I'm in my last year of high school. Eighteen and almost ready to go to college of my choice. If I had a choice that is. My mom doesn't mind what college I go to just as long as it's one near by, but my older siblings have been breathing down my neck to go to a state university or a private college. My teachers keep piling homework, I have club activities to do, I'm currently job hunting to help pay my family's bills, I'm failing in one of my classes, the deadline for a writing contest that could potentially help me get noticed for my writing is coming up, and I still have yet to sign up for scholarships. Freshman year was much simpler.
The bell rung, breaking me out of my habit of listing things in my thoughts. I packed up my things into my leather satchel before throwing it over my shoulder and exiting the classroom with the other students flooding out the door. The hallways buzzed with students of various ages talking to each other about what they were going to do for Spring Break. I forgot it was coming up in two days, four if you counted the weekend. That means one of my college applications was due soon, I had a week left to finish my entry for the story contest, and Mrs. Schule should have our project from last week graded tomorrow.
"Hey, Patty!"
I tilted my head up at the sound of my name being called. I stopped in the middle of the hallway before I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked behind me and met the dark brown eyes of my best friend, Cassidy. She smiled at me before letting go of my shoulder.
"Hey." I smiled at her in return.
We started to walk down the hall together as she said, "Okay, so I have a favor to ask you."
"What is it first?" I questioned her, adjusting my satchel strap on my shoulder.
"You know my boyfriend's in Robotics, right?" I nodded. "Well, I'm planning on joining the club too. Part of it is because he's there, but the other part is because I am interested in computer science and engineering."
"And you want me to come with you?" I said as we passed my locker.
I didn't need to use my locker since I never used it in the first place. I always carried my things with me so there was no real need for me stop by my locker. It made it easier for me to prepare for my next class and not be late for it trying to get pass the sea of people that always mingle in the middle of the hall until they had a minute left to get to their classes. Cassidy's locker wasn't too far from mine, and she always used hers so we were heading there.
She nodded. "Please? The club is meeting today, and I would really like it if you came with me as a confidence boost." She pleaded, clasping her hands in front of me as we reached her locker.
I looked off to the side in thought.I had to finish my college application today, not to mention apply for more scholarships and jobs. I couldn't really stay after school today. I looked at Cassidy, ready to say my answer, but then I saw that she had made her puppy face: big pleading eyes, pouty lips, and looking up at you at a lower angle so that she can look small and some what helpless. I couldn't really say no to that.
"Fine." I said with a sigh, stopping at the side of her locker.
She smiled before jumping at me, wrapping her arms around me into a hug. She bent down a little as she hugged me, seeing as she was three inches taller than me.
"Thank you!" She said before letting me go and opening her locker.
I fixed my thin rimmed glasses on my face as she started to place her things from her pale green backpack into her locker. This was going to put me behind on my plans. Since I didn't have any club activities after school today, I had planned to finish a page or two of my contest story, finish the short essay part of my college application, and look for new scholarships and job openings. But since I agreed to stay behind after school for Cassidy, I may have to look for scholarships and jobs tomorrow. The slam of Cassidy closing her locker brought me out of rearranging my plans in my head.
"Alright, let's go to the club room." She said, her voice a bit high pitched.
She must be excited to join. Or maybe it was just from the thought of seeing her boyfriend soon. I followed after Cassidy to the classroom that was being used by the Robotics club since she was the only one that knew where it was at. The door was opened when Cassidy found it. I heard the soft sound of motors running and keyboard tapping ass we passed the doorway. I glanced around the room, noticing other students working away either in the back of the classroom on some animatronic or on the computers at the side of the classroom, typing and clicking away on programs. Most of them males. I stood near the front of the room as Cassidy walked up to a female teacher assisting a girl student on a computer. The teacher turned around and they began to talk. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but the teacher looked around the room before shrugging her shoulders. Cassidy nodded before making a gesture with her hand. The teacher nodded and went over to her desk, picking up a piece of paper, before heading back over to Cassidy and giving her the paper. I saw a small smile on Cassidy's face before she walked back over to me.
"Okay, so I can join, even though it's this late in the year, but sadly, my boyfriend isn't here." She explained, frowning a bit at the end.
"How tragic." I joked with a smirk.
She rolled her eyes at me before talking again. "Club usually lasts an hour, and Ms. Hylson said that Trevor only went out to deliver something to his mom."
"When will he back?" I asked, placing one hand on my satchel and the other in the pocket of my Capri jeans.
Cassidy opened her mouth before her eyes moved to something behind me. I turned around and, speak of the devil, Trevor came walking through the door. Cassidy quickly left my side to greet her boyfriend. Trevor was older than Cassidy and me by two years. He was a second year in the town college and worked as a teacher's assistant for the high school. I didn't know why he would be a teacher's assistant, but Cassidy was happy that she could see her boyfriend while the both of them were at school. I noticed there was a slight discoloration of the skin under Trevor's dark blue eyes, and Cassidy must of mentioned it because he then touched that area. A worried expression went over Cassidy's face as Trevor waved his hand in front of him. He ran his fingers through his short, dirty blond hair before Cassidy took his hand and pulled him with her over to me.
"Patty, don't you think it's a black eye?" She asked me, pulling her boyfriend along until they were in front of me.
I tilted my head up a bit to look at Trevor, he was five feet nine while I was only five feet two. I examined the skin under one of his eyes as he glanced between his girlfriend and me. I turned to Cassidy.
"It does look a little discolored." I said.