Anyone But You

Chapter 7 - Erin

 The first week of school passed in a haze. Starting up the news paper again in my new role as head editor. Starting new classes. Meeting new teachers. But the same lectures about the importance of each class and trying your hardest and blah blah blah.

I fell into a routine that I had become accustomed to by the end of my junior year. Each morning, after a restless sleep, I woke early to go for a jog. Put myself on fast-forward autopilot as I got ready and hitched a ride in Tyler's car as he came - late, as usual, but I don't have a car, so who am I to complain? - to pick up Mark and Nate. Spend majority of the car ride making a point to ignore Nate as I asked the other boys if they had done their homework. Maybe this makes me sound like a mother, but this daily question was usually followed by a string of cursing and scrambling to write down their homework last-minute. I was totally used to this, and yet the boys never seemed to learn. We arrive at school and within seconds, the boys are swarmed by bunches of people saying hello and loud jocks cracking perverted jokes while I am ignored. I know. It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. Almost like being in the presence of celebrities. Except the only exceptional thing they do is play football. And I'm far from being starstruck.

I continue through another day that seems like it will never end. This year, things are slightly more bearable because I find that I share several classes with Mark and Tyler. And yes, Nate, too. Since when is he in AP English?

And I'm not going to deny it. Dean and I never share any classes, because he's... well, not smart enough to be in the same advanced and honors classes as me. I know that makes me sound horrible, but Dean does just enough academically to keep his position on the basketball team, and never earns a point higher then what is expected of him.

Now, seating at lunch is always difficult. It's pretty ridiculous that I have to deal with this, but I can't mix the basketball and the football team. Whenever Mark and Tyler are in the same room as Dean, they become stony and talk between their teeth. So I've learned the hard way not to force them all together while I'm trying to enjoy my lunch. Besides, no matter how you put it, Mark, Tyler, Nate, and Dean are Big Men On Campus. They're popular. Yes, because of sports, but everyone still knows them. And what popular ball player do you know eats lunch quietly with three close friends?

Hold on, I'll give you a minute to think about it. That's right. There isn't one.

And I've never fit in with the popular crowd. Mark, Nate, and Tyler don't really either, but they deal with it. I guess it's a guy thing to take popularity naturally. You know what? Most girls are like that, too. Maybe I'm alone here, too. Anyway, Dean is the only one who handles attention with complete ease. Even having me as his girlfriend didn't cause too much trouble, while by high school statistics,it should cause a full-out riot, but Dean was just THAT popular. So while the men in my life bask in the glory of being popular, I make every excuse I can to stay away from the cafeteria. That's surprisingly easy because the news paper needs my constant attention. Otherwise I have to make the ridiculous decision of which overcrowded table I should sit with and be ignored. 

Getting driven home is just as painstaking. I don't have a car, and my friends insist on driving me. For the record, I do know how to drive, as Mark taught me how in junior year, I just can't afford a car right now. And that shouldn't be a problem, living in a small town, where you can walk anywhere. But I end up with a ride home everyday, anyway. And for some reason, this is always a big production.

I blame sports. Everyday after school, I spend at least an hour working on the news paper, while Mark, Tyler, Nate, and Dean are at team practices. There was an unspoken decision that the days they drove me home would be split. Yeah, another hair-brained decision that makes no sense. Anyway, Dean drives me home on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, while I get a ride in Mark's Jeep the other days of the week. Seriously, walking would be way easier.