Tick-tock, tick-tock .. tick-tock, tick-tock ..

Could school drag out any longer? Honestly, once AP exams and SOLs are over and you don't have any final exams to take, the school should congratulate you for your hard work during your Senior Year and let you end school a week earlier than usual. Instead, we still have two weeks left of school, which is completely unnecessary. Now, all the teachers have nothing planned to do so they just give us superfluous end-of-the-year final projects that are useless. What is the point of school if all you do is sit in class with nothing to do but stare at the wall? It's worse than what people describe detentions as. I have to work on this stupid English project where I have to write a paper about myself - my 'story' - whatever that means, and read it in front of the class. Okay, a.) these questions are stupid because b.) it forces seventeen-eighteen year olds to define themselves under two pages or less which c.) is incoherently impossible to do. One of the hardest things to do in life is write an essay that asks you to describe yourself because in real honesty, as cliché as it may sound, we don't truly know who we are yet. We've only lived a short duration of our lives - just seventeen or eighteen years - and so, all I'm inclined to say is that I've attended school for the majority of my life.

    I bet if I asked a fifty year old man to write a paper about himself, he'd hesitate and stare blankly down at the paper, lost in his jumbled up thoughts. I haven't even stepped out into the real world yet and teachers expect me to write a paper about who I am. I don't have the slightest clue as to who I am and probably won't until I'm on my death bed, gasping for my very last dying breath. We, as students, are immediately judged and slapped in the face by a label that apparently defines who we are by society just because. There are the jocks, the cheerleaders, the losers, the class clowns, the artists, and the list goes on. But the fact of the matter is that once we leave high school, a majority of us will be different and defy the very labels that once defined us back in high school. The school jock won't always be a jock - he might end up in a lonely office cubicle trying hard to pay off last month's rent. The cheerleader won't always be the most popular girl in school - she might end up as a waitress working three part-time jobs to pay for night classes. Maybe those examples are a bit too harsh and a tad bit negative, but nonetheless, I'm just saying that we don't know who we are yet, so we shouldn't be given impossible questions like 'describe yourself' or 'what is your life story?'.

    At this point in my life, I'm Pennington Heights High School's second biggest loser. (Side note: Arnold 'Arnie' Seamen is the first biggest loser, you can only imagine why. A hint: his last name). I'm a complete nobody and invisible to everyone. I'm the loser who 'pooped' his pants in the first grade because I fell in a big puddle of mud during recess time. I'm the loser who's had the biggest crush on the most popular girl in school, Jane Donovan, since the second grade. I'm the loser who is the Valedictorian, yet is still bullied and ignored by everyone. I'm the loser who's even more irrelevant than the kid who wears the school mascot - the pirate - I mean, everyone hates the person who wears the mascot yet that kid is more liked than I am. I'm the loser who is obsessed with both astronomy and astrology (and knows the difference between the two), and owns a big telescope. I'm--

    "Wally, let's go. What are you still doing in here, the bell rang a few seconds ago." My best friend and only friend, Miles Miller, poked his head inside the empty classroom (even Mr. Finn had left the class). I quickly grabbed my backpack off the floor and got up, hauling it over my shoulder. Miles Miller has been my best friend since we were in diapers. His parents are best friends with my parents, so we just naturally became best friends. He isn't a big of a loser as I am, but since he hangs out with me .. he is. I feel bad for him. He had a lot going for him. He's very active in school - he is captain of the Varsity Boys Tennis team and also President of Key Club. Due to his easy-going and gregarious personality, he's accepted by society. But again, I'm the downfall of his high school career. I actually feel bad for him ... that he met me.

    "Sorry, I guess I was just ... daydreaming." I said as we walked out of the classroom into the busy hallways that I always refer to as 'The Highway to Hell'. See, my name is Wallace Dennis - Wally for short. I mean, other kids call me loser, dweeb, dork, four eyes (I wear glasses sometimes), bug eye, nerd, or just simply douche face. But I really do prefer Wally - just Wally. This is the hallway where I usually get pushed down, tripped, hit by paper balls, punched - just the average treatment most losers receive.

    "Were you daydreaming about Jane?" Miles asked me with a laugh as he pushed my shoulder in a jocular manner. "Well, there she is - your dream girl." He teased, cocking his head towards the gorgeous girl standing beside her locker with her friends, laughing and smiling, ultimately melting my heart for the millionth time. Jane Donovan isn't your usual stereotypical popular girl in school. Jane Donovan is nice, smart, funny, charismatic, hard working, caring, and just perfect. She's the President of our Senior class and a really good one, too, considering the fact that she's always been our class President ever since our Freshman year. She sings in the highest choir in our school, acts and sings in plays and musicals for theatre, selflessly organizes 5K runs for charity events - I heard she even won Prom Queen this year - you know, she's probably going to end up saving the universe one day. And to top it off, her father is apparently some big hot shot CEO of some huge company hence all the money her family has. She is the girl that every girl wants to be friends with. Jane Donovan is every boy's dream girl. And I, am one of the many guys who has a crush on her. She is the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on and I know that might not be saying much but she's a beauty. All the way from her auburn-red hair to her big hazel eyes (that are usually more brown than any other color) to her trademark red lips. Her bright golden, honey-glazed eyes caught mine and she simply looked away as if she didn't see me. 

Figures, I'm just lucky I got to look at her.

    "Shut up, man." I cleared my throat, bumping my elbow against his arm. "Well, where do you want to eat lunch today?" I asked, walking past Jane and her friends. And suddenly, I heard the most beautiful voice ever.

    "Uhm, it's Wally, right?" I completely froze as my eyes widened. I looked over at Miles who looked just as surprised as I was. I slowly turned around and saw Jane standing in front of me. "Wally, right?" She asked me again with a gentle smile.

    "Uh - uhm - ye- yeah - uh - m, my name's Wa-Wally." I stuttered as I shuffled around, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. Her friends giggled, probably pointing at me and thinking how big of an idiot I was. "Yeah, it's Wally - just Wally." I finally said with a sigh, smiling a toothless grin.

    She laughed. "Okay, Just-Wally, you're in my English class, right? Mrs. Northman's fifth block?" I nodded quickly. "When is the paper due, again? I'm sorry, I totally forgot to write it down, I mean who carries around an agenda, right?" Jane asked with a small laugh. I did. I still carried around my agenda. But not now - hypothetically.

    "Yeah, I don't." I chuckled as I lied, trying to act cool, which completely failed because I'm pretty sure it was written on my face that I actually did carry around and write in my agenda. Way to go, Wally.

    "Right," She said awkwardly as she looked at me. "Could you tell me when it's due?"

    "Oh, yeah, sorry." I said quickly, clearing my throat. "Uh, it's due in two weeks."

    "Oh, really? God, it sucks how she's still giving out these stupid essays. I mean, school's over, we should just get congratulated for working hard our Senior Year and be let out of school a little earlier into summer break." She joked, chuckling softly. My thoughts exactly, woah.

    "Yeah, exactly. That's what I'm saying. It's pretty pointless at this point - to hand out these random end of the year projects. Our grades are pretty much set in stone now, the projects aren't even worth a test grade - just a quiz grade. And besides, we're off to college in a month or so."

    "Ugh, I know." I couldn't believe it. Jane Donovan just agreed with me - no she's talking to me. "Anyway, thanks Wally. I was freaking out a bit because I thought it was due next class or something, which honestly, doesn't sound bad. Get it over with, right?"

    "Right," I said with a big grin on my face. I'm sure she and her friends thought I was some ax murderer at this point. But then, I heard a voice from just a few lockers down. I ripped my eyes away from her and glanced up to see Andy McPherson - the school's number one jock and my number one bully. Oh, yeah ... I forgot to mention. Jane Donovan is also very much taken by Andy McPherson - or so it seemed. They're an 'item', apparently. I don't know, but rumors say they're dating. Maybe the rumors are true. "Oh, you .. better go. I think he's calling for you." I told her as I gestured over towards Andy McPherson.

    Jane raised her eyebrows and turned around. She turned back and smiled at me apologetically. "Yeah, I-I better get going, now. Thanks again, Wally." Jane smiled and began to walk away with her friends trailing right behind her.

    "Congratulations, you have officially talked to Jane Donovan. How does that make you feel, Wallace Dennis?" Miles came over, stuffing a rolled up fist right below my chin as if he were holding a microphone.

    "Jane Donovan and I just had a moment." I turned to him as we started walking into the cafeteria. "A moment, Miles. You remember what I told you about a moment?"

    "Yes, you told me a billion times. A moment is 90 seconds." Miles said with a restless sigh, rolling his cerulean blue eyes with annoyance. "What are you doing Friday?" He asked as we grabbed ourselves lunch trays, standing in line for the bad cafeteria food that shouldn't even be fed to animals.

    "Uh, I was planning on just --"

    "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just planning on studying the stars, again?" Miles asked me, shaking his head as we headed towards an empty table.

    "Well, yeah. It's the Friday Ritual - you know how I always like to go out to the clearing and study the stars." I told him matter-of-factly. This is probably one of the reasons why I'm labeled as a loser.

    "Well, I heard there's going to be a crazy party Friday - our entire Senior Class is all invited."

    "Wait, even us?" I asked. He had to be lying. We were never invited anywhere.

    "Even Arnie, my friend." Miles put a hand on my shoulder, nodding as he let the words sink in.    

    "Why?" I asked after a while.

    "Maybe the Party god has finally listened to our prayers and opened up the gates to the glorious parties."

    "Where's the party at?" I asked as we sat down in an empty table - the one near the trash cans. It smelled horrible here, which was why no one sat here except us.

    Miles opened his water bottle, taking a long sip as he avoided my eye contact. He capped his water bottle again, smacking his lips followed by a refreshing, "Ahhh ... water is life."

    "Miles, where is the party being held?" I asked again, making sure he looked into my eyes to the point where I could see a clear reflection of myself through his eyes.

    "It's at the clearing - not your clearing, the other clearing - the one that's always populated unlike yours," Miles blurted out and nonchalantly took a bite out of his lasagna. "Mhmm, this is good." He said, trying to change the subject. But that wasn't going to work because Wednesday's Lasagna never tasted good. Ever.

    "Do you want to die? You know that's Andy McPherson's favorite spot to throw parties at. The second we step into his domain, we're dead meat." I said, shaking my head no profusely. There was no way I was going to that party.

    "Come on, he invited everyone. We have to go, Wally. We've never been invited to any of these before." Miles pushed, staring at me with desperate eyes. "Please? Just one party. We're seniors now, dude. This will be the last and greatest party of our high school career--"

    "Not to mention, our first party."

    "That, too, but hey. We're going to graduate in two weeks. Don't you think it's time to let loose and go to a party? And come on, dude, the party's at the freaking clearing. How the hell is Andy McPherson going to keep tabs on everyone who enters? He's not Gandalf the Grey, okay? He isn't going to stand in front of us and wield his wooden stick at us screaming 'YOU SHALL NOT PASS'."

    I gave him a duh-of-course-not-look. "Don't you find it strange that he invited everyone? He never does. What if he's trying to make this the greatest party of all of our high school career for everyone else except you, me, and Arnie? Isn't it a little strange?"

    "Stop being so doubtful. Don't you want to live a little?" Miles asked me, dropping his fork down. "Come on, please? For me?"

    "No," I told him, taking a bite out of the lasagna. I spit it back out.

    "I heard Jane Donovan's going to be there ..." Miles discreetly mumbled over to me as he took a sip of his water bottle, keeping a close eye on me.

    "I'll be there," I quickly told him, opening my water bottle and taking a sip.

    "Water tank!" A familiar voice yelled from beside me and before I knew it, Andy McPherson hit my water bottle up, the water spilling all over my chin and shirt ... and pants. An austere laugh ripped out of Andy's throat and throughout the noisy cafeteria, cutting off all conversations and laughter. But pretty soon everyone's eyes were on us - well, me. And what do you know? Everyone started laughing, pointing, and pulling out their phones to probably take a picture or tweet about me - whatever it is that high schoolers do these days.

Great, I was on the social media.

Miles glared over at McPherson and quickly grabbed napkins, handing it to me.

"What are you looking at, punk?" Andy suddenly asked Miles with his ugly face, glaring Miles down. (Side note: Okay, he isn't ugly. He is actually quite charming, even for a guy like me to say. He's handsome. But his personality just kills the charm).

I took the napkins from Miles and wiped the water off my chin. Miles was glaring up at Andy and before he ended up in the emergency room, I kicked his shoe. "He's not worth it, let's get out of here." I whispered over to him and grabbed my backpack, standing up. "Come on," I told Miles and grabbed my lunch tray.

Andy laughed and hit the lunch tray out of my hand, the food splattering everywhere on the ground. Again, everyone laughed. "Careful there, butterfingers." He told me, patting my shoulder with a sneer, slapping my back and walking off with his motley group of idiots wearing stupid tacky letter jackets that had 'PENNINGTON PIRATES' written in big white letters on the back. He called me 'butterfingers' because I was infamously known for being kind of, okay extremely bad at basketball, especially catching them. I'm just not all that into sports, I wasn't born with the coordinations to catch a ball and run while dribbling it. It was impossible and Andy McPherson never let that fact go.

Miles sighed and picked up the lunch tray off the ground. "Let's go, Wally." We put the trays on top of the counter near the garbage cans and left the cafeteria.

Miles said we should think the party over again. His exact words were, "Maybe it isn't the best idea." And then he left for AP Government.

Maybe losers were always just meant to be losers. Yeah, there is a fine border between the popular kids and the losers. It's a border that should never be crossed, like the 38th parallel between North and South Korea. It is the untouchable and uncrossable border, no one gets in and no one gets out. Only the lucky ones do and my dear friend, I lack luck.

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I have decided to write this again! I really hope I can continue this and finish it. It's been in my TO BE FINISHED list of stories for like two years now. I really hope I find continuous inspiration to write this! I hope you all enjoy and please drop a comment below to tell me what you think!

- Annie