Chapter 1
Shedreaded this time of day. It was always so boring. Who really ever enjoyed History class. Not anyone I know, she thought with the exception of Julie, who only liked it because thier teacher was hot. She made her way up the staircase only to find a childish group of boys playing around at the top. She would have normally ignored them except that they were blocking her way to class. She waited impatiently for a second until she was annoyed.
"Some people do actually want to get to class on time", she said budging through the group of boys. They all just stupidly laughed and continued fooling around. She ignored them and made her way down the hall to her class.
"Andy, wait up!", yelled someone from behind her. She turned around to find her best friend Julie running to catch up with her. She waited for her friend until Julie made it to her side. They finished their way to class. When they entered they took their normal seats in the front. All of the boys from the stairs filed into the back and began throughing crumpled paper into the trash bin. Julie leaned herself over to tell her something but immediatly stopped when she saw Mr. Mulvic come into the classroom. She smiled as Julie always put on a good show for Mr. Mulvic.
"Boys you are going to pick those up, right", He scolded.
"Of coarse Mr. Mulvic", said Henry as he made a basket and boasted as his friends showed their approval. The bell rang telling the boys it was time stop their little game. When they didn't Mr. Mulvic commented as he pulled out papers from his desk.
"You know boys you should have kept those papers. Now what are you going to use for your...POP Quiz", He announced almost too excitedly and began passing them out. The class all moaned. Henry, seeing he didn't have any paper left leaned over to Josh, his best friend, and asked him for some. He too didn't have any. Henry told him " Go ask one of the smart girls for some and I'll ask the other for a pencil." Josh agreed. He made his way up to the front and asked Andy if he could have some paper. She looked at his smiling face. She couldn't couldn't help notice the fact that he was very attractive but she was completely out of his league. Though he never personally picked on her, he hung out with the crowd that did, the popular crowd. She looked at his beautiful green eyes that stood out from his black messy hair. She had forever wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through it.
"Um, Andy?" Josh said interupting her thoughts. She smiled and leaned over to the trash bin next to her. She grabbed one of the papers the boys had been using in their game. She took the paper and quikly unfolded it. She held it up to show Josh with a sarcastic smile planted on her face.
"Gee, Thanks" he said grabbing it and another off the ground. He walked away leaving Andy with a satisfied smile on her face. She hadn't helped them out in any way in the longest time. She learned her lesson a long time ago. They would constantly ask her for pencils and then not return them or ask for paper when they just wasted theirs from writing to a daily girlfriend or, like this time, on a stupid ego boosting game. She went to her test and forgot about it. After completing her test, confident that she aced it, she spent the last couple of minutes of class talking to Julie.
"What did Josh want?", she asked.
"Huh, Oh he just wanted paper, Why?''
" I know you think hes cute." she said with a teasing smile.
'' Come on Julie, like that would ever happen. And besides you make it unbelievably obvious that you like Mr. Mulvic."
" I do Not!'' She said making sure their teacher wasn't listening.
'' Anyway what are we doing during vacation. ''
''Oh yeah, About that, my parents are dragging me up too my grandparents in the Adirondecks. I have to leave this Wednesday.
''What! your leaving me here alone for three weeks and your now just telling me.''
"Andy, I'm not your only friend. I'm sure you'll find some one to hang out with", Julie reasured her. The afternoon announcements came on, barely being heard because of the ruckess from the boys in the back.
"Anyone interested in joining the golf team please report to room #216, Mr. Mulvic's room after the announcements. There is no commitment, it is just to tell you what will be happening throughout the year. There is a pink purse in the Main Office waiting for some one to claim it. That is the end announcements. Have a nice day"
"Andy, are you staying for the golf meeting", Julie asked.
"I don't know there isn't anyone that I'd be able to make friends with on the team. They're all popular jerks. Not to mention there aren't any girls."
"Come on Andy your great at golf, show them your not just all brains."
''Julie, you only say that because you stink at it", She said laughing,"You wouldn't know if I'm really that good because I'm the only one that has dragged you to go golfing with me."
"You said you wanted to."
"Yeah but, I don't know"
"C'mon, At least stay for the meeting,"she said looking at the crowd filing in.
"But--
"Staying for the meeting girls" interupted Mr. Mulvic,"It would be nice to have girls for a change."
Julie looked up at Mr. Mulvic dreamily" You bet we are" she answered.
"Great", he said with a smile and turned to walk to the front of the class.
Andy grinned "But you hate Golf", She whispered to Julie, who just shrugged with a smile.
Mr. Mulvic started speaking and had Julie's undivided attention. Andy looked around at the crowd. Not a single girl. She pouted as she saw the boys who were in it. All popular jerks like she had said. Keaten, a blonde who had more girlfriends in one week than all of the boys put together. She didn't see why girls liked him so much. James was sitting next to him. His percent grades were as low as the number of letters of the alphebet that he could name off. In front of them was Robert who was the richest boy in school and didn't let anyone forget it. Next to him was Josh. He was just outgoing, which was why he was in that clique. He wasn't ever mean, at least that she had ever heard of, and he never showed signs of being a perve. As a matter of fact he had only one girlfriend in the past and that was the year before. She was constantly bailing on him at the last minuteand he got suspicious. One night he showed up at her house unexpectedly to find that she was cheeting on him. As Andy looked at him she began to feel sorry for him. Just then Robert pointed at her and showed Josh. Andy casually pretended that she was just glancing around and just slowly moved her head back to Mr. Mulvic. Robert raised his hand in the middle of Mr. Mulvic's speech.
"Yes Robert."
"I was just wondering if girls are supposed to be on the team", he said knowingly.
" As a matter of fact they can be, no one just ever showed any interest."
"Oh well aren't they supposed to be good at it." Some boys laughed including Josh and Andys pity for him was instantly swept away. She gave a nasty look at Robert. "Then Robert, I'm really curious as to why your here." A little ooooo swept across the crowd as they turned their heads to Robert waiting for a comeback.
"Why don't you go back to your books" he said.
"At least I am able to read a book."
" All right guys...um and girls", said Mr.Mulvic stopping the arguement. That should be about the end of this meeting. If you are still interested in the team then come for try outs at the end of the week. You can go now." The crowd began to file out of the classroom. Andy waited for everyone to pass. As Robert walked by she gave him a nasty grin. He was followed by Josh who, for some reason was smiling at her. She gave a little grin and followed Julie out of the class. Outside she told Julie that she wasn't going to go to her house and was just going to walk home. Her mood was spoiled after not having a good day. She waved goodbye as she made her way to her locker.
Josh watched her as she went around the corner.
"Dude, what are you looking at", Robert asked.
"Nothing", answered Josh as he waved it off.
The guys were talking about going to Keaten's house that night, which meant the usual girls and beers.
"I think I'll pass guys, I have a test tomarrow", Josh said giving a quick excuse.
"You sure Jay" asked Keaten,"there'll be lots of girls!"
''Yeah I'm sure"
"Always the smart one worried about his grades." Robert wrapped his arm around Josh.
"Dude My highest grade is a 81, and thats luck"
"Really, my highest is the opposite of that", boasted James. Josh just grinned.
"I'll see you guys tomarrow then"
They all said goodbye. Josh walked down the staircase his thoughts completely somewhere else. He turned the corner only to bump into someone. He looked down to find fluffy, light brown hair. It was Andy, who was now on the floor flustered and trying to gather her things that fell. Realizing what he had done, he dropped to the floor to help her.
"Sorry about that I wasn't watching where I was going."
"Obviously'', she remarked.
He picked up her pencil as they both stood up. "Why are you so mean to everyone?"
"What", she asked confused. No one had ever accused her of being mean. "You think I'm mean?"
"Well I can't say that Robert didn't diserve what you said to him today, but why were you mean to me? I don't ever recall being mean to you."
"When was I mean to you?"
"When you wouldn't give me paper."
"Oh that, well you guys just...bug me."
"We, bug you?"he said with raised eyebrows.
"Well you guys always ask for paper, you just wasted all of yours, why couldn't you have the sence to keep some. You guys always ask for pencils and never return them. Why should I give them to you when you've never helped me?''
Josh just stood there with a grin. He didn't know what to say, she had a point.
"Well, I'm sorry. I won't ask you again unless if I return the favor."
She was surprised. She hadn't expected him to say that but, then again he wasn't neccessarily going to keep his word. An awkward silence hovered over them for a minute. Actually Andy had been admiring him again. She could admire someone but not like them, right. There was no problem with just checking him out.
He broke the silence by announcing "Awkward silence", which made her laugh a little. He smiled at her as she laughed. He had never seen her truley smile. It made her look very pretty. She was always so serious at school.
"How come you never smile?"
To be honest she was getting annoyed by his boldness. You didn't just walk up to someone you never talked to before and just ask them questions. Why did he care if she smiled anyway?
"What do you mean? I smile", she assured him.
"Not in school. You're always serious."
" Well I don't have any classes with my friends. I just get my work done in class to get over with the day. School is so boring."
"You know if you smiled more, it would be more fun. And besides just make new friends."
"It's not that easy. Maybe for you but people just...well...I don't think anyone else would like me. I guess I'm afraid that they--" Wait a minute why was she confessing her fears and lonelyness to him. Why did he care? "Wait why do you care anyways?''
"What do you mean. I can't care about my fellow classmembers", he said with a smirk.
"Now you all of a sudden care."
"Whoa, calm down, I just...wanted to...talk to you", he said as he blushed. What was his problem he never shamed in saying that before.
"Why would you want to talk to me?'' She was confused.
"Well, you sort of impressed me with Robert. I never thought you would talk back to him like that. He actually needed that, I won't lie, But I just thought that--"
"You thought that I was a quiet little girl that would absolutly die to be noticed and talked to by you guys and all I ever did was read and do geeky little things and thought that I dreamed about you guys. Well your wrong I'm not like that and I could care less about you. Actually I think YOU guys are the mean ones."
She stormed off leaving Josh scratching his head. Where did that all come from? He certainly didn't feel that way, at least he thought he didn't. Maybe he did. He didn't think anyone would dream about him but he knew he was popular and that everyone knew about him. Maybe she was right. Maybe he did have a big ego. It was true that he didn't expect her to rject him like that. She had, for the first time, a conversation with him and she knew more about him than he did. He looked down at his hand which was still holding her pencil. He smiled at it and started to walk in the other direction to go home.
Andy shoved the school doors open. She walked at a brisk pace as thoughts flooded her mind. She was mad. Why did people always think that of her. They thought she was beneath them. It annoyed her so much. How could he have the nerve. Whoa...just calm down... all he wanted to do was talk. Yeah right. Who was she kidding. She really wasn't all that specail, but she wasn't going to let him know that she knew otherwise. She wasn't pretty like all the other girls. She certainly wasn't desirable. She wished. Not once did anyone give any sign of liking her. She didn't find herself funny either. Sure, with her friends she would crack a few jokes, but none that were hilarious. She felt like a smudge on a canvas, or a dark cloud in a bright sky. She didn't belong. She hated her life. Now all she had to look forward to was a night of cramming in homework, babysitting her brother, and doing her chores that she had ignored the night before. She knew she would regret that.
She turned onto her street. She didn't live far from school. She remembered complaining to her parents when they told her she had to walk to school. They said it would be good excersize, besides the fact that it was only like five blocks away from her house, four if she cut through the back yard. She turned up the driveway leading to a light green house with dark shutters. The porch was small with hanging plants everywhere. The lawn in front of it had a garden full of tulips. If it weren't for the toys on the porch most would think the house belonged to an old rich couple. Andy went down her driveway to go to the back door. She went in and dropped her heavy bag on the kitchen table with a sigh of relief.
"Guss, I'm home", she yelled.
She heard a loud thud upstairs that told her that her dog had been sleeping on her bed again and was on his way to greet her again. Sure enough Guss ran into the kitchen, his tail wagging behind him. Her little brother, Russel got him when he was four and insisted that they name him Guss. When she asked why, all he said was that their names would rhyme. Russ and Guss. It made sense though because they were inseperable and it rolled right off the tongue when you would call or scold them. Guss jumped up and welcomed her with wet, slobbery kisses on her cheeks. When he finally stopped, and she wiped off the slobber on her face, she went to the corner and got the leash hanging on a hook.
"Should we go get Russ boy, huh!" He wagged his tail obviously excited. "Wanna go for a walk, huh boy." She smiled as he barked, clearly agreeing that they should. She grabbed her keys as Guss almost pulled her out the door. The two made their way to Russel's school both happy, at least for the moment.
