"Ms. Landon? Could I see you please?"
Dani finishes packing up her things and walks over to Mrs. Smithson's desk. "Yes?"
Mrs. Smithson looks up at Dani with a small smile from her seated position. "I'm very impressed by you, Danielle."
Dani looks down at her in confusion. "Um...thank you...?"
"Nick's grade has improved remarkably in just the few short weeks you've been tutoring him."
"Well, that's great but I haven't really done anything. Nick's smart, he just doesn't put in the effort a lot of the time."
"Have you thought about a career in science? Because with your grades and complete understanding of everything we've gone over...I believe it could be a definite career path for you in the future."
She smiles lightly at Mrs. Smithson's suggestion and wishes it could be an option. "Thank you for the confidence, Mrs. Smithson but future careers aren't really on my radar at the moment. It's not a big priority for me."
Mrs. Smithson gives Dani a curious look. "Really? You're a senior, I would've thought these things would be at the top of your priority list."
"Thank you for the suggestion, Mrs. Smithson." She gives her a small, fake smile before turning and walking out of the classroom. Nick had been standing by the classroom door and steps out in front of Dani when she walks out. He holds a paper up in front of her face with a large smile. She snatches the paper with a smirk and begins walking down the hall while looking it over. She eventually look up at him with a smile. "An A? You got an A on one of Mrs. Smithson's tests?"
"She let me redo it and the grade went up three letter grades!"
Dani slaps the paper to his chest and gives him a sarcastic look. "Maybe it's because you actually cared enough to try this time."
He smiles and grabs the paper. "Or maybe it's because I have an awesome tutor."
She rolls her eyes and continues walking down the hall. "Please, you know good and well I'm not teaching you anything you don't already know."
"Not true. Sure, I may just be lazy half the time but I honestly don't pay attention in class...any class, really. It's just Mrs. Smithson's class is harder than all the others."
"No shizz."
He looks over at her with a raised eyebrow and begins laughing. "Did you just say 'no shizz'?"
She continues starring ahead with slightly pink cheeks and shrugs. "Maybe."
He chuckles and admires Dani's smile for a moment. "You know, there's a game tonight...you should come."
She gives Nick an unenthusiastic look and snickers. "Nick, the words 'football' and 'Dani' have never been used in the same sentence...nor will they ever be. Football games just aren't my thing."
He snickers and nods. "Yeah, I kinda figured but thought I'd give it a shot." He looks over at her with a smile. "Guess I'll see you Monday then?"
"Yeah, unless you show up at my house uninvited...again." She gives him a playful glare. He smirks and gives her one of his famous winks before rushing off down the hall.
~~~
Joe's standing at his locker getting books out when someone walks up behind him and puts their hands over his eyes.
"Guess who..."
He smirks. "Hmmmm, let me think...the most beautiful girl in the whole world?" He reaches up and takes Taylor's hands off of his eyes turning around to face her. "I was right." She blushes and continues holding Joe's hands at her sides. Joe smiles and pecks her on the lips. "How are you?"
She nods and smiles, only this time it's not forced. For the first time in a long time...she's actually happy. "Great!"
He smiles and studies her for a minute. "You really are, aren't you? What happened?"
She shrugs and continues smiling back at Joe. "I have absolutely no clue!"
He snickers and looks at her with questioning eyes.
"It's my mother...either she's on drugs or she just all of a sudden came back to her old life. It's crazy, Joe. She's actually...happy."
He smiles and nods, continuing to hold her hands in his. "That's great! Hey, you think she might actually invite me inside your house now?"
She laughs and glances down at their hands before looking back at him with that same big smile. "What are you doing tonight?"
He closes his locker and turns to her with a smile. "Hanging out with you, duh."
She smiles and swings their interlocked hands back and forth excitedly. "Good, because there's a game tonight and I want you to come."
He gives her an unsure look. "A football game?"
She chuckles and nods, giving him a look. "Yeah...we're cheering for the big game tonight. Have you ever been to one?"
"Not exactly. Dani was never a big fan of football games and to be honest...neither am I so we just never went."
She smiles lightly and feels a pang of jealousy at the mention of 'we' in reference to Dani. She quickly pushed the feeling away. "You know, I think you're the first guy I've ever dated that didn't like football."
He raises his eyebrow and gives her a look of curiosity. "Just how many guys have you dated?"
"A few. None of them were serious though. There was nobody before Nick, they were all just...in between Nick." Joe gives Taylor a look of confusion, wanting her to continue. "We broke up a lot and...I had a lot of rebounds."
He gives her a wide eyed look. "Well, gee, that makes me feel better."
She chuckles and shakes her head, taking his hands. "No, no, no, not you...I promise. You are the farthest thing from a rebound and you are the first real boyfriend I have ever had." She smiles at him sweetly.
"Nick wasn't real?"
"Nick was...complicated and sometimes I wonder if I ever really loved him or if I was just with him for the label."
"And you're with me because...?"
She smiles and moves closer to him. "Because you are amazing...and sweet...and you care about me...I haven't had that...it's nice." She smiles at him for a moment before raising their hands in excitement, taking their conversation back to the football game. "So you'll come?"
"Of course I'll come."
~~~
Jake's standing at his locker, talking with Scarlett when Mia walks up to them with a worn out expression.
"Hey guys." She leans up against a locker beside Jake.
Jake turns to look at her with wide eyes. "Wow, what happened to you?"
Mia gives Jake a slight scowl.
Scarlett ignores her glare and answers for her. "Beats me, she slept like a log yet she looks like she hasn't slept in weeks."
"I'm fine...see." She pushes herself up from the wall and opens her eyes wide.
"Yeah, you look real enthused." Scarlett says with sarcasm.
Mia rolls her eyes and looks over at Jake. "Guess I'll see you at work tomorrow?"
He nods and she gives a slight wave before turning and walking off. Jake turns back to his locker and pulls out a book before closing it and turning back to Scarlett with a smile. "So, you're coming to the game tonight right?"
"Well of course! I couldn't miss my guy's big game." She smiles and moves closer to him.
Jake smirks and leans closer to her. "You better not."
Scarlett gives him a quick peck on the lips and sees Taylor walking down the hall with Joe out of the corner of her eye. "Oh! There's Taylor." She turns to Jake and talks quickly. "I'm going to go talk to her about joining the cheer team. See you at lunch?" She sees him nod before rushing across the hall to Taylor and Joe. She stands in front of them with a smile. "Hey, Taylor!"
Taylor smiles and stops in front of her with Joe. "Hey, Scar."
"Hi, Scarlett."
She ignores Joe's greeting and begins talking to Taylor. "I was wondering if you had any open spots on the team?"
"On the cheer team?"
She smiles at Taylor and nods excitedly. "Yeah, I took gymnastics when I was younger and I think I'd be pretty good."
"Great! Well, why don't you come down to the field today after school and you can show us what you got?"
Scarlett smiles big and claps her hands excitedly, stepping forward and giving Taylor a quick hug. "Great! Thank you." She pulls away with a large smile. "See you after school." She rushes past them down the hall.
Joe looks back at Taylor with a small amused chuckle. "That girl is far too peppy; she was born to be a cheerleader."