Field trip forms surf the class room as my teacher yaks away at the front of the room about our plans for the trip. "In San Francisco will we be visiting the statue of Liberty?" Abby, the dumbest sophomore to walk the halls of Western, questions as she twirls a strain of her blond hair with her finger. "Um…the statue of Liberty is in New York?" Ms. Skiff informs her with a smirk on her face. "Are you sure?" Abby retorts putting the cap on her pink pen that has a patch of fur on top. "Yes Abby, I'm sure." Ms. Skiff responses as she begins scribbling on the white board. "Will we see Alcatraz?" Andrew, the quarterback for our high school, blurts as he slams his history textbook shut. "Yes, in fact we'll be spending a night there." Ms. Skiff answers as she turns to face the class again. Other questions and answers float though the class, Abby asked about a handful of useless questions, just showing off her stupidity. The bell jingles through the halls as everyone shoves their forms into their unorganized back-packs. I'm tempted to stay after class to ask about the itinerary for the trip but I choose meeting my best friend at our lunch table is a better choice.
The lunchroom is packed with snobby cheerleaders, science geeks, JROTC cadets, and countless football players, kids risking their lives just for a crummy meal served by our rude lunch ladies. "Did you get the form?" Derrick shouts over the various yells that circle the cafeteria. "Yeah, how about you?" "Duh… did you know that we'll be sleeping in Alcatraz?" I nod as we shuffle our way to the pizza line. "I can't wait, I wonder how many kids are allowed." He murmurs as I shrug wonder the same thing. "Well it's on the other side of the country, so probably not to many." I announce pulling my money out of my change bag. "Yeah, you're probably right. So we better pay like soon because I am dying to go." I crack a smile at his statement as the lunch lady drops a dry, tasteless looking slice of day old pizza on my tray. My smile fades as the slice stares up at me. "Yuck, who the hell would eat this?" I blurt with an expression of disgrace on my face.