Mushroom High

18. It Can't Always Go Your Way

*one week later*

Bowser heard the school bell ring and knew he was late for his first class of the day. He casually strolled to his Math class and as soon as he opened the door, Ms. Paratroopa gave him an annoyed glance. “Mr. Koopa, please get a tardy slip from the office,” she spoke calmly. Ms. Paratroopa was never one to yell, but she could be pretty scary in her own ways… Not that Bowser found her scary.

“Sure,” Bowser went back out. Once he returned, he gave the tardy slip to the teacher and went to a seat Toad had reserved for him. Bowser noticed that Toad was looking quite distraught. “Dude, what’s wrong?” Bowser whispered.

“Do you think my party will go well?” Toad asked worriedly.

“Why wouldn’t it? It’s just you, Wario, Waluigi, DK, Diddy Kong, Peach, Birdo, Toadette, Dixie, and I. No dorks,” Bowser answered. Then, his facial expression changed. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to keep your parents around to ‘stop us from doing anything bad’.  We’re freshmen, supervision is for little kids! Toad, please tell me there won’t be any adults there,” Bowser pleaded.

“Of course there won’t be adults at my party,” Toad replied. Bowser sighed with relief. “But, you’re wrong about there being no nerds,” Toad added quickly. Bowser’s jaw dropped.

“WHAT?!” he yelled, causing all of his classmates and the teacher to look at him. “Weren’t you just joking about that text?” Bowser whispered.

“No…” Toad said slowly.

“Gentlemen, what is concerning you?” Ms. Paratroopa asked them. “Is it in any way related to my current lesson?” Luckily, Bowser and Toad could always rely on each other to be good liars.

“Of course, ma’am,” Toad grinned. “He confused scientific notation with expanded notation.” Bowser nodded in agreement.

“Well, you should have learned expanded notation in 5th or 6th grade. Please listen to this lesson for your own good. Or if you want, I’ll give you a detention slip, Mr. Koopa,” Ms. Paratroopa then continued on with her lesson. Bowser shot Toad one last glare.

*at lunch*

“Dettie!” Peach squealed. “The pizza’s here!” Today was Toadette’s 14th birthday and since Peach’s family owned Goombolio’s, one of the most popular pizzerias in Toad Town, Peach brought 2 boxes of mixed flavor (½ Cheese Bonanza and the other ½ Pizza Explosion) and of course 4 boxes of Meat Lovers pizza, Toadette’s favorite flavor. In total, there were 6 square-cut pizzas waiting to be devoured by hungry teens. Peach brought all of this as a gift for Toadette. When the pizza was brought to the cafeteria, Toadette gasped.

“Thanks, Peach!” she exclaimed, hugging her friend. She kept 2 Meat Lovers pizzas for her table, gave the other two to the guy populars’ table, and had the two mixed ones left. Toadette, however, had an idea. “Girls, I’ll be right back,” she said. “Don’t finish the pizza without me.”

“What are you gonna do?” Peach questioned.

“I’ll just give these pizzas to the staff,” Toadette replied.

“You better not give any pizzas to the dorks,” Dixie said and Peach nodded in agreement.

“Of course I won’t,” Toadette laughed and left the table. She passed the nerds’ table on her way out of the cafeteria. Toadette slipped them a mixed pizza. And when they gave her confused looks, Toadette just winked at them and left to give her last box of pizza to the teachers. A few minutes later, Peach came by the nerds’ table. Yoshi grabbed the box of pizza and hid it under the table.