Disclaimer: I wish I had Taylor to help me study. Maybe it would make grad school a breeze. Alas, I do not. She belongs to Disney.
Taylor McKessie
New Years Day 2006
7:52 a.m.
"Happy New Year!" I called to my sister as I heard her pass by my room.
"Tay?" She poked her head in and frowned at me. "Don't tell me you're studying this early!"
I shrugged, pointing to my books. "The Scholastic Decathlon is only three weeks away. I have to be ready."
She stifled a giggle. "Dork," I thought I heard her mutter affectionately as she headed back down the hall.
I went back to my books. She didn't say it to be mean, and coming from my sister, it didn't bother me. I am a dork, if the definition of dork is someone who cares about her schoolwork and wants to succeed.
My sister was wearing last night's clothes. I'm sure she just got in from a party. I, on the other hand, went to sleep at a sensible hour, set my alarm so I could watch the ball drop with my parents, and then returned to bed, like any normal…uh, dork.
I wonder where my sister was last night. The biggest bash in town was probably the Evanses' party. I decided to go ask her. I don't care all that much about parties and such, but since most of my classmates were probably there, I was curious.
"Hey, at which party were you?"
My sister rolled her eyes at my grammatically correct question. "Sharpay and Ryan's. A few people I graduated with were going, so I tagged along." She raised her eyebrows. "And you want to know if he was there, don't you?"
I felt my cheeks grow hot, but I tried to ignore her tone. "I made no inquiries about any specific guest," I tried to say nonchalantly, but my sister, being my sister, saw right through me.
"Yeah, whatever. He was there. He looked kinda bored, though, without his buddy Troy. Those two are so in love with each other." She made a face. "You should have gone. You might have been able to talk to him."
"Oh, sure. Like he would ever talk to me."
"Chad seems like a good guy, Taylor. Why wouldn't he like you?"
"Shh!" I hissed. "Don't say his name out loud!"
She stared at me, probably wondering if it was okay to laugh in my face. "Why are you being so ridiculous about this? If you like him, you should ask him out."
Yeah, right. My sister has no idea what she's talking about. Chad and I have had exactly five conversations in our entire lives. Four of those conversations involved him leaning over to me in homeroom and asking for help with his homework. I always obliged, but I really shouldn't have. But he looked so cute with those pouting lips and those pleading eyes…
Ahem.
The fifth conversation occurred this September in study hall. I was reading a book on the history of opera, and Chad asked if my book mentioned Andrew Lloyd Webber at all. While I was busy putting my eyes back into my head, he grinned a heart-melting grin and launched into a discussion about his favorite "Phantom of the Opera" songs. I managed to hold my own in the conversation, and I was sorry to hear the bell ring signaling the end of the period. That was the first time I actually started to think of Chad as a person, and not just as Troy the Basketball Man's flunky.
I encouraged my thoughts to return to the present. That was September, and we haven't spoken since.
"You went to East, sis. You remember what it's like. Jocks do not mix with brains, remember? No matter what. Besides, he's a Neanderthal," I added for good measure.
My sister shook her head. "You're missing out, babe. You really need to do more with your life than study."
I crossed my arms, offended. "I have a perfectly good life. I have school, and babysitting, and student council, and yearbook…"
She gave me a look that could curdle milk.
"Fine, fine. I'll call Martha Cox and see if she wants to come over."
"No way. If you call that Martha girl, she's just going to come over and study with you. Doesn't count as socializing."
I huffed in defeat. "Okay. I'll invite her to the mall this weekend. You can drive us."
She was happy about that. "Sounds good."
Now that she was mollified, I could go back to the Scholastic Decathlon. "I'll let you get some sleep," I called as I headed back to my room.
I can get in about another hour or so of studying before my parents wake up. I do my best work when the house is quiet.