Okay…you've all got the right to kill me. I recently re-read my story, and felt up to the challenge of writing some more. Unfortunately, my dearest puppy decided to chew up the laptop charger. Great, huh? So now, if I can puppy dog eye my mommy, she'll let me use her's. (We both have Dells.)
It had been at least a few weeks since my crash land and Amanda and Joey found me. I learned a lot about regular living throughout my stay, and much more academically as well. After about two weeks, I soon found myself shaking Amanda awake to teach me something else. She'd just joke about "school in the summer" and succumb to my will to learn. Things had been going pretty great.
You know, until she dropped me off at the curb of high school.
Splendid, huh?
"Go on, Iris." She smiled encouragingly. "I've taught you enough. I'm sure you'll be able to thrive here. Don't forget you can always rely on me to help you out with school work and homework and such."
I shrugged, obviously upset. The schedule in my hand crumpled slightly from my disappointment. I wasn't ready for this…
Amanda watched as I climbed back into the front seat of her Honda. "I'm not ready," I mumbled.
She gave me a long, deciphering look before sighing. "I suppose so. We can try again next week."
She started to drive forward when I caught a glimpse of strawberry blonde hair. "Stop the car!"
"What?" Amanda looked panicked. "What is it?"
I found my heart beating faster than ever, pounding even, in my chest. It couldn't be… "I'll see you later." I exited the car once more and climbed the stairs, brushing easily past who I was desperately hoping I though it was.
Iggy
"Who's the girl?" Fang gave a lazy yawn and wrapped his arms around Max's shoulders.
"I don't know. I feel like I do, but I don't. Now, onto the main question: Maximum Ride, why the hell did I allow you to talk me into going back to school?"
"Because Nudge had a desire to learn some more crap and she wouldn't stop bugging me until I put her back in. The middle school is just down the road, and I figure we stand a better chance of getting to her should something go wrong. Because, you know, something almost always goes wrong…"
"This is just too true…" I gave an exasperated sigh as the bell rang. "Let's just meet up at lunch, okay? We can chat more there." I gave my knuckles a crack. "Right now, I've got some ladies to school in cooking." I grinned at the two of them, then adjusted my backpack and walked off.
Iris
Despite the fact that I despise the discomfort some clothes bring to me, I have to say, I was really rocking these short, black heeled boots Amanda bought me. You know, the ones that zip up at the ankle? Hmm. Ankle or heel? Whichever is that bone that pokes out on your foot. I'm going into Food Sciences, not Anatomy.
The teacher, a middle aged woman with dark red hair and blue eyes greeted me at the door. "Ahh. A fresh face. You must be Iris." The woman smiled warmly and stuck out her hand. "I'm Mrs. Chance. You can take a seat anywhere."
I tried to return the warm gesture and walked down the row of counters, choosing a seat in the back. I dropped my side bag beside the stool I was to sit on and sat.
"And you must be James! What a pleasure to have two new faces."
"Actually, you can call me Iggy."
"Why of course. We're all friends here. Pick a seat."
I immediately looked down at my spiral and started doodling, hair falling in front of my face. Don't see me, don't see me, don't see me…
Unfortunately, I heard the shuffling of a dropped book bag and the scraping sounds of a chair moving. Then I heard the voice next to my ear, "You look lovely in that dress, Iris."
I growled. "How'd you know it was me, Iggy."
"That doesn't matter. What matters is how amazing you look in that dark red and black dress of your's."
"Way to sound like a pervert."
"I'm only a pervert when something extremely hot is put in front of my face."
"Oh stop it." I rolled my eyes and picked my head up. "How exactly did you find me?"
"I didn't." He shrugged. "My younger sister Nudge wouldn't stop bugging Max about going back to school. She loves to learn, so we're just staying in an apartment for a while."
"Where'd you get the money?"
"Max's mom is wiring us money for it. I'm also a chef."
"At what? Taco Bell?"
He held his chest. "I am hurt. No, at that gourmet restaurant downtown. La Luna Bella."
"Ahh, I've seen that."
"Maybe I should take you there—"
"Iris? Iggy?" The teacher piped up, staring us down. "Are you done with your new kid conversation?"
"Uh…yes Mrs. Carte."
"Good. Now, maybe you'll like to join the class in making the mini cake I just assigned? If you get started now, you'll just have enough time to ice it and eat it."
I nodded, standing up and going over to the supply closet. Iggy followed me. "You should probably let me do the baking. Wouldn't want a fine lady like you to get burned." He grinned cheekily.
I slapped him. "I'm perfectly capable of baking compared to the fact I've been on the run for months," I hissed in his ear. "Now shut up and I'll do the cooking. I actually want to do well." I snatched the flour and eggs from his arms, then made him carry the rest.
"Ooo. I like 'em feisty." He grinned from ear to ear. I swear he was the Cheshire Cat.
I glared at him, then opened the cooking textbook. "Hmm…dry ingredients first…" I threw everything into a bowl. "Hmm…now three large eggs…" I threw the eggs in, "…oil…"
Iggy caught my arm before I poured in the oil. "See, maybe you might want to crack the eggs first." He set my arm down, and then cracked open the three eggs.
I shot him another death glare, and then snatched up the oil. I measured it out first, then poured it in. Next came the milk…and then the water…
"Hmm. You're managing not to kill anything…stir it."
I rolled my eyes and stirred the batter. "Why is it so watery?"
Iggy shrugged. "Batter isn't supposed to be watery. It can't rise if it is. Now, to fix that problem, you put in some more dry ingredients to…well, dry it up. And here, hold the spoon like this." He gently placed his hand over mine and fixed the way I was gripping the spoon. I stared into the batter when I felt the little shocks run through my fingers, swallowing. "Is it fixed?"
"It looks so…it looks like it actually has some consistency. You can pour it into the pan now."
I nodded and poured the batter in. Iggy went ahead and placed it into the big oven with everyone else's cakes, then set our timer.
"Now, class. Since you all seem to be done, why don't we share a little something about us?" Mrs. Carte smiled. "Iggy. You go first."
Iggy gave a sly grin and slid up to the front of the class. "My name? James. Hate it. Iggy? Short for ignite." He grinned. "I liked making paint bombs. I'm sixteen. I have five siblings. And I've got a crush on this one chick that's pretty much dissing me 24/7 right now." He snickered. "And that's all you need to know."
My head was on the desk. "Oh dear god…kill me," I mumbled. After that, I pretty much blanked out, might've even fallen asleep, until the smell of a freshly iced chocolate cake hit my senses. "Mmph? Cake?"
Iggy was grinning at me and waved the cake in my face. "I knew that scent would wake you up. I had a bag of M&Ms in my bookbag and totally coated the cake in it. Great looking, huh? Try some."
I rolled my eyes and saved Mrs. Carte a third of the mini cake for our grade. Once the cake entered my mouth, I groaned. "Oh my god. In heaven…"
After about five minutes, the bell rang. I sighed and gathered my things, for once a little bit glad to leave Iggy in my wake. I needed to think…desperately. As I opened my new locker, I rummaged through it and put my stuff away, then grabbed my schedule from the back of my locker. "Hmm…looks like I've got art next. Back to back electives? And a class I more than likely won't get yelled at for doodling in? (I watched a lot of high school shows to prepare myself for this. Don't judge.) Perfecto. I grabbed my colored pencils and sketch pad and shoved them into my side bag, then closed my locker door. To my surprise, there was a guy standing there, waiting, on the other side of my locker. I jumped. "Jesus, don't you know not to sneak up on a girl in heels? You run the risk of losing your manhood!"
The guy just smiled back, shrugging. "Football hurts. I haven't lost it yet. Anyway, my name's Carter. And the pretty lady's name would be?" Pretty? Uh, not really…
I looked him over warily. There didn't seem to be much, if anything wrong with him. Light brown hair, blue eyes…Nice arms…nice torso…varsity jacket… "Iris. And could you be anymore cliché?"
"Excuse me?" he smirked. "I believe the definition of high school cliché would be blonde and blue eyed and football captain. I've only got two out of three of those things." He smirked.
I rolled my eyes as the bell to get to class sounded. "I've got to get to art, Mr. Cliché Pretty Boy." I adjusted my side bag and walked off. "See you around."
Sound cliché already? It does to me too.
So why does it feel like all hell will break loose?
Most of the day went well after that, I guess. On my way out to the curb to wait for Amanda, I was stopped by the same guy from before. "Woah. Why do you keep running into me?"
He smirked. "I guess we're just drawn to each other, huh?"
"Carter, right?"
"Yep. So I was wondering, wanna grab a bite on Saturday?"
I shrugged. "Sure, I guess. I don't have anything planned." I was faintly aware of blue eyes with so much hate in them they could kill a cow behind Carter.
He flashed me a regal smile. "Pick you up at seven?"
"Sure." I jotted down my address for him and slipped it into his jacket pocket when I heard a horn honk. "Tis my ride. I've got to go. Seeya soon." I smiled genuinely, then walked off to Amanda's waiting van.
She was grinning madly at me. "So you have a date?"
"How'd you know?"
"My hearing was enhanced. And he looked like he was really in to you." She chuckled. "And now, I plot deviously for your makeover."
Aw, shit.
