Booksmarts

chapter 014

"Yeah I got it Mom" He grumbles. I don't blame him, I'd be annoyed as hell if I had to hear the same constant reminders every day. But who knows? Maybe I'm just not used to a mother who worries for me. The front doorbell rings and Moni starts rushing to the door. I can't make out who she's talking to since she's blocking my view, but when she finally turns around I realize who it is. I race to the kitchen and instinctively cower under the sink.

Very badass Alinna. Hiding under a sink, well done.

"Hey Mace! I've got somethin' to ask you", Aurora makes her way through the door with a huge poster behind her back. Before I can read what it says, she flips it around and reveals it to him. "Be my basket date?" There was this annual pre-Valentines Day town event for buying baskets. Basically, people would anonymously make and decorate baskets with food in them. Whoever buys the basket scores a date with whoever made it. People were supposed to buy ones that look the best or seemed the most appetizing. But now people just go around town and ask people to buy their basket for a date with them. They would hint at obvious details so their potential date could be the only one to know and buy it. Before Mason could answer, Moni finds me under the sink.

"Allina what are you doin'? You're gonna dirty yourself if you stay under that sink!" She scolds. The whole room goes completely pen-drop silent. Moni yanks me up from the floor. Lo and behold, Aurora is seen shooting lasers at me. Lasers, daggers, knives, swords, bullets, nukes, anything deadly and lethal to be exact. Instead of saying anything, I do what any scared teenager would do–run. Not exactly run, more like speed-walk. I speed-walked out the doors and then ran to my house. I make it to my car and witness the sight across from me. A mini fight breaks out in front of the doorway. Before Aurora leaves, Mason grabs her hand and says words I can only assume were along the lines of stay because she does. Assuming he said yes to her proposal, she wraps her arms around his neck and tackles him. I can't bear to see this anymore.

I so need a date.

Badly.

I step on the gas and head to the nearest craft supply store to pick up supplies for my basket. The drive was short and sweet, I hit the breaks and parked. Stepping inside the store, I wheel in a shopping cart and start pushing it to my favorite aisle–the ribbon and glitter aisle. God's greatest creation next to women was glitter and ribbons. I don't think the world would continue to spin if ribbons and glitter suddenly disappeared. The closest thing to world peace right now is ribbons and glitter. Pink glitter and ribbons especially. Like the hog I am, I shove all of the pink glitters in my cart and start stacking various assortments of pink ribbons. Before I push my cart away, a voice makes me stop in my tracks.

"Awh Dyl... Look! There's no more fuschia ribbon!" My head slowly turns around and there I see. Dylan Santoro and his kid sister shopping right behind me. I look into my cart and eye the 4 rolls of fuschia ribbon. My conscious was telling me,

Just give it to her, she clearly needs it. Don't be selfish.

But the idiot side of my brain is saying,

But it's pink ribbon...

My thoughts clash together. I know it should be an easy choice, give the poor girl some ribbon. But I have no idea how to approach Dylan or his sister. Like, "Hey! Sorry I hogged all of the ribbon!" or "Sorry the last time I saw you was when I accidentally blew you off! Here's some ribbon." Dylan's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Alinna? Is that you?" I squeeze my eyes shut and fully spin around to face him and his sister. My left eye occasionally peeking open to see if they're actually there or if I'm hallucinating. After a few blinks, I finally respond.