Chapter 8

Rachel layed in her bed that night, wondering what on Earth Cedric would have been saying.

It would be totally obvious to Di and Elly. Damn him if I don't get any sleep tonight. I'll confront him tomorrow. No, I can't. I'll look stupid. Hey, at least he followed my advice and opened up. But that doesn't help me right now! I need to know! Should I confront him? Er . . . I'll ask Elly tomorrow. She'll know what to do. Or should I ask Di? No, I'll ask Elly, she knows about the Romeo-Juliet thing, at least. God, if I didn't like him so much, I would smack him in the head for doing that. I have got to watch what I say. If he found out it was me, I don't know what I'd do. Thank God he's such an oblivious idiot. No, he's not an idiot, he's actually smart. Thank God for that, too. Ooh, the dance! It's the day after tomorrow! He's got to tell me what he's gonna wear. That reminds me, who's that girl he likes? I need to get that out of him, too. Would he have asked her to the dance if I didn't tell him I'd see him there? What if something happened to her? I should push her down the stairs. "Oops! I am so sorry! Here, let me help you up. Oops! I didn't mean to step on your back! Oh, no!" Haha, no, that's mean. Besides, who would it be, anyway? It can't be me. I mean, I'm always criticizing him, but only 'cause it's fun. Okay, it can't be Natalie 'cause they're close friends and he would have definitely told her if he liked her. Diane or Ella, hmm . . . no, way too crazy. I'm less crazy than them, but still, doesn't make me any more likable. Besides, I'm not as pretty. Or does that matter to him? What about smarts? He said himself I'm smart and a know-it-all, but does he like that or not? Ooh, I'll ask him. Blonde, brunette, what does he prefer? Ugh! 1:03 already! I swear, if I'm up all freaking night, he's screwed. But I have him up all night while he thinks about who Juliet is. Of course, it would take him all of eternity to figure that out, Rachel was thinking. It was now 1:04 AM and she was very tired but her thoughts were preoccupying her. She closed her eyes and after a long time, she was asleep and dreaming.

"Yeah? And why is that?" Rachel was asking Cedric. They were sitting hand-in-hand on a starry, cloudless night on a brick wall somewhere with a fountain nearby.

"'Cause we're the only two people that exist right now. Well, to me, at least. You're the only person on my mind. Now and always," he replied. Rachel smiled.

"Exactly my case, Romeo," she replied. Cedric's turn to smile.

"So, Juliet?" he asked.

"So, Romeo?"

"Love at first sight: do you believe in it?"

"Hmm . . . you tell me," she replied. She put her hands on his face and they both leaned in for their first - BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Rachel's alarm clock went off. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! It continued.

"UGH! First I can't sleep 'cause of him, then I don't want to wake up and I have no choice but to wake up 'cause of the stupid alarm clock!" she shrieked at the clock, which was still beep-ing. She sat up and slammed the snooze button. Lazily, Rachel got up and got ready for school. She grabbed her jacket and a nutrition bar on her way out of the house, headed for Diane's house.

"Couldn't wait ten more freaking seconds," she muttered as she knocked on Diane's door. She continued muttering and gnawking on her nutrition bar angrily as Diane walked out.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi."

"What's up with you?" Diane asked.

"My stupid alarm clock, that's what's wrong. I woke up when I least wanted to."

"Ooh, why, who were you dreaming about?" Diane said, giving Rachel "the look."

"Nobody," Rachel said. "Just me, and . . .," she trailed off.

"A certain deformed Arctic mammal?"

"You know what, Diane? Say, 'Irish wrist watch.'"

"Why? What does that have to - "

"Just say it."

"Fine! Irish wish wrarsh - damn it." she said. "Iris rish - shit, dude! Why are you making me say 'Irish wirsh' - that word!"

"'Cause I knew it would make you angry. And make me feel better," Rachel replied. Sure enough, she did feel better when nobody else could say the phrase "Irish wrist watch." "Oh, and it's three words," she added.

"You know what? You say it," Diane challenged.

"No problem." Rachel cleared her throat dramatically and said,"Irish wrist watch. Irish wrist watch. Irish wrist watch. Irish wrist watch. Irish wrist watch. Irish wrist watch. Ir -" she repeated several different times, but Diane interrupted her.

"OKAY! I get it. You can say it." Rachel laughed. Diane blew a rasberry.

"When are we gonna get to Ella's house? It' freezing!"

"Yeah, it is. Can't wait go get inside. Is there any chance I'll get some of that coffee?" Rachel asked hopefully.

"After what you put me through? No, no chance."

Rachel sighed. "Please? Pretty please?"

"Um, no."

"Pretty, pretty please? With sugar on top?"

"Just sugar?"

"And hot fudge and - and sprinkles and a cherry and - and coffee! It's soaked in coffee, it's coffee flavored, it's covered in coffee beans, chocolate-covered cofee - no, espresso beans!"

"Eh. Take away the sprinkles and you got a deal."

"Oh, thank you! Now, gimme!"

"'Please' would do."

"Ugh. You suck. Please, give me the coffee."

"Here." By this time, the two were at Ella's house.

"Hey, guys," Ella said. "I am so tired. Let's go."

"Whoa!" Rachel yelled as she slipped on the wet, slippery sidewalk, spilling the hot coffee all over herself and the floor. "Holy shit, that's hot!"

"Haha! I mean, ha - are you okay, Rachel?" Ella asked laughing. She helped Rachel get up.

"Yeah, perfect, there's just scalding hot coffee all over me and I think I hurt my ankle."

"Really? Can you stand up on both feet?" Diane asked.

"I'll try - ouch! No, no. I can't."

"Well, put your arms on our shoulders, we'll help ypu walk," Ella offered.

"No way, she spilled my coffee," Diane refused. Ella and Rachel glared at her. "Kidding! Gosh. Here, give me your arm."

With her right arm on Diane's shoulders and her left arms on Ella's, they continued walking - or limping, rather - on there way.

"Hey, too bad you deformed seal wasn't here to help you," Ella joked.

"Yeah, oh well for me."

"Hey, speaking of the seal, guess who Ray had a dream about?" Diane said.

"Really, now?" Ella asked. "What was he doing?"

"Hey, don't be negative," said Rachel.

"I wasn't being negative. I asked a simple question of what he - "

"Yeah, yeah, but you were giving me that look again."

"Whatever, just tell me what it was about."

"Nothing, really. We would have kissed if my stupid alarm clock didn't start blasting its stupid noises." Rachel's bad mood was back.

"God, Rachel, what have you been eating?" Diane complained.

"Well, sorry for hurting myself purposely, just like I wanted it to go," Rachel replied sarcastically.

"You fat lard."

"I weigh less than you do!"

"How much do you weigh?"

"103."

"Ha! I weigh 98."

"Guys," Ella said. "Ooh, Rachel. Bus stop, right ahead."

"Your point?"

"Oh, please. You know my point."

"And I couldn't care less."

Diane, who now dropped Rachel's arm and looked straight at her, said, "Really, now?"

"Diane! Help me with her!" Ella yelled. Rachel, now forced to put her weight on only Ella, was falling over, and Ella was going down with her. Quickly, Diane grabbed Rachel's arm - non too gently, at that - and pulled her back up.

"Ouch, ouch. Ouch! Gently, please, Diane!" Rachel yelled.

"You are such a fat lard."

"Thanks a lot." Now, they reached the bus stop where they agreed to meet Cedric and his friends the previous day.

"Here we are. He better show up soon. I'm freezing," Diane complained.

"Do you do anything but complain, Diane?" Ella asked.

"Stop complaining about her complaining," Rachel complained.

"Here, sit down on the bench, you're making me tired," Ella said. They led her to the bench and sat on either side of her. After talking for about two minutes about several extremely important things (American Idol, David Archuleta, Twilight, chocolate, coffee, how to treat third degree burns, ect.), the girls heard footsteps behind them. They turned around and saw Cedric approaching alone.

"Hey," Rachel said as he reached them. "Where are, uh . . . ?"

"Hi. Skipping," he replied. "None of them feel like going to school today."

"And you?" Ella asked.

"Nah, I have to go to school. Can't stay home; my mom would kill me. And since I can't stay there, there's nowhere else for me to go. Plus, there's a test in science today and I gotta get an 'A' in science or I won't get that - "

"Okay, we get it! We didn't ask for a documentary, dude," Diane interrupted.

"Sorry," Cedric said. Rachel glared at Diane. She had a look on her face that said,"Be nice, would ya?"

"Let's get going," Ella started, "it's freezing." She stood up and so did Diane, but Rachel could not get up without help. Ella sighed and helped her up and soon Rachel's arms were around both of her best friends' shoulders.

"Uh, problem?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah, Ray's a fat lard."

"Di! Rachel tripped and hurt her ankle, and spilled burning hot coffee all over herself, and she can't walk so we're helping her," Ella explained.

"Ella, you're making me sound like such a klutz," Rachel said.

"Well, you kinda are. How many times have you fallen in the past week?" Diane asked. "Anyway, do you mind helping us, Cedric? Like I said, she's kinda fat."

"Well, thanks," Rachel said sarcastically.

"Cedric?" Diane asked again.

He agreed in no time. "Yeah, sure, I'd love to help."

"Hey, how come you get to have a break? I think she's fat, too."

"Is the negative commenting on my weight never gonna stop?" Rachel asked.

"No. Now shush and stop complaining, Fatty," said Diane.

"You're such a great friend," said Rachel.

"Uh . . . ," Cedric said, reminding the three that he was still there.

"Oh, yeah, someone to help. So, how 'bout it?" Diane asked again.

"I already said, I'd love to help." So, Diane lifted Rachel's arm over her shoulders and placed it on Cedric's shoulders.

"And I already said, it's not fair that you don't have to hold up Fatty," Ella repeated.

"That's okay, I think I can hold her up myself," Cedric said confidently.

"Are you sure? Like we said, she's - "

"I think he gets it, I'm fat, we all know that now," Rachel stated sarcastically.

"Yeah, I'm sure, I got it," Cedric repeated again. So now, Ella had given up Rachel's arm, too, and Rachel was leaning totally on Cedric with one arm on his broad, strong shoulders.

"Thanks, Cedric. I hope you don't mind," Rachel said guiltily.

"Oh, no. No problem at all," he replied, and grinned. Rachel smiled back.

"Come on, can we go now? We wasted half our time waiting for this one," Diane started, pointing at Cedric, "and on top of that, Rachel's broken herself, so we're gonna be slowed down, and if Mr. Browne says we're in trouble for it, I am so blaiming you guys, 'cuase my mom said yesterday that if I get in trouble one more time, I wont get that - "

"God, Diane, shut up! We get the point, we don't need a documentary," Ella yelled. "A simple,'let's go' would suffice."

"Who says things like 'suffice,' anyway?" Diane countered.

"It's called a sophisticated vocabulary, Di."

"See? Am I wrong?" Diane asked Rachel. Rachel just laughed as they walked towards the school.

Rachel sat in her Algebra 2 class, doodling in her green notebook - right now, she was writing 'Cedric' in extremely sophisticated calligraphy.

"Therefore, x equals the square root of the quantity three z to the negative fourth power times r . . . divided by y squared. Substitute z for eight . . . substitute y for six and four sevenths . . . and substitute r for 7. You have ninety seconds. Start," their teacher, Ms. Morlo, was saying. Ms. Morlo was a very strict woman, with a tight bun, thin face, thin eyebrows, and large glasses. Rachel, coming back to Earth, snapped out of it and began the problem on an empty sheet of paper she ripped out of her notebook.

After ninety seconds, Ms. Morlo called time. "Let's see, uh, Rachel. Why don't you give us the answer? she asked. Rachel, being excellent in Algebra, had solved the problem in no less than 50 seconds.

"I put the answer in scientific notation, is that okay?" she asked.

"Perfectly fine," her teacher replied.

"Okay, the answer is x equals three point eight nine zero three five . . . times ten to the negative fourth power?" she answered. Her teacher paused for a second, checking onher calculator, and said:

"No, sorry. That is wrong." Ms. Morlo began to right the problem on the board, and soon Cedric stopped her.

"Um, Ms. Morlo?"

"Yes, who called?"

"You made a mistake. Rachel's right," he said.

"Oh, am I? Hmm . . . I'm never wrong . . . ," she started, then she began re-checking her calsulations. Cedric saved her the trouble.

"You didn't carry out the negative in 'three z to the negative fourth power."

"Aah, yes, I see . . . well, both of you get an 'A' for correcting me. As it happens so very often, I believe you deserve it."

Rachel grinned gratuitously in Cedric's direction, and he smiled back.

"Yes, as it is, Rachel was correct. The three point eight - " Ms. Morlo started, but she was soon cut off by the bell. "Blasted bell," she muttered. The students were relieved class was finally over and they could escape to lunch. As Rachel gathered her books, Ella approached, giving her "the look."

"So he helped me out, big deal," Rachel said, rolling her eyes.

"You know it is. Ray, he is totally crushing on you."

"Who? Me? No!"

"Oh, come on! It's obvious!"

"I knew it would be," Rachel muttered.

"Huh?"

"See, yesterday, before I slept, I was thinking about what the hell he could have been saying in detention, and it kept me up until, like, one, and so I had to force myself to sleep, and - "

"Get to the freaking point!" Ella yelled.

"I thought that to you and Diane, it would be obvious what he would have been saying."

"It was. You are so stupid, Ray. He was gonna say that he likes you, but no, you had to get all up in his face and whatever and he got shy so he didn't say anything. Plus, it didn't help that me and Di were there. Haha, that rhymes. Me. Di. Ha. What was I saying?"

"You were saying the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." Ella seemed confused. "That Cedric likes me?"

"Oh, yeah, that. He does, Ray, it is SO obvious."

"But . . . me? Really?"

"You know what? You don't believe me!"

"No shit, Einstein."

"Shut up! We'll go ask Natalie."

"We can't, she doesn't know."

"How can you be sure?"

"I . . . I'm not . . . "

"Where's Delilah? Delilah, hurry up? I wanna get out of this class as soon as possible."

"Wait, you guys go on ahead, I wanna solve this problem," Rachel offered.

"Are you sure?" Delilah asked.

"Yeah, I'll get all weird if I don't."

"'Kay, whatever, but I'll stay and help. You can go on, Delilah, we'll catch up with you later.

In fact, Rachel did not want to finish the Algebra problem, but she wanted to listen to the rest of the conversation Cedric and his friends were having.

"I don't know yet," Cedric was saying.

"Yo, what do you mean, you don't know yet? Who you goin' with?" said someone Rachel could not identify.

"Samantha, okay? I'm going to the ball with Samantha, happy?" Cedric said, annoyed.

"Yo! You got Samantha?" Neil exclaimed. The only voice Rachel could really recognize was Cedric's and Neil's.

Hurt and upset, Rachel slammed her books shut, picked up her stuff, and would have stormed out of the class, except for her ankle, which the nurse had put a cast around. "Let's go," Rachel said to Ella, not waiting for anything. Ella picked up Rachel's backpack and helped her limp out of the class and to the elevator.

When they were in recess (Rachel quietly reading Romeo and Juliet, Ella just sitting there, not knowing quite what to say) Ella saw Samantha asking to go to Mr. Stalyctine. Ella felt extremely sorry for Rachel, and planned to do something about it. Quickly, she said, "Oops. I forgot my history book! I'm gonna go get it, Ray, see you in lunch." Before Rachel could answer, Ella was out of earshot anyway. She asked to go to Mr. Browne's class to get her book and on her way, she said hi to Samantha, who, being a you-know-what, just glared at her like she was piece of you-know-what. Going up to Mr. Browne's class, and pleased to discover that he wasn't there, she hid behind the door. As Ella saw Samantha leaving Mr. Stalyctine's room, she followed her to the staircase. They reached the top of the staircase, and Ella "tripped" on her foot, falling into Samantha, who, in turn, fell down the stairs.

Ella gasped dramatically. "Oooooh my God! I am so sorry, Samantha!" Ella was an experienced actor and knew exactly what kind of shocked guilty expression to have on and what very sorry voice to use.

"Oh my God, you are so dead, Ella!" Samantha yelled.

"I said I was sorry! Here, let me help you up," Ella offered. She ran down the stairs and, "accidentally," stepped on the back of Samantha's calf. "Oops! Soory! Again!" Helping Samantha get up, Ella said sorry one more time.

"OMG, it hurts to stand! You are so dead, b - " Samantha started, waving a finger in Ella's face and stepping closer threateningly, but Ella ignored her, turned around, and proceeded down the rest of the stairs like there wasn't an angry you-know-what yelling her head off behind her.

"Hey," Ella greeted Rachel in the lunch room once she got there.

"Hi. What took so long?" Rachel replied.

"Oh, nothing. Samantha had a little, um, accident," Ella replied, smirking.

"You didn't?!"

"What? You mean push her down the stairs? I would never!" Ella replied, "shocked" at the accusation.

"You're lying," Rachel stated, plain and simple. Ella cracked.

"How can you always tell when I'm lying?"

"I dunno, I just can. But what happened, is she at least okay?"

"What do you care?"

"True."

"I think she hurt her ankle, too, so she won't be able to dance." After that, Rachel didn't speak.