I like this chapter… It's kinda cool. It's a special two-for-one deal!
This chapter's pretty cool.
Later on in the day, they had boarded the bus as usual. However, Haley was in a raging bad mood. She was tired of waiting around for a chance for action. She wanted action now. She turned to James, who was trying to forget what had happened that afternoon.
"James, I think we ought to start up an army."
James just stared blankly at her. Haley sighed just as Brendan entered the bus. She turned to face him.
"Brendan, don't you think that we need an army? We could get kids to make water balloons or snowballs, you know? And then we'd drop them on the teachers in spontaneous bursts of guerilla warfare. It'd be awesome!" Haley exclaimed.
Brendan stared blankly at her.
"You lost me after guerilla," He muttered.
Haley rolled her eyes, curiously looking at him.
"Hey, that's it!" She exclaimed.
"What's it?" James mumbled distractedly.
Brendan peered over the seat down at him. James was looking out the window. He was kind of pale and Brendan thought he looked a little ill. Brendan rolled his eyes and sighed.
"James, are you thinking about her again?" Brendan asked, annoyed.
James' eyes snapped to Brendan's face immediately, a look of panic crossing his features.
"Shh!" James frantically shushed.
Brendan looked around, shrugging.
"What? Sarah's not on the bus yet!"
Haley's eyes widened enormously and James blanched. Sarah, however, had just gotten on the bus. James turned red and sunk down in the seat, scooting closer to the window.
"Well, I'm on the bus now," Sarah whispered, plopping down into the seat next to Haley's.
A Cheshire Cat grin stretched across Haley's face and she burst into laughter. Brendan looked up at her curiously.
"What's so funny?" He snapped.
She grinned conspiratorially.
"Nothing. I just came up with a plan, is all," Haley mumbled.
Brendan nodded, uninterested. However, as he began to take out his c.d. player, she started to speak.
"Brendan, I think you should lead the army," She said bluntly.
He turned back to look at her, perplexed. James looked up cautiously and Sarah shot a smirk at Haley.
"Why? I'm an idiot."
Haley rolled her eyes.
"Well, Brendan, you don't have to be a genius to lead an army," Haley chirped enthusiastically.
"Well, actually…" Sarah interjected.
Haley silenced her with a glare. She turned to James.
"Hey, you should go to a movie. You know, kick back, have some fun…With Sarah! Or, if you prefer, you could try and find some news…" Haley offered.
James shrugged.
"Whatever."
Haley then winked, noticeable to all but James, at Sarah. An odd look crossed Sarah's face. Brendan turned back to Haley.
"So, before you started talking about James and Sarah's date, you were saying something about me leading an army?" Brendan asked curiously.
James and Sarah both blushed simultaneously. Haley grinned, eyes alit.
"Oh, yeah. You'll be respected and the sixth and seventh graders will probably be kissing your feet. There's nowhere to go but up," Haley assured him.
"But, how can they respect him if you, a girl, can beat him up?" James questioned intelligently.
Haley and Brendan shot him identical glares.
"Well, I'm tougher than most girls…I hope," Haley said, trying to explain, but not sounding as hopeful as she should've.
Brendan aimed a quizzical look at her.
"What are you saying? That I'm some kind of pushover? That I'm a wimp? That I'm weaker than a GIRL?" Brendan said, anger building up in his tone.
Haley looked down, sighing.
"I'm not trying to say that you are. If you're not tough, then we'll pretend, okay? All you've got to do is command the fighting students and maybe make and store weapons. It's not that hard. We'll just keep beating them until they can't stand it anymore, and then they'll give into our demands," Haley explained rationally.
Brendan calmed down and Haley sighed in relief. Sarah looked at James and they both smirked.
"Those sixth and seventh graders aren't the only ones who're kissing his feet, Haley," Sarah muttered.
Haley targeted Sarah with a withering stare. Then she smiled.
"Okay, so it's all settled then?" Haley asked.
Brendan nodded. Haley's smile widened. She glanced out the window, and her house approached. Haley stood just as the bus screeched to a halt, allowing Sarah to pass her by, then leaving herself.
However, she did not leave without a goodbye.
"Good luck, Brendan," She muttered before getting off the bus entirely.
She hurried to catch up with her time-hopping buddies.
"Want to watch you guys on tv again?" She questioned.
Sarah and James shook their heads. Haley thought for a moment.
"Hey, when are you two going out? You going to catch a bus to get there?" Haley asked, totally ignoring the embarrassed looks on her friends' faces.
Sarah bit her lip and James looked down, running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah, well, about that actually…" James began nervously.
"We mutually decided to, er, not start a period of courtship," Sarah interrupted.
James looked away and Sarah looked down. Haley burst out into hysterical laughter. Sarah scowled, arms crossed over her chest.
"And, what, may I ask, is so hilarious?" Sarah snapped.
Haley stopped laughing.
"It's not the idea of you and James going out…It's just…Courtship? Sarah, you're fourteen or something. That'd be like me having a kid at this age. No, well, actually, yeah, wait, no…Well, actually, sort of yeah…" Haley said, attempting to explain.
"We're sorry," James said seriously.
This too set Haley into hysterics. James rolled his eyes, and Sarah clicked her tongue disapprovingly.
"What're you laughing about?" James asked, semi-annoyed.
Haley once again stopped laughing.
"Well, James, what do you and Sarah have to be sorry about? I mean, you were supposed to go out with her, not me. So, y'all should be apologizing to each other instead of me, if you're even sorry for anything. I guess you two just aren't comfortable with being alone together or something, which I find incredibly strange, especially as you share an apartment, but whatever…" Haley answered wisely.
Sarah put her hands on her hips, a questioning look on her face.
"How can you be so comfortable around cartoons?" She asked wisely.
Haley shrugged, traces of a grin on her face.
"How can you be so comfortable around kids from the future?" Haley retorted.
Sarah shrugged. James looked on in confusion. Haley thought for a moment.
"Hey, come on, guys! As your editor in chief and your friend, I order you two to relax and do something. Go to a movie, read a book, rent a movie, watch tv… Hey, wait, I know what to do! Let's go furniture shopping!" Haley brainstormed out loud.
And then she grinned, receiving blank looks from Sarah and James.
"What? You guys don't have any furniture, right?"
Sarah and James nodded dully. Haley grinned evilly and walked inside to get bus fare and leave her parents a note. Sarah and James looked at each other and gulped simultaneously.
- Loren ;
Review if you like, and I hope you do!
