"Jordan, I need help on this problem."

Grr, I hate helping people. Work, work, work, lame.

"Okay, what do you need?" I smile.

On the inside, I'm crying and chucking my desk across the room.

"Number seven," Julia says. Julia, the girl known for being abnormally short. She has bright red hair, and is always wearing these overall dresses. Fashion statement here, folks.

I find number seven on my paper and sigh. The hardest one on the paper. This will take years to explain. I will have all the hair ripped out of my head by the end of this class.

I give her an unsure look. "You know, I didn't really understand that one. It would probably be best to ask Sam."

She nods and tells me that's a good idea, then leaves. Mental fist pump.

Back to work. Yikes. That looks impossible. Slightly. Okay, okay... We learned about starting with... Aha! Yes, yes. You are awesome, Jordan. Look at that, another problem done.

By the end of class I am very proud of myself, yet very mentally exhausted. Math.

Ray is waiting outside of my classroom, smiling. I raise my eyebrows at him in question. He just gestures for me to walk with him. Ah, that's right. We have science together.

"How was math?"

I groan. "Math is math. What do you think?"

Ray chuckles. "That's true, math is math."

I nod. Mutual understanding. Thank you.

We enter the science classroom and sit down before the bell rings. Mr. West begins class in his lecture-lecture-lecture-don't-you-dare-fall-asleep-lecture-lecture way.

Ray looks like he wants to throw himself out the window. I'm about ready to do the same. We can die together. It'll be a huge protest thing, we can even hold a sign to make it official: NO SCHOOL OR WE'LL JUMP OUT YOUR WINDOWS!

Mr. West is droning on and on about who knows what.

And I start watching the clock.

*******************************

"Hey, Liz! I haven't seen you in a while, cutie!" I smile as she sits in her seat.

"Hey, don't call me cute," Lizzie frowns. "I'm getting older, you know."

I laugh. "You are cute. Am I supposed to lie?"

She shakes her head and does the zipping-my-lips action.

There's a package full of the newest book arrivals on the counter and I pull them out. That shelf, this one, this shelf, that one over there. Is that a real last name? Those go on that shelf. Ah, all the way over there? Inward groan.

"Can I ask you something?" Lizzie yells from her chair.

Place book in its spot, yes. "Sure, ask away."

"Why can't I decide my own name? What if I hate mine?" She asks, frowning.

"Why, do you hate it?" I ask.

"Maybe," she shrugs.

"What would you choose if you could pick?" I ask, looking over my shoulder as I place another stack of books in their spots.

"For sure Jenny," she smiles.

I laugh. "Jenny's a good name. I think Lizzie suits you though."

"You do?" She looks uncertain. "I think it sounds like a baby name, and I am certainly not a baby. Jenny is like an old person name."

"So you're not a baby, you're an old lady?" I ask laughing.

"No, not that old! Like, older," Lizzie laughs too.

I nod my head. "Okay. That's better."

"And what about you? What would you change your name to?" Lizzie asks.

I tap my chime with my free hand. Names... I used to write down lists of my favorite name all the time, this shouldn't be hard. "Ezmirelda," I laugh.

Lizzie scrunches her nose. "Ew, that really is an old lady name."

I nod. "I'll be an old lady soon enough."

*********************************

'I just realized something terrible.'

'Which is...?' -Sierra

'I don't know how to dance.'

'Oh, that's not a problem. The guy always leads.' -Sierra

'I'm going to make a fool of myself.'

'Not as much of a fool as Ray already knows you are.' -Sierra

'Real funny.'

'Hey, it's true.' -Sierra

'I need to get a new best friend. I think I'll set up a sign up sheet.'

'You'd probably only have one signature.' -Sierra

'You sure about that?'

'Yeah, and it would be your mom.'

'You are the hugest jerk ever.'

'Would you like me to come over so you can practice?' -Sierra

'You're the best.'

I must seem totally antisocial and awkward to everyone. I know nothing about acting cool at parties or dancing or anything.

A few minutes later, Sierra barges into my room. She hurdles herself onto my bed which throws me up into the air. I squeal and grab the blankets for stability.

"Ready to learn to dance or what?" Sierra laughs.

"Hey, it's a serious matter," I point an accusatory finger at her.

She continues to laugh as she pulls me off the bed. She places her hand on my hips which sends me into a fit of laughter.

"Shut up, moron, this is a serious matter," Sierra taunts.

I swat her hands off of me and take a few steps away from her.

"What was that about?" Sierra quirks am eyebrow.

"I'm ticklish, okay?" I laugh again.

Sierras shakes her head. "Oh my gosh. Okay, if you do that when you're with Ray, he's going to play the I-don't-know-this-chick thing."

I collect myself and stand in front of Sierra again. "Alright, I'm ready."

She puts her hands on my waist again and I have to bite my lip hard to keep the laughter inside of me.

"Hands on my shoulders, or even around my neck if you please," Sierra says.

"Alright," I obey her.

"You're just going to rock back and forth and look into each others eyes an all that crap," Sierra says, moving me side to side, staring me in the eyes.

"Okay, got it."

"And make sure your breath doesn't stink. Brush your teeth like five times tomorrow before we leave. And bring breath mints," Sierra tells me. "Trust me, that would be the worst."

I nod an laugh. "Okay."

"Smile a lot," Sierra says. "Guys dig that."

I nod in response and flash a smile at her.

"Not that kind of smile, Jordan," Sierra laughs. "A... Pleasant smile."

I raise my eyebrows. "A pleasant smile?"

"Like, an oh-look-at-those-pretty-flowers-and-little-squirrel smile," Sierra nods.

"I hate squirrels."

"Fine, look at the little bunny rabbit," Sierra rolls her eyes.

"What on earth are you guys doing?"

Sierra and I leap about five feet apart and whip our heads to the door where Jacob and George are staring at us.

"Uh... Uh... We... Uh..."

They both burst out laughing and Jacob actually has to grab the doorway for stability.

"Hey, I don't know how to dance, okay?" I defend, crossing my arms. "Sierra was being a nice friend and came to show me how."

Jacob shakes his head, wiping tears out of his eyes. "I was here, you could've asked me to help you."

I shake my head. "Not a chance. You would've been doing this the entire time. You are a jerky, sad excuse for a brother."

Jacob presses a hand to his heart. "That was mean. I think I'm gonna go cry in a corner."

I nod. "Go ahead. Nobody's stopping you."

They both leave, talking and laughing with each other and I feel my face going bright red out of embarrassment. Wow, I'm a nerd.

"Okay, where were we?" Sierra asks, smiling and shaking her head.

"Right, right."

At least I won't make an idiot of myself. Most likely.