October 1, 2014

Geometry

8:10 A.M.

As the bell rang and the final stragglers wandered into Mr. Lee's classroom, the teacher stood up from his desk, picked up a pile of papers, and walked to the front of the room. "Good morning, class," he began, shutting the door to the hallway. "For the rest of the week, you are all going to be working on a project with a partner." At the mention of the word 'partner', eyes darted between friends hoping to work together. Noting the enthusiasm, Mr. Lee cleared his throat. "I will be assigning the partners," he announced, prompting groans from the students. Mr. Lee smirked at the disappointment.

From a desk in the back of the room, Wanda rolled her eyes. She didn't really know anyone in her Geometry class, so it didn't matter to her who she got partnered with. Still, having a partner meant Wanda could slide through this assignment without doing too much of the work—it's not like any of the other students wanted Wanda Li in charge of their grade in the class anyway. Looking around at the faces near her, Wanda wondered who she'd be paired with.

'Please be a nerd,' she muttered to herself as Mr. Lee approached her desk.

"Wanda…" Mr. Lee considered the problem student in front of him. He wanted her to succeed on the assignment, but pairing her with a more gifted student would ensure that she didn't do any of the work herself. "Why don't you work with… Mikey."

"Mikey?" Wanda raised a brow. "Mikey Ramon?"

Mr. Lee nodded. Mikey was a good student, but wasn't likely to let Wanda coast. He was hopeful that Wanda might actually learn something from the boy.

Internally, Wanda was cheering at the selection. Mikey never failed anything—she was guaranteed a good grade on this project. Eagerly, Wanda relocated to a desk on the opposite side of the room, right beside Mikey.

Mikey smiled at the sight of a familiar face. "Wanda, hey!"

Wanda grinned back at the boy. "Long time, no see, Mikey!"

"I mean… I see you every day in class… But I know what you mean." Mikey took one of the papers from Wanda's desk and looked over the page. "This should be easy enough."

"Right…" Wanda laughed awkwardly. "Easy peasy."

Mikey instantly read through Wanda's faux confidence. "I'll help you if you get stuck, okay?"

Wanda shrugged noncommittally. Honestly, she'd be just as happy if Mikey did all the work himself without explaining the problems to her, but at least he wouldn't leave her to fend for herself. In fact, as the pair began working through the problems together, Wanda couldn't help but think about how cool Mikey was being. He was smart, sure, but he wasn't at all cocky or conceited. He was a genuinely nice guy, and not too shabby to look at, either.

As Mikey began patiently explaining how to solve yet another problem, Wanda scooted closer to the boy, happy that she'd just found her new play thing.

October 1, 2014

Walkerville High Cafeteria

11:38 A.M.

Carlos sat down at his usual seat in the cafeteria, across from a blonde who was currently completely engrossed in a thick textbook. Carlos cocked his head at the sight. "What's with DA?"
"For your information, we have a test in AP Lang at the end of the week," DA retorted, not looking away from the textbook for a second.

"So?"

"So?" DA scoffed. "According to my research, AP tests are much harder than a typical high school test. Our teacher recommends studying throughout the entire year instead of just cramming the day before each test."

Carlos remained skeptical. "But you're smart; I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Actually, I'm with DA on this one," Phoebe piped in. "We had a test in Environmental Science last week, and believe me, the extra studying is necessary."

"You know who doesn't have to study like a massive nerd?" Wanda remarked, always happy to have the opportunity to brag.

DA rolled her eyes at the comment. "Please, Wanda, I've seen your grades lately—you should be studying more than any of us."

"The joke's on you," Wanda boasted. "We have a partner project in Geometry, and I'm paired with Mikey."

"Mikey?" Carlos asked, surprised. "My brother, Mikey?"

Wanda nodded. "Yup! And he's super smart! He knows all the answers, and he takes the time to explain all the problems to me. He's so sweet…"

Keesha tuned into the conversation at that remark. "Are you okay, Wanda? You seem… Enamored."

"I mean, he's not bad to look at," Wanda confessed. "I never noticed it before, but-"

"No way!" Carlos cut in angrily. "You cannot have a crush on my brother. He's off limits!"

"But-"

"No! How would you feel if I went out with William?"

Wanda considered the rebuttal. "Well, I'd think you were kinda creepy, preying on an innocent child like that."

Tim shook his head at the conversation. "Why do you even like Mikey? You don't normally go for the smart guys."

"She went out with me," Ralphie remarked. Fortunately, he seemed oblivious to the awkward silence that followed.

After a few seconds, Carlos cleared his throat. "Anyway… Stay away from Mikey."

Wanda crossed her arms in frustration, but said nothing more on the topic. DA, satisfied with the silence, resumed her studies while the rest of the table continued eating.

October 1, 2014

Walkerville High Hallways

2:53 P.M.

"Wanda! Wait up!" Wanda spun around to see Mikey quickly making his way down the hallway towards her locker and grinned, a gesture which Mikey reciprocated as he caught up to her. "Are you busy?"

Wanda shook her head with a blush. "I was just going to go to Arnold's house. Why?"

"I thought we could go to the library to work on this project," Mikey responded, holding up a folder which, presumably, held the math project.

"Right… The project…" Wanda tried not to make her disappointment to apparent, but the truth was that she didn't want to work on the project. If only there was a way she could spend time with the boy without the pretense of the stupid project…

"Yeah. It won't do itself, after all."

Wanda thought for a second, and a brilliant idea dawned on her. "Why don't we go to my house instead? No one will be home." She knew Carlos wouldn't appreciate the suggestion, but who was he to tell her what to do? She and Mikey were both old enough to make their own decisions, after all.

Mikey seemed confused at the suggestion, still remaining oblivious to Wanda's advances. "Uh, I guess we could do that." He didn't really understand why they couldn't just work in the library, but whatever made Wanda happy was good for him. From what he knew about her, she was generally easier to work with when her spirits were high.

"Great!" Wanda grabbed her bookbag and slammed her locker shut. "This is going to be so much fun!"

"Fun?" Wanda nodded vigorously, making Mikey laugh. "Alright, fun it is!"

The two exited the school together and began the journey to Wanda's house, talking and joking the whole way.

October 1, 2014

DA's Bedroom

4:21 P.M.

Carlos tossed a rubber ball in the air, trying to distract his thoughts from the idea of Wanda and Mikey. He currently lay sprawled out on Dorothy Ann's bed while the blonde girl sat at her desk, attention focused on the papers and books spread out before her. After some time, Carlos sighed and sat up, unable to distract himself any longer.

"Do you think Wanda is actually going to ask Mikey out?"

"I don't know," DA responded disinterestedly. She was still worried about the upcoming test in AP Language and Composition, and didn't have the time to comfort Carlos.

Carlos, however, didn't seem to register her distracted tone. "She wouldn't. Would she? I mean, it's Wanda… But even she must have limits, right?"

"I don't know," she repeated, voice growing tense.

"She must know how weird it would be if she started dating my brother…"

DA slammed her book shut and turned to face Carlos. "If you're this anxious about it, why not go and talk to Wanda?" she suggested, desperate to get the boy out of her room so she could focus on her work.

Carlos sighed again. "And say what?"

"Tell her that she's annoying you." Carlos and DA exchanged a glance as they considered the idea. "On second thought, that would just make her more eager to date Mikey."

Carlos fell back onto the bed, disappointed. "Curse Wanda and her disregard for others."

October 1, 2014

Li House

4:24 P.M.

"…Therefore, angle 2 equals angle 8. Does that make sense?" Mikey concluded, looking at the girl seated beside him.

Wanda tilted her head at the worksheet before her. "Not even a little."

Mikey chuckled at Wanda's honesty. "Here, let me show you again-"

Wanda groaned. "Do we have to?"

"If we want to get this project finished, we're going to have to. Now, it's really not that complicated-"

"It's math," Wanda retorted. "It's all complicated."

Mikey thought for a minute, trying to think of a new approach that might change Wanda's opinion. "Well, let's just talk about what we already know. These two lines are parallel, right?"

"Right… And how do we know that?"

"Well… It says so in the instructions…"

Wanda groaned. "So now we have to read? What us this, English class?"

Mikey laughed at the comment. "You really hate math, don't you?"

"I just don't see when we're ever going to use this in the real world. Who cares if two angles are equal or not? Can't I just use a protractor?"

"For the sake of the project-"

"Let's forget the project," Wanda insisted, pushing the sheet off of the coffee table and positioning herself face to face with Mikey. "Let's talk about something else."

Mikey grew alarmed at the suggestion. "Like what?" He worried, starting to see what Wanda was getting at. It wasn't that he didn't like Wanda—she made him laugh, and she seemed to be completely genuine—but he had heard stories about the girl from his brother. Starting anything romantic with her was a risky proposition.

"I don't know…" Wanda leaned closer to the younger boy. "Something… Fun."

Mikey felt his heart pounding in his chest, and pushed his chair a few inches back. "What did you have in mind?" he stuttered.

October 1, 2014

DA's Bedroom

4:25 P.M.

DA looked down at Carlos sympathetically. "She's probably just flirting with Mikey to bug you."

Carlos sat up, hopeful at the thought. "You think?"

"I'm sure she's not serious about him."

"And they won't do anything?"

"No way."

October 1, 2014

Li House

4:25 P.M.

Wanda scooted beside Mikey, not at all fazed by his apprehension, and carefully placed her hand on his knee. Mikey, as if on instinct, moved his face near to Wanda's, and soon the two were engaged in a deep kiss, right in the middle of Wanda's living room.

October 2, 2014

Walkerville High Cafeteria

11:39 A.M.

Carlos sat down at the cafeteria table, noticeably calmer than he had been the day before. Keesha furrowed her brow. "You seem… Happy."

Carlos beamed back at Keesha. "What's to be stressed about? Lettuce celebrate!" He laughed, holding up a piece of lettuce from his salad.

Keesha resisted rolling her eyes at the pun and looked to DA for an explanation. DA brushed her hair behind her ear and replied, "I managed to convince him that Wanda and Mikey is never going to happen."

Arnold grimaced as he watched a pair approach the lunch table. "Well, tell him to try and romaine calm."

"Why?" Just as she spoke, a familiar face sat down at the table while a less-familiar one hovered nearby.

"Wanda?" Carlos asked, trying his best to remain composed.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you hanging out with Mikey?"

Wanda stole a fry from Carlos's plate before answering. "We have a project to do. Duh."

"Right… But why is he at our table?"

"I told him he could eat lunch with us," Wanda answered, either not picking up on or choosing to ignore the growing anger in Carlos's voice. "You know, your brother is actually pretty cool. For a freshman."

"Well, it's good that you're getting along," Phoebe jumped in, hoping to diffuse some of the tension.

Mikey perked up at the distraction from his brother's glare. "Yeah, Wanda is a lot of fun."

Tim nodded uncomfortably. "So, you're enjoying the project then?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Good…"

Conversation lulled, and Mikey rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Maybe I should eat somewhere else…"

"No, stay!" Wanda protested, grabbing Mikey by the arm. "Ignore how weird everyone is being!"

"I don't see why you want him around so badly," Carlos remarked coldly. "It's not like you're friends or anything."

Wanda chuckled. "Well, we're a little more than friends." Immediately, all eyes were on her, making Wanda regret saying anything at all.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carlos shot back.

Suddenly, Wanda wished she were anywhere but that cafeteria table. "We… May have kissed. A lot…" she confessed, cheeks red. "But that's it, I swear!"

Carlos's mouth fell open. "You kissed my brother? Seriously?"

"Don't get mad at her!" Mikey defended, edging closer to Wanda. "I kissed her back!"

"You're just a kid—you don't know any better! Wanda, on the other hand-"

"I'm not a kid!" Mikey argued back. "I'm 14 now—I'm in high school!"

"And who says I know better?" Wanda pointed out.

Keesha smirked at Wanda's comment. "It's true, she is an idiot."

"Wait, that's not what I meant-"

"Fine, you're both idiots!" Carlos growled. "Wanda, I told you Mikey was off limits. And Mikey, you should know better than to date Wanda!"

Wanda appeared hurt by the comment. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you," Mikey assured. Pleased, Wanda stuck her tongue out at Carlos.

Arnold rubbed his temples. "You know, maybe Mikey isn't the kid after all…" Phoebe nudged Arnold gently in the side, silently begging her boyfriend to stay out of the drama. Thankfully, Arnold got the message and shut his mouth, waiting for the argument to blow over or for lunch to end, whichever came first.

Carlos shook his head at Mikey's words. "Oh, please. Wanda isn't the person you go to for a relationship—just ask Ralphie."
At the mention of his name, Ralphie looked up from his food, confused. "Huh?"

"Tell him, Ralphie!"

"I… Uh, may not have been listening…" Ralphie stumbled.

"Seriously?"
Ralphie looked away bashfully. "It's just, I'm really hungry, and-"

"Never mind," Carlos interrupted, wanting to get back to the discussion at hand. "The point is, Wanda, stay away from my brother!"

At this point, DA snapped. With all the arguing taking place, it was impossible to focus on her books, and DA would not let some petty argument stand between her and the A she so rightfully deserved. She slammed her book on the table and stood up, glaring down at her friends. "Oh my God, enough! Now you listen to me!"
"DA-" Wanda tried to cut in.

"I said enough! I'm sick of all this fighting."

Carlos looked to Dorothy Ann helplessly. "DA-"

"I think you've said enough! Now listen to what I say—what I say goes!" DA marched up to Carlos and pulled him up from his seat. "You can't control what your brother does. Stop trying to be a parent, and be a supportive sibling instead!"

"What?"

"Mikey is at a new school, trying to balance academics and friends; the last thing he needs is his brother sticking his nose in his business and criticizing him for everything he does! Just butt out! And if you have a problem with Wanda, talk to her about! Enough whispering behind her back and screaming to her face; that accomplishes nothing."

Carlos's shoulders fell. Wanda snickered at Carlos's scolding, causing DA to whip around. "As for you, Wanda-"

"Oh God," Wanda muttered, hunching over in her seat.

"Carlos told you that he wasn't comfortable with you making a move on Mikey, and you went and did whatever you wanted. Stop being a petulant child and realize that your actions have consequences! You can't do whatever you want and expect everyone to be okay with that!"

"But I-"

"I'm not done! Mikey is Carlos's brother; you can't just fool around with him and drop him!"

Wanda's frown deepened. "So what, I can't go out with him?"

"I'm not saying that," DA corrected firmly. "I'm telling you that before you rush into yet another relationship, stop and consider the people you stand to hurt."

"And Mikey," DA stormed around to the end of the table where Mikey was seated. "I don't know you super well, but someone has to say this, so it might as well be me." Mikey nodded silently, eyes wide in fear. "Carlos may seem overprotective, but that's because he cares about you. Wanda is your brother's friend; he knows her well, and he knows that she doesn't always make sound decisions. You're right, you're not a child, but you don't know everything about the world, either. Listen to your brother, consider what he says—he's only speaking in your best interest."

"Now, all of you—you want to be grown-ups? Then stop fighting like children, think about what you're doing, and talk out your differences in a constructive dialogue. As for me…" DA picked up her books. "I'm done trying, and I'm leaving it up to you! I'm going to work in the library—enough!" With that said, Dorothy Ann turned and stomped out of the cafeteria.

Tim looked around the table, mouth agape. "Damn…" Wordlessly, the others nodded in agreement, their own reactions mirroring his.

Wanda was the first to recover from the lecture. Silently, she stood up from the table and walked off, leaving her lunch lying behind. Mikey looked between Wanda's retreating figure and his brother, conflicted. Eventually, he picked up Wanda's lunch as well as his own and rolled after her, avoiding eye contact with Carlos all the time.

Carlos pounded his fist on the table. He then picked up his own lunch, threw it away, and wandered off in the opposite direction, leaving the rest of the friends to bask in their shared discomfort.

October 2, 2014

Li House

3:19 P.M.

After thinking about DA's words for the rest of the school day, Carlos knew what he had to do. He skipped heading to Arnold's basement that afternoon, knowing his target wouldn't be there. Instead, he walked up the cobblestone pathway to Wanda's house and knocked firmly on the door.

Inside, he heard shuffling, likely as Wanda peeked through the peephole. After a few seconds, the door swung open, an unamused Wanda standing on the other side. "What?"

"We need to talk."

"…Agreed."

Carlos took a deep breath. "DA was right-"

"Don't you hate that?"

"It's the worst," Carlos agreed, making Wanda smile slightly. "But she always is. Look, I should have just talked to you about my concerns. And I shouldn't have tried to drag up the whole you and Ralphie thing; that was super uncool."

Wanda agreed. "I get why you didn't want me to do anything with Mikey, but I'm not just messing around. I like him."

Carlos scrunched up his nose. "Why? Half the time, I don't even like him."

Wanda shrugged. "He's smart, but he's also fun and nice. He doesn't talk down to me or treat me like an idiot. He's just… Different from a lot of other high schoolers."

"So you still want to go out with him?"

"Sorry," Wanda offered weakly. "But I do."

"And you're not going to string him along and break his heart?"

"I don't plan on it."

Reluctantly, Carlos surrendered. "Then I guess I won't stand in your way."

Wanda's expression grew bright. "You're the best, Carlos!" She exclaimed, pulling the boy into a tight hug. "And I'm so glad you said that, cuz' I kind of invited him over this afternoon."

"Of course you did. When is he coming over?"

"Right now!" Wanda pushed Carlos away and ran over to the approaching boy. "Mikey, Carlos said we can go out!"

Mikey perked up. "He did?"

"I suppose," Carlos replied, now smiling. "But be home in time for dinner! I'm not going to explain to mom that you were alone at your girlfriend's house all afternoon."

"Thanks, and I will," Mikey promised.

Wanda opened her door wide, letting Mikey enter the house. "God, I'm a girlfriend; I feel so mature!"

"You're not that mature," Carlos reminded.

Wanda narrowed her eyes at Carlos, but her expression remained playful. "Well, we'll see you later."

Carlos nodded. "You can count on it."

October 3 2014

Walkerville High Cafeteria

11:37 A.M.

Dorothy Ann strolled into the cafeteria and crashed into her usual seat, a relieved smile upon her face. "I take it the test went well for you?" Keesha hypothesized.

"More than well—I'm sure I aced it!" DA boasted with delight.

"Good for you," Tim grimaced. "It made me feel like a total idiot."

Arnold and Keesha nodded in agreement. "That's why studying is such an important part of AP classes," DA lectured, much to the others disdain. "I tried to tell you guys, but-"

"Wanda! Carlos!" Keesha exclaimed as the two approached the table together, grateful for the interruption. "I take it you guys are friend's again?"

"For now," Carlos replied smugly, "Until the next time Wanda does something stupid."

Wanda slapped Carlos on the back of the head. "That's not fair!" She accused. "You know I can't help doing stupid stuff!"

The gang laughed at Wanda's rebuttal. Once they all calmed down and Carlos and Wanda were seated, Keesha spoke. "So, where's Mikey?" she asked, noting the absence of the younger boy.

"We're meeting up after school," Wanda explained. "We figured it was best that we don't hang out during the school day, for Carlos's sake."

"That's probably for the best," Tim approved. "We don't need another couple acting all gross at the lunch table," he added snidely, eyeing Arnold and Phoebe, who were currently whispering to each other and giggling.

Wanda put up her hand as if taking an oath. "I swear, on William's life, that I will never make out with someone during a meal."

"Well, good," DA replied. She looked across the table at Carlos. "So, how are you handling all of this?"

Carlos shrugged. "It's still weird, thinking that Mikey is old enough to have a girlfriend."

"Yeah, it's even weirder thinking that he beat you!" Ralphie laughed.

"I'd… Like to pretend that's not true…" Carlos moped, pulling his hood over his head in shame. Almost immediately, a teacher patrolling the cafeteria scolded him for the action, stating that 'no hoods were to be worn in school.'

"Even though it is," Ralphie reminded, taking a bite of his sandwich. "And just think, soon he'll be old enough to have sex, and get married, and have kids, and you'll still be stuck crushing on some blonde chick that you met in third grade." Carlos and DA's faces grew red at the remark, making Ralphie laugh even harder.

Keesha scowled at Ralphie. "Ignore Ralphie," she said, relieving some of the embarrassment from Carlos and Dorothy Ann. "He's also an idiot."

"But it's true-"

"That doesn't matter." Keesha interrupted. "Let's focus on what's important—we're all friends again, and Wanda won't be hanging around as much. That's a win win, I'd say."

"I'm unappreciated in my time," Wanda complained, sticking her tongue out. The group collectively laughed at Wanda's misfortune. "You'll see; one day, I'll be gone, and you'll all wonder, 'why weren't we nicer to her? She was so awesome!'"

DA raised a brow at Wanda, skeptical. "Sure, that's what we'll say…" she mused sarcastically.

"You'll see!" Wanda insisted. "You'll all see!"

The group laughed again, even Wanda. Happy conversation filled the rest of lunch, and no ill feelings remained.