Message Sent.

To: Stephanie Hollis, Whitney Weiss

From: Nicole Whittaker

Subject: How Totally Onederful Am I?

"Ladies, when things look hideous, just remember the silver-lining! Since I've been working with Rosales on that awful 'marriage' assignment (whatever!), I've even managed to find the good in that! I knew there was no way I wanted Ruben coming to work on the project at my home, so I told him if he wanted a good grade, we'd simply just have to work at his house. Done deal. What can I say? I always get what I want. Anyway, here's the best part: I walk right in, and what's the first thing I notice? Fool leaves his computer on. Of course I go over to check. And what do I see? An email, from Rockett Movado - his beloved girlfriend. Apparently, the poor fool was jealous of moi (who could blame her?), and she was totally trying to apologize by asking him to meet her at some utterly low-class place. I'll cut to the chase: I "accidentially" deleted that little memo, plus did what I could to see to it that Ruben gets grounded - so that's where he's been all month, if any of you have been wondering. Clueless, grounded, and totally alone. That's what he gets for making me do this stupid project with him (I heard if he wouldn't have switched his classes around, I wouldn't be in this hideous mess) I so should have been paired with Wolf - or even Cleve for that matter. I suppose that even little Rockett gets her comeuppance by getting stood up and ignored. For stealing Cleve, it's a fair trade.

Kisses!

Xoxo,

N. Whittaker

Chapter 10: Presentations

"Wow, I can't believe it's finally here," Rockett said as she and Jessie strolled down the halls to homeroom.

"I know!" exclaimed Jessie. "This marriage project certainly took a lot of work! But, in the end, I think it worked out for the best. Chaz is really nice. I'm glad I got to know him better."

"But, Jessie, I thought you wanted to be partnered up with Max?"

"I did, but I can't feel too badly - no one in the class really got paired up with the person they wanted anyway."

'You got that right,' Rockett thought glumly to herself.

Jessie tried her best to shake it off. "It's really no big deal," she continued. "Anyway, I should probably ask you, Rockett. How did things go with Cleve?"

"Not nearly as bad as I thought. Actually, Cleve's really nice. He's helped me out through this whole thing," Rockett replied.

Jessie noticed something that sounded a bit like anxiety in her friend's voice. "Rockett, is everything okay? It seems like...I don't know, like there's something on your mind."

Rockett sighed. "I really don't want to talk much about it..."

"You sure?"

Rockett sighed again. This time she turned to face Jessie. "Jess, things have gotten completely out of hand between me and Ruben," she said suddenly, much to her surprise. "I don't even know if we're still together anymore. I was supposed to meet him a while back at the bus stop to talk with him, but he never showed up." Rockett decided to leave out the fact that she'd also lost her new pair of earrings that day at the bus stop. Jessie probably would think she was being too vain. "I haven't talked to him since the night I'd called him and he didn't even want to talk to me. Later, I found out it was because he thought I was cheating on him - thanks to Cleve, of course. But now I don't exactly know what to believe, since it's been so long."

Jessie nodded, her eyes filled with concern. "Awww, Rockett. Don't worry about it. Ruben likes you a whole lot. You know that. Maybe something came up."

"Like what, Jess? What comes up that makes you not able to answer your phone, or email or instant messages?"

"I don't know, Rockett. But, look. He'll be here today, and you can go and talk to him."

"I know," Rockett said miserably. "I'm just so nervous."

"Don't be," Jessie replied. "Trust me. Everything will work out. You'll see. Anyway, I have to stop by my locker before homeroom. See you in class!"

When Rockett made it to first period, the first thing she did was scan the room to see if Ruben had shown yet. No sign of him. Sighing, she took her seat.

Mr. Baldus' room was abuzz with chatter. Nearly every single student was babbling on and on about the English project.

"Ugh, so glad this week is finally over," said Stephanie.

"Yeah, it's been a long one. Max isn't exactly the most 'helpful' person when it comes to working on long-term projects," griped Whitney.

"I don't know what you two girls are complaining about," Nicole piped up. "My partner's not even here. If I fail, I am going to make Ruben so sorry for this."

Rockett listened in to the conversation. Clearly, Nicole wasn't very thrilled about having to work with Ruben - which was definitely a good sign. 'Man, how lame is that? I don't need to feel okay just because Nicole can't stand the idea of working with Ruben. I should feel fine with the arrangement even if she did like him. So much for trusting.'

Despite the fact that she was beyond nervous about seeing Ruben, Rockett couldn't help feeling more and more worried as the day progressed. English class was next, and Ruben still hadn't shown. What if they never spoke again?

The bell for Language Arts rang, and Rockett glanced up at the clock. She had managed to get to class early. She sat at her desk, nervously fiddling with her pencil. Finally, to distract herself, she leaned over to talk with Cleve.

"So, do you have everything prepared for the project?" she asked him.

Cleve leaned back in his seat and laced his fingers behind his head. He flashed her a confident grin. "Totally. I even managed to make it here on time."

'Yeah, because I practically had to force you,' Rockett thought. She kept it to herself though.

"Hey, what's with you?" Cleve asked, now giving her a funny look. "You seem a bit...off? Tell me you've already forgiven me for telling Rosales I thought you were two-timing him."

"Yeah, I'm over it," Rockett said, doing her best to try and act nonchalant. "But, why exactly did you do that in the first place?" she couldn't help asking.

Cleve shrugged. "Well the day I'd called you to see what time we'd be meeting for the project, you said you had to talk with somebody else besides Ruben, so I just figured..."

Rockett's eyes widened. "No, I didn't!" Was Cleve really that immature? Why did he always have to start drama?

Cleve continued to nod. "Yeah, you did. And then I hung up."

Rockett suddenly got it. "...Ohhhh! I was talking about my friend Meg. I wasn't cheating on him! I'd never ever do that!"

"Calm down, Rockett," said Max, who had just walked into the classroom. He took a seat next to Cleve. "What's goin' on, Goodstaff? Is Rockett behaving herself?"

Rockett glared at Max.

"Apparently not," Cleve replied. "Look! Here's her signature! It's Rockett's-"

"Red glare," both boys sang in unison. Rockett rolled her eyes. 'I shoulda known they'd try to pull that one again. So unfunny!'

Soon, the rest of the students filed into the classroom, and Mrs. Tinydahl rapped on her desk to calm them. "Quiet!" she instructed. "You will all get your chance to speak when I call you up to present your project."

Just as she had said that, the door flew open, and Rockett's heart stopped. It was like she was seeing a ghost!

"Mr. Rosales, it's good to see you've made it here - almost on time. You may take a seat," Mrs. Tinydahl said.

Ruben quickly made his way down the aisle toward the back of the room. On his way, he and Rockett locked eyes. She could tell something was bothering him as well.

He approached her at her desk. "Rockett, I-"

Ruben never got to finish his sentence.

"Mr. Rosales, you are on thin ice as it is, coming in here late again. No talking!" Mrs. Tinydahl said firmly.

Ruben gave Rockett a sad look before making his way to his seat.

"Now, that we're finally all here, why don't we go straight into the project," said Mrs. Tinydahl. "Who would like to go first?"

The class was quiet.

"I'd suspected that," she said, not waiting around. "Okay, then, I'll choose," Mrs. Tinydahl said, ignoring the moans that filled the room. "Alright, then. Let's have Arnold and Arrow come up first."

"Mrs. Arnold Zitbomb," Max cackled as the two made their way up to the front. "This should be very interesting," he said crafitily, rubbing his hands together.

Arrow scowled at him. "Grow up."

Although Arrow and Arnold did their best to present their project in an organized manner, it was clear they were completely out of sync. Anytime Arrow tried to speak, Arnold interrupted her with a totally off-the-wall idea that had nothing to do with what she was saying. Likewise, any time Arnold tried to speak, Arrow would interrupt him with her own statement, which in turn had nothing to do with what Arnold was saying.

Arrow said, "Our child's name is 'Forest Whisperer,' but we call her-"

"Xenedron for short," Arnold interjected.

The class burst out laughing.

"No," Arrow said, giving Arnold a look. "We call her 'Forest' or 'Whisper' for short-"

"Gee, what a surprise,' Max cracked. The class laughed even harder.

Mrs. Tinydahl was not amused. "Mr. Diamond!"

Max held his hands up, signaling he was done with the jokes. For the time being, anyway.

It quickly became clear to Mrs. Tinydahl that neither Arrow or Arnold were at all prepared. She dismissed them and called up the next couple.

"Bo and Stephanie, please come to the front of the room to present."

The class went wild at the arrangement. "Stop it!" yelled Stephanie. "Stop it, all of you!"

When they arrived at the front, Bo spoke first. Naturally, Stephanie cut him off.

"I'm proud to say that I've fulfilled my dreams of becoming an international model, designer, and track superstar extraordinare. I've made so much money, which I have to admit, came pretty easily with all of this talent, and I've already donated more than half of my funds to the local animal shelter..."

When Stephanie was finally done talking, Mrs. Tinydahl took up their journals and directed them back to their seats. Her expression was hard to read, but it was clear that Bo and Stephanie's report definitely had not been the best she'd seen so far.

"Alright Bo! You're married to a superstar and you're a mall cop - way to go!" Max chuckled.

"Chaz and Jessie," Mrs. Tinydahl called.

Max immediately stopped with the jokes. His jaw dropped, and he glared at Chaz.

Meanwhile, Ruben figured this was the best time to pass a note to Rockett, while the whole class was distracted. He finished writing, then turned to the person sitting in front of him. He paused. It was Nicole.

He decided to try anyway. "Nic, do me a solid and pass this up to Rockett, por favor?"

Nicole smiled sweetly. "Sure thing, Ruben," she said, taking the note from his hand. "Mrs. Tinydahl!" she screamed, in the middle of Chaz and Jessie's report. "Ruben's passing noootes!"

Ruben glared at her and kicked the leg on his desk. "Witch," he muttered under his breath.

Surprsingly, Mrs. Tinydahl had resigned from her usual note-reading. "Ms. Whittaker! No interrupting! When it is your turn, then - and only then! - will you get to speak! As for you, Mr. Rosales, you are already in enough trouble as it is." Mrs. Tinydahl calmly turned back to Jessie and Chaz. "Please continue."

After Chaz and Jessie, Mrs. Tinydahl called Whitney and Max, Wolf and Ginger, and a few others. Finally, she got to Cleve and Rockett.

Rockett rose from her desk and made her way with Cleve to the front. "When we first started out, things were a little bit tricky. I was busy painting from my basement - I had no office or art studio."

"I, on the other hand, was practicing day and night at the rec center. Not like I needed it," Cleve added.

"Eventually, after lots of work, Cleve and I were able to get good jobs, a decent income, and raise our child in a happy home."

"And Rockett," said Cleve. "Being the talented babe she is, managed to wow all of the world's top artists at an art gala one evening, becoming an over night celebration!"

"Sensation," Rockett quietly corrected him.

"Right," said Cleve. "Sensation." He slipped his arm around Rockett. "What would I do without her?" he added playfully. If Rockett hadn't been so wrapped up in presenting her project, she would have noticed Ruben shooting daggers at Cleve. He was not pleased.

"Very good," observed Mrs. Tinydahl. "Now, before we move on, do we have any questions from the audience?"

"Yeah," Ruben said, still glaring at Cleve. "Are you done yet?"

"Down, Rosales," Cleve smirked.

After they'd finished their project, Rockett happily went back to her seat. She had a feeling that they could expect a good grade from Mrs. Tinydahl.

"Our last couple is Mr. Rosales and Ms. Whittaker," Mrs. Tinydahl concluded.

"Hello, everyone!" Nicole gushed as she pushed Ruben from the spotlight. "Have I got a testimonial for you! Take notes. This may be the best report you ever hear!"

"Or not," Ruben added. The class burst out laughing.

Nicole tried unsuccessfully to hide her annoyance. "Anyway," she continued. "As some of you have been saying, to make it to the top, you have to start from the bottom. But to that I say, 'as if!' I'm the perfect example that even though I married far, far out of my league, I still managed to accomplish everything I've ever wanted to. And more!"

Max pretended to yawn. 'Boring!' he coughed.

"Yes, even more than little 'Mr. Maxamillionaire' over here," she snapped. "Max, be quiet when I'm talking."

"Easier said than done," Max said.

Mrs. Tinydahl gave Max a disapproving look. "Mr. Diamond, I've heard quite enough out of you." She nodded at Ruben and Nicole. "Continue."

"Thank you, Mrs. Tinydahl," gushed Nicole. "It's people like you who motivate me - truly motivate me - to get as far as I did in my report."

'She's majorly kissing-up,' Rockett thought to herself as she watched Nicole. 'I wonder if Mrs. Tinydahl notices...'

But the English teacher didn't seem to notice. She seemed more focused on whether or not the last report of the day would be a good one.

"Now, anyway, back to my fabulous, future-me lifestyle. I'm an incredibly talented political woman. Every day, people fly in from around the world just to hear me speak. I speak at conferences, meetings, the whole she-bang. And I travel to various countries around the world like Switzerland, Brazil, Austrailia-"

"My turn," Ruben interrupted. "Back to the real assignment, amigos," he said as he quickly cleared his throat. "Now, at this point, Rebel Angels is more than just a household name. It's-"

"Thank you Nicole, thank you, Ruben," Mrs. Tinydahl said, dismissing them. "Please hand me your journals. Now, let's take a look at your flour sack...er, I mean, child."

Ruben dug around in his backpack until he found the sack of flour. But as he pulled it out, a look of disgust clouded over his face. "Uh, Nic? What exactly did you do to this thing?"

The entire class was beside themselves with laughter. For the flour sack Ruben had just taken out of his backpack was covered in bows, ribbons and satin lace.

Max peered closer. "Ruben, are those eyelashes on your flour sack?" he cracked, slapping Cleve a high-five. Indeed, the flour sack had been decorated to resemble a girl - and a frightening looking one at that. The flour 'girl' had googly eyes, pink lipstick drawn on in marker and, just as Max had suspected, Nicole had even glued feathers on the tips of the sack's 'eyes.'

"Lash extensions, Max," Nicole corrected smugly.

"This is so ridiculous," Ruben blurted, snatching the flour sack back from Nicole and yanking off each of the pieces. "If it was gonna be a girl, couldn't it at least be a normal looking girl?"

"Give it back, Rosales! I worked hard making Nicole Whittaker II look that amazing!"

'Wow,' Rockett thought to herself as she observed. 'Nicole and Ruben are definitely not getting along very well.'

"You know, now that I think about it...she really does look like you!" Max joked.

"That is it!" Mrs. Tinydahl boomed. "Ruben, Nicole - back to your seats! As for you Mr. Diamond, you have earned yourself a trip to the principal's office and a detention.

Max shrugged. "Eh, what can you do? I'll catch you clowns later!" he called out before leaving the room.

The teacher firmly closed the door behind him. "Well, that was exhausting," she said.