Chapter 12

Time seemed to pass by slowly until Alvin realized that he and Brittany would be late to their next class period. They promptly boarded a city bus which had a stop just outside the high school. Just like Alvin timed it, he and Brittany slinked their way back inside the school, the weed feeding into their paranoia. They walked the halls among the other students, perfectly blending in after their high escapade.

"Well… I guess I should get to class, huh?" Brittany began as she clutched her books tightly against her body, her eye contact dropping to her feet, her foot scraping back and forth against the school's floor.

"Yeah, totally," Alvin replied as his gaze met the ceiling, briskly rubbing the back of his neck.

The two quickly parted opposite ways, and before the two could draw any further away, Brittany called out, "see you after school?"

Alvin turned to meet her gaze since the first time entering the school, and he smiled upon contact. "Hell yeah," and he turned on his heels and jogged his way to class, leaving Brittany still as a statue outside of her study hall class as she watched Alvin turn the corner down the hallway.

"Brittany!" a call of two voices suddenly came. She whirled in her spot to find her sisters briskly walking over. "There you are!" Eleanor began as she and Eleanor approached her side.

"We've been looking all over for you!" Jeanette worriedly stated. "Where have you been?"

Brittany giggled uncontrollably as she pranced her way inside the study hall auditorium, her sisters meekly following. Jeanette and Eleanor knew that giggle from anywhere.

"Oh gosh, she's high!" Eleanor whispered to Jeanette. They giggled amongst themselves and Brittany turned to face the mocking sisters, her cheeks burning red with embarrassment and annoyance.

"And?" Brittany spat, her words long and drawn out. "I was just… ya know… got bored and…"

Jeanette rolled her eyes as she took Brittany by her shoulders and led the girls to three empty seats. "Please don't tell me you skipped class!"

Brittany giggled once more before she lazily flopped into her seat, her sisters following suit. "I mean, yeah! What did you expect out of me?"

"Where could you have possibly gone to do that?" Eleanor asked curiously. "You don't know your way around this city!"

"Well, for your information," Brittany prepared herself to boast, "I got high as a kite with that Ace! He knows where everything is!"

"No way!" Eleanor blurted as she began to pull out her supplies. "You actually talked to him, and, like, legit skipped class?!"

"Doy!" Brittany blurted as she pulled out her pocket mirror from her bag and began to fluff her hair to its maximum. "He asked, and I took the opportunity! You girls would do the same…"

Jeanette and Eleanor exchanged glances, and shot their gaze back to Brittany, shaking their head immediately. "No, not really!" Eleanor replied hastily.

The school's bell rang abruptly, indicating the start of the next class period. The teacher, young and fresh out of college and ready to begin her first semester as a teacher, stood to her feet, her gaze running across each student in the auditorium-like class room. "Okay students!" she projected, hoping the unruly kids in the back could hear. "Study hall has begun, and the rules are written on the board. If you follow these rules, then you'll have a successful semester!" Out of nowhere, a paper plane came soring her way, and without batting an eyelash, she caught it effortlessly and balled it in her fist, that sweet smile still spread across her tanned face. "And if that keeps happening, well, you must enjoy detention!"

Chuckles filled the auditorium, and she, Ms. Blackwell, couldn't help but to chuckle herself.

"Now, since this is the first day of school, there's probably nothing for you to study, so I highly suggest you look over the rubrics you may have received so that this semester can be less of a hassle for you all!"

Ms. Blackwell left the students to themselves, the auditorium growing eerily quiet, considering the first rule included minimum to no chatter. The girls looked over their individual rubrics; that is, Brittany and Jeanette. Eleanor found other things to keep herself occupied.

"I can't wait for lunch!" Brittany whispered as she patted her growling stomach. "I totally have the munchies!"

"Of course, you do," Jeanette replied with the thickest sarcasm she could muster and she ulled her science magazine from her backpack. The two waited for a response from Eleanor, but upon glancing over, they found that she was occupied in her own little world, doodling away in the first page of her notebook.

Brittany, being the nosey older sister, yanked the notebook from Eleanor's possession, startling Eleanor from her daydreaming. "What does Ellie have here?" she teased as her eyes scanned the filled-up page.

"Hey!" Eleanor spat breathlessly as she scrambled to retrieve her privacy, but to no avail.

"Hey… who's…" Brittany began, taking a better look at the page, causing Eleanor's cheeks to burn red. "Who the fuck is… Theodore? What a name! And… why do you keep writing it over and over?" Brittany asked slickly, a cat-like grin appearing on her face.

"Stop!" Eleanor exclaimed before snatching the book away. "I-it's nobody! J-just a name I thought was cool!"

Brittany and Jeanette eyed each other, wondering how their youngest sister could conjure up such a weak lie. "Okay, Eleanor; who is it?" Jeanette asked with obviousness caking her tone.

"I bet it's that chubby one we saw with the other two!" Brittany guessed right away.

Eleanor threw her hair back in exasperation, a groan quickly following.

"How did you get his name?!" Brittany teased.

"Yeah, and you haven't said anything about him!" Jeanette followed Brittany's suit.

"He wrote it to me, if you two must know!" Eleanor rolled her eyes as she scribbled his name in cursive… over and over and over.

7~7~7~7~7~7~7

Just as the bell rang, Alvin stumbled his way into class before the teacher had the chance to close the door. His shoes squeaked with each stumble, and the teacher, who Alvin was all too familiar with, let out a sigh of defeat. "Nice of you to join us, Mr. Seville…" he began as he slid his thick-rimmed glasses to the bridge of his nose to get a better look at the delinquent.

Alvin nervously chuckled before sliding into a random seat placed in the front. "You know me, Mr. Shimp; always on time…"

"Well, if this is your definition of being on time, I'd hate to see what your definition of being early or late is…"

The class shared a round of laughs at Alvin's expense as he gradually slumped in his seat, pulling his snapback over his eyes, seemingly hiding his embarrassment. Once the teacher began his lecture, a sharp "Psst!" could be heard just behind him. Alvin whirled around, and to his pleasant surprise, he found his brothers, both with looks of vexation. He carefully slinked his way back to an empty seat that sat between the two.

"What?" Alvin scoffed as he lifted his hat from his eyes. "I'm here, ain't I?"

"Hardly," Simon replied.

"Barely," Theodore followed.

Alvin rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you guys expect out of me!"

"To be a good student? To be on time?" Simon pressured with a cocked 'brow. "Is that a lot to ask?" Simon questioned with narrowed eyes. "You know Mr. Shimp borderline hates you; you better shape up!"

Alvin fell back in his seat. "Who doesn't hate me?" he mumbled inaudibly, resting his head in his hand, returning to his slouched position.

It was then that Alvin felt a pecking tap against his shoulder, sending a twinge up his neck. He looked back to find…

"What, Charlene?" he hissed with clamped teeth. Perfect, just perfect, he bitterly thought.

The bratty teen quickly slipped Alvin what seemed to be a flyer. "Read this," she ordered with a grimy smile. Alvin snatched the paper from her fingertips and scanned it over.

"What? Dance tryouts?"

Indeed, next Friday, tryouts for the school's dance team would be held in the gymnasium, and only the absolute best could join. If the team wins nationals that year, it would be there first ever in over ten years, and Charlene was determined to get them to the top. "I was hoping you'd come and watch me try out for the fourth year in a row…" she swayed with fluttering eyes.

Alvin sneered. "You won't be seeing my face there, that's for sure…"

"You'll be missing out," she pressed on as she took a chunk of Alvin's hair and twirled it within her fingers.

He shuttered at the sudden feeling before swatting her hand away. "If you think I'm coming just to see you?" He let out a single chuckle. "You got another thing coming, sister…"

"You think that bimbette will show her somewhat average face?" Charlene snootily questioned as she examined her freshly did fingernails. "She might look like she has two left feet, don't you think?"

Alvin could feel the irritation making its grand arrival, and at that, he twisted in his seat and handed her a dirty glare. "If you call her a bimbette one more time-"

"Hey! I call'em as I see'em, Alvie…"

Alvin turned in his seat, shaking his head in boiling anger.

"Wow, Alvin," Simon muttered, "you would usually love to watch the girls try out for dance… seeing that's who you are…"

In his lowest whisper he could muster, he replied, "if that bitch behind me is there? Count me out!"

7~7~7~7~7~7~7

The dreaded, ear-splitting bell rang again, indicating the end of yet another period.

"I was thinking," Brittany began as she led her sisters out into the crowded halls, "we should join a club or two!" she offered suddenly. "Let's get our name out there somehow! We can totally be popular!"

Jeanette groaned at the word. Popular. Popularity was never Jeanette's cup of tea; she much rather be invisible if that were physically possible. "Britt, do you have to be popular wherever you go?"

"Duh!" As if that were even a question that should be asked. "Let's be the Australian girls that takes this American school by storm! Let's show them what we got!" It was then the girls passed a hall lined with flyers of clubs and sports and activities. Brittany stopped abruptly, piloting her sisters over to her side. "Here! Look at all this! There's a science team for Jeanette, and Ellie, don't you love soccer?!"

Jeanette and Eleanor glanced at one another, finding somewhat comfort that their favorites were being offered. "You win this time, Brittany," Jeanette began, and the girls shared a round of giggles. She took the science flyer down and looked it over. "Tryouts for the team are… next Monday and Tuesday!"

"Yeah, I have a weak spot for soccer!" Eleanor cheered as she ripped the flyer from its spot, seeing that tryouts began that very Friday. "This will be perfect!"

As the girls continued to glance over the wall, a single flyer caught their attention the most, their eyes shimmering with excitement.

"Dance Tryouts!" they blurted simultaneously.

Brittany ripped the flyer down and smacked it with the back of her hand with confirmation. "It's settled! Ladies, this semester might be our best yet!"

With eagerness filling their souls, the girls strutted off down the hall in search of their next classes, and unbeknownst to them, they had a few 'admirers' looming just around the corner, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Interesting…" Charlene mumbled to herself. She looked back at her friends, who were equally as 'amused'.

"I doubt they have what it takes," a short brunette stated with the upmost confidence. "Especially the tall one; she looks amazingly clumsy."

Another friend, a tight-curled redhead laughed through her nose. "And the dumb blonde looks like she'll be out of breath within seconds!"

A taller friend who sported a Jheri curl chimed in with, "and that off-brand ring leader needs to be knocked down a couple of notches…"

"Don't worry ladies," Charlene slyly reassured as she funneled down the halls, the others following her like ducklings following their mother. "They won't be so happy for long…"

It was then that they were suddenly stopped in their tracks, having approached a not-so-happy student who had sickeningly heard their badmouthing.

With anger and disbelief coating his voice, he slung, "you guys are just the most miserable bitches in this school, aren't you?"

Alvin, who was accompanied by his brothers, leaned against the wall, his brothers merely watching on to see how this mess would unfold.

"Says who?" Charlene spat with a hand on her cocked hip.

Alvin chuckled. "Says everyone. And that goes for your gang of scumbags prancing behind you 24/7."

They all shot the bad boy a glare, and if looks could kill…

"I guess you misheard me earlier," Alvin began, referring to the little conversation they had that morning. Charlene pinned herself against the wall with crossed arms while Alvin balanced himself over her with a hand pressed to the wall, their noses practically touching, and with a strong finger, he spewed. "leave her alone. Leave them all alone." He shot his hate-filled gaze to her friends, pushing himself from the wall. "And that includes…" With his pointing finger, he began to acknowledge each individual girl, "bimbo, bimbette, skeeze…" and once his attention was back to Charlene, he hissed repulsively, "and the one and only slut…"

Without a single word, and leaving the girls morbidly shocked beyond belief, Alvin marched off down the hall with his forehead red with anger.

"Wow Alvin," Simon began with wide eyes, him and Theodore even shocked by his behavior. "I know Charlene cheated on you and everything," he stated, then having to jog to keep up with Alvin's walking pace, "but don't you think that was…"

"A little harsh?" Theodore finished with worry.

Alvin stopped and turned to face the two. "One, she did more than cheat on me! Two, that was me being nice. Those skeezers think they run this school; and I got a plan to make sure they steer clear of the girls…"

"Plan?" Theodore blurted aloud. "I can't help!"

"Why?!" Alvin question hastily, "because Stephanie wouldn't like it?!" he mocked heavily. He took Theodore's silence and drifting gaze as an answer. Alvin scoffed in disbelief. "Ugh, gag me! She's a bitch, too! A controlling one, at that! Are there no redeemable women at the school?!"

It was then that he turned to face Simon, a slick grin appearing on his face. "Si, wouldn't it be amazing to help your crush?" he persuaded heavily, nudging Simon in his chest. "You wouldn't want these clowns anywhere near her, right?"

Simon hated to admit that Alvin was getting to him, for the idea of gaining a special place in the bespectacled girl's life didn't sound… all too bad. "Well… what do we do? We can't guard these girls all day, everyday…"

"Of course not!" Alvin agreed. "I was thinking; we go to these tryouts. Those airheads will def be there! We go in and… work our little magic. And since Theodore won't help," he punished Theodore with a scowl. "We'll work harder. And Theo," Alvin began, turning his attention to his shy brother, "whenever you want to hop in, just know where we'll be…"