"Hi Luke," I squeeze in on the bench next to him. The cafeteria is full of rotten smelling garbage, and gossiping chatter.

    "Hey..." he responds, confused.

    "Adriann." I remind him, yet again.

    "Hey, Adriann." he takes a bite of his apple. Even the way he eats is appealing.

    "What's up?" I ask, cooly.

    "Why are you sitting here?" he stares at his tray. Is he embarrassed to be sitting next to me? How can I blame him. The tornados of judgement at this school can ruin not only someone's reputation, but their spirit as well.

    "I just feel like it," I cross my legs under the table.

    "Okay." he scoots over, a little further from me.

    "Hey," A gust of wind directs my attention to the left side of the bench.

    "Ari," I smile.

    "Hey, Adriann." he grins at me, plopping his tray onto the table.

    "Sup?" I ask him.

    "Nothing much, sup yourself?" he shrugs his shoulders, a little stressfully.

    "I've got detention after school," I shove a grape into my mouth.

    "Same here." he grins.

    "What could Mr. Golden Boy possibly have done?" I cross my arms, eminently.

    "I may or may not have done something during last period." he scoots down into his seat, shrinking with embarrassment.

    "Do tell me," I respond, completely forgetting that Luke Solton is sitting right next to me.

    "I wrote down your chant on a piece of paper, and tried to pass it to someone..."

"Thanks for raising awareness," I snort.

"Hey, I'm trying to help you out." he narrows his eyebrows at me.

"Fine, fine." I roll my eyes.

"Anyways, Ms. Ashford picked up the slip, and read it to the class. You know, it turns out teachers are against no homework." he bows his head, defeat occupying his posture.

"Wow, I had no idea teachers enjoy spending their weekend grading our papers." My jaw drops to the floor, astonishment overwhelming me.

    "Why did that sound sarcastic?" he asks, confused.

    "I'm fluent in sarcasm. Sometimes it just naturally comes to me." I shrug my shoulders.

    "So I've noticed," he scoffs.

    "Shut up, Ar." I use my pet name for him, as I gently shove his shoulder.

    "Ahem," Luke Solton interrupts. Did I hear that right? Luke Solton just asked for my attention! Maybe he was asking for Ari's attention though... No. It was for mine. Luke doesn't even know Ari. Well they do know each other...but I've had more conversations with Luke. I begin to count the amount of times I've spoken to Luke Solton. Five. Actually five isn't that good...I should probably work on that.

    "Yes?" I turn back to Luke, crossing my left leg over my right one.

    "I'm going to leave, I don't want to third wheel." He stands, and picks up his tray. I stare in dismay as he begins the journey to the table of plastic people.

    "No! Wait! We're not a thing!" I call after him. He shrugs, hearing my remark, but not acknowledging it.

    "Funny how he thought we were a couple," Ari laughs. Something about that laugh is different. Do I sense a shudder in his chuckle? A slight shakiness in his giggle? A slight smirk on his face? He's probably just disgusted by the idea of being with me. Like every other guy and girl.

"Ayyy! Kloshua!" I call to Khloe and Josh, addressing them formally with their ship name I created. I swear, someday invitations to events will be addressed to a ship name, not a couple. It's gonna happen. Our world is like that.

Josh and Khloe plop their trays on the table, scooting in beside me. "You know it's Jhoe, it's always been Jhoe, it's really not Kloshua." Josh contradicts me again.

"Hey I practically made you two a couple, I can choose the ship name." I fold my arms, like a pouting child who got a savings bond for their birthday.

"But Kloshua sounds like some gross vegetable," Josh pauses, "Like a cabbage or something."

"How does your ship name remind you of a cabbage?" I massage my temples. This is madness. They think I'm weird?

"That's not our ship name," Josh slaps the table in frustration.

"It's Jhoe," Khloe intrudes.

"Khloe, I got this." I put a hand up, stopping her.

"Kloshua is better," I lower my voice to an angry whisper.

"Is it really though?" Khloe whimpers. I rise up from my position, proving my authority with a sudden height change.

"Kloshua." the word barely comes out audible.

"Jhoe?" Ari peeps.

"Kloshua," I whip around to Ari. "Don't fight me, children." An announcement over the PA system rudely interrupts me. So inconsiderate.

"Good afternoon students," Principal Ratface greets us.

"Afternoon Ratface," I mutter in defeat.

"When lunch ends, please make your way to the gym for a school assembly. Your next two classes are hereby cancelled." A bit of static, then the PA gets cut off.

"Next two classes cancelled!" I leap on the table, and begin dancing, pure joy overwhelming me.

"Adriann, if the next two classes are cancelled for an assembly, it's probably going to be a long lecture." Ari explains to me, as if I'm a second grader.

"You think that I care? We're missing math and Spanish," I continue to move across the table, excitedly.

"Ugh." Khloe plants her head in her hands, as she sinks into her seat. The bell begins to ring, louder than ever.

"Agh!" I yell, pressing my hands against my ears, trying to drown out the treacherous noise.

"Let's get to the assembly," Josh tugs me from the table.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" I throw my arms up in misery, after losing my right to dance. "Is this Footloose or something?"

"When does it end?" Khloe stands from the table, looking at the ground, so as not to be noticed with me.

"Never," I answer. "C'mon slow pokes, you know how the stampede goes." We begin to rapidly increase our pace, and make our way to the assembly. "We've lost two," I alert Ari, looking over my shoulder. "Found 'em." I pretend to gag, seeing Khloe cuddled into Joshua's arm, as she leans up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Disgusting,"

"Like your love life," Josh coughs, and pecks Khloe's lips. I wonder what that kiss felt like? What is feels like to be kissed? Of course, I'll never know. I sigh a little. Am I really jealous of my best friend and her boyfriend? No, I'm jealous that she has someone and I don't.

"Hurry up, turtledoves." I roll my eyes, entering the doubles doors to the gym. Chit chat fills the echoey room, with lines of discouragement and untrue gossip. Probably most of which are being said about me.

I point to the back row of bleachers, and lead the four of us up the stairs. Daintily, I take my seat, beside Ari.

"Welcome students," Principal Ratface begins. "First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for giving up two of your daily classes. I know how much you all enjoy learning." That last sentence is followed by a perpetual amount of booing. "Today I'd like to talk to you all about sexuality."

This triggers a lot of scattered moaning. "Now, this school is extremely tolerant of all sexualities, but we have reached an agreement with the board, that lesbians and gays should not be showing public display of affection. We are completely supportive and accepting of sexuality, but expressing your sexuality publicly at school, has risen a few complaints from your peers. We want nothing more, than for the students of this school to be comfortable. We must enforce this rule, to ensure the satisfaction of the student body." Principal Ratface just set us back ten years. This is like Plessy vs Ferguson, separate, but equal.

"Did I just hear what I think I heard?" a girl asks, anger rising in her tone. She sits in front of me on the bleachers, her black hair in two extremely messy, fishtail pigtails. A black fedora rests atop her head, and a tight woven choker squeezes her neck. "That's so fucking insane!" she stands up, and looks around the sea of whispering students. She turns, and meets my eyes. I know her. It's Ava. "Excuse me!" she yells down to Ratface.

"If you have any problems, please write a letter, and drop it off in the suggestion box outside of the administration office. All letters will be read within the next month, and addressed as soon as possible. With that, Ratface gently places the mic back on the podium, and exits the stage.

So we just sit here the next hour and a half? That really wasn't worth cancelling two classes.

What Principal Ratface announced didn't quite hit me, till right now. "Wait," I begin. "That's fucking insane."

"I just said that," Ava throws her hands in the air. "So what is this? I can't walk down the hall, with someone I like holding their hand now?" I didn't know Ava was gay. I guess when I saw her, all I saw was a loner goth girl.

"You're gay?" I can't help but blurt out.

"You got a problem with that too?" she folds her arms, her dark eye makeup intimidating me into standing.

"No, no, of course not. I support gay one hundred percent, I just didn't know that you were." I quickly correct myself, worrying she may see me as biased.

"I'm not leaving a stupid letter for that ass-rat," she rolls her eyes, huffing.

"Then go talk to him," I reason.

"I will," she stomps. This girl has some anger issues, although I can tell there is a nicer person hidden underneath.

"I'll come," I assure her.

"Me too," Khloe jumps in.

"I'm going to write an anonymous letter, I'm in enough trouble right now." Ari acknowledges.

"I'll help you," Josh tells Ar.

"Let's go teach that ass-rat," Ava takes off down the stairs, and I quickly follow.

"I love that nickname," I explain her genius.

"So do I, now hurry up, Fangirl."

"Fangirl? This is what I get for wearing all these t-shirts," I sigh, and sprint after her, in order to keep up.

"Mr. Ass-rat." I laugh a little to myself.

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

Be sure to start checking the photos in previous chapters, and chapters to come. I have begun putting in the characters. If you're enjoying please be sure to give it a vote, I know it can be hard to remember but every vote means the world. Also comment what you thought or what'd you'd like to see :)