Jason day dreamed as he sat on the bus Thursday morning. He was strangely alert this morning, and he didn't know why.
He had never been much of a morning person, and usually used the morning ride to catch up on homework
or sleep. But today was different; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his eyes to stay closed.
So instead, he took out a pen and pad and started to jot down ideas for his newest article in the
school newspaper. The school had 2 different papers, one for the upperclassman and one for the lower
classman, and he was the star reporter for the freshman paper. It was a strange set up this year.
For some reason, none of the sophmores wanted to work on the paper with a bunch of freshmans, and
seniors had actually been reading the freshman paper. Whether it was out of mock and scorn or out
of a sense of responsibilty because they had oce been that young, no one could figure out. But for
whatever reason it was, they were reading. Working on the paper was no longer a game as it used to be
in middle school; now it was like a job- a career- a big deal. "Maybe they are geniunley interested,"
his friend Dan had suggested, but the idea was immedietly dismissed.
Jason's closest friends also worked on the paper. His friend Andrew was an illustrator, his
friend Dan was the technical advisor, and his other friend Steven was the head honcho. He oversaw
everything that had to do with the paper. Jason thought about Steven's words at the meeting yesterday.
"This is not a game anymore!" he lectured. "Before now, everything we have done has been
baby stuff! We are in highschool now! No more stories on hard tests or bad lunch meat! I want the
hard core stuff! Gossip! News! The tough stories that no one else can get! I don't care if you
need to climb in a dumpster, spy, eavesdrop, or steal notes! Do it! Like it! Because you will get
your story! and it will be top quality! Not OK, not good, not even great! I want awesome, out of
this world, extra-ordinary stories! Got it? Good! I need a hotdog," he sounded more like a drill sergent
than a 14 year old highschool newspaper manager. "I"ll be back in 20 minutes! And when I get back,
I want this paper filled with ideas!" he commanded as he left the room.
Andrew looked at the other two boys blankly after Steven left. After a minute he went "It's
called eavesdropping?" he asked as if it was the only part of the speech he had heard. "I thought
it was called EASE-dropping." *End of flashback.
Now that he thought about it, that's what he thought it was too. It was sort of a random
thought.
Jason stared at his blank pad. Nothing. Nada. Zip. No marks, no words. Steven wasn't going
to be happy about that. Jason ALWAYS has a story. And when he didn't, it seemed like it was some
sort of omen. Just as he was about to put he pad away, something from behind him caught his
attention.
"Hey Lisa? Did you hear about that girl Nicole?" some one said from the seat behind him.
Normally he would never have stooped so low as to eavesdrop, but he had to have a story if he
didn't want to hear the whole lecture all over again. He listened closer.
"No, what about her?" another voice replied.
"She just broke up with that guy, Brian Smith."
"Yeah, so?"
"Well, I heard that the whole thing was an act. They weren't really going out. Word is, she
was doing him a favor," the girl informed her friend. "Tallia said that they made a deal that she
would go out with him to make that girl Kristina jealous."
"Did it work?"
"Yeah! He's had a crush on her forever, and now they are going out."
"Wow."
Hmmm... this was getting good.But what does a girl like Nicole get out of being seen with a guy
like Brian?
"But what does a girl like Nicole get out of being seen with a guy
like Brian?" the other girl asked the same question he was thinking.
"He pays her, plus it gets her off those really annoying persistant guys' radar,"
"And now she is going out with that guy Tad Johnson, and he's a Junior!" Interesting...
"Yeah, she's been getting attention from even the senior guys. She's probably expierienced
if you know what I mean. Yeah, it's no wonder all the guys like her,"
"Yeah, but word is that is just a favor also. And since Tad is really popular, she's going up in
status too.But it is supposed to be a big secret, but don't tell anyone I told,"
End of conversation, or at least thats the last Jason heard before the girls went on to talk
about the newest episode of the O.C. and the best nail polish out in the market.
Hmmm... he thought. He had his story. He quickly wrote down the entire converstaion and put
the pad away. "I feel better now," he sighed as he sat back with a mischeivious smile spanning
across his entire face.
He had never been much of a morning person, and usually used the morning ride to catch up on homework
or sleep. But today was different; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his eyes to stay closed.
So instead, he took out a pen and pad and started to jot down ideas for his newest article in the
school newspaper. The school had 2 different papers, one for the upperclassman and one for the lower
classman, and he was the star reporter for the freshman paper. It was a strange set up this year.
For some reason, none of the sophmores wanted to work on the paper with a bunch of freshmans, and
seniors had actually been reading the freshman paper. Whether it was out of mock and scorn or out
of a sense of responsibilty because they had oce been that young, no one could figure out. But for
whatever reason it was, they were reading. Working on the paper was no longer a game as it used to be
in middle school; now it was like a job- a career- a big deal. "Maybe they are geniunley interested,"
his friend Dan had suggested, but the idea was immedietly dismissed.
Jason's closest friends also worked on the paper. His friend Andrew was an illustrator, his
friend Dan was the technical advisor, and his other friend Steven was the head honcho. He oversaw
everything that had to do with the paper. Jason thought about Steven's words at the meeting yesterday.
"This is not a game anymore!" he lectured. "Before now, everything we have done has been
baby stuff! We are in highschool now! No more stories on hard tests or bad lunch meat! I want the
hard core stuff! Gossip! News! The tough stories that no one else can get! I don't care if you
need to climb in a dumpster, spy, eavesdrop, or steal notes! Do it! Like it! Because you will get
your story! and it will be top quality! Not OK, not good, not even great! I want awesome, out of
this world, extra-ordinary stories! Got it? Good! I need a hotdog," he sounded more like a drill sergent
than a 14 year old highschool newspaper manager. "I"ll be back in 20 minutes! And when I get back,
I want this paper filled with ideas!" he commanded as he left the room.
Andrew looked at the other two boys blankly after Steven left. After a minute he went "It's
called eavesdropping?" he asked as if it was the only part of the speech he had heard. "I thought
it was called EASE-dropping." *End of flashback.
Now that he thought about it, that's what he thought it was too. It was sort of a random
thought.
Jason stared at his blank pad. Nothing. Nada. Zip. No marks, no words. Steven wasn't going
to be happy about that. Jason ALWAYS has a story. And when he didn't, it seemed like it was some
sort of omen. Just as he was about to put he pad away, something from behind him caught his
attention.
"Hey Lisa? Did you hear about that girl Nicole?" some one said from the seat behind him.
Normally he would never have stooped so low as to eavesdrop, but he had to have a story if he
didn't want to hear the whole lecture all over again. He listened closer.
"No, what about her?" another voice replied.
"She just broke up with that guy, Brian Smith."
"Yeah, so?"
"Well, I heard that the whole thing was an act. They weren't really going out. Word is, she
was doing him a favor," the girl informed her friend. "Tallia said that they made a deal that she
would go out with him to make that girl Kristina jealous."
"Did it work?"
"Yeah! He's had a crush on her forever, and now they are going out."
"Wow."
Hmmm... this was getting good.But what does a girl like Nicole get out of being seen with a guy
like Brian?
"But what does a girl like Nicole get out of being seen with a guy
like Brian?" the other girl asked the same question he was thinking.
"He pays her, plus it gets her off those really annoying persistant guys' radar,"
"And now she is going out with that guy Tad Johnson, and he's a Junior!" Interesting...
"Yeah, she's been getting attention from even the senior guys. She's probably expierienced
if you know what I mean. Yeah, it's no wonder all the guys like her,"
"Yeah, but word is that is just a favor also. And since Tad is really popular, she's going up in
status too.But it is supposed to be a big secret, but don't tell anyone I told,"
End of conversation, or at least thats the last Jason heard before the girls went on to talk
about the newest episode of the O.C. and the best nail polish out in the market.
Hmmm... he thought. He had his story. He quickly wrote down the entire converstaion and put
the pad away. "I feel better now," he sighed as he sat back with a mischeivious smile spanning
across his entire face.