Survival of the Clique

Bagels or Cinnabons?

Bagels or Cinnabons?

My phone vibrated with the message, and I safely took a peek of my screen from its hiding place on top of my desk.

Sneaking a look at Ms. Brem, I found she was still straying off of the main subject of a significant battle within history in favor of going on about soap making in the 1800s.

I softly breathed out and smiled to myself, trapping my lip between my teeth to hide it. What's not to love about a teacher that effectively wastes class time like no other distraction could?

Assuring my confidence that my phone was still out of sight behind my 1 and 1/2 inch binder and strategic seating 2 rows from the back, I silently typed Jenna a response.

shouldn't you be tending to your duties as backbone of the orchestra rn

Whooshing the message away, I clicked my phone and watched its screen dissolve to black. My eyes soaked in my opaque reflection, and I pushed at the dark wisps of hair that limply hung around my face.

The hairspray I'd originally spritzed them in was a school-day old and hardly effective in maintaining their coy little bounce anymore, but I reveled in how my bangs managed to frame my face so naturally.

I guess the hair stylist I'd talked to two weeks ago had been right about face-framing curtain bangs being "so in" right now. He was even right about the subtle honey highlights that I had almost fist fought him at the suggestion of. They were doing everything to make my fading tan glow in its last hurrah. My Japanese skin didn't usually take to tanning very well, and I couldn't help feeling a bit fond of my intriguingly darkened skin tone, one of the last remainders of the summertime.

Toying with the edge of my phone, I made a mental note to send Julio a thank you/sorry note. Hey, sorry I threatened to jab you with the scissors you tried cutting my hair with. Thanks for not calling the police and still punching my card for a free dye job the next time I come. 

I clicked my phone screen on again and the time brightly met me against the lock screen's display - a depiction of me and Jenna stealthily decorating Sami's face with thick magic markers while she was passed out at Aubrey's sweet 16 last October. I smiled sweetly, a little at the memory, but mostly at the pricelessly stoic expression of a practically dead looking Sami, the upper right corner of her head looped by the 3 in the time. 2:23.

Hardly more than a few minutes before I would be swimming within the halls of Redstone High and right out their double doors.

Like an subconsciously instinctive cue among all of us, the increasing sound of shuffling of binders being shut and pens being clicked off began to swell in the classroom, dulling our ears to the sound of Ms. Brem's gasp of surprise and desperate attempt to splutter, "W-wait - homework! I didn't assign the homework!"

My phone buzzed with another message from Jenna. I looked to Ms. Brem, just barely controlling herself from upturning her desk to belatedly slingshot worksheets to the class, and then back to my phone in it's hiding place.

Thinking it was better safe than sorry, I was starting in on uncomfortably contorting my arm to type out a reply, when the bell gave its ring and my spine brightened. Free at last.

'Bye Bye Ms. Bremmie' I thought to myself as I and the rest of the period 8 U.S. History population of Redstone High breezed past her desk, too fixated on the exit to pay any ode to her gauntly hidden frown at the clock, as if it were truly a mystery to her where the time had gone.

Beginning my stride down the hall, I was content to take note of the fact that though it was already a few weeks into the school year, there were still a few people making it routine to glance as I glided down Red Stone High's main hallway. Sure, I probably could have toned down the natural "I own this place" walk to a more standard high school shuffle, but it wasn't my fault I had a natural swagger and didn't mind the attention I got for it either. I felt a familiar giddiness rush through me, and I graciously let a confident smile spill across my lips.