Betsy sighed to herself as she sat opposite Amara the next day at lunch. She was wearing a shirt he had borrowed off Bobby, a pink sport shirt. She felt as if she was leaving the real world and entering Girl world. Amara was explaining to her the rules of what not to wear on certain days.
"You can't wear a tank top two days in a row and you can only wear your hair in a ponytail once a week. So I guess you chose today." Amara said indicating Betsy's ponytail. "Oh and we only wear jeans or track pants on Fridays. If you break any of these rules you can't sit with us at lunch. Not just you I mean if I was wearing jeans today I would be sitting over there with the art freaks." She said pointing over to where Wanda was arranging slices of ham on Bobby's face.
"Oh and we always vote before you can ask someone to eat lunch with us cause I mean you have to be considerate of the rest of the group. I mean you wouldn't buy a skirt without asking your friends if it looks good on you first."
"I wouldn't?" Betsy asked confused.
"Exactly." Amara said misinterpreting. "And it's the same with guys. You might think you like someone but you could be wrong."
"120 calories and 48 calories for fat what percentage is that?" Tabitha asked butting in.
"That's 48 over 120 right?" Amara asked.
"I'm only eating things with less then thirty percent calories for fat." Tabitha explained.
"Its forty percent." Betsy told them. They stared. "Well forty eight over one twenty equals X over one hundred and then you cross multiply and get the value of X."
"Whatever I'm getting cheese fries." Tabitha said as she got up and left.
"So have you seen any guys that you think are cute yet?" Amara asked.
"Well there is this guy in my calculus class."
"Who is he? Is he a senior?" Kitty asked.
"His name is Pietro Maximoff."
"No!" They both yelled in unison.
"You can't like Pietro Maximoff that's Tabitha's ex boyfriend. They went out for a year and then she was devastated when he broke up with her." Amara told her.
"I thought she dumped him for Lance Alvers?" Kitty asked.
"Regardless. Ex boyfriends are just off limits to friends. That's just like the rules of feminism. Don't worry I will never tell Tabitha you said that. It'll be our little secret." Kitty nodded along happily.
At the end of calculus Betsy was just about to talk to Pietro when someone stepped in front of her and asked: " Hey you're the Africa girl right?"
"Yeah." Betsy told him.
"I'm Forge Captain of the Bayville Matheletes. We participate in math challenges with other high schools from around the state and we can get twice as much funding if we have a girl. You should think about joining."
"Oh yeah you'd be perfect for it." Ms Darkholme told her.
"Yeah sure." Betsy said.
"Great here's my card give me a call when you've made up your mind." He said as he handed her a white business card that said: "Forge, Math enthusiast and badass M.C."
"Cool." Betsy said as she left the classroom.
Betsy was walking along the road past the sports field when she spotted Pietro practising his soccer skills on the pitch. She waved to him and he smiled and waved back. Just then she heard a horn blast behind her and she saw Tabitha in her car with Amara and Kitty in the passenger seats.
"Come on looser!" Tabitha called. "We're going shopping."
The four of them were walking through Bayville Mall.
"So how do you like Bayville?" Kitty asked.
"Its cool. I think I'm joining the Matheletes." Betsy told them.
"No!" they all told her.
"You can't do that its like social suicide." Tabitha told her. "God you are so lucky you have us to guide you." Betsy nodded.
From a passing shop she spotted Wanda working behind the counter laughing at them as they walked past. Betsy smiled and waved before they moved on.
As they past the water fountain Amara stopped and stared.
"There's John. And he's with Taryn Fujioka!"
"I hear they're going out." Kitty told her.
"No way. John is not going out with Taryn. That little skeeze he cannot blow you off like that. Give me your phone." Tabitha ordered.
"Your not gonna call him are you?" Amara asked as she pulled her phone from her bag.
"Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"NO." Tabitha dialled a number.
"Fujioka on South Boulevard please."
"Caller I.D!" Amara reminded her.
"Not when you connect from information." Tabitha told her.
"Hello?" Came a voice on the other end of the phone.
"Hello may I please speak to Taryn Fujioka?"
"She's not home yet. Who's calling?" Taryns' mother asked.
"Oh this is Susan from plan parenting I have her test results could you ask her to give me a call its urgent Thanks!" Tabitha put down the phone. "She's not going out with anyone." Tabitha told them. They all started laughing.
"Oh my god that was so fetch!" Amara told her. Betsy nodded and smiled along.
Down by the fountain Taryns phone went off and she started arguing with her mother.