August 27, 2012
Walkerville High Entrance
7:52 A.M.
High school—an elitist, dog eat dog battle between lost, confused, hormonal teenagers. A monster that devours innocent, naïve children and turns them into cynical, distrusting, pissed off young adults. The ideal setting for a story written by an uncreative author too lazy to write an actual book. And right now, an inescapable fate for freshman Dorothy Ann Ewing, a girl of 5'5" with an eternal tan, wavy blonde hair, and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Dorothy Ann, DA for short, had heard about the horrors of high school from her older sister, and while Carrie Ewing was known to exaggerate, DA didn't doubt for a moment that there was some truth to the tales the 20 year old told.
Standing in front of Walkerville High, Dorothy Ann felt like one of her microscope slides, just waiting to be analyzed. What would her peers think of her? Sure, she was a good student, but smarts alone wouldn't be enough to see her through the next four years. Sighing, DA fixed her pleated skirt one last time before standing up tall and entering the school. Maybe, if she could convince everyone around her that she was confident, she would convince herself along the way.
August 24, 2015
Walkerville High Entrance
7:48 A.M.
As DA stared at the towering walls of Walkerville High School early on the cool late summer morning, she couldn't help but smile at the familiar sight. Not so long ago, she recalled feeling so small amid the crowd of teenagers pushing their way towards the heavy metal doors; now, she felt untouchable to the younger, naïve students. This year, she and her friends would be seniors: the top of the school, the apex predators. Before, the thought of another year of classes had her stomach in knots, but in this moment, she couldn't wait for the final push to commence.
She adjusted her intricate blonde braid a final time before rejoining the busy, bustling students trickling through the doors into Walkerville High. As she did, she could identify the tense, anxious faces of the incoming Freshman class. Had she been so easy to read when she had been in their shoes? Part of her wanted to reach out to the frightened pupils, assure them that high school wasn't all that intimidating, and things would always work out in the end. Another side of her mind insisted that they learn it for themselves, just as she had done all those years ago.
A glimpse of a familiar face lifted DA's already good spirits, and she edged her way to her dear friend's side. "This is it," she mused as she took her place next to the girl.
Keesha was caught slightly off-guard, having not seen DA's approach, but she quickly relaxed and grinned. "Senior year, finally. Who thought we'd make it this far?"
"Was there ever any doubt?"
"For you and me, no. Everyone else?" Keesha laughed. "That's another story."
"Fair enough," DA giggled. She looked up towards Keesha. "So, are you ready?"
Keesha shrugged apathetically. "I guess. It's just another year."
"It's not just another year!" DA argued, refusing to downplay the significance that this year held for her. No one liked to say it, but this was the final year the friends would all be together as they always had; however you looked at it, it was certainly a big deal. "Everything feels different today, right? I mean, we're seniors – seniors! Grade school is almost done!"
Despite her calm energy, Keesha appreciated her friend's enthusiastic words. When she talked up 12th grade like this, it really did start to seem like more of a big deal than Keesha had considered. "I suppose it does feel a bit different…"
November 6, 2012
Walkerville High Cafeteria
12:16 P.M.
Wanda slammed her head onto the table. "She's right," Wanda cried, "We are dorks!"
Ralphie shrugged. "So what? We have true friendship-"
"Screw friendship, I need to be popular!" Wanda shouted. She looked around the cafeteria. Her eyes fell onto the nearby table of the Walkerville High cheerleading squad. She then eyed a poster reading "Cheerleading tryouts today." Wanda groaned. "But how am I supposed to get popular?"
Keesha noticed the same poster for cheerleading tryouts. "I know!" She exclaimed. "Wanda, you and I should become cheerleaders!"
August 24, 2015
Walkerville High Hallway
7:51 A.M.
Reflecting on the early days of high school, Keesha couldn't deny that she was far more put together than she had once been. Back then, she'd insisted on denying her true interests in pursuit of petty popularity. She was definitely happier nowadays as editor-in-chief of the school paper, trivia mastermind for Arnold's dumb team, and as the newest certified lifeguard at the local Walkerville pool. Perhaps those hobbies weren't "cool", but she'd always preferred using her mind than her feminine wiles; to at last have the confidence to chase her true passions was a welcome relief.
Passing by the locker of a certain high school jock, it occurred to Keesha that her hobbies weren't the only passion she'd gained the courage to pursue. She turned to DA to speak, but the blonde cut her off with a smug grin. "Go talk to Ralphie," she encouraged with a nod.
Keesha waved the girl goodbye and stepped up to Ralphie's locker with a confident saunter that the boy couldn't miss. Upon spotting Keesha for the first time in several weeks, a large grin broke out across his face. The two entered a tight embrace, and Ralphie kissed his girlfriend on the lips.
"Crap, I missed you!" Ralphie cried, his hands still wrapped around Keesha's waist.
Keesha smirked. "Yeah, right. I bet touring Italy was a real bummer."
Ralphie blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "It would have been better with you," he stammered abashedly, diverting his eyes as he spoke.
Keesha shook her head in amusement; only Ralphie would spend a full month abroad thinking only of his friends back in Walkerville. He was lucky enough that his mother and Jake that to bring him along on their honeymoon. Who would possibly pine for afternoons in Arnold's basement while exploring the countryside of Italy?
But that had always been Ralphie's way, and in truth it was one of Keesha's favorite things about the boy. Even when they didn't see eye to eye, she appreciated the challenge of a boyfriend as serious about the things he cared for as she was. Lucky for her, she just so happened to be one of those things Ralphie cared for.
February 15, 2013
Walkerville High Cafeteria (Valentines Dance)
7:42 P.M.
On the dance floor, Keesha tapped Ralphie's shoulder. "Can we talk?"
"Um… Sure. I suppose I could take a break of dancing with my girlfriend," pausing, Ralphie glanced around the room, making sure everyone had heard the word girlfriend, "and talk to you."
Rolling her eyes, Keesha grabbed Ralphie's wrist and dragged him to a quiet corner. Seeing Keesha's scowl, Ralphie grew confused. "What's going on?"
"What's going on," Keesha explained, clearly annoyed, "Is that you've been making out with my friend all day!"
"And that bothers you?" Furiously, Keesha nodded. "Look, Keesh, I know you hate Valentines Day, but-"
"This isn't about Valentines Day!" Keesha growled.
"Then what's it about?"
Shaking her head, Keesha looked away. "It's just… It's…"
"It's what?"
"Why didn't you ask me to be your date?" Keesha asked sadly. "I mean, I'm not in love with you or anything—I'm not Arnold; but I am just as pretty as Wanda, and I'm about 20 times smarter than her. Why didn't you ask me?"
Ralphie suddenly let out a laugh. "That's what this is about? You're jealous of Wanda?" He grinned. "Keesha, I didn't ask you to be my fake girlfriend because I have too much respect for you to use you like that! Not that I don't respect Wanda, but… Well, you know…" Seriously, he turned Keesha's face towards his. "Look, Keesh, if I were going to date you, it would be for real; none of this fake high school crap. Okay?"
Mouth agape, Keesha slowly shook her head. "Oh… Cool…"
August 24, 2015
Walkerville High Hallway
7:52 A.M.
"You are such a dork," Keesha teased, pulling Ralphie in for another kiss. Though not normally one for PDA, after so long apart from him, she couldn't help but appreciate the gentle moment of contact.
A few lockers away, Janet was hardly so impressed by the gesture. "I don't see the appeal is all," she ranted, continuing to shove books into her bare locker. "Not everyone wants to watch the quarterback stick his tongue down some girl's throat, you know."
"You mean, you don't want to," Tim corrected knowingly, leaning against the neighboring locker door.
Janet narrowed her brows at his smug demeanor. "How do you put up with it? I would get sick of all the drama and the swapping spit at the lunch table if I were you."
Tim shrugged lightly. "They're my friends," he answered indifferently, amused by Janet's own frustration. "And I know how they feel. Sometimes, you can't help but to reach out and show someone that you care."
June 7, 2013
Walkerville High Hallway
3:00 P.M.
DA and Wanda walked in silence for a little bit. They passed Tim's locker, and DA offered a small wave, but he never saw them. His eyes were focused on the other end of the hall to where Janet stood, laughing with her friends.
Tim was grateful that he'd managed to lay under the radar for most of the year. He liked feeling secure in the sea of hormones all around him. Still, he wouldn't mind if something were to happen with Janet. Something real. But after watching the rest of his friend's stumble throughout the year, he wasn't going to pursue a relationship for a while.
August 24, 2015
Walkerville High Hallway
7:53 A.M.
Janet grew read at the obvious meaning behind Tim's words, and she focused her attention towards arranging her new locker. "Well, that's what the 3rd stall of the 2nd floor boy's bathroom is for," she said quickly, peering towards Tim from the corner of her eyes. "Maybe at the beginning of lunch?"
"That can be arranged," Tim grinned. He glanced back to the nearby couple; Keesha and Ralphie had stopped kissing by now, but her fingers continued running up and down his arm, almost unable to break the contact. He chuckled to himself. "They're not normally so needy," he commented. "Arnold and Phoebe are usually much worse."
Janet shuddered. "Don't make me think about it," she complained pointedly. "He's been pining over her all summer. Couldn't she have done something more local?"
"I think the point of summer camp is to get out of town. And I'm willing to bet Phoebe would only become a counselor at one completely submerged in the wilderness."
"Well, maybe she should consider bringing my cousin along next time. I can't spend another summer listening to, 'What do you think Phoebe is doing?' 'Do you think she's lonely?' 'Should I go visit her?'" Janet rolled her eyes. "Pathetic."
"You might want to take that up with her," Tim snorted, enjoyed the stern look Janet shot his way after his unhelpful commentary. Now more than ever, he was thrilled to have the interest of a woman as sure of herself as Janet Perlstein.
November 7, 2012
Walkerville High Hallway
7:46 A.M.
Phoebe took a hold of Arnold's hands. "Look, Arn—I think you're really sweet, and I like hanging out with you;" Arnold let out a small grin. "But I don't think that we're in love."
Arnold's mouth turned to a frown. "Phoebe, I know how I feel-"
"No you don't! Arnold, you told me you had a crush on me all through middle school—don't you think it's possible that you've romanticized this relationship a little bit?"
"How?"
"You told me I was the girl of your dreams on our first date; and all I'd done is sit there and nod! It kinda feels like you're trying to turn this into some cheesy soap opera…"
"I'm not!" Arnold responded, voice reassuring. "Phoebe, we've been friends for 5 years! I know plenty about you, and I know that you're a really great person who I care for deeply. I l-"
"Don't say it!" Phoebe begged. "I'm not ready for that—and you shouldn't be either! You're Arnold—you get nervous about everything!"
"I'm done over thinking everything; new Arnold throws caution to the wind and trusts his feelings. And my feelings are telling me that I love you."
"You're in love with the Phoebe you imagined in middle school, NOT me."
Arnold sighed. "Look Phoebe—you don't have to say anything back to me; I get that the idea of us dating is new to you, so I can wait. But I won't take back what I said either—I do love you, and you deserve to hear it."
August 24, 2015
Walkerville Hallway
7:53 A.M.
"Surprise!" Arnold tapped Phoebe on the shoulder, and startled, the girl spun around to face her long-unseen boyfriend. With a dorky grin upon his face, Arnold offered a single red rose to her. "I missed you this summer."
Delicately, Phoebe took the rose and stroked the fragile red petals, admiring the vivid color and the love behind the gesture. Never before had anyone thought to present her with a rose – it was almost sickeningly sweet, and anyone else might have felt it was too much. For Phoebe, the romantic move was the kindest in the world. She only wished her boyfriend weren't being so sweet.
"You don't have to keep it if you don't want," Arnold assured, hesitant in the face of Phoebe's silence. "I just wanted to do something nice for you."
"No, it's beautiful!" Phoebe assured. She carefully placed the flower on the shelf in her locker. "Sorry, I'm still a bit out of it – I only got home last night."
Arnold nodded with understanding. "Sure, of course. It must be exhausting watching kids all day, huh?"
Phoebe nodded tiredly. "But on the bright side, no one got punted up a tree!"
"You're improving!"
The two shared an awkward laugh, and Arnold leaned in to kiss Phoebe on the cheek. "I won't bother you then. But maybe we can catch up this weekend or something?"
"Sure, that'd be great." Phoebe forced a smile as Arnold turned and walked to his own locker, a gesture that fell as soon as he was out of sight. Despite her reassurances, her mind was spinning a mile a minute. Why did he have to be so sweet?
February 15, 2013
Walkerville High Nurses Office
7:57 P.M.
Groaning, Phoebe slowly sat up, holding her head. "I feel like I fainted."
"That's because you did," Arnold responded, looking at the girl with concerned eyes.
"Oh…" Phoebe thought for a moment. "Well, it's good to know I still have stage fright."
"So why did you get up on stage at all?" Arnold asked.
"Because I have stage fright."
Arnold narrowed his eyes. "…Ya?"
"You were right about me," Phoebe explained, looking up at Arnold. "I am kind of a coward. But I wanted to show you that if being brave once in a while means that we can keep dating, then I'll do it—because you're worth it."
August 24, 2015
Walkerville Hallway
7:55 A.M.
Try as she might, Phoebe had never grown to be a truly brave person. Still, where Arnold was involved, she prided herself on doing her best to be honest about her feelings. As a result, the two had spent the last year and a half side by side, enjoying the comfort and warmth of young love. But at the end of last year, Ralphie had said some things that shook Phoebe to her core, and not even a summer away had given her enough time to sort through her thoughts.
She and Arnold were seniors now. She couldn't keep putting off her uncertainties about the future for the sake of saving both a difficult conversation. She needed to be honest with Arnold, talk to him about what would become of the two once the school year ended and how it might change their relationship moving forward. But when Arnold was so kind to her, giving her flowers and making her feel so safe, the thought of instigating a conversation with a potentially horrible ending seemed too much for her to bear.
Phoebe's anxious ruminations were cut short by the abrupt entrance of her least-subtle friend. "What's up, dork?" Wanda called, falling heavily against the adjacent metal locker with a loud clang. As always, the girl appeared to be in high spirits.
Phoebe sighed. "Can I get some advice, Wanda?"
"Yeah – go back to bangs. I hear they're coming back. Also, a little make-up can go a long way."
"I meant on a specific topic."
"Oh." Wanda frowned. "Uh… I guess. But it's not my fault if I accidentally ruin your life."
"Noted." Phoebe shut her locker and leaned against the cool metal forlornly. "Lately, I've been feeling like… Like a bean plant in a cardboard box. You know?"
Wanda furrowed her brow, processing the confusing sentiment. "Okay… Pretend I do."
"It's not like I'm unhappy in the box. But wouldn't I like to be in the sun so much more? I'm being starved of something, but… I'm happy enough. I'm content. And everyone else seems content, too. So, what do I do? Should I do anything?"
Wanda pondered the thought briefly. "I'm going to be honest, Pheebs – I have no clue what the hell you're talking about. But in third grade, that cardboard box nearly killed bean plant-you, so I don't recommend doing that again." Sensing that her answer hadn't been of much use, Wanda tried a new approach. "Look, if you're happy in the box, stay in the box. Trust me – if you're happy where you are, who cares if you're boxed in or not? You're happy! Happy's good!"
Phoebe raised her brow at the genuine attempt at advice. "That's… A good point, Wanda. Thanks."
"Hey, I know some stuff! I've been around, you know." Wanda winked at her friend, then shoved off of her metal perch and disappeared into the crowd of passing students, desperate to avoid any more horrible Phoebe metaphors and difficult questions for the year.
June 7, 2013
Walkerville High Hallway
3:00 P.M.
"You know what sucks?"
Dorothy Ann let out a bitter laugh. "Pretty much everything about this week?"
"Labels," Wanda ranted, ignoring DA's comment. "Labels suck."
DA nodded unsurely; what she didn't know is that this thought had been weighing on Wanda's mind all week. Everything was labelled in high school—that was the real difference between 8th and 9th grade. Lucky for her, Wanda realized the importance of labels quickly. So she took control of her label and chose to be a cheerleader; now people saw her as cool and popular and she could go wherever she wanted and do whatever she wanted and no one would ever tell her she was wrong. That's why she didn't care that her friend's all thought her pursuit of popularity was stupid. Being a cheerleader made her feel powerful. That label let her do whatever she wanted.
But then labels made things so difficult, too. Like with Ralphie—gone were the days that she could hang out with the guys without it meaning something. Now he wanted her to be a "girlfriend". Why was that little word so important to him? Why couldn't they just hang out and say it was fun? Why did they have to call it anything? And now Keesha was mad at her because the label she was getting wasn't the one she wanted. Wanda was starting to get tired of the whole label thing. She wished she could put her thoughts into words, make Keesha and Ralphie and DA and everyone understand. But she couldn't—Wanda was many things; eloquent was not one of them. Instead, she settled for two words: "Labels suck."
August 24, 2015
Walkerville Hallway
7:57 A.M.
"I can't believe we're here," DA mused, slowly walking towards her first period math class.
Beside her, Carlos shot a warm grin. "And you thought we would let high school tear us all apart."
DA smiled at the memory of playing Monopoly years before. "I really did… I was pretty freaked out about it, honestly. We've come a long way from then, haven't we?"
August 27, 2012
Walkerville High Hallway
7:54 A.M.
"Come on, we have Geometry together." Quickly, Carlos grabbed DA's open hand with his own and dragged her down the hall, barely giving the girl a chance to shut her locker. Despite herself, DA found herself barely suppressing a blush. Quickly, she caught herself and snatched her hand away.
"I am perfectly capable of walking down the hallway by myself," she complained, silently cursing herself for enjoying the moment of contact.
As the two entered the classroom, Carlos turned to DA. "I know," he answered, looking her seriously in the eyes, "I just thought it might be more fun to walk together." The two continued to stare at each other, and DA allowed herself a small smile. Seeing that she wasn't angry, Carlos perked up. "I like your outfit."
"R-really?" DA stuttered.
"Ya," Carlos held back a giggle, "it's really acute."
"CARLOS!"
August 27, 2012
Walkerville High Cafeteria
12:08 P.M.
Carlos stood up. "Well, DA and I have English, so we should probably make a 'tasty' exit."
DA raised a brow towards Carlos.
"You know, tasty," he explained. "Because our exit should be hasty, but we're in a cafeteria, so… tasty."
Shaking her head, DA got up and walked away from the table.
"Wait for me!" Carlos shouted, chasing after the blonde. "We should walk together! We make such a great 'pear'!"
September 1, 2012
Street
4:45 P.M.
"Why couldn't the skeleton go to the party?"
"…"
"He had no-BODY to go with!"
September 1, 2012
Street
5:34 P.M.
Grinning, Carlos took DA's hand and the two began walking away.
"Mountaineers, DA."
DA shot Carlos a look of confusion. "What?"
"Mountains hear with mountaineers."
"Carlos!"
January 15, 2013
Walkerville High Library
3:11 P.M.
Curiously, Carlos glanced around the library. "Has this always been here?" He asked, awed by the expansive shelves filled with books.
"Yes," DA responded curtly, staring at her test for geometry.
"Well, it's just like that library across town, but… littler!"
Dorothy Ann looked up at Carlos, brows furrowed. "Have you never seen a school library before?"
"Never like this!" Carlos thought for a moment. "And it's accessible to all students?"
"Mm-hmm."
"So they can do research for projects and stuff?"
"Mm-hmm…"
"What a novel idea!"
January 31, 2013
Ramon House
10:32 A.M.
"Look, dude, I think this is a really bad idea."
"You've made that clear," Ralphie retorted, crossing his arms. "How come you're never supportive of my plans to lace people's food with laxatives?"
"Never? I was supportive last summer!" Carlos pointed out.
Ralphie chuckled. "That's true… Poor Wanda."
"Talk about having a shitty day," Carlos added with a laugh.
"Touché, my friend. Touché."
September 13, 2013
My Fair Baby: Infant and Toddler Superstore
5:18 P.M.
As the group started to walk to the indicated area, Ralphie noticed Carlos snickering in the back. He quickly moved closer to his friend. "What is it?"
Carlos shushed Ralphie, indicating to Arnold and Tim. He then quietly explained, "Bootie sounds like boobie."
Ralphie suppressed a laugh. "You know what else it sounds like? Booty."
Carlos's grin grew wide. "I know!"
June 7, 2013
Walkerville High Hallway
3:00 P.M.
"Hey, DA?"
She glanced over at Carlos. "What?"
"What do you get if you divide the circumference of a bowl of ice cream by its diameter?" Carlos tried to suppress a laugh as he saw DA's disappointment. "Pi a'la mode!"
"Carlos!"
August 24, 2015
Walkerville Hallway
7:57 A.M.
"Well, DA," Carlos replied coolly, a knowing expression across his face. "I suppose we've all gotten a lot more mature over the past few years."
DA considered the sentiment. "You might be right, Carlos."
"Hell yeah."