"That's all for today class. See you tomorrow. Tucker, may I talk to you before you leave?"
Tucker, thinking ahead, didn't put his books in the backpack yet, in case Mr. Freeman wanted to discuss today's science assignment. He stood up. It was his last class of the day, but his favorite one at Addams Junior High.
"Wassup Mr. Freeman?"
"Tucker, I need a lab assistant. I thought you might want to help clean and put away the lab equipment. Interested?"
"Sure Mr. Freeman!" The thirteen year old could hardly contain his excitement at being called a Lab Assistant. The teacher showed Tucker where the test tube brushes and soap were and then began grading papers at the back of the class.
A few minutes later, two dark haired heads, one girl and one boy peeked into the classroom door. Danny Fenton glanced at the teacher then at Tucker.
"Psst! Hey Tuck! We were waiting for you! Can't you leave yet? We're going to BandLand Music at the mall."
"Oh yeah, uh, hang on". In his excitement at being a Lab Assistant (and the bragging rights to go with it) he had forgotten about their plans.
"I'm finished Mr. Freeman, gotta go. Bye"
"Thanks Tucker." Mr. Freeman smiled. There was more he had planned for Tucker to do, but he had noticed Tucker's friends calling him from the doorway. Gregarious teenagers, he thought, year after year the kids never change. He went back to grading homework.
The trio's footsteps rustled through the October leaves. It was a cool breezy afternoon while they walked through the residential neighborhood to the business district.
"How can you actually like staying after class Tuck, especially with Mr. Freeman?" asked Danny. He too was thirteen.
"I was not just staying after class." said Tucker. "I am the Science Class Lab Assistant!" with a pride that reminded Danny of his father Jack.
Danny looked at Samantha Manson, and shrugged. She frowned, an expression that fit her serious but beautiful face. Her concerned look was amplified by dark eyebrows, conveying strength, but softened by lavender eyes, and a girly, white fuzzy sweater, a lavender scarf and jeans with pink and white tennis shoes. She knew that some science classes dissected frogs, a practice she thought cruel and inhumane.
"Do you have to clean up dissection knives Tuck?" She asked with slight annoyance.
"What? Naw, we don't do anything like that. This month's chapter is chemistry!"
Samantha relaxed with half closed eyes. Whew!
They arrived at the mall, bustling with after-school kids. There was a crowd at BandLand Music. Something was going on.
The friends walked closer to the action and could see a guest band signing autographs for kids that did not seem to be from around the neighborhood, but from out of town. The boys were wearing black leather shirts, black lace shirts, black pants and black boots,leather belts and even collars with chrome rivets. But the girls!
Samantha stared: black fishnet stockings, black plaid skirts, leather tops with fishnet trim, black hair like hers, dark, dark red lipstick and black eyeliner and mascara. A sinister looking crowd, but they were all smiling and laughing, excited to get an autograph from the band members who looked like their audience on steroids. A CD of the band's music was playing loudly, a sinister, depressing song with a lonely theme.
"Whoa" was all Tucker could say. Danny was staring too. Neither boy noticed Samantha getting close to one of the girls to admire close up.
The gothic girl Samantha had approached noticed her stare: "Hey Snow White, you like VolVox too? You look more like a Hillary Duff fan!" There were smiles from around the crowd.
"I like rock, but where did you buy your clothes? Totally cool!" Samantha was in awe.
"Thanks cupcake. My name is Mary by the way"
"I'm Samantha."
"Thanks for the compliment Sam. I buy my stuff at the Open Coffin in Cedarville. The Open Coffin gets all of my money."
Surprised at the goth-girl's friendliness, Samantha liked the new nickname, it seemed fitting for a gothic version of herself. She was going to make her parents drive her to Cedarville, credit card in hand. She had no problem making them take her to other stores.
"Uhhh Samantha, let's look over at the other side of the stores, these people ...smell..." Danny almost whispered, glancing sideways at Mary. The girl smiled at Danny revealing fanged teeth, a cosmetic investment.
Danny and Tucker each grabbed an arm and walked Samantha towards the displays on the other side of the store.
"Hey guys, don't call me Samantha anymore, from now on, I'm Sam, OK?" Danny and Tucker looked at each other. Sam was a guy's name, but any teenage boy looking at 'Sam' would instantly know she was female. OK, what harm could it do?
"OK, whatever" said Tucker.
"Sure SAM" teased Danny. Sam smiled.
"Thanks guys! Ice cream on me!" Not only did she feel a new sense of her own unique identity, but she liked having boys on either side taking her by the arms.
She had known Danny since the second grade, and they were good friends, but lately he was growing up to be kind of cute, especially his sparkling blue eyes. But he could be nerdy too. She dismissed any conscious notion about Danny being more than her best friend, and began humming the Gothic tune she had heard in BandLand. The trio walked out of the music store and across the mall to the ice cream store.