I slam my Chemistry binder close, looking at the clock. It's already 12? I close my eyes and groan in exhaustion. When will high school end?
Switching my phone on, I see a whole load of missed calls and messages. I switched my phone off for just five hours! There are five missed calls from Stephanie, one from Lana and one from Mrs. Parker. I'll check the voicemails later, when my eyes aren't aching so much. Then, there are loads of messages, which I gladly ignore.
I check the time again. 12.05. Time for some Instagram, baby.
I log into my stalker account, and search for Brandon. He has a private account so one had to follow to stalk him. But just imagine the news, 'Jennifer sends Brandon a follow request! Is it again some new plan to trick the goodsters by the badasses?' on the school journal. So I had to create a stalker account.
There's a new pic of Brandon and Callaghan in his car, probably on the way home from school today. Brandon stares into the camera with a close-lipped smile and Callaghan grins toothily. I roll my eyes. This isn't even a real smile of his. His actual smile would light up his eyes and cause him to blush a little.
I huff and close my phone, flopping face-first on my bed. Whatever. I'm sure Brandon isn't at all happy in this relationship. Maybe he longs for someone, who excels at Physics and has the same personality as him. Like me. Our lives are so sad.
My phone buzzes loudly. I pick it up and stare at the notification.
'Spring Queen Nomination Week', it announces on the screen.
Oh yeah. Spring Queen Nominations. But that's boring too. Because, I've been winning it ever since we entered high school.
*
Next day at school, people stare at me weirdly as I pass them in the hallways. I hear whispers about me being framed for drugging Aiden almost to death. I smile; at least people know it wasn't me, which is enough.
I stop in front of my locker and enter the combination. The first period is French, no worries, I'm fully prepared for any bomblast of questions the teacher fires at me.
"Hey." I hear someone greet me, so I turn around. It's Stephanie and Lana.
"Hey." I say, trying to keep my tone in the 'y'all-hurt-me-bad' level.
Stephanie sighs and takes my hand. "You didn't check our messages so we thought you're angry."
Stephanie actually lowkey supported me, so should I still be angry with her? Nah, she's too sweet to remain angry with. It's Lana whom I can't bear.
"Are you angry with us?" Lana asks in the most perky tone I ever heard. It's the tone boys are supposed to find adorable. Is she trying to say I'm a boy?
I fake-sigh and look at them lovingly, if you know what I mean. "Aw, you're my bishes! How can I be angry with you?"
We do a little group hug and then it's normal again. "So, did you submit your name for the nominations?" Lana asks us.
I shake my head. Stephanie shrugs. "It's useless. We all know who would be the Spring Queen. Still I added my name, who knows right?"
I smile and look questioningly at Lana. She shakes her head at Stephanie and says, "Why're you so negative? Anyway, I still didn't add my name so will you come with me to add the names, Jen?"
I open my locker to see my subject-schedule for today. Fourth period free. "I have my fourth period free so I can come with you."
Lana smiles. "Okay? See you at fourth then? Bye?" Saying this, she sashays away to her class.
Stephanie and I slowly walk towards French. "Are you sure you aren't angry?" She suddenly asks me. I shake my head and smile. "You were the only one who supported me, Steph. Why would I be angry with you?"
"I wasn't the only one, Jen." She looks at me, gesturing something with her eyes.
"Who else supported me?"
"Brandon." Stephanie frowns. "I wouldn't say support- he was kind of like your lawyer. And I saw what he did there with Anita, overwhelming her with fear so that she would blurt the truth out."
I nod, feeling uncomfortable to speak on the subject.
"Which means Brandon knew the truth. Which means he was also in the conspiracy!"
I chuckle. "Brandon may hate us, Steph, but that doesn't mean he would go to such lengths to take revenge. Whatever you say, Brandon is a just guy. He maybe obnoxious, but he is very straightforward."
Stephanie snorts. "Why don't you set up a Tinder account for him then, if you know him so well."
There was a slight lull in the conversation. I don't want to ask her, but it's an obligation. "And Anita..?"
Stephanie scoffs. "Her parents were called and she was rusticated. I don't know and I don't care beyond that. And you shouldn't too."
I sigh and look away, when I spot Brandon and Callaghan in front of his locker. Brandon's leaning against the locker, frowning at her and saying something rapidly. While Callaghan's pouting at him, shaking her head.
It looks like.. they are arguing.
Stage one of breakup: Frequent arguments.
Thank you, God. Thank you. A big smile appears on my face, which Stephanie notices. "What are you so happy about?"
"Nothing," I lie. I have to know about what they're arguing about. It's none of my business, I know, but do I look like I care whether it's my business or not?
I grab my pen which was tucked into my binder and snatch a River High cap from passing girl. She glares to see who it is, but as soon as she sees me, she looks apologetic and continues on her way. I tell Stephanie that I'll meet her in the class and move towards Locker 33. When I'm near enough, I put on the cap and pull it low so that covers about half of my face. Crouching on the floor, I roll the pen on the ground till it nearly touches Brandon's feet. He doesn't notice, thankfully.
"Just getting my pen sorry," I mumble in a timid but deep voice, bending low to pick it up. They move away from me slightly, still arguing. While I scramble around on the floor, I catch snippets of their conversation.
"I really don't see why you need to take part in that stupid competition, Michelle." Brandon whisper-shouts at Callaghan. "It's a pathetic waste of time."
"Come on, Bran." She reasons with him in a sweet voice. "It's the last year of high school. I want to take part in everything!"
"It's the last year of school, which means you should study more and raise your grades. What if you don't get into Brown?"
"It's just the Spring Queen," she whines.
She is taking part in the Spring Queen? Why? Spring Queens are usually people who have the potential to be queens! She is a nerd!
"Spring Queen is for people who don't know how else to kill their time." Brandon says, on the verge of losing patience. "People like us are not meant for it!"
I grab the pen from the floor and walk away from the scene. I've heard enough.
This will be the first time in the history of River High, that a nerd is participating in the Spring Queen.
Let Michelle take part in this. When she sees that no one nominated her to the actual Spring Queen round, where people vote for the SQ, she'll be humiliated and heartbroken.