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The Adventures of a Teenage Highschooler
Episode 1: “The Best of Both Worlds”
“Another year” Greg sighed.
“Hey, we’re seniors!” Joe pointed out. “It’s bound to be better!”
“Define better” Sam shot back.
“Let’s see: more homework, nastier teachers, cool snobs…yeah, I think that’s great” Nathan said sarcastically.
The four boys were standing in the middle of a crowed school corridor at East California High School. It was the first day was school so naturally everyone was still under the impression that it was still summer, meaning that everyone was rowdy.
Suddenly, the doors leading outside banged open and the corridor fell quiet…except for four certain boys.
“Oh Lord…” Greg moaned.
“It’s the Snob Squad” Joe sighed.
The “Snob Squad”, as Joe poetically put them, was the coolest kids in the school: Jake, Alicia, Francesca, Marina, Cara, and the ringleader Egor.
The group strutted down the corridor, their bags on their shoulders. Sam and Nathan gave Egor glares as he passed. Greg and Joe were lost in their heads, thinking how beautiful Francesca and Alicia looked respectively. Yep, Greg and Joe were in love with two members of the Snob Squad.
Sam and Nathan glanced at their friends and groaned at the same time. “Will you two give it up?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, there ain’t no way Francesca and Alicia will go out with you” Nathan added.
That snapped the two love-stricken boys out of their dreams.
“Don’t be such a spoil sport” Joe said and the four of them went to their lockers and started grabbing their things for first period. “Things are going to be different this year. I can guarantee you that by Halloween, Alicia will be my girlfriend.”
“What about you Greg?” asked Sam. “Where’s your grand proclamation of hope?”
Greg sighed and said “I’m giving up”
Joe dropped his books on his foot in amazement. “Are you serious?” he asked while gingerly rubbing his foot.
“Dude, you’ve had a crush on Francesca since freshman year!” Nathan exclaimed.
“Yeah, are you going to just to ignore it?” Sam chimed in.
Greg sighed again and the four entered their homeroom and sat down. “Look guys, Francesca’s drop-dead gorgeous and all of that, but c’mon, she’s part of the popular crowd. I’m one the geeky kids. There is no way in…”
“Greg?” asked an uncertain voice.
Greg stopped his explanation and faced the speaker, blushing madly.
Joe’s mouth fell open.
Sam fell out of his chair.
Nathan rolled his eyes at the lot of them.
Why?
Because Francesca had just spoken to Greg.
The blushing boy grinned nervously. “H-Hi”
Francesca ginned nervously back?! “Hi yourself. How was your summer?”
The entire class was stunned. Everyone knew Greg liked Francesca, but they also knew that Francesca spurned his advances. So, naturally, seeing Francesca voluntarily talking to Greg came as a shock.
Greg rubbed the back of his head. “Ah, it was okay. Me and the guys just hung out, did our homework, you know all that jazz”
Francesca nodded and smiled a smile that made Greg go weak. Lord, why did she have to do that?
“Anyway”, Greg said hurriedly to cover his lapse, “how was your summer?”
Francesca opened her mouth to reply, but then the door banged open and Egor walked in.
Quickly, Francesca snatched up a plastic cup from her desk and held it out to Greg. “Like coffee?” she asked.
Greg, slightly taken aback, answered “Sorta…”
Suddenly, Francesca opened the cup and dumped its contents on his head. “Just though you’d like some” she replied nastily as she returned to her seat, but not before as Greg saw something flash in her eyes.
Suddenly, the door opened again and the teacher, Mr. Bradshaw, walked in. “Mr. Henry…” he began, upon seeing his student, “why are you out of your seat and covered in coffee?”
Greg looked at himself and sighed, remembering what had happened a minute before. “Sorry, sir.” He apologized. “I…left a cup of coffee on my desk and bent down to pick up my pencil…and it just fell on me.”
Joe, Sam, and Nathan looked at him, shocked. Even Egor was amazed: Greg was taking the rap for something Francesca did…on purpose?
Sam opened his mouth to object, but Greg caught his eye and slightly shook his head and mouthed, Tell you later.
Mr. Bradshaw sighed. “Well, why don’t you get cleaned up then.” He said, pointing to the door.
Greg, not needing another prompt, hurried out the door.
* * *
At lunchtime, the four boys met outside the classroom. “Okay, Greg. What the heck was that about?” Sam demanded.
“Yeah, you could’ve—should’ve—dealt the Snob Squad a big blow!” Nathan exclaimed. Greg sighed and started walking to the lunch room. His friends hurried to catch up.
“Look guys” he said, pushing through the jostling crowd. “When she turned away, I saw something in her eyes. Something like regret. I don’t think Francesca meant to do what she did. As a matter of fact…”
However, Greg trailed off when a small group of people ran up to them. He grinned. “Hey Miley.”
Miley Stewart smiled in return. “Hey guys. We heard what happened in class earlier.”
“Yeah, why didn’t you turn Francesca in?” demanded a boy brown hair, brown eyes, brown jacket, blue jeans, and a polo shirt with orange and brown stripes.
Greg rolled his eyes. “I was just getting to that when you interrupted, Derek.”
“Yeah!” chimed in a blonde-haired girl. Then she blinked. “Wait, you were?”
Joe snorted and muttered something about “Lily’s blonde moments”, which caused her to punch him in the gut.
The final boy, one with long brown hair and blue eyes, shook his head. “Joe, Joe, Joe…when do you learn?”
Joe glared in return, while Sam fueled the flame by saying, “Oliver’s right, Joe. When will you learn?”
Greg coughed, stopping the bonfire. “Okay…now, can I continue?” he asked. When no one replied, he sighed. “Look, Francesca regretted having to dump coffee on me…”
“Yeah, just the fact that it wasn’t piping hot.” Derek muttered.
Greg glared at him. “I think she was trying to keep up appearances, just to fit in with the Snob Squad.”
Miley sighed. “Look Greg, don’t you think that you’re being just a tad optimistic here? You’ve had a crush on her for years, it’s natural that you’d want to imagine a reaction at long last.”
Greg looked at the girl who had been his friend since middle school. He sighed. “Maybe you’re right, Miley.” He replied. “But I know I saw something…and I’m going to figure out what.”
“And how are you going to do that?” Joe asked.
Greg gestured to the doors in front of them. “Go to lunch.”
* * *
“Okay, what’s the plan again?” Joe asked.
Greg sighed. He, Joe, Sam, and Nathan were sitting at a table in the lunch room, waiting for Francesca to appear.
“It’s simple.” Greg explained. “Our table is the only table with room, so we’ll ask her to sit with us.”
Nathan shook his head. “And I’ll say, once again, that the plan is hopeless.”
Greg looked at his friend. “C’mon Nathan, show a little optimism!”
“I, for once, agree with Nathan” Sam remarked. “This idea…”
Suddenly, cough sounded from behind them.
The four boys turned around and Greg had to work hard not to let a smirk appear on his face: Francesca was holding a lunch tray and looking kinda embarrassed.
“Hi Greg, Sam, Nathan, Joe” She said. “I was wondering…could I sit with you guys? I mean, everywhere else is full and…”
Greg held up and hand and gestured to the seat across from him, which was the last seat at the table. “Make yourself at home”
Francesca, with a face of relief, made to sit down…
Only to be stopped by a smug-faced kid with blonde hair. “Francesca, Francesca, Francesca…why are you attempting to sit with the Outcasts?”
Francesca’s face turned a beautiful shade of pink. “Well, I…um…”
“There wasn’t any room anywhere else, Egor” Greg snapped. “So she asked to sit with us”
Egor looked surprised. “Why, Francesca!” he explained in mock surprise. “Don’t you there’s always room with me?!”
Greg leapt to his feet. “Egor, let her sit where she wants! She’s a person too!”
Egor glared and let go of Francesca, kicked the table aside, and strode up into Greg’s face. “Yeah she can…except with a b****** like you”
Greg glared back. “What’s the matter, Egor? Scared of competition?”
Before Francesca go cry out, Greg went flying backward into a wall due to a crushing right hook from Egor.
Egor smirked. “Just as I thought: All talk, no action.”
Greg rose shakily to his feet clutching his jaw. “Man, Egor, you’ve got one wicked punch!”
Egor nodded mock-graciously. “Why thank you”
Francesca whirled around and glared at Egor. “Egor, apologize right now!”
Egor looked surprised. “Why should I? I probably did the world a favor just then!”
Francesca’s eyes were on fire. “He didn’t deserve that! And furthermore, I’d appreciated that in the future you’d let me sit where I want!”
“Out of the question!” Egor snapped. “Next think you know, you’ll be dating him!”
“Better than dating a drug-dealing Russian idiot” Greg muttered.
Francesca smirked slightly as Egor’s face turned a violent purple. “Egor, it’s obvious you’re not wanted here. Just clear out.”
Egor glared at the five teenagers before stalking away towards the cafeteria doors. Before exiting, he turned back to Greg, who was still rubbing his jaw, and muttered “This isn’t over.”
* * *
Later, after school, Greg was sitting on the concrete steps writing in a notebook. The wind was blowing gently across his face, soothing the pain of the hot California sun.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. Snapping his notebook shut, he turned around and saw Francesca. “Hey” he muttered.
Francesca smiled slightly in return. “Hi. Mind if I join you?”
Greg gestured to the space next to him and Francesca sat down. After a few moments of silence, she asked “How’s your jaw?”
Greg felt the rapidly-swelling purple bruise and winced. “Hurts like heck, but I’ll live.”
“You didn’t have to stand up for me like that” she muttered.
Greg shrugged. “I know…but I wanted to”
“Why?” she asked incredulously. “I’ve treated you horribly ever since I met you! I don’t deserve anything from you!”
Greg looked at her. “I believe in second chances. This is yours.”
Francesca looked quizzically at him.
Greg smirked. “How about we start over?” He extended his hand. “Hello, my name is Gregory Henry”
Francesca laughed and shook the offered limb. “Nice to meet you Gregory. My name is Francesca Moribito.”
“Would you like to grab a bite to eat?” Greg asked.
“Why thank you” Francesca replied graciously, rising to her feet. Greg followed her example.
“By the way” Greg said as the walked down the steps. “I’d like to make a request”
Francesca looked at him. “What’s that?”
“Call me Greg. At least it sounds cool.”
The sounds of laughter echoed throughout the street.
End of Episode