It Started in the Classroom

Chapter 8

    Annamarie and I had a fun, long night on the first day of school. When we got her settled, we watched all three Despicable Me movies in order and Nonna popped us some popcorn on the stove. Throughout the movie, we talked about the boys in our class and who we would fuck, marry or kill. That caused us to laugh for about an hour when we started to list boys from other homerooms. I got the yearbook from last school year so we could match the name to a face. When I mentioned wanting to hit on Sam, Annamaire suggested looking up pickup lines that we would practice on each other. That caused us to make stupid jokes that made us burst out laughing. Nonno had to come in several times to tell us to settle down and go to bed since it was late. Every time he left, we would apologize only to burst out laughing again a couple minutes later.

    Several days have passed, about three or less tired-filled weeks or so ago, and we're all still sitting in Mr. Howard's class. My other classes have gotten a little hard, especially Math 4 and Ap Environmental Science, but I have a good teacher for that class.

    I sit where I sat on the first day of school. A few people changed where they sat, but it's mostly the same. Emilia sits closer to the front now, and Yukina now sits next to Chiho (she used to sit a row and one back from Sam). It's September 12th. Last Monday was Sam's seventeenth birthday! He didn't do anything to celebrate with the class (he had dinner with his family), which I was a little upset about, but I did give him a small gift for him to let him know that I care. I made him some vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting and got him a Minecraft Lego set. He also got some things from his friends, but I know he was really happy to get something from me, and told me that he would build the set right away. I don't think he gets a lot of gifts from girls... Which is why I want to step in, but not in a creepy way. He sent a picture when he finished building it. Annamarie was joking that he should send another photo.

    We're going over attendance. All but Gavin Coxx is here, apparently he's still moving from England. (Philip caught the bus this morning, he has the same stop as me.) Sam tells the class that Gavin and his family are having a nightmare of a time moving. Something about the company or something? And guess what?! The Queen of England died on the eighth of September, and they're having a week of mourning! So Gavin and his family are going to be even more late! I feel back for the Queen and her family, but still, a week? But he should be here around October-ish? He's going to miss a lot of school if he gets here around October...

    "Okay, class... settle down..." Mr. Howard tells us, using his hands in the "calm down" motion. PD finishes laughing with Hector, Emilia closes her makeup compound, and Joey stops telling this story about someone jumping off a waterfall and surviving, but slipped on a banana peel the next year and died by hitting his head. Annamarie sighs and raises her head off her desk. She didn't get a lot of sleep last night, I noticed it on the bus. She was exhausted. She told me she was fine, that she was up late last night studying, but I know she barely studied, but then again, she is taking a lot of AP classes.

    "Okay, so we're planning on going on a five night, six day beach clean up trip on September twenty-fourth, which is next-next Monday. The camp is called Camp Tide, and I'm expecting-"

    "You're pregnant?! Congratulations!" PD intrudes, which makes half of the class giggle. Derek gives PD an annoyed shove, which PD looks at him like, "Whatcha do that for, bitch?!"

    "I'm not pregnant, PD, I'm not a female, and only females can give birth," Mr. Howard says in a bored tone. He clears his throat and continues. "As I was saying... I am-err - counting on you all to help Camp Tide with their beach clean ups and activities."

    "Like what?" Alexander asks.

    "Like corn hole, crafts, that kind of boring bonding camp stuff to keep you all busy," Mr. Howard rolls his eyes, rolling his hand in a circle as he explains. "We also get free time in the afternoon to hangout on the beach."