12 offer (12)

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SAFE TO SAY I was not in the best of moods when I got to school a few hours later. And that was such a huge downer (more than it already was), mostly for two things.

One, it was a Friday, my favorite day of the week, and I was supposed to be abuzz with energy and regaling in that fact alone like the other students, since the first week of school was coming to a close and the weekend was just around the corner, so so near.

But no, I wasn't.

The sleep-deprived state I was in was already starting to show, and not only on my face but also on my snappy behavior towards my fellowmen (just my classmates, really). The last thing I needed was to make an enemy of everyone by the end of the day, but it seemed that that's what has been happening the past couple of subjects and I wasn't even making any effort. And I was powerless, let alone energy-less, to stop it.

If I should be more specific, I was referring to some girls who had asked (as nicely and as meekly as they could) if they could take a picture of my Trig notes but ended up receiving my gargoyle-inspired scowl instead, and now they weren't nice and meek at all as they shot dirty looks and turned their noses up at me from across the room as if I was the bitch who was making their lives a tad harder than it already was.

Freaking bimbos, not making their own notes themselves and blaming it on me!

But it wasn't like I owed them anything anyway, so—What. Ever.

And two, classes this afternoon had been announced to be suspended, in order to make way for the general assembly (mostly just a welcoming ceremony for the Freshmen, no biggie) and the club-shopping activity afterwards (now this was the biggie, because it involved the power of the Student Council and therefore, being one of the officers myself, my participation was sort of an indispensable requirement). That should also have been cause enough for my blood to go pump pump pump and put me in stellar mood, but no, it still didn't.

It was already the second period and I think we were supposed to be answering yesterday's short quiz in the form of recitations, but my mind wasn't really in it. Not when all I could think about was going home and crawling back in my bed, snuggling under my covers and then dozing off for three days straight, preferrably without any interruption whatsoever...

I should be ashamed of myself. But honestly, I was just too sleepy to care.

Margareth, however, was not above and beyond reminding me. Clearly. Because just as I was about to drift off into dreamland of talking chalkboards and clouds made of chalkdust, my dear, nice friend suddenly kicked my foot under the table. And that was how she was able to jolt me back down to earth.

"Girl! Eyes open! Unless you wanna get sent to detention so early into the school year for sleeping in class?!" she hissed in my ear like a freaking mad bee, so I swatted her away like she was one. She humphed. "Look alive, will you? Miss Jamerson's looking this way! Do you really want her to call you to the front?!"

And Miss Jamerson was, indeed, looking our way. My way. But I didn't budge and remained in my current position—slumped in my chair and both hands cupping the sides of my head to keep it from lolling forward. Or backward. Whichever was more comfortable. And like the dumb, uncaring person I was, I smiled at the teacher sleepily, and she raised her eyebrows at me.

I was pretty sure she was going to call my name for the next question and I didn't have any idea which item we were at now. I fought the urge to bang my forehead on the table top.

After five seconds, though, her eyes just flitted past me and across the room again, looking for another victim, who she found in the person of Tiffany Clarke. Ah, yes. That was not my name. I bit my lip to keep from sighing out loud in relief. In my head, was giving Miss Jamerson a thousand kisses on the cheek for being the most amazing teacher on the planet, ever.

"Oh my god, did she just bypass you looking like the most uninterested student in the room?" Marga's mouth was practically hanging open in amazement. "Wow. How do you do it, Clarey? How do you never get in trouble for anything? No fair!"

"Because I am trouble." I shot her a sidelong smirk. "Haven't you heard?"

"Ha-ha, lame," she deadpanned. "But seriously. What's wrong with you? Why are you so...zombiefied? Did you pull an all-nighter last night? But for what? Because I definitely don't remember any homework and the last one we had was Mr. B's impromptu essay."

Psh. Like homework was the only thing you can pull an all-nighter for.

"Scream Queens," I answered simply, leaving it at that. No need to mention that the Red Devil hadn't remained behind the screen and actually had the audacity to follow me in my slumber. No need to spoil her about his real identity, either. Those two words should be enough to explain everything. The lesser she knew, the better. For both of us.

"That again? Jeezus." Marga clucked her tongue in a scolding manner. "You just can't help yourself, can you? How many times do you have to watch that series before you get enough of Chanel's total absolute bitchiness? She's not even a good example! Far from it!"

"Exactly," I whispered, an evil grin growing on my face. "And I will watch it for as many times as it would take for said total absolute bitchiness to rub off on me." I dropped my arms on the table then turned to her. "And since you're so concerned about it, you'll be the first to know if I succeeded or not, don't worry. I'll make you my guinea pig for the initial test run. For a free chance to see my brother strip naked in his room, limited offer." I wagged my eyebrows conspiratorially. "What do you say?"

"Ew, Clare! You are one, seriously disturbed girl! Shut up!" she fired back, but despite the disgusted expression she was forcing on her face, there was no mistaking the faint rush of pink that colored her cheeks.

Ew? Hah! As if she could hide her secret little crush on my brother from me. Me, her best friend since diaper days! Tsk tsk tsk. I would really like to see how far she could go denying things such as her feelings.

Maybe I should push her a bit, help her some.

"Athena, then." I pretended to shrug and turned back to the front, where Miss Jamerson was now erasing the answers on the board and saying something about the map of our country. "That girl's up for anything. Maybe I'll just give her the offer when she gets back." I smiled deviously. "I'm sure she'll take it."

"I said, shut up," Marga seethed near my ear.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You and me both."

"Fine."

"Fine."

The bell rang.

~~~~~

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