A Gang of Our Own

Chapter Thirteen

"So... Tomorrow's the choir concert." Blair said to me at lunch the following day.

"I know! I'm totally excited."

"Yeth! I'm totally exthited!" Triston said in a girly voice.

"Shut up, Triston." I laughed. The guys laughed and did a knuckle bump.

"What are you wearing?" I asked Blair.

"A white dress with black nylons, black shoes, and a black flower in my hair."

"Wow. Someone's going all out."

"What about you?"

"Um..."

"Avery?" I looked at her with a guilty face. "You haven't even thought about it, have you?" She said in an accusing voice.

"No." I confessed.

"Ok, tomorrow after school you are riding the bus home with me, and we will get ready together. And I will lend you some clothes."

"Ok, Blair. You win." I chuckled.

After lunch all of us had algebra. Unfortunately, all of us were separated. "OK, everyone. Please open your text books to page 154 and do problems 10-36 on notebook paper in groups of three or four." Our teacher, Mrs. Darwin instructed. The four of us all looked together and we met up at Matt's desk. I wasn't feeling particularly motivated at the moment, so I decided to doodle. I drew a picture of Mrs. Darwin, but over exaggerated her features, so she looked crazy. I added a mole on the side of her nose, a witch hat, and a broom. Around the sides of her head I drew long, gray whisps, so it looked like frizzy hair.

"Avery, what'd you get for number thirteen?" Asked Triston. "We can't agree."

"27." I answered absent mindedly.

"Um, we all got in the 200's or higher. What are you doing?" He leaned over Matt's desk and snatched my notebook out of my hands, causing me to draw a line across the page.

"Hey, Triston!" I said as I reached for it.

"This is what you've been doing this whole time?" He snickered.

"Give it back." I said as I lunged for it. He dodged my hand effortlessly, and showed it to Matt.

"I think we got a new Picasso on our hands, how 'bout you?"

"Aw, com'on, Triston. I'll work, just give it back."

He held my notebook closer to him and taunted,"What are you going to do about it? "

I got up and walked over to him. "Please, Triston." He just held it the opposite direction from me. I lunged for it again, but I tripped and landed in his lap. Then, his chair tipped over, and we crashed to the floor with a thud. Everyone looked at us, and the notebook slipped out of his hands, and slid to Mrs. Darwin's feet. Luckily, she didn't see the picture.

"Triston, go stand in the hall." She said in an angered voice. Triston looked fake offended and walked outside. But...then she saw my picture.

"Avery, is this yours?" She asked.

I slowly nodded my head. She picked it up and examined it. She tossed it to me and I caught it. "My nose isn't that big. Go to the hall." I placed the notebook on Matt's desk and walked out to join Triston. He was sitting on the ground, his back against lockers. I sat next to him.

"You know I hate you." I said as I punched his shoulder.

"No you don't." I rolled my eyes and laughed quietly.

"So are you coming over tomorrow night?"

"I guess so. Blair won't have it any other way."

"Yeah, she's stubborn."