. "Thanks."
Old Susannah weaves through the desks, jingling all the way to the chair between Gina and Jorge Martinez. I catch a glimpse of a small tattoo on her neck. It looks like a cow? Or a walrus? She doesn't spark me as the tattoo kind of girl.
Mr. Morrison clears his throat, signaling a return to work.
"So, where was I? Oh yes, the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is-"
"Oo, self-actualization!"
This time, I even turn around to look at Susannah. She's smiling confidently and holding one of those girly pencils with frilly stuff spilling out of the top.
"Well Mr. Daniels, it seems you weren't able to answer me after sitting here this whole time, while she knew the answer and she just walked into the room. How's that?" Mr. Morrison says, one eyebrow arched.
Great, thanks for making me look like an idiot even more.
" We've done this chapter at my old school, that's all," Susannah says.
"Seriously?" Gina's eyes light up. "We should totally be study partners."
Susannah shrugs.
Mr. Morrison raps his knuckles on the podium.
" Enough yakking, people. Back to the lecture..."
Bring! Bring! Bring!
"What? It's time already?" Mr. Morrison glances at his wristwatch.
No one disputes the bell; echoes of zipping and shuffling erupt as everyone itches to get out of class. For once I wish I could stay longer, since I didn't get a chance to talk to Tyler at all. How am I ever going to figure out what's going on between him and Katie and destroy it?
" Come on, Zac. If we make it home in time, I can catch the last half of the LA Galaxy game," Adem says, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.
" If your mom's making her special salad, I'll promise to power walk," I say.
"Mind if I join you guys?" Susannah's voice chirps in.
Adem frowns.
"You like soccer?"
"No. Well not particularly. I don't not like it, so I think it would an interesting experience," Susannah says, adjusting one of her bangles.
" Well, we would invite you, but Adem's mom isn't big on bringing girls over. Actually, scratch that, she'd go nuts if he brought a girl over," I say, smacking Adem on the back.
"I think that's why she likes me, 'cause she knows I'll never get a girl."
"What if it's for school stuff? You could tell her I'm there for a psychology study session. Which wouldn't be a complete lie, since Zac obviously needs one."
"Hey-"
Adem laughs.
"Look it sounds cool, but you don't even know us. Why do you want to hang out with two random guys? You seem more of a girly girl, no offense."
Susannah sighs.
"Everyone thinks that, but I'm a lot tougher than I look. Plus, I want to meet some new friends. Please? I promise I won't complain or get in the way. I could make us snacks."
My stomach growls.
" Sold! Let her come, Adem. We'll take it nice and slow and not scare your mom."
Adem picks up his soccer ball.
"Alright then. Fine, Susannah, you're welcome to come over. But we gotta leave now. My parking spot is way in the back."
I shove my notebook in my backpack and follow Adem and Susannah out. As we go out the door, Susannah slips her arm around mine.
"This is gonna be so much fun!"
Feeling her skin touch mine, I suddenly feel really guilty. Then I remember that Katie is probably somewhere putting her arm around Tyler Stanley and not caring what the hell I think, so I just smile as the three of us run across campus.
