Chapter 8
I sat in Mrs. Norman's class daydreaming about what might happen with D'Artagnan. If what Sue said was true, we could do great things. Diecotra wouldn't have anything to fear with the Joan D'Artagnan team around. Or would D'Artagnan Joan team sound better. No, I liked the first one better.
Mrs. Norman had rearranged the desks. They were in rows; we could still sit where ever. Sue sat to my right behind Andy. I saved the desk to the left for Lisa. Behind me was Pete. I kept getting kicked in the ass because he wanted to use my chair as a foot stool.
"OK class, get in groups. We are going to do a book project to end the year. You will get in groups of two to four. Sorry Suzie, no loners." The most of the class chuckled. She bowed her head and groaned. I can see why she goes by Sue.
"You and your group will choose a book. Then you will read a certain amount that you and your group agree on. OK, let's get into groups. I will approve on weather or not you can be together. Heck, like I'm going to care. Just chose people you know will not slack off. You will have until Monday to choose a book. We will be in the library tomorrow and look for books." Her last sentences were drowned out by the class. She tossed her brown and yellow striped hair. Then went to her desk and graded papers.
"Joan," I looked behind me, "if you don't mind. I'd..."
"Relax; yes I'll work with you. That is if Lisa can also be in the group."
She nodded, and then paused. "What if Lisa doesn't want to read the book we chose?"
"Tough for her, she wasn't around when we decided. Also there is something called democracy. Majority rules." We grinned and set to work by going down to the library. Nothing. All the books we both hated, she wanted to read and I hated, I wanted to read and she hated. Usually with Lisa, I suggest five books, she suggests five, then what ever sounds most interesting we use.
"Hey, since you are coming over to see D'Artagnan we can look at the books we have over at my house. If not we could go to the library downtown or check your house." I said looking up at her.
"Well, maybe I might have some books that would work. Most are in Japanese, the only books that are in English are what we have in the manner of textbooks, which are more of school issued. Either that or something I picked up from the library and am still reading." I shrugged as she looked at more books on the shelf. "Yet we could find other copies of the same book for this project."
The school bell rang. "Ah shit!" We yelled, then stopped looking at books and ran to Mrs. Norman's room. Forgetting our library passes. They were worthless; the passes could only be used if there was a fire.
Hi Mrs. Norman, bye Mrs. Norman." She laughed as we grabbed our books and rushed to our lockers. Sue was ready first as I was still pulling things out of my locker. "Come on slow poke. You're wasting time." She said; I started zipping up my back pack. I pulled it on and walked to the door with her. "Oops, I forgot to call him. More like I was working and didn't forget."
She walked up to him; he stood arms crossed leanings against the trash can. "Just to let you know, I'm going over to Joan's house to work on a project." He seemed disturbed by this.
"I... I spent time coming, now your busy." His English, as I have said, wasn't too good. But the point was clear. He wasted gas and homework time on picking up his sister who was coming over to my house.
"Well, you can drop me off at her house, oh by the way. This is Joan," she pointed to me. I walked over to him and held out a hand. He took it.
"Henry."
"Err, nice to meet you," he nodded and turned back to his sister.
"Come on, like all ways, you waste time." She laughed and started walking out. I had a feeling he didn't mean that comment the way it sounded. It must be his English grammar.
We got into his car. Drove a mere three minutes to my house then stopped. "Joan, maybe he can come in for a moment. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt D'Artagnan to have two visitors."
"Henry," he looked back. "Do you want to join us inside for a few minutes? We might need your help with something." He grunted and turned off the car.
We walked up to my house and I opened the door. "My parents aren't home, but I would think in these circumstances it's a good thing." I heard a few sounds in the kitchen. We walked over to the hall that leads to the kitchen.
Henry whispered something in another language. Sue however used English, "Damn, you weren't lying."
"Ah, hi Joan," D'Artagnan said with a grin. He fumbled some more with a paper plate and held it out in front of him. "Want some toast?"
I sat in Mrs. Norman's class daydreaming about what might happen with D'Artagnan. If what Sue said was true, we could do great things. Diecotra wouldn't have anything to fear with the Joan D'Artagnan team around. Or would D'Artagnan Joan team sound better. No, I liked the first one better.
Mrs. Norman had rearranged the desks. They were in rows; we could still sit where ever. Sue sat to my right behind Andy. I saved the desk to the left for Lisa. Behind me was Pete. I kept getting kicked in the ass because he wanted to use my chair as a foot stool.
"OK class, get in groups. We are going to do a book project to end the year. You will get in groups of two to four. Sorry Suzie, no loners." The most of the class chuckled. She bowed her head and groaned. I can see why she goes by Sue.
"You and your group will choose a book. Then you will read a certain amount that you and your group agree on. OK, let's get into groups. I will approve on weather or not you can be together. Heck, like I'm going to care. Just chose people you know will not slack off. You will have until Monday to choose a book. We will be in the library tomorrow and look for books." Her last sentences were drowned out by the class. She tossed her brown and yellow striped hair. Then went to her desk and graded papers.
"Joan," I looked behind me, "if you don't mind. I'd..."
"Relax; yes I'll work with you. That is if Lisa can also be in the group."
She nodded, and then paused. "What if Lisa doesn't want to read the book we chose?"
"Tough for her, she wasn't around when we decided. Also there is something called democracy. Majority rules." We grinned and set to work by going down to the library. Nothing. All the books we both hated, she wanted to read and I hated, I wanted to read and she hated. Usually with Lisa, I suggest five books, she suggests five, then what ever sounds most interesting we use.
"Hey, since you are coming over to see D'Artagnan we can look at the books we have over at my house. If not we could go to the library downtown or check your house." I said looking up at her.
"Well, maybe I might have some books that would work. Most are in Japanese, the only books that are in English are what we have in the manner of textbooks, which are more of school issued. Either that or something I picked up from the library and am still reading." I shrugged as she looked at more books on the shelf. "Yet we could find other copies of the same book for this project."
The school bell rang. "Ah shit!" We yelled, then stopped looking at books and ran to Mrs. Norman's room. Forgetting our library passes. They were worthless; the passes could only be used if there was a fire.
Hi Mrs. Norman, bye Mrs. Norman." She laughed as we grabbed our books and rushed to our lockers. Sue was ready first as I was still pulling things out of my locker. "Come on slow poke. You're wasting time." She said; I started zipping up my back pack. I pulled it on and walked to the door with her. "Oops, I forgot to call him. More like I was working and didn't forget."
She walked up to him; he stood arms crossed leanings against the trash can. "Just to let you know, I'm going over to Joan's house to work on a project." He seemed disturbed by this.
"I... I spent time coming, now your busy." His English, as I have said, wasn't too good. But the point was clear. He wasted gas and homework time on picking up his sister who was coming over to my house.
"Well, you can drop me off at her house, oh by the way. This is Joan," she pointed to me. I walked over to him and held out a hand. He took it.
"Henry."
"Err, nice to meet you," he nodded and turned back to his sister.
"Come on, like all ways, you waste time." She laughed and started walking out. I had a feeling he didn't mean that comment the way it sounded. It must be his English grammar.
We got into his car. Drove a mere three minutes to my house then stopped. "Joan, maybe he can come in for a moment. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt D'Artagnan to have two visitors."
"Henry," he looked back. "Do you want to join us inside for a few minutes? We might need your help with something." He grunted and turned off the car.
We walked up to my house and I opened the door. "My parents aren't home, but I would think in these circumstances it's a good thing." I heard a few sounds in the kitchen. We walked over to the hall that leads to the kitchen.
Henry whispered something in another language. Sue however used English, "Damn, you weren't lying."
"Ah, hi Joan," D'Artagnan said with a grin. He fumbled some more with a paper plate and held it out in front of him. "Want some toast?"