Hearts, Roses, and Thorns (HR&T)

Chap. 4 "Summoning Familiars"

Yeah, I thought, for my stick figure comic I'll have a doo-rag. I was doodling before history class during second period, trying to burn time. Although first period was uneventful, the blonde on the back row of my first period looked like she recognized who I was and it made me uneasy. She also retreated to her phone in a very suspicious way, either texting, playing a game, or both. I was never skilled at texting, just as soon as I learned to text on my flip-phone it was the slide-phone, then the iPhone 3GS and THEN the iPhone 9. Ugh, change frustrates me.

The teacher came in, a faded blonde of Caucasian ethnicity, and set a textbook on her desk nonchalantly. No, not set, TOSSED the textbook almost carelessly. I felt my ears ringing from the book's clap upon the teacher's desk. No, were my ears bleeding? This is going to be interesting, sarcasm intended.

Then the door opened and a familiar face stepped through and my heart both sunk and skipped a beat. The Hispanic boy in front of me sat up in his seat as well.

"Sarah Rose," the teacher droned looking at her roll-call sheet, "I didn't know you were my second period."

She hurried towards the seat in the back behind the new kid in the leather jacket... me. While she was coming down the aisle she was apologizing,

"I'm sorry Ms. Richards-"

"Hold on, Ms. Rose." She stopped just before sitting in the seat behind me, I can't remember the last time I was this tense. The teacher looked at the roll call sheet and then asked to see her schedule. The air slowly returned into my lungs as she went to the front and handed the teacher the requested slip of paper. Ms. Richards smiled and mouthed discreetly, 'next door' and bid her leave with a nod. Sarahlinn hurried out the door and muttered,

"Shoot! Thank you Ms. Richards!"

A voice popped up next to me, "Word of advice," as the door clapped behind the Rose, "don't stare, dead giveaway."

I looked towards the sound, "Excuse me?"

"Colton Boxwell," the boy introduced without even looking at me, "you're welcome."

I puckered my lips, I wasn't staring at her... was I? I glanced back at the blonde from first period and she retreated back into her phone. Weird. Come to think of it, the guy in front of me was staring at Sarah as well.

"Well," the teacher announced finally, "we have a new student today!"

Oh dear God, I thought.

"Try not to think aloud either." Boxwell said.

***

Well, that class period sucked. At least it's in the past just like the history Ms. Richards taught. The irony...

Third period was math which happened to be next door and also the class the Rose girl was in. Wait why am I keeping tabs on her? I shook my head and sat down at a desk near the center of the class. I noted muffled rock music playing and looked towards the guy on my right. I looked at him like some serial killer. He. Has. Music?!

Hmph, I thought, he's hiding the earbuds in his hoodie. Then she looked at me and I pretended to be observing the people coming in. I can't believe I thought that girl was a guy! Soo embarrassing!

"Hey," she took an earbud out and nearly jumped from my seat in recognition of the woman's voice, "I know you."

Tell me how this could get any worse?

"You called me a..." she huffed in frustration, "what was it?"

"Uh..." I denied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"God you're worse at lying than Alisha is. Maybe I should have pity on you or give you some lessons?"

"Look," I said giving up on convincing this Uruk-kai that I'm not the guy she's talking about, "about your friend-"

"Yeah, yeah, she fell down the stairs I know. Shut up before you get in trouble."

As if on cue, an elderly man stood up and started reading the roll call. I looked at the Olag like, you started talking though! Ugh, can I move? No, I sighed and clasped my hands in front of me tightly on the desk, moving now would be rude. Gotta face my problems sometime.

Once the teacher had his back to us blabbering on about arithmetics I heard snickering behind us.

"I ship them."

"Yeah, two weeks and Hannah will have him on a leash."

I glanced at Hannah and she met my eyes before turning to them with exaggerated slowness.

"If I hear any more," she said pointing, "between me and him. You twins won't be identical."

I glanced back and noted the two clones of brunettes with a glower on their faces. They obviously did not like Hannah for some reason, past beef? I glanced back at the teacher explaining how to solve for 'X'. Wait... X, ex...

I glanced back at the twins, Ohhh.

"Twenty bucks?"

"Twenty bucks he'll be kicking her around with his third leg?"

"What," I said in a hushed tone, "did she say?" I added, "Shut the hell up."

Hannah gave me look, wondering whether or not to thank me until she did saying, "Thanks, maybe your not so bad after all... but we're still not friends."

The rest of the period was quiet but I did toss a glance back and saw the twins sharing notes. Pfft, I thought, figures. Once the period ended one of the twins snickered.

"What happened to the Hannah of last year huh?"

"Shut the hell up." She hissed.

"Yeah," the other twin joined in, "where are the smiles and bright clothes?"

"That," she sassed before grabbing her books and walking away, "was so last year."

I glared at the twins briefly and strode into the hall. Gosh, I thought, I feel like some Elder Scrolls character summoning familiar people in each class. Then the next thing you knew, a flash of blonde, and then I thought my ears bled when Makayla screeched,

"Allen!"