geeez...sorry wowwheeitsnicki, . didn't want you to have a freaking spaz, lol. i just had to finish editing this chap and now its all yours! did you really think i'd leave ya'll with that little thing? enjoy!
Chapter Nine: plenty of self-evaluation to go round
Marissa sat in the back of class, popping her gum, and staring out the window. Her math teacher was droning on about something, Marissa wasn't even sure what. Outside it was raining, an odd thing in Newport. Marissa loved the rain, but she didn't see very much of it. Or, well, any of it. Her cell phone buzzed in her purse next to her. She watched her teacher and carefully pulled her cell out. She hid it beneath the desk, between her knees and glanced down at the screen. 1 text message. She pushed read and smiled when she saw who it was from. Alex.
A: hey. food after school?
M: yeah where?
Marissa hadn't seen Alex since a week ago after the party and the whole thing at her apartment. She'd just sort of disappeared. Marissa was hoping that she didn't have anything to do with it. She had looked for her at the Bait Shoip and even driven to her house, but she was never there.
A: my place?
A: i need to talk to you
M: ok
Alex glanced around her apartment, which was a complete mess. She tossed some beer bottles into a trash bag and threw her dirty clothes into another bag. Her cell beeped. A text from Marissa. Alex hadn't seen her in a week and she had actually missed her. Her and her soft green eyes.
M: sounds serious
A: its not just havent seen you in a while
Alex dropped onto her couch and pressed send. She caught sight of her face in the tv across the room. A cut began at the edge of her eyebrow and ran down for an inch or so, before turning into a small scratch right on her cheek. She reached up to touch it. Maybe seeing Marissa wasn't the best idea.
M: where have u been?
A: home
Marissa heard the class grow silent and looked up, expecting the worst. Her teacher stood over her, glaring. Marissa offered up a weak smile.
"Hey Mr. Dobson." She said innocently, trying to slip the phone under her leg. He held out a hand and Marissa gave him a confused look. He raised his eyebrows. She sighed, ditching her innocent demeanor, and handed him her phone. He looked down at it angrily and slipped it into his pocket.
"You'll get this back after class. Unless. . ." He pulled the phone back out and looked at it, obviously technology impaired. "Were you texting? You know that's against the rules." Marissa shook her head.
"Of course not." She lied. He gave her a look, but put the phone back into his pocket. He had just made it back up to the front of the class when the phone buzzed again. He turned and glared at Marissa than took the phone out and pressed a button.
A: i missed you
Mr. Dobson read the message aloud. The class laughed. Marissa grinned sheepishly, but inside she was glowing. Alex had missed her. Mr. Dobson pushed reply and started to type something.
"This will teach your boyfriend to text message you in class." He said.
"Actually it's not my-" Marissa started, but was cut off when Mr. Dobson shot her a glare. It's my girlfriend. Marissa thought, smiling at the word. Her girlfriend. Not really, of course, but still fun to think about. God, that would shock him. Mr. Dobson read the message he had just composed aloud.
M: ms. cooper is preoccupied with math class at the moment, so her boyfriends will have to refrain from messaging her and missing her until the end of school. Thank you
Alex looked at the message in shock for a moment, than started laughing. Refrain from-? Preoccupied-? Boyfriends-? Oh god, Marissa got caught. Oops. Alex thought. And she has a complete snob for a teacher. Alex, grinning, started typing again.
A: its girlfriends
Marissa's phone beeped again and Mr. Dobson shot her a nasty look. If looks could kill. . . He practically whipped it out and pressed read. As he read it his face completely changed, going through shock, disbelief and then awe, with a few unreadable glances in between. He looked over at Marissa, something in his eyes and Marissa laughed. She could guess at what Alex had told him.
"It's true." Marissa said simply. The bell rang then, and the whole class stood up and grabbed their books. Marissa made her way up to the front and carefully took her phone out of her still shocked teacher's hands. She flashed him a grin and then walked out.
M: u should have seen his face
Alex smiled when she read Marissa's message. She had seen his face, just on different people. She flicked on the light in her bathroom and examined the cut on her face. If she wanted to back out, now was the time. She traced the cut.
A: see u in a few?
Marissa slipped into her convertible, thank god the top had been up or her seats would be ruined, and waved to Summer, who was across the parking lot with Seth. They were hiding from the rain.
"I'll see you tonight." Summer called. "I heard about math!" Marissa grinned.
"Alright!" She turned the ignition and flipped open her cell to answer Alex.
M: less than that