You Are the Shell to My Tortoise | ✓

16

"Cheer up, Chels! You can have this," Ashley said, thrusting her dessert—a scrumptious-looking strawberry fruit tart—in my face. "Just study harder next time, okay?"

"Thank you," I said, mock sobbing as I took it from her. "You really are the best, Ash."

"You're so melodramatic," Derek said, rolling his eyes. "It's just a quiz. It's not like it's the final exam."

"I don't remember asking you for your opinion," I said, glaring at him. "When was the last time you even did any proper revision?"

He looked as though he was earnestly trying to recall it from his memories. "When we had finals last year ... maybe?"

"It was a rhetorical question!"

Melissa yawned and slumped against the table we were sitting at. "Derek, I can't believe Mrs. Henderson gave us two essays to complete for the weekend."

"I'm pretty sure it's just because she's in a bad mood," Derek said, sending her a semi-sympathetic look. "Simply looking at you sends her into blind rage."

Ashley broke out into laughter, which she quickly converted into hasty coughing when Melissa narrowed her eyes at her.

"No, it doesn't! Mr. Robinson says I'm a delightful student," she said, straightening up in indignation.

Out of everyone in our little group, only Derek shared the same biology class as Melissa. Ashley and I just watched them having their little squabble while we ate our food. I wished we had popcorn available as a lunch option.

"Yeah, only in gym. You're always sleeping in Mrs. Henderson's class," he said with a snort. "It'd be weird if she finds you delightful."

"At least I try to stay awake. It's not my fault she's so boring!"

"Are you sure you try? You sleep in her classes almost as often as Nolan does," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't understand why she hates on me but totally ignores Nolan snoozing just three tables away," she complained, tearing open her third ketchup packet. "I swear she sends me to detention far more times than she's done that to him."

"Maybe because he's indiscriminate about the classes he sleeps in," Derek said dryly. "I bet all the teachers know that Mr. Jameson's class is the only one you actually pay close attention in."

"Makes sense," I said, finishing the last bite of my fruit tart. "I can't blame Mrs. Henderson for bearing a grudge."

"Please! With the whole racket he was causing in class today he should be punished twice as hard as I was," Melissa said. "This is favoritism!"

I stared at her. "He caused a racket? I'm having trouble believing that."

Derek sniggered in the middle of chewing his California roll, and he had to cover his mouth with his hand to avoid spraying us with his spit.

Melissa wrinkled her nose at him. "Gross! I'm sitting right next to you. Can you not?"

He made a visible effort to swallow his food. "Man, I'm never going to forget what happened today. Mrs. Henderson looked like she was going to faint."

"If she hadn't assigned us two essays, I would have felt bad for her," Melissa said, swirling a fry in her deep ketchup pool.

"Why? What happened?" Ashley asked, leaning forward in her seat.

Melissa pointed her ketchup-dripping fry at her. "It's too bad you guys aren't in the same class as us. You missed the show!"

"I know you guys have never been taught by Mrs. Henderson, but her classes don't have arranged seating," Derek said, grinning. "Nolan came into class with this girl earlier."