Check Yes Juliet
Third Grade
Third grade at Discovery Elementary was definitely a big change. Gone were the days when you would be able to sit together in a group. Now, desks were officially separated, and you sat by yourself. Or, if your classroom was bigger, you sat in two's. But, still, there weren't any changes. And now that you were in third grade, you were required to learn how to write in script. Things in Discovery Elementary just became difficult.
There were three third grade classes – Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Reham, and Mr. McDorkold. Mrs. Reham's class was probably known as the toughest – the kids had to sit by themselves and if they were ever to be caught talking – a scolding would be in order, and sometimes, if you didn't behave, work would be assigned to keep you quiet. And nobody liked more work of multiplication and division. Sadly, Gabriella's friend Martha was in this class.
Then, there was the easy-going teacher Mrs. O'Brien. Kids there were said to have lots of fun, even though they sat in pairs. But still, it was a lot harder than second grade was. Gabriella's other friend Kelsi was in this class, while Gabriella herself was in Mr. McDorkold's class – her first male teacher. She was separated from her two friends. But at least Troy was in Mr. McDorkold's class, too.
Nobody really liked Mr. McDorkold – but they did learn a lot. Gabriella sat in the farthest right in the front row next to Ryan Evans. (Thankfully, Sharpay was in Mrs. Reham's class.) She had grown to like Ryan; he was a good person and nothing like his sister. Ryan seemed to like Gabriella, too. And thus, the two got along.
Troy – on the other hand sat in the back left next to a girl named Cyndra, who had an unnatural high-pitched voice that made Troy wince anytime he heard it. He silently disliked Ryan Evans for being able to sit next to his best friend while he was forced to sit with crazy Cyndra. And it didn't help that his friends were all in Mrs. O'Brien's class. Chad, Jason, and Zeke had all gotten lucky in Mrs. O'Brien's class. Troy didn't know anyone in this class aside from Gabriella and Ryan.
Troy would often find himself looking to the front of the right side in the classroom. He got super angry when this other weird short, skinny baritone voiced kid Alan, who sat behind Gabriella, would tug on one of her curls just to annoy her. If he were Ryan and was lucky enough to sit next to her, he would definitely say something to that Alan kid.
Another thing had changed in third grade. It seemed that almost everyone changed. Zeke had grown about three inches over the summer, and now he was one of the tallest third graders in school. Chad's afro seemed to have grown ever more wider and more things had begin getting stuck in it. Jason, well, Jason didn't really change. He just became dumber than usual. Gabriella had grown out her hair so that her curls now went down to her waist. Gabriella's friend Martha had gotten her hair cut really short, and Gabriella's other friend Kelsi had gotten glasses. And Troy…? What exactly did change about Troy? He was still shorter than his guyfriends and it bothered him to no end. Although, Cameron told him it would catch up so he didn't have to worry. At least he finally lost his lisp.
Right at that moment, however, Mrs. O'Brien stomped into the room, "MISTER MCDORKOLD!" She shrieked. Troy winced, remembering how high-maintenance she could be.
Mr. McDorkold frowned and glared at the woman; could the woman read? Really, whenever the sign 'Testing' was up, she would march right in. When it said, 'Do Not Disturb' she still marched in. And now with that sign up, she still marched in.
"These three trouble makers are making a fuss in my classroom! Have them in here and separate them and make sure they don't talk to anyone," Mrs. O'Brien said, pushing the kids in there before slamming the door before Mr. McDorkold could say anything else.
Mr. McDorkold groaned and said to Chad, Zeke, and Jason, "Pick a seat away from each other and don't say a word to the other students," He ordered gruffly, before going back to marking some tests on his desk at the front of the room.
Chad just grinned and waved to Troy, before mouthing, "We grabbed some scissors and started cutting up Mrs. O'Brien's tests!"
Troy's mouth fell open as he grinned; it was very like Chad, Zeke, and Jason to get in trouble for these kinds of things constantly. Unfortunately for him, Cyndra had just sneezed on him again.
Cyndra had blew her nose on her tissue and placed it in between their desks, "Who are you giving your Valentine to?" She was currently sick, so her voice sounded even more nasally than before.
Troy looked a bit disgusting as he stared at the tissue, "Uh…can you…move that thing, please?"
"OH! OKAY!" Cyndra coughed near him and stood up to throw out the tissue, but in the end, got another tissue for herself.
"Geez, if you're sick stay home," Troy muttered to himself as he took some crayons and colored random Valentine's. He had to make them for the whole class, according to Mr. McDorkold, so he was making them nearly all the same with, 'Happy Valentine's Day' written inside each card. He was saving the card for his real Valentine for a bit later. But his mind couldn't get off the song his brother Cameron showed him the night before.
It was "Check Yes Juliet" and for some reason Troy really liked the song. Cameron joked about using that song to woo Gabriella one day (Troy didn't really understand what he meant by that, but hey, what eight-year-old would grasp the full concept of that?).
Finally, Troy decided to do something different for Gabriella's Valentine this year. Looking towards the front right side of the room again, he saw Gabriella laughing at something Ryan was saying. He felt a bit hurt by the friendship she and Ryan developed and sometimes wondered if Ryan was her new best friend. Troy remembered how Chad told him that the week Troy was out sick, she sat with Ryan at lunch and even played basketball with him. Troy felt like he had been hit by a bunch of darts. Basketball. That was always Troy's thing. He and the guys would always play basketball at recess and sometimes Gabriella would join in. Now he had been told that Gabriella was playing basketball with Ryan? Ryan Evans couldn't even hold the ball right! How was that possible? In anger, Troy wrote something down on piece of paper and told the kid in front of him to pass it down to Gabriella.
Do you like me? Check yes or no, Juliet.
Troy watched eagerly as the note made its way around until it reached Jason. Unfortunately, Jason didn't grasp the concept and looked at Troy weirdly, before mouthing, "Dude! I d-didn't kn-know y-you liked me…THAT way, I mean, DUDE!"
Troy hit his head before mouthing back, "NO! Dude, hand that to Gabriella!"
Jason just looked even more confused and shrugged and handed it to Chad.
Chad glanced at the note, immediately recognizing it as Troy's handwriting. His mouth dropped open as he exclaimed loudly, "TROY, WHO THE HECK IS JULIET!?"
Immediately, half the class turned around and looked at him oddly. Others began to start cooing that Troy sent someone named, 'Juliet' a love note. Troy's face immediately turned red as the class began, 'Oou'ing. He put his head down in shame.
Gabriella, who was working on Ryan's Valentine, turned around to look at Troy and frowned. Troy likes someone? Who could it be? Does he like Cyndra? Wait, he was passing it up – maybe it's Carla Pratt! She sits in front of Chad! What if it's not someone in our class so Troy gave it to Chad to give to someone in Mrs. O'Brien's class?
Gabriella knew that ever since third grade started, it had become harder and harder for the two hang out like they usually did. In third grade, it was basically boys vs girls. Like whenever she wanted to play with Troy at recess he was always busy with his guy friends shooting baskets. And even though Gabriella didn't show it, she was always upset when he had to say, 'Sorry Gabi. But the guys and I are doing some hardcore practicing. And you're…a girl. I don't want you to get hurt, no offense.'
And then either Zeke or Jason would repeat, "YEAH! CUZ YOU'RE A GIRL! You can't handle the stuff we do!" So, Gabriella would walk off and try to read in the shady tree corner, wondering why things had to get all complicated all of the sudden. It wasn't like Kindergarten when anyone could play with anyone without having to worry about anything. It was third grade and the differences between boys and girls were obviously evident.
Gabriella always thought that the difference would have to melt away eventually, because she knew how when you were older boys and girls might become sweethearts and she couldn't deny that she, Martha, and Kelsi sometimes dreamed about that. In first grade, they'd play House and Troy and her were almost always married and had two kids and a pet dog named Sparky. Kelsi was Gabriella's maid of honor and Chad was Troy's best man. Gone were the days they could play that, and Gabriella sort of missed it. So when she couldn't hang out with Troy or the girls, she'd go over towards the swings where some of the second graders played and talk to Ryan. Ryan was a good kid and he didn't have many friends, so Gabriella liked talking to him sometimes-unless Sharpay (or Sharpee as she was called) was around.
Gabriella remembered when Mrs.O'Brien's class had given Sharpay that nickname. She had been outside playing when all of the sudden, her face had turned bright red and she wrapped her arms around her waist. 's class and Mrs.O'Brien's class had swarmed around the blonde haired beauty and began taunting her, saying "Sharpee peed on herself!" or "Look what Sharpee did!" Gabriella laughed to herself before returning to her cards.
Meanwhile, Chad was throwing Troy a questioning look. Troy just mouthed, "Gabi!" Making sure Gabriella didn't see, and she did not because by this time she chatting it up with Ryan (she had assumed Troy would be her real Valentine this year again, but it looked as if he found another Valentine already).
Chad scratched his scalp, "Zeke?" he said incredulously. Shivering, he handed the Valentine to Zeke, not even bothering to understand what was going on.
Zeke took the note, reading it, and raised an eyebrow looking at Chad, "What the heck?"
Chad shrugged, "Troy told me to give it to you."
Zeke's face was scrunched up even more when he turned his head around to the back of the classroom and looked at Troy with his hands up bewildered, "What's up with this, dude?"
"Give it to Gabriella!" Troy hissed at him. This was getting way too nuts.
Zeke's mouth formed an, 'Oh,' as he understood and passed it to this kid, named Bob, in front of him, "Hand it to Gabriella."
Bob looked at the note and grinned, "Ooooouuu! Zeke likes Gabriella! Zeke likes Gabriella!" The whole class now burst out laughing as they stared at a tomato-red Zeke who was protesting.
"No! No! No I don't!"
"Yes, you do!" Bob teased them, "ZEKE AND GABRIELLA SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! FIRST COMES LWOVE! THEN COMES MARRIAGE! THEN COMES AN UGLY BABY IN A CARRAIGE!"
Gabriella looked up and looked at Bob angrily. Why did the kid have to be so mean?
"Stop it Bob!" She shrieked, "You're so annoying!"
Bob just turned to her and smirked, "And you're UGLY! Hahahahah! NANANANNANA! ZEKE LIKES GABRIELLA! ZEKE LIKES GABRIELLA! ZEKE LIKES UGLY, STUPID GABRIELLA!" He scoffed before flinging his hand out and tugging on one of her curly brown pigtails.
"Bob! Stop it! Please!" Gabriella cried, tears beginning to run down her chubby cheeks.
"NANANANANA!" Bob cackled maniacally as he yanked on the other pigtail.
"QUIET!" screamed, slamming down the pile of tests he had in his hand. "THIS IS NO WAY FOR A GROUP OF EIGHT YEAR OLDS TO ACT! NOW I WANT SILENCE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I AM APPALLED!"
The room went silent. Although they were all silently giggling or throwing quizzical looks at each other, everyone knew better than to backtalk -everyone, that is, except Jason.
"ZEKE AND GABRIELLA SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-Y-Q-R-L-O-P-F-G-D-E-C-JABBERWOCKY!" He cried out, dancing on his chair. Suddenly he stopped and looked around the room. "Hey? Why are you all quiet, yo?"
's face was bright red, an anger vein showed purplish on his forehead.
"Uh oh…" Jason whispered slowly.
"Mmmm…, may I see you in the hallway?" said in his signature mumble-voice.
Jason gulped before hopping off his chair, making the sign of the cross, and shuffling towards 's massive figure.
After a few minutes, came back in and brushed his hands off on his dress pants. Jason Cross was never seen again-until lunch that day, anyway.
Gabriella wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and went back to coloring in her heart-shaped card. The marker smudged a bit over Troy's name, though, and she quickly began crying again.
"Why's she cryin, dawg?" Chad whispered to Troy.
"NO TALKING!" bellowed. "DO WANT TO END UP LIKE JASON?!"
Chad's eyes bulged and his afro sagged. "No, sir. I-I don't w-want to be t-thrown i-in-into the r-r-r-river!"
"What are you talking about, fool? Jason just went to the principal's office…" McDorkold growled.
"Oh…I-I knew dat!"
"Mmmm," mumbled before returning to his desk. "By the way, …I…mmmm…obviously expect a hair cut…and things of that nature, mmmm."
"Uh…you don't have no hair for a hair cut, sir-dawg!" Chad replied, pulling a candy bar from the denseness of his afro and peeling back the plastic wrapper.
"I MEANT FOR YOU!"
"Oh…my bad…"
-- -- -
Mr. McDorkold's class was now standing in a semi circle outside in the playground.
"You may start giving out your cards….NOW!" He exclaimed, tapping his watch with one of his dried out broken fingernails. "You have exactly..." He traced the little hand with is stubby thumb. "Thirty minutes and fifty two seconds."
As the class began to move around, continued to count down. "Fifty one, fifty, forty nine, forty eight… hey, that's my age…not."
Gabriella looked down as she thrust Troy's half smudged card into his hands. "Here, take it…you poopface…"
"Hey, there do deed for dame calling!" Troy said then quickly covered his mouth. He remembered what the doctor had said to him when his "speech impairment" had gone away. He'd said that whenever Troy would get nervous, upset, or sad, it would most likely come back-temporarily, of course.
"Do deed for dame calling!" She mocked him.
"Shud up!" He replied angrily.
"Whatever." She cackled before sticking her tongue out at him and giving him a raspberry.
"Gabriella!" Troy said slowly as she turned to walk away. "Gabriella, waid! Waid dup!"
"What, Doy?" She said, mocking him again.
Troy grabbed her by the wrist, his Valentine's Day card under his arm, and pulled her behind a nearby trashcan.
"LET GO OF ME TROY!" she screamed,"LETGOOFMEORI'MCALLINGTHECOPS!" Gabriella expertly recited the phrase that her mother had taught her in case of emergencies.
Troy let go, but asked her to be quiet.
"Fine, I'll be quiet, but first you have to tell me who the heck is Juliet?" She crossed her arms over her flat chest and stared fiercely into Troy's eyes.
"Juliet is-"
"She's in 's class, isn't she?! I KNEW IT!"
"No…Juliet is-"
"Is she that new foreign exchange girl?! I thought her name was Bolbilia!"
"JULIET IS YOU!!" Troy screamed his eyes not ungluing from her face.
She went silent.
"Um…"
"Me?" She finally croaked, her voice cracking. Troy couldn't tell if it was from anger or excitement, maybe a combination of the two?
"Yes, Gabi. You're my bestest friend, alond wif Chad oof course…"
"Urgh. The boys. Yeah, Troy. That makes me feel, so much better!"
"Dude, chill out!"
"DUDE! I'M NOT A DUDE! DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE DEFINITION OF DUDE?!"
"Um…n-no…"
"GET A BRITANICA!" Gabriella screamed before trying to run off. Troy grabbed her by the shirtsleeve and pulled her back.
"STOP GABRIELLA!"
"I'M A GIRL! MAYBE YOU FORGOT! I'M NOT A DUDE, NEVER WILL BE A DUDE, AND NEVER WILL HAVE A DUDE. CATCH MY DRIFT?"
"Gabi…I'm sorry. It's just…really hard for me to tell you what I want to say."
"Well spit it out or I'm out!"
"I wuv you…"
"Wha…"
"I said Iwuvyou…"
"You what me?"
"URGH!" Troy pulled her close and placed his lips on top of hers.
"Mmmm?" Gabriella started. Suddenly realizing what he was trying to do, her eyes grew wide, then softened.
She kissed him back.
Their kiss wasn't a big show. There was no one around, no tongue, barely any touching. It was sweet and innocent-all that puppy love should be.
"I'm just gonna throw out this banana peel!" said to himself as he approached the trash can. As he threw it out, he gasped. Troy and Gabriella were holding hands, their lips touching each others.
"STOP IT! STOP IT THIS INSTANT! THIS IS IMMORAL…IMPROPER…IT MAKES ME MISS MY EX-WIFE!" McDorkold screamed, pulling the two away from each other. He could still see traces of Gabriella's Grapermelon ChapStick on Troy's lips.
"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! NO!" McDorkold bellowed, grabbing each love struck luna and pulling them towards the school doors.
Right before Troy was removed from Gabriella, he mouthed to her, "Happy V-day!"
Maybe not the most romantic way to end a first kiss, but neither of them seemed to care.
--
