9 Chapter Eight

Hermione proved to us that she is a real b-word. Can you imagine?

First of all, she didn't sit with us during any of the classes we have together. Second of all, she snuck into Dustin's locker and wrote the word: I'm gay. And third of all, the one that really made us see that Hermione will never be our friend again no matter what, she is now friends with Allison. She sat with her at lunch today and she changed her elective to cheerleading. How do I know?

Drama and cheerleading are sharing the same gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays so yeah, I saw her attempting to do their routine.

"Can you imagine the bitch?" Dustin whispered to me.

A loud bang was heard causing Mrs Adams, our literature teacher, to jump in her seat. Everybody stopped to see who the intruder was. Even the cheerleaders.

Turns out our intruders was not one but 2. Yeah. Caesar and Jayden. They walked past the cheerleaders before they came to us.

"Uh, sorry, is this the drama elective class?" Jayden asked while Caesar was just looking at every one.

"Yes it is." Mrs Adams said with that her warm smile that everyone loves so much. But be warned of that smile, it can also tell you your deepest fails in her class.

"And why are they here?" Caesar asked pointing at the cheerleaders, who were going through all heights and measures to gain their attention. Some even hiked up their skirt and started touching their toes.

Mrs Adams looked behind her like she didn't know the cheerleaders were there at all, and then she faced the two boys in front of her.

"We share it every Tuesdays and Thursdays." she answered.

"I want to try out for the class." Caesar said. Mrs Adams gave that same smile again before facing Jayden who also said he wanted to join but more shyly than Caesar.

"Good. Now show us your best." Mrs Adams said. The cheerleaders were still looking on.

Caesar cleared his throat and said a quote from, Six Of Crows?

"'Brekker.. I shall have you without armour or not at all.'"

Did he soften his voice?

"Yeah, he definitely did." Dustin said.

Oops, guess I thought out loud.

"Wow, Mr Brown, that was amazing. And what of you," she stopped to look at him.

"Jayden Crown ma'am."

"Mr Crown, what can you do?"

Jayden too cleared his throat and said the same quote Caesar said but with a more softer voice. Wow.

"Alright, take a seat. You could have just said you want to join the class and not say you want to audition." she said waving her arms at the empty seats.

I looked at the cheerleaders before they continued their routine and I saw Hermione looking at:

Was it Jayden or Caesar?

After school, Dustin went to talk to his sister but he could not even look at her because the cheerleaders went up in his face and covered her like she was JiffPom or the Queen of England. Even Donald Trump has never gotten much cover from human beings. Hell, even Barrack Obama.

He tried to walk around them but they moved in front of him again. After lot of trials, he gave up and came back to me.

"She's impossible." he said with a sigh.

"She's just passing through a phase." I said in a defensive tone. Hermione might be a b-word but she is still our friend.

Dustin sighed again then looked at me, "I hope you are right. But even she is passing through a phase, when will it end?"

I pondered on that.

"Hey Tracy." I heard Jayden's voice call my name. I snapped out of my reverie and smiled at him and Caesar as they approached I and Dustin.

"Oh hey Jayden." I said with a smile. I only looked at Caesar, wondering if he would actually acknowledge me. The only reply I go back from him was a stare. "This is my best friend Dustin."

Jayden gave him a small smile and Dustin replied with a small wave. Caesar didn't even look at him.

"How's your head?" Caesar asked monotonously.

"Doing better." I replied.

"Cool." he said no even bothering to look at me. Then he looked at Jayden and gestured with his head at the door. Jayden nodded like he understood and Ceasar turned and walked to the door. If he saw the cheerleaders who were still looking at him, then he was a really good actor.

"Is he always like that?" Dustin asked looking at the redhead with a whole different vibe.

"Mostly. To he honest, he is the goofiest of all. But don't tell him I told you. So Tracy, I will see you around. Bye Dustin."

Dustin and I walked to pur different cars and I promised to call him later that night, if he didn't call me first.

My parents were not around when I got home. Not that they always were, but, I guess I loved to see if they were home at least.

Looks like I'm making dinner.

I opened the top cupboard beside the cooker and brought out a pack of spaghetti. Then I stetched even further and brought out a tin can of tomato paste. I bent and opened the cupboard also close to the cooker, but below, and brought out a medium sized pot. I opened the tap and put the pot under as I allowed the water fill almost to the brim.

Yes everyone, I was making spaghetti and sauce.

I put the pot with the water on top of the cooker and lighted it up. Now that's done, I went to the fridge and brought out about 12 tomatoes and 7 peppers(and put them in a bowl, duh) . I rinsed them and put them in the blender before I blended them. After 3 cranks, I stopped and brought out another pot to put oil inside. I sliced the onions, willing myself not to cry. But I guess the onion won this round. By the time I was done chopping, the oil was hot so I watched with fascination when I poured the sliced onions into the pot and saw them sizzling up. When the onions were starting to turn brown, I opened the blender and poured the blended tomato into the frying oil and onion. That too sizzled up. If not more than when the onion was poured inside.

While that was frying and the other was boiling, I went upstairs to change. When I had changed, I checked my phone to see if any message entered my phone while I was gone.

You have two new messages.

One was unsurprisingly from Hermione.

Hermione💋

This is not an apology text. Just wanted to tell you to prepare your guest room.

Okay, that was weird. The second was also unsurprisingly from someone I am not expecting to talk to but also not shocked to see. And trust Hermione to end her text with a full stop. Even I don't do that.

Clark😘😘😘

Okay, so I saw that you saved people's number ending up with an emoji. So I saved mine as what you are seeing now

I took your phone during Chem class and saved my number then I surprisingly found your own in your phone. So I guess you are one of those ones who save their number in their phone😂😂😂

Well, I'm not unashamed to agree to that. It might come in handy one day. One day.

I ignored Hermione's message and replied to Clark's. I wrote 'thanks Clark. But don't expect to see how you saved it the same again by tomorrow'

I closed my phone and went back to the kitchen just in time to see that the spaghetti was already cooking. I turned off the gas where the spaghetti was and quickly added the ingredients to the sauce. I opened the fridge and saw some boiled beef inside it. So I brought it out and put it in the sauce. Then I drained the water from the spaghetti.

And the sauce was ready.

I rolled the spaghetti before dropping it on my plate. And I arranged the sauce on my plate.

Just as I was about to put a fork of my, obviously delicious, spaghetti, there was a knock.

"Who is it?" I called. No answer, just insistent knocking. I stood up from where I was sitting and looked around for any object to protect myself. My eyes landed on the fireplace poker. We don't have a fireplace but my dad thought it would be wise if he built a fireplace, just for Santa, every Christmas.

Yeah, my dad said that. Not me or my non existent baby brother.

Taking slow tentative steps, I walked to the door, whoever was at the other side kept knocking like his life (it could be a 'her' too) depended on it. Taking deep breaths, I opened the door and quickly raised the poker on the intruder's head. A clang was heard with a very familiar, "ow. Geez Tracy, are you trying to kill me?"

"Dustin?"

"The one and only."

-*-