“Oh, now you say ‘stuff.’”
She smiled at me, and it caused me to chuckle. We muffled our laughter as the teacher started her lecture, rushing us through our homework so we could get to ‘the good stuff,’ as she called it. And while I loved my English class—mostly—this book we were reading could go kick rocks. It was the first book in all of high school I’d been forced to read that I didn’t enjoy one damn bit.
Catch-22 could suck my—
“I really don’t like this book.”
Aly’s murmur caught my ear and it made me grin.
“Me, neither. Don’t worry.”
She sighed. “Switching the points of view the entire time between, like, seventeen different characters is just a bit much.”
I snickered. “Can we put that on Amazon somewhere? I feel like we should warn the masses.”
“Is there something you’d like to share with the class, Clint?”
The teacher called me out and everyone turned to face me. Aly started giggling, hiding her face with her notebook as a grin trickled across my cheeks. I liked this. I liked talking with her in class. I had no idea how the fuck I’d ever stayed friends with the likes of Roy and Marina. But, I didn’t see myself ever trading what I had now for what I’d had in the past.
The teacher cleared her throat. “Clint?”
I licked my lips. “I was just telling Aly here that we should write up a review on Amazon, warning people about the painful point of view changes in the book.”
The teacher nodded. “What don’t you like about them?”
I shrugged. “For one, it’s distracting. By the time you come back around to a character’s story, you have to flip back to their last chapter to see where their story left off. It’s tedious.”
Roy sniggered. “He’s actually reading the book, for fuck’s sake.”
Marina murmured. “Guess loser pussy really changes you.”
The teacher diverted her attention. “Roy. Marina. Anything to add?”
And when they shook their heads, Aly snickered.
“What’s that for, bitch?”
Marina blurted out the statement and the teacher’s jaw dropped open.
“Marina. Up here. Now.”
She stood up. “No. I want to know why this goody-two-shoes thinks she can judge us just because we don’t like reading these shit books.”
Roy grabbed his girlfriend’s arm. “Just get up to the front of the class.”
“Hell, no! I’m tired of Allison and her judgmental glances. I’m tired of them thinking they’re better than us. Just because the rest of us Sparknote this shit doesn't mean it makes her any better that she actually reads the books. And Clint, for that matter. Fucking loser after that fall of his. You’re no better than—”
“Detention! Both of you! For the rest of the week!”
The teacher’s exclamation caught our ears. Her words caused Aly to panic.
“Wait, who?”
The teacher crooked her finger. “Roy. Marina. Up here, now. And if you so much as make another peep, I’ll move to have you both suspended from school. Until further no
tice.”
Roy slammed out of his desk, scooting it across the floor. He jumped at a couple students staring him down, who all jerked back from him. I shook my head, watching as the dynamic duo made their way to the front of the class. Marina kept staring Aly down. Like she was about to do something drastic. I reached my hand out, placing it on Aly’s desk. Marking my territory and letting them know that if they messed with her, they messed with me, too.