Ashley's Choice: Companion Novel to The Essences Saga (On Hold)

Chapter 2

"I don't think Josh is a jerk. I think he's kinda sweet. AND I think he likes you."

I rolled my eyes. "Holly, we're not in third grade anymore. Back then, if a boy liked you, he'd push you off the monkey bars. Now, that kind of thing is just cruel. He shouldn't be telling lies about anyone."

"Since when did you become Mother Theresa?"

"All I'm saying is that if a guy likes me, at least he could have the decency to be honest about it."

"Then ask him about it. You'll see him in drama this afternoon, right?"

I nodded. Drama club was starting a new play, a contemporary remake of the Aladdin tale, and I landed the role of the heroine. Quite an accomplishment for a freshman. Josh, a junior, was the Aladdin understudy. The lead was given to Joel Stephens, a senior. That could be why Emma and Olivia hated me. I get to kiss a senior! On stage...in front of the whole school...and my sister...and the whole town...

Oh, god, I'm gonna be sick.

Breathe, Ashley, breathe.

Holly kept right on talking. "So, ask him why he said those things about you. Maybe, he doesn't like you. Maybe, he actually said he WISHED he could kiss you... Maybe..."

"Maybe, we outta get to class. The bell rung." I hopped off the bench. Holly followed, adjusting her clothes and patting her wild hair.

We joined the flood of freshmen and sophomores filling the hallways. Kingstown High School. Ninth through twelfth grades. Not that we see many juniors and seniors. The campus was divided. Eastside and Westside. Lower-classmen, like me and Holly, went to classes on the east. The higher-uppers, the west. Occasionally, the grades mingled in one of the outer buildings, like the gym and auditorium, but for the most part, we never saw any of them. And I think they preferred it that way.

Except the first day of school. Freshman initiation. Seniors thrived on tormenting the fresh faces. But we will get our revenge. The day before graduation, Senior Stomping Day. A good-naturely -- yet sometimes, bitter -- farewell to the senior class, involving pranks of every kind.

"You smell that?" Holly asked.

"Yeah. Dusty books, disinfectant, and...Eww!" The junior varsity basketball team ran by us. Apparently, they've already been through an early morning workout.

"Not that! It smells like Fun."

"I smell nothing."

Holly smiled at me. "Do you even realize what today is?"

"Uh, Wednesday?"

"Nope. It's Sub Day."

I brightened. Sub Day. Most of the teachers were out for some kind of teacher conference. Substitute teachers would abound and were easy prey. Let the games begin.

**********

By fourth period, I was walking on a high. Substitute #1 (English class). We were supposed to watch a video on Shakespeare. Riley Davis switched the movies and hid the remote. We were awarded with five minutes of soft-core porn while the sub dashed around frantically trying to turn off the projector.

Substitute #2 (Algebra II class). Brittany Cloud brought in a fart machine. 'Nuff said.

Substitute #3 (Civics). Someone got creative and duct taped the roll book and daily planner to the ceiling. That poor woman spent half of the class looking for them and finally gave up. She let us partner up with a friend and chat the rest of the period, as long as we kept it to a whisper. She was sweet.