Jill was immediately jealous and looked to see whom Todd was talking about. It was a skinny blonde girl with big boobs.
“Who is that?” Todd asked.
“Um, I think her name’s Melanie,” Jill said dismissively. “She sits at my lunch table on green days now.” Yesterday when Jill had entered the cafeteria, Kelsey had called for Jill to come sit with her and her friends, and Jill was relieved to be away from the table she’d sat at last semester with all the older cheerleaders; it was so boring since she wasn’t part of their drama or stories.
“Dude, she’s so hot. You should hook me up.”
Jill’s stomach clenched. How could Todd be saying this to her?! “Yeah, well I don’t even really know her. She’s a freshman.” Jill knew more than she was letting on; her name was Melanie Pharrell, and she’d gone to BJ. Jill had known who she was for years but never talked to her before yesterday at lunch. She was on the swim team. Jill thought she also remembered hearing her name during cross-country season, as the only freshman to earn a varsity letter.
“Well, you should get to know her. Sit by her in here on Thursday. And talk to her at lunch.”
Jill felt sick. Todd was partly joking, but he was also partly serious. She’d switched into this class to be with him, and he was telling her she should go sit by some other girl so she could hook him up. She’d planned on this class once again being her time with Todd, where they could sit by each other and joke around and talk and email each other, and it was like a punch in the stomach to realize he obviously couldn’t care less about any of that. All this year she’d been thinking they were so close to having something happen between them, and she’d felt like he cared about her so much, and now it was like she’d had the wind knocked out of her.
How could she have been so stupid?! She’d gotten so caught up in all the sweet stuff Todd said to her, and she’d read way too much into it. She’d had that gut instinct several times that it was all too good to last, but she’d ignored it and let herself fall harder and harder for him. She felt humiliated and panicked and devastated.
And now this class was ruined; if Todd talked about Melanie every day, Jill didn’t know what she’d do. She might seriously have to drop the class.
***
“I might drop advanced computers,” Jill said to Hilton on Thursday. It was SRT, and they were on their way to Ms. Kirkwood’s room so Hilton could ask her a question about mythology. Jill, who was in children’s lit now, no longer had Ms. Kirkwood, but had told her SRT teacher she was in myth too and had the same question as Hilton.
“Why?” Hilton asked, giving Jill a surprised look.
“Todd brought up Melanie again today. I can’t stand it! It’s sooo annoying! And I think he seriously wants me to sit by her in there and talk to her for him! I can’t stand the way he’s being. And if I drop, maybe the whole situation will go away; I doubt he’ll ever talk to her by himself.”
“Yeah, but he could still ask you to talk to her at lunch.” Hilton looked at Jill. “I doubt he’s that serious though. I mean, he’s never seen her before this week, so yeah, he thinks she’s hot, but he’ll be over it in like a week. You could always tell him you talked to her and she wasn’t interested.” Hilton grinned sideways.
Jill grinned back. “Yeah, I guess I could. I mean, I don’t really wanna drop that class, but it just totally sucks right now. I loved that class last semester and now I hate it.”
They had reached Ms. Kirkwood’s room, so their conversation ended as they opened the door and entered.
Ms. Kirkwood looked up from her desk. “Hi, Hilton! Hi, Jill! What are you girls doing here?”
“I have a question about the assignment for this weekend,” Hilton said.
“And I just came to visit,” Jill said. “I miss this class.”
“What do you have this semester?”
“Children’s lit.”
“Oh, that’s fun!”
“Yeah, I really like it. I wish this class and that one both went all year.”
Ms. Kirkwood smiled, then turned to Hilton.
As they discussed the homework, Jill looked around Ms. Kirkwood’s room. She had a freshman section of SRT. Jill recognized a few of the kids, but there was no one she knew really well. The students were spread all over the room – several on computers, a few at desks working, others in beanbags reading or talking.
“Your SRT is awesome,” Jill said when Hilton was finished. “I wish I was in here!”
Ms. Kirkwood laughed. “Why’s that?”
“ ‘Cause it’s fun!” Jill motioned around the room. “Ours sucks.”
“Well, you girls are welcome to stay for as long as you like today. Just pretend it took awhile for me to answer your question.” She smiled at the girls again, then turned to another student who had just approached.
“Yay!” Hilton said. “Let’s stay!” She led Jill to the back of the room, where they sat down against the storage cabinets. “Ms. Kirkwood rocks!”
***
On Monday, SRT had just started when an office messenger came in and delivered a pass to Mrs. Sellers.
“Hilton, Jill,” Mrs. Sellers called, holding out the pass.
Hilton and Jill looked at each other, frowning in confusion. Hilton shrugged and went up to get the pass. Jill followed.
“Oh, it’s from Ms. Kirkwood!” Hilton whispered. “I wonder what she wants!”
Jill and Hilton hurried through the building to Ms. Kirkwood’s room. When they got there, she was talking to another student, so they waited by her desk.
“Hi, girls,” she said when the other student returned to his seat. “I have a little proposition for you. I know you don’t like your SRT, and I could really use some help down here with grading and filing and some other stuff like that. So if you’d like to help me out with some of that stuff, you could come in here for SRT every day. And you’d still have a lot of extra time left, if you need to do homework or wanna get on the computer or whatever.”
Hilton and Jill looked at each other excitedly.
“Is that allowed?” Hilton asked.
“Technically, no. We’re not allowed to have student assistants. They used to let us my first year teaching here, before SRT existed. Then students could be assigned to a teacher during their study hall and go to that teacher’s room and help out with stuff, rather than sitting in the cafeteria or a lecture hall. But that was when everybody’s study hall was different. Now that the whole school has SRT at the same time, they did away with the student assistants because they thought everyone would wanna do it, and they’d either have way too many assistants for teachers to even handle, or if they limited each teacher to one or two, everyone who didn’t get to do it would be upset, and then they’d start getting nasty calls from parents, and so on and so forth. So if anyone asks, you’re coming here to tutor some of the freshmen.”
Hilton and Jill looked at each other again, grins spreading across their faces.
“Are you serious?!” Jill asked. “That’s awesome! Thanks so much, Ms. Kirkwood!”
“Just make sure you don’t tell anybody,” Ms. Kirkwood warned.
“We won’t!” Hilton said. “Thank you! So is there anything you want us to do today?”
“No, not really. I’ll think before next time of some stuff you can do. I already graded today’s quizzes; that’s when I thought of this idea. So go ahead and do what you’d like today.”
“Thank you so much,” Jill said again. “We’ll do whatever you need. This is awesome.”
***
After school a few weeks later, Hilton had just finished dressing for cheerleading practice and was using the bathroom before leaving the locker room. She was trying to hurry a little; she’d spent extra time talking to Landon after school since he didn’t have practice until six, and now she was running late. Most of the other girls had already headed downstairs.
“They’re all so naive,” she heard a voice say. She froze, trying to listen. This sounded sor
t of interesting. It sounded like Stacy who’d said that.
“Who?” That was definitely Blake Bishop’s voice.
“Lindy, Brooke, all of them. It’s just so funny that they have no fucking clue.”
Hilton heard muffled giggles.
Then Blake asked, “Why Brooke? Her and Matt broke up.”
Then it was silent, but it was the kind of silence where Hilton could tell meaningful looks were passing between the girls. Then there were more giggles and Blake said, “Oohhh, duh!” Damn it! Hilton wished she could see them!
She waited until she was sure they’d left the locker room, then she came out of her stall and went to wash her hands. She was pretty sure it’d been Stacy, Tiffany, and Blake. She had no clue what they’d been talking about, but it didn’t sound good. She tried to piece it together a little. They’d said Lindy and Brooke had no fucking clue…well, Andy had been cheating on Lindy…maybe Matt had been cheating on Brooke too? Hilton frowned. That seemed doubtful; Brooke had always seemed in total control of that relationship. She shrugged at her reflection, hoping it wasn’t anything too bad, and left the locker room.
***
“Are you doing this?” Brady whispered to Brooke in Spanish II the first week of February. Mrs. Martin was showing a slide show of Spain.
“I don’t know,” Brooke whispered back. “My parents haven’t decided. I think my mom thinks I should go, but my step-dad doesn’t wanna spend the money. I think my mom’s talking to my dad about it though, to see if he’d contribute some.” Brooke’s parents had gotten divorced when she was three, and her real dad lived in Chicago now. She considered her step-dad more her actual dad, since she couldn’t remember ever living with her real dad and didn’t see him much. Whenever she referred to her “parents,” she meant her mom and step-dad. “Are you going?”
“Yeah. My parents said I could go if I get a job.”
“Have you found a job yet?”
“No, but I filled out an application at Foot Locker and one at the pretzel place in the mall.”
Brooke giggled. “You’re gonna make pretzels? That’d be cute.”
“Oh, shut up.”
Brooke sat back in her desk, thinking. If Brady was definitely going, she had to go. It’d be three weeks of just the two of them...well, and twenty other people. But still, Lorylyn wouldn’t be there. And Brooke didn’t have to worry about Matt anymore.
She’d waited a couple weeks after New Year’s to break up with him, so that way Brady wouldn’t think she’d done it just because she was sleeping with him again. She wished she hadn’t told Brady Matt was bad. Oh well. Things were actually going great with Brady. They’d reached a really good place, she thought, where it felt like they were as good of friends as they’d been at the beginning of sophomore year, before Lorylyn entered the picture. When he’d first started cheating on Lorylyn with her, Brady had made it very clear it was just about the sex, and he’d basically ignored her at school. He’d also said a lot of hurtful things to her that made it hard to talk to him at all, but now they talked all the time and he didn’t seem to care that people knew they were friends. Brooke wondered what Lorylyn thought. Oh well...she didn’t care. As long as Lorylyn didn’t tell him to stop hanging out with her. And she didn’t think Brady would stop anyway, even if Lorylyn did tell him to.
Finally Brooke felt like she might be closer to getting Brady. He’d liked her at the beginning of sophomore year, and their friendship now was getting back to what it’d been then, so she felt confident he might start to like her again.
chapter 10) jilly bean
So I entered the jelly bean contest at lunch. I think I’m gonna win
Jill laughed and looked over at Todd as she read his email. They were in advanced computers. Jill had decided not to drop, and she was extremely glad now. Todd seemed to have forgotten the Melanie thing, just like Hilton had thought he would. He hadn’t mentioned her since probably the second week back to school. Melanie sat all the way across the room with some of her freshman friends, and Jill was getting the Jill-and-Todd time she’d hoped for in this class.
How many did you guess?
Can’t tell. wouldn’t want jilly bean cheating in the jelly bean contest. :D
ahahahahahahahahahahahaha you’re so funny
Just then the bell rang, and Jill and Todd got up to walk to lunch.
“That was so dumb,” Jill told him, laughing.
“Whatever. That’s your new name. Jilly Bean.”
“Whatever.”
“Hey, Lorylyn, this is Jilly Bean,” Todd said as they approached their table a couple minutes later. He ruffled Jill’s hair, and she jumped away from him.
“Jilly Bean?”
Jill rolled her eyes at Lorylyn as Todd explained.
“Oh.” Lorylyn raised her eyebrows and nodded her head, trying not to laugh.
“Hey, guys!” Hilton placed a large Tupperware container in the middle of the table and sat down. “I brought brownies! My mom made a bunch last night, and she let me bring some to school.”
“Yay!” Lorylyn and Jill both reached for the container.
“Where’s Brady and Bennett?” Jill asked.
“Bennett had an ortho appointment,” Todd said.
“Brady’s in the bathroom,” Lorylyn replied. “Oh, there he comes.”
“Hey, man,” Todd said as Brady sat down. “What’s up?”
“Oh, not much. I start my new job tonight though.”
“Oh, where’d you end up at?”
“Foot Locker,” Lorylyn said. “I’m kinda disappointed. I was hoping to be able to go to the mall and see him in an apron and a cute little chef’s hat, making pretzels.” She grinned and leaned away as Brady tried to mess up her hair.
“So you get to go to Spain for sure then?” Hilton asked.
“Yep.”
Lorylyn gave Hilton a displeased look that Brady couldn’t see.
“Who’s all going?” Hilton asked.
“I don’t really know yet,” Brady said. “Only like a few people have turned in their forms so far. Mrs. Martin said Cassidy and Sam are going, and that Kara Darson girl, and some other girl I didn’t know.”
Jill wrinkled her nose. “Eww, Kara Darson? Fun.”
“Is she still hooking up with Andy?” Lorylyn asked.
“Dude, I have no clue,” Hilton said, taking a huge bite of a brownie. “Who even wants to know about that shit. I saw her walking in the hallway last week though, and people were still pointing to her and whispering. She’s definitely not getting the kind of attention she hoped for...how pathetic.” Hilton shook her head.
“He didn’t even try that hard to get Lindy back,” Lorylyn said in disgust. She and Jill had heard a little bit from Lindy at gymnastics.
“Well, I think it’s more just that she won’t even talk to him,” Jill said. “So what can he really do to try to get her back if she won’t even talk to him?”
“I don’t know,” Lorylyn said. “Like some sweet romantic gesture. Like what Brady did for me.” She smiled at him. Last year on Valentine’s Day, Brady had surprised Lorylyn at Landon’s party by making a heart in the driveway out of rose petals and chocolate icing and giving her his class ring.
Brady grinned and nodded, his nose in the air. “Oh, yeah...I’m the master. Best boyfriend ever, right here.”
Everyone laughed.
“I’m glad she won’t talk to him,” Hilton said. “They shouldn’t get back together. She shouldn’t be with a guy like that.”
“I agree,” Jill said, nodding.
“I agree,” Todd mimicked, picking up Jill’s brownie and shoving it at her face. There was a thick layer of chocolate frosting on it, and it smeared all over Jill’s lips and chin.
“Todd!” Jill grabbed the brownie from his hand and tried to shove it back at his face, but he blocked her, getting the frosting all over his hand instead.
“Oh, you’re gonna regret that.” He grabbed another brownie from the box and went af
ter Jill’s hair. She shrieked and ducked her head, raising her hands to defend herself.
“Todd! Stop it!” Lorylyn cried.
Without warning, Todd turned and threw the brownie at her. It hit her right in the nose, then slid down her face.
Everyone stared, shocked. Then they all burst out laughing.
“Oh, you asked for it, Todd!” Lorylyn grabbed another brownie from the box and winged it at him, but he was too quick and leaned out of the way. The brownie sailed past him and hit the floor.
“Oh, shit!” Lorylyn giggled, her nose and chin still covered in frosting.
“Babe, what are you doing?!” Brady asked, wiping her nose with his finger and licking the frosting. “Mmm, good.”
“Brady, stop it!” Lorylyn giggled again.
Todd had grabbed another brownie and threw this one at Hilton, who leaned to the side just in time. The brownie hit the back of her chair, and she jumped up, grabbing another one and chucking it at Brady. Brady was still looking at Lorylyn, and it hit him right in the face.
“Hey!”
“Hey!” a second voice echoed.
Everyone at the table looked up. It was Mr. Preston, the dean of students. Jill’s eyes widened.
“What’s going on here?” Mr. Preston asked.
“Ummm...”
“This is ridiculous; you should know not to be throwing food in the lunchroom. This isn’t third grade. This needs to be cleaned up before D lunch comes in, and then you can all come back during SRT to clean the rest of the cafeteria.” He turned and walked away.
Everyone at the table looked at each other, then they all burst out laughing. Jill was thrilled. Now she’d get to spend SRT with Todd.
***
“That was so fun,” Hilton said during SRT. She and Jill were mopping the cafeteria floor, and Brady, Todd, and Lorylyn were wiping off tables.
“Oh, yeah, totally worth it,” Jill said, giggling.
Mr. Preston had met them in the cafeteria at the beginning of SRT and led them to a janitor’s closet, where he’d loaded them up with cleaning supplies. But then he’d left them on their own, and Jill thought this was the best punishment ever. They were sticking together, all working on the same area of the cafeteria, and they’d already decided to stay in here the whole time and act like they were still cleaning if someone came in.