After School with Mr. Obnoxious

Chapter 2

——Aaron

"Hey, Aaron. You forgot to text me 'goodnight' again last night." Nicole Smith, the hottest girl in town and captain of the squad—my girlfriend, lightly poked my shoulder as soon as she settled in next to me.

She frowned when I didn't say anything. "What's up with you?" she asked.

Nicole couldn't simply give me a break. I smiled at her again and to her three cheerleader friends who strutted cheerfully into the room.

"I was busy. My dad's back," I told her and nodded at Zack and Jasper, who both entered the room with Mr. Jacobs, my favorite art teacher. Other than basketball practice, his class was my second favorite part of my day. I sat straight as soon as I heard him clear his throat, his cue that the class was about to begin.

"Good morning—" He paused when the door swung open.

"I'm sorry." It was Samantha Banks, catching her breath with strands of her brown hair going in different directions. She gawkily walked past me and took a seat at the back.

"Add an hour allowance to your alarm clock next time, Ms. Banks," Mr. Jacobs said. Sam apologized again and assured him it wouldn't happen again.

I smirked. "I think Mr. Jacob's right, Banks. That should give you enough time to take a bath, too." And as I had expected, the class cheered. They loved my sense of humor.

"And I think you should, too, Lanter. I sniffed your immaturity all the way from the hallway," Sam responded loudly.

I looked around when I heard two people snickered. And I shot Sam a look when I saw her staring at me. She already looked pissed. I didn't care. I was glad I ruined the first period for her. That should teach her a lesson not to talk back.

"Can we start the class now? Or do you want me to send both of you to detention so you can continue this banter without distracting my class?" Mr. Jacobs looked like he meant it, so I apologized and shut my mouth. He asked us to get our copies of Gardner's Art Through the Ages and picked up where we left the other day.

I listened attentively and took note of the important takeaways. The world of art and its history had me pretty occupied and very much involved that I actually felt somewhat disappointed when the bell rang. Nicole, on the other hand, was already on her feet and ready to leave. She looked totally uninterested.

"What a boring class," she complained and left the room with Trish and Diana.

I slightly scowled at her attitude. I didn't ask her to take AP Art, yet she was acting like I did. I would never ask her to take any classes for me, that's not how I wanted our relationship to roll. She was free as a bird to do whatever she wanted. But what did she want?

Nicole and I had been together for two years. It had not been an easy two years. Her interests were different from mine. She was always telling me that we should move to Paris right after graduation. But my plan was different from hers. And what would she do there? Shop until she maxes out her credit cards?

I went to my locker to unload two books before going to my next class when I saw Zack and Jasper already waiting for me there. Like Nicole, they couldn't wait to get out of AP Art too. They disappeared as soon as the bell rang. What a duo of Gorillas?

"We thought you were right behind us," Jasper said.

"I wasn't born to be a follower, bro. I was born to lead," I replied. "Like how I lead you, two idiots." They exchanged funny looks.

Did I offend them? I didn't care, and they didn't mind. Had it not been for me, none of them could ever make to the basketball team. They obviously owe their popularity to me.