Disclaimer: I don't own Ricky, or Keith Barrenger (I think that's how you
spell his name...). Remember him? He was mentioned in the movie. You know,
the part that goes:
Caveman: You see the inscription on it? K.B.?
Zigzag: Yea, that's Keith Barrenger.
Magnet: Man, who is that?
Zigzag: He was in my math class.
Yep, he's in this chapter. And now you can read it...
Chapter 3
'My good opinion once lost is lost forever.'--The infamous Mr Darcy, from 'Pride and Prejudice'
The very next day, 'Pride and Prejudice' was being carried in Eleanor's arms as she sat down at her desk. She seemed to be trying to shrink, sliding slowly off her chair as Ricky looked at her. The book she was holding was definitely the same one she always had had before, she couldn't have possibly gotten a new copy. When Ricky asked her where she had found it, her reply sounded something like "Twat um".
Ricky didn't bother to ask her what that meant, he never understood half of what she said. Twat um was probably the name of someone who had taken her book. Of course, it only sounded like 'twat um'. Today, he was able to finish his test and actually feel confident that he had passed because he was sure that what he had heard as 'twat' was actually 'Matt'. He knew a Matt. When he had finished writing his test, he suddenly wondered why Eleanor had offered to give him extra help if he already knew what to do without being taught anything yesterday. He just told himself what he had concluded yesterday: girls were weird. Just like grass is green, the sky is blue, and water is wet. It was a fact.
Still, what had she meant by 'twat um'? Now that he thought about it, he DIDN'T know a Matt. Eleanor probably didn't know a Matt. And 'twat' didn't sound that much like 'Matt'! When he realized that, several more questions popped up in his head.
What if she still thought he took the book?
Was that book she was holding even the same book?
Did the book she had before have a stain on the front?
Did the one she have now have a stain on the front?
And then, as suddenly as they came, the questions stopped. Only one thought remained:
Why did he care? After all, it was only a book...
He didn't like her or anything, did he?
The colour drained from his face as someone collected his test. No way, he couldn't. He looked over at Eleanor, who still seemed to be trying to hide under her desk. She wasn't very pretty or anything-- she wasn't really thin like some other girls and her nose was rather large. And she wasn't the most pleasant person to be around, either, because she was always reading. It was a very annoying habit.
He pushed that thought into a corner where it screamed at him, but he shut out the noise and returned to the earlier puzzle. What the hell was 'twat um'? Instead of even attempting to figure it out, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked her once again where the book had been found.
"Twat um," Eleanor mumbled again.
"Huh?"
Eleanor grumbled to herself and said, just audibly, "At home."
Ricky gaped at her, unsure of what he had just heard. The thought he had shoved away was now being drowned out by anger. His hands were balled into fists and he could feel himself shaking. Eleanor was still trying to get under her desk, and jumped when the bell rang. She darted out of the door, but he caught up with her.
"So, you forget your stupid little book at home, and then you--you-- you just BLAME ME?" He shouted hysterically at her. "The book's gone, so you just expect that I TOOK IT? Of course it was me, who else could it have been? I'm just a freak, I must have taken it! Who cares how I'll feel, it's all my fault!" Eleanor was looking at the floor.
"I-I-I bu-bu- I--you--what--s-sorr--"
"You're sorry?" He didn't care if she was crying or not, she deserved it. "I told you I was sorry, even though I didn't take the book, but you didn't care, did you?"
"You never said you were sorry," She said quietly, looking up. She sniffed.
"I did!"
She didn't respond, but turned ran down the hall to her next class. Ricky stared after her, trying to decide what he should do.
"Hey, Loony," called a voice from behind him. He whirled around to see a kid from his math class, Keith Barrenger. Keith never gave up the chance to stomp all over his self-confidence. "Why--" But Keith never got to finish his insult, because Ricky's fist connected with his face. Keith swore loudly and hit him back. He was much smaller, but managed to make Ricky fall over. Ricky got to his feet and felt someone pulling him back, away from the other boy.
Both he and Keith received a detention, but Ricky couldn't care less. Keith had been asking for it.
~*~
School ended in a week. On the last day, he was thoroughly soaked from being squirted by water bottles. Why don't they just drink their water? They're always complaining about being thirsty, he thought to himself. Amazingly, his hair still stuck up, even though most of the water had been aimed at it. It was drooping slightly, but it didn't make that much of a difference. When the day finally ended, he was one of the first people to leave. He only stayed at home for a few minutes, before telling his mom that he was taking a walk.
He didn't know exactly where he was going. He avoided crowds, but otherwise didn't care where he was. Somehow, walking made thinking easier. As he kicked a pebble absentmindedly, silently fuming at everyone he could think of, he thought he heard someone call his name.
Immediately, his head jerked up and his eyes quickly darted from one side to the other. No one was there, he concluded, but his eyes were still wide and his hair was sticking straight out.
"Hellooo?" he called, and saw someone running up to him. They were wearing all purple and were carrying a book in their arms...
~*~
Author's Note: I finally got a copy of 'Pride and Prejudice' from the library. Now I can start putting some quotes into the dialogue! Yay! I'm thinking of putting a quote at the beginning of every chapter, and not just in what they're saying. What do you think?
May the peaches and onions be with you.
Chapter 3
'My good opinion once lost is lost forever.'--The infamous Mr Darcy, from 'Pride and Prejudice'
The very next day, 'Pride and Prejudice' was being carried in Eleanor's arms as she sat down at her desk. She seemed to be trying to shrink, sliding slowly off her chair as Ricky looked at her. The book she was holding was definitely the same one she always had had before, she couldn't have possibly gotten a new copy. When Ricky asked her where she had found it, her reply sounded something like "Twat um".
Ricky didn't bother to ask her what that meant, he never understood half of what she said. Twat um was probably the name of someone who had taken her book. Of course, it only sounded like 'twat um'. Today, he was able to finish his test and actually feel confident that he had passed because he was sure that what he had heard as 'twat' was actually 'Matt'. He knew a Matt. When he had finished writing his test, he suddenly wondered why Eleanor had offered to give him extra help if he already knew what to do without being taught anything yesterday. He just told himself what he had concluded yesterday: girls were weird. Just like grass is green, the sky is blue, and water is wet. It was a fact.
Still, what had she meant by 'twat um'? Now that he thought about it, he DIDN'T know a Matt. Eleanor probably didn't know a Matt. And 'twat' didn't sound that much like 'Matt'! When he realized that, several more questions popped up in his head.
What if she still thought he took the book?
Was that book she was holding even the same book?
Did the book she had before have a stain on the front?
Did the one she have now have a stain on the front?
And then, as suddenly as they came, the questions stopped. Only one thought remained:
Why did he care? After all, it was only a book...
He didn't like her or anything, did he?
The colour drained from his face as someone collected his test. No way, he couldn't. He looked over at Eleanor, who still seemed to be trying to hide under her desk. She wasn't very pretty or anything-- she wasn't really thin like some other girls and her nose was rather large. And she wasn't the most pleasant person to be around, either, because she was always reading. It was a very annoying habit.
He pushed that thought into a corner where it screamed at him, but he shut out the noise and returned to the earlier puzzle. What the hell was 'twat um'? Instead of even attempting to figure it out, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked her once again where the book had been found.
"Twat um," Eleanor mumbled again.
"Huh?"
Eleanor grumbled to herself and said, just audibly, "At home."
Ricky gaped at her, unsure of what he had just heard. The thought he had shoved away was now being drowned out by anger. His hands were balled into fists and he could feel himself shaking. Eleanor was still trying to get under her desk, and jumped when the bell rang. She darted out of the door, but he caught up with her.
"So, you forget your stupid little book at home, and then you--you-- you just BLAME ME?" He shouted hysterically at her. "The book's gone, so you just expect that I TOOK IT? Of course it was me, who else could it have been? I'm just a freak, I must have taken it! Who cares how I'll feel, it's all my fault!" Eleanor was looking at the floor.
"I-I-I bu-bu- I--you--what--s-sorr--"
"You're sorry?" He didn't care if she was crying or not, she deserved it. "I told you I was sorry, even though I didn't take the book, but you didn't care, did you?"
"You never said you were sorry," She said quietly, looking up. She sniffed.
"I did!"
She didn't respond, but turned ran down the hall to her next class. Ricky stared after her, trying to decide what he should do.
"Hey, Loony," called a voice from behind him. He whirled around to see a kid from his math class, Keith Barrenger. Keith never gave up the chance to stomp all over his self-confidence. "Why--" But Keith never got to finish his insult, because Ricky's fist connected with his face. Keith swore loudly and hit him back. He was much smaller, but managed to make Ricky fall over. Ricky got to his feet and felt someone pulling him back, away from the other boy.
Both he and Keith received a detention, but Ricky couldn't care less. Keith had been asking for it.
~*~
School ended in a week. On the last day, he was thoroughly soaked from being squirted by water bottles. Why don't they just drink their water? They're always complaining about being thirsty, he thought to himself. Amazingly, his hair still stuck up, even though most of the water had been aimed at it. It was drooping slightly, but it didn't make that much of a difference. When the day finally ended, he was one of the first people to leave. He only stayed at home for a few minutes, before telling his mom that he was taking a walk.
He didn't know exactly where he was going. He avoided crowds, but otherwise didn't care where he was. Somehow, walking made thinking easier. As he kicked a pebble absentmindedly, silently fuming at everyone he could think of, he thought he heard someone call his name.
Immediately, his head jerked up and his eyes quickly darted from one side to the other. No one was there, he concluded, but his eyes were still wide and his hair was sticking straight out.
"Hellooo?" he called, and saw someone running up to him. They were wearing all purple and were carrying a book in their arms...
~*~
Author's Note: I finally got a copy of 'Pride and Prejudice' from the library. Now I can start putting some quotes into the dialogue! Yay! I'm thinking of putting a quote at the beginning of every chapter, and not just in what they're saying. What do you think?
May the peaches and onions be with you.
