First Comes Like #Wattys2020

16

We enter the pink room and sit on the leather chair behind the desk. Ms Fitz has her glasses on and means business. The faithful clock on her desk tick-tocks away the time. Ms Fitz stays silent and retrieves what I think is the glittery calendar Dean and I worked on a few weeks ago. Then she looks at us and pushes her glasses up on her nose.

"Mr Pinkette." She starts, "Do you know what day it is?"

Dean sighs and slouches in his seat. "Monday?" Ms Fitz nods approvingly, like that first question was a hard one.

"Correct. And Ms Blythe, what is the date of today, Monday?"

I sigh too and wonder if the people in my History class were having more fun than I was at this very moment. Probably. Mrs Ernest was entertaining when she was excited. And today we were starting a new topic! I sigh again before I answer. "The 2nd."

"Correct." Ms Fitz says again.  I can't help but laugh when Dean starts to clap until Ms Fitz gives him a mean look. She examines the calendar in her hand as she continues, "The beginning of February. And that means work."

I stop myself from pointing out that the beginning of February was yesterday and listen to Ms Fitz yap instead. She yaps about the assembly and yaps about the dance. She yaps about music and food arrangements and decorations and not leaving everything for the last minute. She yaps about how excited the students are.

Yap, yap, yap.

I pull out my phone inconspicuously and message my match.

Ugh. I hate school.

Minutes after, when I'm busy wondering if Ms Fitz ever considered contacts, he messages me back.

At least that's one thing we have in common.

He's right. We hardly have anything in common. He likes action and I like rom com movies. He's all into the beat of a song and I'm all for the lyrics. He likes Family Guy. I like Pretty Little Liars. And the list goes on. There's not really any time when I can go: Oh yeah! I like that too! But it does make for some pretty interesting late night conversations.

Last night,bored, we argued whether Pluto was a planet or not. And he was convinced that it still was.(It's no longer considered a Planet. It's a dwarf planet.)So I did what Nina always does when we're debating something.

Google it. I'd said.

And then he messaged me back, five minutes later:O.K. You're right.Congratulations :)*claps*

And you know, I like someone who can admit they're wrong.

It's nice.

Then, lying on my back in my bed in the dark, I thought back to the whole Cole thing. I couldn't help it. And I thought, what if my match turns out to be a shitty person like him? Which is sad, because I like my match. I like him. 

I like like him.

So maybe Dean was right, maybe the questions we put on the app really had nothing to do with anything. People didn't fall in love just because they liked the same song.

But then, how did we get matched up in the first place?

"Poof." Dean says next to me. "Poooooof." He waves his hand in front of my face and I remember where I am. I push his hand away and notice that Ms Fitz has left. When? I have no clue. "Let's go."

Assuming he means, you know, class, I follow him out of the office and into the hallway. But then he turns right, away from all our classes and toward the main door. "Mr. Pinkette." I say, "Are you seriously going to miss class, now that Ms Fitz is paying so much attention to us now? Second period is starting in like, five." I glance at my watch to double check. Yup. Five minutes.

Dean shakes his head. "You weren't listening were you?" He looks amused. "Thank God I was." He reaches for my arm and pulls me toward the door. "We're going shopping. Order of Ms Fitz."

Dean is strong. "Wait. What?" I ask, my sneakers sliding on the tiled floors of the hallway, "She's sending us shopping?" This is ridiculous. And when I say that outloud, Dean finally quits tugging me towards the door and shrugs.

"This is like, permission to ditch." Dean says, "I'm not complaining."

"I am."

"Of course you are." Dean says, poking me in the shoulder, "What's new?"

I roll my eyes at Dean and poke him back, hard.

Ouch.

I'm pretty sure I'm suffering more than he is from my poke. "I think she's taking this way too far." I rub my finger. "I mean, would our parents really like to know we're at the mall instead of class?"

Dean makes a loud pfffft sound that echoes in the hallway. "Seriously?" He gives me a look like, That's your reason? Who cares what our parents think right now?

I adjust the straps on my bag and walk out toward the parking lot and to Dean's car, this time on my own free will. I wasn't going to defy Ms Fitz by not going, but I was definitely going to point out that she was blowing this out of proportion.

Dean's car sparkles in the morning sunlight like a diamond in the rough. He unlocks the door and we get in, my skin already anticipating the chill of AC,a nice contrast to the warm sunshine.

"Blythe," He says, "I suggest you take the break and enjoy it. When finals come around, you'll be begging for an opportunity like this."

I don't say anything. By the time we're driving to the mall, far, far away from school, and I think, Yes! No Math!, I actually really start to enjoy our little trip. Dean has the radio on and my heart is pounding as we race through the streets. It's thrilling, to think that everyone one else is cooped up in a boring old class and here I am, seated on comfy leather seats, headed for the land of SALE! and BUY 1 GET 1 FREE.

Forget you, second period.

It's my birthday! Going to post another chapter later ;)