After enduring the rest of the school day, I finally got out of the damn school.
Every since Jonah dumped water on me, my mood had totally been ruined, and not even the barely heard sound of his chuckles during Chemistry when some poor kid made a fool out of himself in front of the great and mighty scary Ms. Bishop could make me get over it.
I guess I could see it now, from Jonah's perspective, how he must've felt when I spilled my soda on him. But to my defense, it was an accident!—well, a deliberately planned accident, but he didn't need to know that! But this, this water dumping thing he'd just done during lunch, he was clearly doing it purposely on purpose.
And don't even get me started on the red bra thing.
Guys started to whistle after Jonah made that remark, and even though he wasn't smirking in satisfaction, I could smell the satisfaction of seeing my red-faced dumbfounded expression, radiating off his body. This was nothing to compare to yesterday's accident—yes, Jonah did strip down to his undershirt, but he did it on purpose and it wasn't like he was showing off his boobs or something meanwhile I just stood stupidly with my red bra displayed for all the world to see.
Anyways, Gina, as always, saved the day by letting me know that she had a spare t-shirt ready to wear in her locker. I really wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have her, so I guess I should somewhat, although reluctantly, thank Jonah for making me realize how amazing of a best friend she was.
I hopped into the school bus since Gina and Bey were having a day out today and I wasn't about to intrude. My phone went off just as soon as I found a vacant seat and sat down, and I answered the call.
"Yup?" I said in greeting.
"Are you out of school already, kiddo?" my dad spoke, his voice sounding a bit tired.
"Yeah, dad, I just got into the bus. What's up?"
"Oh, good. I need you to stop by the diner, if you don't mind. I need some help."
"Of course, Dad. I'll be there in a few. What's going on, though?"
He half-sighed-half-groaned, and I could imagine him running a hand down his face and shaking his head at the same time. "We're down a waiter and a barista. Don's got some family emergencies and won't be back in town for a few months and apparently Kelley just found out she was pregnant, and her husband isn't letting her work until the baby is at least a few months old. It's their first pregnancy, so I understand that they wanna be careful, but I didn't have time to put up the hiring sign before she handed in her leave this morning."
"Ouch, I'm sorry to hear that, Dad," I told him, imagining the stress he must be feeling. Our family diner, Rochelle's, had been around since my dad was ten years old, and it was quite popular in town, which meant that every day, twenty-four seven, people came in and out of the diner, and there was never a lazy day down there at the family business.
Of course, the worst—or the best, depending on how you look at it—times were during the peak hours; the breakfast, the lunch, and the dinner times. The diner would be so packed with people that we couldn't afford losing even just one employee, much less two.
"What can I do to help?" I asked him.
"Well thankfully Robbie offered to do both his and Don's shift until we get Don's replacement, so the barista is covered for now. But I need you to wait the tables for a while. I've put up the hiring sign up front so I'm expecting a few people to start applying for jobs. Think you can do that?"
"Absolutely, Dad," I replied. "I don't have anything else to do anyway."
"That's great, honey," he said in gratitude. "I only need your help to cover the rest of the afternoon shift, though, so you don't have to worry. I'll see you in a few."
From the bus stop, it took about five-minute walk to get to the diner. The little bell kind of clinked when I pushed the see-through door open, and I immediately spotted my dad behind the cash register. He gave me a smile when I saw him, and then called out to Nat, a girl whose job was actually to be behind the register but was playing temporary waitress, and approached me.
Thankfully, the place wasn't too crowded as it wasn't in its peak hours. I immediately took the apron that Nat handed me, as well as the notepad and the pen.
"Good, you're here," Dad told me. "I'll be in the office, waiting for the applicants. A few kids have called earlier, looking for a job. It's so fast I'm amazed."
I showed him both of my thumbs and grinned at him. "Our diner's just way too popular. Good luck, Dad!"
And in the next few hours, a few people did come looking for a job here. There were some kids from school, which I thought was cool because the only kids from my school that worked here was only Nat, who had graduated from school last spring, and Wayne, a sophomore kid who aspired to be a professional chef and worked extra shifts just because he loved cooking so much.
Most of the people who was seeking for a job went straight to Nat, and then she would point at the door to my father's office with a smile. I was busy writing down orders and handing out meals to take notice of the people who was coming to apply.
When the clock hit seven, I was freed because the night shift waiter had already clocked in, ready to take over my job. I took off my apron and picked up my bag from the little locker room in the back of the diner, and walked out so I could hitch some ride home from Nat.
That was when I saw a vaguely familiar face walking out of my dad's office, and my eyes squinted to take a better look at the person. When he turned around and saw me, though, he was the one who smiled first.
"Hi," he greeted. "Do you work here?"
"Hi, and yes and no," I replied. "My family own this diner but yeah, sometimes I help out here. You're Spencer, right?" I remembered seeing his face in some of the classes I took last year, but I guess he was in my gym and life skill classes this year too.
He nodded, the smile on his face widening just the slightest bit. "And you're Hannah, the girl who had enough guts to mess with Jonah Gibbs."
"Oh, ha-ha," I brushed it off, and he chuckled. "So, you're applying for a job?"
He nodded. "I'm saving for a new car. I've gotten sick of my dad's old pickup and this job offers more cash into my savings, so," he lifted his shoulder.
"Well, I wish you good luck. You seem decent enough to be working at my diner," I told him with a small grin, which he returned.
"Thanks for that. Maybe you could put a word or two to your dad for me?" he asked jokingly, and I laughed.
"I could, but my dad's decisions are solely his, so I can't promise you anything."
He lifted his shoulder again as if to say, alright, I'll take that. "Thanks, though. I'll see ya tomorrow at school."
I nodded. "See ya."
I watched him wave as he made his way out of the diner before turning expectantly at Nat, who was still fumbling with her bag. "Come on, I don't have all day."
"You're the one who needs the ride home," she grumbles. After a while, she stood up straight and nodded. "Alright, I'm ready."
I followed her to her car and waited as she started the old sedan. She took a glance at me and kind of smirked.
"So what made you dye your hair?"
I groaned, because even though I loved the hair—I really did—everyone had been questioning it all day and I was sick of repeating it over and over again. "Some kid dumped soda on my hair and I hated the stains it left there so I just dyed it."
"Which kid?"
"Jonah Gibbs," I muttered, but Nat heard it anyway.
She bobbed her head up and down in understanding. "Ahhh. The Gibbs kid. What'd you do to make him do that?"
I rolled my eyes. "I spilled my drink all over his chest, big deal." Then I folded my arms in front of me and huffed. "And just earlier today he dumped half a bottle water all over me."
She tsked. "The guy has some issues."
"Tell me about it."
"But you can't deny that he's hot, though," she added, and my eyebrows rose because, oh Nat, I wasn't gonna deny that statement. "There's just something... something appealing with all those mysterious guys like Jonah. And he has luck in the looks department so it only just helps add into the appeal, dontcha think?"
Oh, God, don't I know it. "I guess so."
"But forget about Jonah," she waved off, making a sharp turn left that I yelped in my seat, holding onto my seatbelt. "Who was that cute guy you were talking to earlier?"
"Huh?"
She rolled her eyes at me. "That guy you saw outside the office. He was cute. Not as good looking as Jonah, but cute."
"Oh." I furrowed my eyebrows. "His name's Spencer. I don't actually know him though, but he's a good guy I think. He's in some of my classes."
"And he's applying for a job?"
"Mm-hm."
"Sweet," she said with a grin, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, don't blame me. It's about time that I have a good looking coworker. Everyone working there's either too old or too weird, like Wayne." She shuddered.
I grinned. "Oh, don't be mean, Nat. Wayne's a good kid. Besides, his lasagna kicks ass."
-
The next day during Life Skills, Mr. Herberg collected all the consent form that had been signed by our parents.
"Sweet, I've got all the permissions here," he said to himself. "Okay. I'm so excited to tell you guys about the addition to this year's baby project. I hope everyone's paying attention."
I glanced at Jonah next to me, his eyes staring at the teacher with his usual I'm-too-bothered-to-care look, but he actually had his earphones off this time around. I rolled my eyes because this was the guy who dumped water on me because he "couldn't pay attention to the class"—the class that he wasn't even really paying attention to—but then again, this was coming from the girl who dumped soda on the school's infamously mysterious guy on purpose just to get his attention. So if one of us was to be rolled eyes at, it should be me.
Not that I gave a care, but anyways.
I pried my attention off of Jonah, and focused on Mr. Herberg. "Like I said, this will be a whole lesson on starting a family. So we're gonna have a full simulation of adulthood, starting with getting engaged, planning your wedding and getting married, and finally, taking care of your baby. Not just that, we're gonna have an introduction on rents and mortgages and taxes. All the fun stuff!
"Of course, there won't be actual living under the same roof together and/or making actual babies," he added jokingly, but his voice had a tone of seriousness in it. Some guys just chuckled at that. "But I would like the assignment to be as realistic as possible. Once you get paired up, you will be wearing engagement rings—fake ones, but you have to keep them on at all times. And each one of you, soon-to-be fake spouses, will be planning your wedding day—what do you want in the wedding ceremony, the theme, the cake, the food, the wedding dress and/or suit, and so on and so forth. Exciting, right?"
Geez, that actually sounded like a lot of work. But apparently, he wasn't finished.
"You'll also have to consider the budget that you will have and some other financial stuff that I'll explain further later. Once you get married, you'll switch the engagement ring to the wedding ones. You'll also have to discuss where you guys will be having your honeymoon." He winked. "Not that you're gonna actually go there to have actual honeymoon with your partner, but you'll just have to state which place you and your partner would like to go and include some pictures in the portfolio.
"And then, of course, the baby itself. Everything will be assigned randomly by me—the baby's gender, or even whether or not you're getting twins or triplets, as well as the information of during which point of your marriage the baby will born. You guys already know what to do with the fake baby, so I don't think I need to explain it again to you.
"You will be handing out a report of the progress of the project every week. I'll e-mail you guys a copy of the requirements that you need to include in each weekly report. Any question so far?"
A girl shot up her hand into the air, and Mr. Herberg nodded at her. She then asked, "Do we have to, you know, act like actual couple with our assigned partners? Like, getting along and stuff?"
"Of course!" our teacher all but chirped. "You're gonna be fake married couple with your partner, so of course you're gonna have to try to get along with each other."
After about five more questions, Mr. Herberg finally clapped his hands in excitement. "Are you guys ready to see who you've been partnered with?"
I started to hold my breath when he began to list off the names of the pairs. I snuck a glance at Jonah, only to see that the same bored expression stayed on his face, and I shook my head. I wonder who I'd be partnered with, because this was actually one of the biggest senior assignment, and I knew that I had to do well on this. Having a good partner would help a lot, so I was hoping to be paired up with someone that I could actually work with without problem.
My ears perked up when I heard the teacher call out my name.
"Miss Hannah Taylors and... Mr. Spencer Abbott," he announced, and I puffed out the breath I was holding. I looked to the front and saw that Spencer was already looking at me. He waved and sent me a grin, so I waved back; relieved that at least I was assigned with a decent enough guy.
But when I took another look at Jonah and finding out that he'd been paired up with a girl who looked too chirpy and overly bubbly for her own good, I felt my heart fell in disappointment.
I mean, of course it would have been so awesome if I got to be his fiancée, plan out our wedding (and our freaking honeymoon for god's sake!), get married and have babies with him, never mind that it would all be fake. I mean, a girl can have a fantasy, right?