"it is a terrible act of violence to begin." - rilke
December 2nd, 2006 (10:39 am)
feeling: aggravated
feeling: aggravated
Five minutes after the first wave of students arrived Monday morning, it was if they had never left. Posters appeared up on the wall, papers littered the ground, and the sound of teenagers screaming down the hall to one another was deafening.
This was the scene that greeted our heroes (and antiheroes) as they arrived . . .
Sam sat in the back of the class and pushed a chair out for Caitlin.
"I'm sorry for bailing on you," she said sotto voce. "She just makes me feel small."
Plopping down into the seat, she nodded. "I know. It was just like . . . whoa . . . where did Sammy go? So this is our first class, huh? Any idea what?"
Sam gave her schedule a cursory glance.
"Biology." She shrugged. "That would explain the decor."
Cat looked around, taking in the decor that Sam had mentioned. There were quite a few "slice and dice" dissection posters decorating the wall. Ick. She shuddered.
"What a great way to start the morning."
"I think it's barbaric," Lily announced from the next bench. "It's like being in a fifteenth century dungeon." She brightened. "Hi, Caitlin! How are you?"
"I'm good. You know . . . besides the near death experience in the hallway where a cheerleader ran me over." She smirked, giving Brooke a sideways glance. "What about you? Sammy says you spent a night in jail!"
Lily puffed up a bit.
"Well, you know," she said modestly. "It's all part of being a champion for social change . . ."
Caitlin nodded. She knew Lily was dying to tell the tail and truth be told she was dying to hear it. "You so should have gotten the media involved? Or did you. I don't remember . . ."
Lily grinned. "Three news stations! Three! Plus the paper! We rallied so much support that the circus left town a week early. I'd like to think that exposure — popularity — doesn't matter, but sometimes it really can affect change . . ."
"That it can." She smiled at Lily, trying not to let her eyes drift back to the boy near the door. Evan. This time last year, the two were inseparable.
"So . . . what great social change was brought about by your time in the slammer?"
Lily bounced a little. "I thought Sam told you! We were protesting the despicable things that the circus does to animals . . . and, okay, we didn't get them to, like, let the animals go free or anything, but we made enough noise and so many people boycotted that they left town early, so that's a win, right?"
Lily caught the flicker of Caitlin's drifting eyes and frowned.
"Isn't that your old boyfriend?" she whispered. "I thought he got expelled . . . ?"
"A huge win!" She grinned. "I'm sorry I missed it. Count me in for the next one."
She caught Lily looking. "Evan? My . . . we weren't . . . I mean . . . I don't know."
"Definitely! Although maybe you should wait a little while before getting arrested, you know, so your mom doesn't ban me from your house for life . . ." Lily frowned. "Oh. One of those."
"I think Mom will be understanding as long as I keep repeating 'but Lily's with me' over and over again." She smiled, nodding. As for Lily's question . . . well she wasn't sure quite how to explain it. "Yeah. Kind of."
Lily feigned a look of complete disinterest.
"That's all right. You don't have to talk about it. It's not like I'm your friend who'd get arrested with you or anything; I don't care about your personal life and boy troubles . . ."
Oh, now that wasn't fair. Cat wanted to talk to Lily, she did. But there was the small problem of the person beside her. She motioned her head towards Sam subtly. "I promise to tell you everything later?"
Lily nodded, Emma Peel style. "Absolutely."
Cat grinned and opened her mouth to say something when a sound from the back of the room distracted her.
Letting out a long, low whistle, Bobbi Glass waited to speak until all eyes were on her. She was not about to be ignored.
"Let's keep it down to a dull roar, people. This semester I've decided to introduce a, well a game of social Russian Roulette. I call it Alphabetical Lab Partners. Pair up when I call your name!"
Looking down at her clipboard she began reading off the names: "SD Bernadino/Mary Cherry . . . Emory Dick/Lily Esposito . . . Carmen Ferrara/Josh Ford . . . Poppy Fresh/Freddie Gong . . . Nicole Julian/Harrison John . . . Evan Loundon/Caitlin McPherson . . . Samantha McPherson/Brooke McQueen . . . Jordan Murphy . . . "
She continued reading until the entire class was paired up.
***
Excuse me? Nicole was nothing short of terrified. Ms. Glass wanted to pair her up with who? No no no. That would not happen. Not in a million years.
***
Brooke wondered if something was wrong with her hearing. Surely the unthinkable hadn't happened. But judging from the utterly look of shock and disgust on Sam's face that she was sure was mirrored on her own, she knew her worst nightmares had come true. Standing she moved over to the now empty seat beside her newly acquired enemy like she was taking her last walk on death row.
Okay, Sam thought. This could be okay. She could do this. She could. She just needed to be strong, and dignified, and prove herself the bigger person. She needed to look that blonde, holier-than-everyone bitch in the eyes when she and her Prada backpack made their way over.
Yeah, that didn't work. Sam found herself grimacing like she was going to be ill, and then dropping her eyes to the scarred lab bench in front of her.
Could be worse. At least more word vomit wasn't exploding from her mouth. Stupid.
"This can not be happening . . ." Brooke muttered under her breath as she chanced a glance at her new seatmate. The day just kept going from bad to worse.
Sam took a deep breath and focused on the bench in front of her. She could do this. She could be the bigger person.
Apparently Brooke had no inner-monologue, but she was bigger than that. Bigger person. Zen bio meditation thing. Breathe in, breathe out. In with the good air, out with the bad . . . Brooke.
There were stress marks and scratches in the heavy, dark surface of the bench, and Sam wondered how many came from wear and tear, and how many were from not-quite-accidents.
BIGGER PERSON.
The loud breaths coming from the other girl grated on Brooke's nerves like nails on a chalkboard. "Do you think you could, oh I don't know, breathe a little quieter?" She growled.
Sam's Zen broke.
She turned slowly to face Brooke.
"Now you want me to stop breathing?" she asked, her voice a stealthy asp, quiet and deadly.
"Hey, breathe . . . don't breathe . . . I don't really care how you do it as long as you do it quietly." Some people were just not considerate at all.
Sam was struck speechless. Wow. Some people were absolutely without consideration for others.
Brooke was like a science project.
Guess they were in the right class for that.
Brooke glanced at the clock and sighed. She wished the bell would ring and put her out of her misery. She pulled out a piece of paper and, sparing a glance at her new lab partner, she scribbled a note to Nicole and passed it back.
This can not be happening. Tell me this is not happening.
Fraid so. You with Spam. Me with Harrison. It's almost like being in Hell. But don't let it worry you -- you'll get wrinkles. Just concentrate on the party.
Brooke took Nicole's note and nodded as she read it. Come on bell . . . ring, she thought.
Okay, Sam thought. This could be okay. She could do this. She could. She just needed to be strong, and dignified, and prove herself the bigger person. She needed to look that blonde, holier-than-everyone bitch in the eyes when she and her Prada backpack made their way over.
Yeah, that didn't work. Sam found herself grimacing like she was going to be ill, and then dropping her eyes to the scarred lab bench in front of her.
Could be worse. At least more word vomit wasn't exploding from her mouth. Stupid.
"This can not be happening . . ." Brooke muttered under her breath as she chanced a glance at her new seatmate. The day just kept going from bad to worse.
Sam took a deep breath and focused on the bench in front of her. She could do this. She could be the bigger person.
Apparently Brooke had no inner-monologue, but she was bigger than that. Bigger person. Zen bio meditation thing. Breathe in, breathe out. In with the good air, out with the bad . . . Brooke.
There were stress marks and scratches in the heavy, dark surface of the bench, and Sam wondered how many came from wear and tear, and how many were from not-quite-accidents.
BIGGER PERSON.
The loud breaths coming from the other girl grated on Brooke's nerves like nails on a chalkboard. "Do you think you could, oh I don't know, breathe a little quieter?" She growled.
Sam's Zen broke.
She turned slowly to face Brooke.
"Now you want me to stop breathing?" she asked, her voice a stealthy asp, quiet and deadly.
"Hey, breathe . . . don't breathe . . . I don't really care how you do it as long as you do it quietly." Some people were just not considerate at all.
Sam was struck speechless. Wow. Some people were absolutely without consideration for others.
Brooke was like a science project.
Guess they were in the right class for that.
Brooke glanced at the clock and sighed. She wished the bell would ring and put her out of her misery. She pulled out a piece of paper and, sparing a glance at her new lab partner, she scribbled a note to Nicole and passed it back.
This can not be happening. Tell me this is not happening.
Fraid so. You with Spam. Me with Harrison. It's almost like being in Hell. But don't let it worry you -- you'll get wrinkles. Just concentrate on the party.
Brooke took Nicole's note and nodded as she read it. Come on bell . . . ring, she thought.
***
Evan picked up his head and looked towards the chair that was empty next to his old friend. There was no way he was sitting in the front of the class. That wasn't him. How was he supposed to sleep? When Cat showed no signs of moving, he accepted his fate. He picked up his bag and moved towards the table she now occupied.
This was more than a little awkward. Cat hadn't spoken to Evan since that last party in May -- the night she had Sam come pick her up. And now, thanks to Ms. Glass' sadistic nature, they were going to be lab partners.
"So . . . long time, no see." This was ridiculous. Could she actually do this? Sit next to him everyday? He was . . . well . . . he was everything she was trying not to be.
"Yeah . . . so I see the rumors are true. Cat McPherson is back on the scene," Evan said as he looked over at his friend. They hadn't talked in like forever and he was glad he'd been paired with her instead of anyone else in their class. It could be like old times.
"I think that may depend on your definition of back . . ." She was definitely grateful to be paired with him over Nicole or any of the blondes. But this was going to be hard.
"Oh?" Evan asked surprised. Something in the girl's tone told him maybe things wouldn't be going to back to the way they were. "And what's your definition?"
"I'm back in the 'I'm sitting here next to you' way, but I'm not . . . I don't . . . I can't go back to the scene." She stared at the desktop. Why was this so hard? Why did she suddenly feel ashamed of being clean?
Just as he'd suspected, she'd come back like they all did. "Hey, that's cool. I respect that. We could still hang sometimes." Even as he said it, he knew it wasn't true. Sometimes people came back to the 'scene' as she'd put it. He wondered if Cat would be one of them. A part of him was a little sad that his friend was actually back, but they're be time to 'forget' about that later.
"Maybe." Cat was pretty sure Sam would murder her in her sleep if she set foot anywhere with Evan.
This was more than a little awkward. Cat hadn't spoken to Evan since that last party in May -- the night she had Sam come pick her up. And now, thanks to Ms. Glass' sadistic nature, they were going to be lab partners.
"So . . . long time, no see." This was ridiculous. Could she actually do this? Sit next to him everyday? He was . . . well . . . he was everything she was trying not to be.
"Yeah . . . so I see the rumors are true. Cat McPherson is back on the scene," Evan said as he looked over at his friend. They hadn't talked in like forever and he was glad he'd been paired with her instead of anyone else in their class. It could be like old times.
"I think that may depend on your definition of back . . ." She was definitely grateful to be paired with him over Nicole or any of the blondes. But this was going to be hard.
"Oh?" Evan asked surprised. Something in the girl's tone told him maybe things wouldn't be going to back to the way they were. "And what's your definition?"
"I'm back in the 'I'm sitting here next to you' way, but I'm not . . . I don't . . . I can't go back to the scene." She stared at the desktop. Why was this so hard? Why did she suddenly feel ashamed of being clean?
Just as he'd suspected, she'd come back like they all did. "Hey, that's cool. I respect that. We could still hang sometimes." Even as he said it, he knew it wasn't true. Sometimes people came back to the 'scene' as she'd put it. He wondered if Cat would be one of them. A part of him was a little sad that his friend was actually back, but they're be time to 'forget' about that later.
"Maybe." Cat was pretty sure Sam would murder her in her sleep if she set foot anywhere with Evan.
***
Carmen tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as Josh Ford slid into the seat next to her. She wasn't sure why, but the thought of sitting next to Josh both excited and frightened her. Maybe this year really would be her year. Maybe she could get Josh to put in a good word for her. Or even Sam now that she was Brooke's lab partner. One look back at the scowling brunette let her know that now was not the time to ask.
***
Mary Cherry smiled brightly. Her and Sugar Daddy Bernadino. Was there a better combination? Not in her mind.
***
Lily decided that she was completely in favor of the teacher's seating arrangement. It was completely unbiased in respect to race, socio-economic status, intelligence . . . any of the things that usually fettered people in today's world. It was blind to anything but an arbitrary arrangement of letters, and chance . . . okay, there was an argument that the so-called "traditional" way of viewing the alphabet was archaic and perhaps detrimental to anyone who wasn't an "A" or "B," but mostly, it was a just system. Lily approved, and moved to sit beside Emory.
Carmen watched as the teacher growled at some poor, helpless, blue-haired boy when he came in late. She tried to get Lily's attention to see what the smaller girl thought, but was interrupted when the teacher began to speak.
Carmen watched as the teacher growled at some poor, helpless, blue-haired boy when he came in late. She tried to get Lily's attention to see what the smaller girl thought, but was interrupted when the teacher began to speak.
***
Jordan walked up the stairs to the front door of the large school. He took a deep breath as he looked at his schedule, which read Biology with Ms. Glass. He opened the door and walked up to the teacher and said, “Excuse me, are you Ms. Glass? I’m Jordan. I’m new here.”
"Correction. What you are is late." Glass really hated stragglers. And was tempted to kick the boy out. But there would be plenty of time to do that later. "Now find your seat."
Jordan sat down and got ready to hear what the chubby teacher had to say.
"All right, class. Now that you're all here and ready to learn, it is my perverse pleasure to tell you we'll be starting the semester with dissection. Frogs to be exact. Normally we would work up to frogs, but I find the basics to be a waste of my precious time." She walked up and down the aisle as she spoke. "Now . . . while I'd love to introduce you to the third members of your little group today, we're just about out of time. So come tomorrow prepared to slice and dice. No exceptions!"
Lily's jaw dropped. That was inexcusable. She stood up.
"No! That is inhumane, and I refuse! Animal dissection is cruel and unnecessary; there are plenty of ways to teach anatomy without resorting to outdated, barbaric means! A society is judged by how it treats its animals, and this is wrong!"
"Miss . . . Esposito . . . is it?" Glass checked her roster. "As I have just stated and most undoubtedly will state again, the dissection policy is without exception. So you will either slice and dice or you will get an F." She smiled as the bell rang. "Dismissed."
"Correction. What you are is late." Glass really hated stragglers. And was tempted to kick the boy out. But there would be plenty of time to do that later. "Now find your seat."
Jordan sat down and got ready to hear what the chubby teacher had to say.
"All right, class. Now that you're all here and ready to learn, it is my perverse pleasure to tell you we'll be starting the semester with dissection. Frogs to be exact. Normally we would work up to frogs, but I find the basics to be a waste of my precious time." She walked up and down the aisle as she spoke. "Now . . . while I'd love to introduce you to the third members of your little group today, we're just about out of time. So come tomorrow prepared to slice and dice. No exceptions!"
Lily's jaw dropped. That was inexcusable. She stood up.
"No! That is inhumane, and I refuse! Animal dissection is cruel and unnecessary; there are plenty of ways to teach anatomy without resorting to outdated, barbaric means! A society is judged by how it treats its animals, and this is wrong!"
"Miss . . . Esposito . . . is it?" Glass checked her roster. "As I have just stated and most undoubtedly will state again, the dissection policy is without exception. So you will either slice and dice or you will get an F." She smiled as the bell rang. "Dismissed."
